23rd New York State Legislature

23rd New York State Legislature

The Old Albany City Hall (undated)
Duration: July 1, 1799 – June 30, 1800
President of the State Senate: Lt. Gov. Stephen Van Rensselaer (Fed.)
Temporary President of the State Senate:
Speaker of the State Assembly: Dirck Ten Broeck (Fed.)
Members: 43 Senators
108 Assemblymen
Senate Majority: Federalist (32-11)
Assembly Majority: Federalist
Sessions
1st: January 28, 1800 – April 8, 1800
<22nd 24th>

The 23rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 28 to April 8, 1800, during the fifth year of John Jay's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, amended by the re-apportionment of March 4, 1796, Senators were elected on general tickets in the senatorial districts for four-year terms. They were divided into four classes, and every year about one fourth of the Senate seats came up for election. Assemblymen were elected countywide on general tickets to a one-year term, the whole assembly being renewed annually.

In 1797, Albany was declared the State capital, and all subsequent Legislatures have been meeting there ever since. In 1799, the Legislature enacted that future Legislatures meet on the last Tuesday of January of each year unless called earlier by the governor.

Congressman Jonathan N. Havens (D.-R.) died on October 25, 1799. Assemblyman John Smith (D.-R.) was elected in a special election in December 1799 to fill the vacancy.

In 1799, Cayuga County was split from Onondaga County, and was apportioned one seat in the Assembly, taken from Onondaga. Essex County was split from Clinton County, but remained in a double-county Assembly district.

At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.[1]

Elections

The State election was held from April 30 to May 2, 1799. Senators Richard Hatfield (Southern D.), Zina Hitchcock, Ebenezer Russell, Moses Vail (all three Eastern D.) and Vincent Mathews (Western D.) were re-elected. John B. Coles (Southern D.), Isaac Bloom, John Hathorn, John Suffern (all three Middle D.) and Moss Kent (Western D.) were also elected to the Senate.

Sessions

The Legislature met on January 28, 1800, at the Old City Hall in Albany; and adjourned on April 8.

Federalist Dirck Ten Broeck was re-elected Speaker without opposition.

The Legislature reduced the salary of the New York State Comptroller from $3,000 to $2,500 whereupon Samuel Jones declined to be re-appointed. On March 12, 1800, the Council of Appointment chose Assemblyman John Vernon Henry to succeed Jones.[2]

On March 12, 1800, a bill was proposed to divide the State into districts to elect presidential electors by popular ballot. This was rejected by the Federalist majority [vote 55 to 47], and the electors continued to be chosen by joint ballot of the State Legislature.[3]

On March 19, 1800, U.S. Senator James Watson (Fed.) resigned after his appointment as Naval Officer of the Port of New York. On April 3, 1800, the Legislature elected Gouverneur Morris (Fed.) to fill the vacancy.

State Senate

Districts

Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York. The counties which are not mentioned in this list had not yet been established, or sufficiently organized, the area being included in one or more of the abovementioned counties.

Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.

District Senators Term left Party Notes
Southern Samuel Haight* 1 year Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
William Denning* 1 year Dem.-Rep.
Selah Strong* 1 year Federalist
Ezra L'Hommedieu* 2 years Dem.-Rep.
DeWitt Clinton* 3 years Dem.-Rep.
David Gelston* 3 years Dem.-Rep. also Surrogate of New York County
John Schenck* 3 year Dem.-Rep.
John B. Coles 4 years Federalist
Richard Hatfield* 4 years Federalist
Middle Robert Sands*[4] 1 year Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
James Savage* 1 year Federalist
Peter Silvester* 1 year Federalist
William Thompson* 1 year Federalist
John Addison* 2 years Dem.-Rep. died in 1800[5]
Peter Cantine Jr.* 2 years Federalist
James G. Graham* 2 years Dem.-Rep.
Ebenezer Foote* 3 years Federalist also Delaware County Clerk
Ambrose Spencer* 3 years Dem.-Rep. also Assistant Attorney General (3rd D.)
Isaac Bloom 4 years Dem.-Rep.
John Hathorn 4 years Dem.-Rep.
John Suffern 4 years Dem.-Rep.
Eastern Leonard Bronck* 1 year Federalist
James Gordon* 1 year Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
Ebenezer Clark* 2 years Federalist
Anthony Ten Eyck* 2 years Federalist
Jacobus Van Schoonhoven* 2 years Federalist
Abraham Van Vechten* 2 years Federalist also Recorder of the City of Albany
Leonard Gansevoort* 3 years Federalist
John Sanders* 3 years Federalist
Zina Hitchcock* 4 years Federalist
Ebenezer Russell* 4 years Federalist
Moses Vail* 4 years Federalist
Western Jacob Morris* 1 year Federalist
Jedediah Sanger* 1 year Federalist also First Judge of the Oneida County Court
Thomas Morris* 2 years Federalist elected in April 1800 to the 7th United States Congress
Michael Myers* 2 years Federalist
Seth Phelps* 2 years Federalist
William Beekman* 3 years Federalist
John Frey* 3 years Federalist
Frederick Gettman* 3 years Federalist
Thomas R. Gold* 3 years Federalist also Assistant Attorney General (7th D.);
elected to the Council of Appointment
Vincent Mathews* 4 years Federalist
Moss Kent 4 years Federalist

Employees

State Assembly

Districts

Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York. The counties which are not mentioned in this list had not yet been established, or sufficiently organized, the area being included in one or more of the abovementioned counties.

Assemblymen

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.

County Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany James Bill*
Philip Conine Jr.
Johann Jost Dietz* Federalist
Prince Doty* Federalist
John Vernon Henry Federalist from March 12, 1800, also New York State Comptroller
Francis Nicoll Federalist
Joseph Shurtleff* Federalist
Dirck Ten Broeck* Federalist re-elected Speaker
Jacob Winne
Cayuga Silas Halsey Dem.-Rep. previously a member from Onondaga Co.
Chenango Peter B. Garnsey
Nathaniel King*
Clinton and
Essex		 William Gilliland
Columbia Ezekiel Gilbert Federalist
Robert T. Livingston Federalist
Charles McKinstry* Federalist
John Noyes Federalist
Anson Pratt Federalist
Jacob R. Van Rensselaer Federalist
Delaware Patrick Lamb
Sluman Wattles
Dutchess Abraham Adriance* Dem.-Rep.
William Barker Dem.-Rep.
William Emott Dem.-Rep./Fed.
Joseph C. Field Dem.-Rep.
Robert Johnston* Dem.-Rep.
Ebenezer Mott* Dem.-Rep./Fed.
Isaac Sherwood Dem.-Rep.
William Taber* Dem.-Rep.
Samuel Towner Dem.-Rep.
John Van Benthuysen* Dem.-Rep.
Herkimer Thomas Manly Federalist
John Mills Federalist
John Meyer Federalist
Kings Jacob Sharpe Jr.
Montgomery John Herkimer Dem.-Rep.
Cornelius Humfrey Dem.-Rep.
Archibald McIntyre* Dem.-Rep.
Frederick Sammons
Jacob Snell* Dem.-Rep.
Simon Veeder* Dem.-Rep.
New York John Bogert Federalist
Nicholas Evertson Federalist
John Oothout Federalist
Anthony Post Federalist
Caleb S. Riggs Federalist
Robert Rutgers Federalist
Jacob Sherred Federalist
Anthony Steenback Federalist
Ebenezer Stevens Federalist
Samuel Stillwell Federalist
Bernardus Swartwout Jr. Federalist
William B. Woolsey Federalist
vacant
Oneida John Hall
David Ostrom* Federalist
Nathan Smith
Onondaga Ebenezer Butler Jr.
Ontario and
Steuben		 Nathaniel Norton
Charles Williamson*
Orange John Blake Jr.* Dem.-Rep.
Robert R. Burnet
James Burt* Dem.-Rep.
Andrew McCord Dem.-Rep.
Seth Marvin
Otsego Jedediah Peck* Dem.-Rep.
Robert Roseboom Dem.-Rep.
Jacob Ten Broeck
Rensselaer Williams
Queens Isaac Denton Dem.-Rep.
Jonah Hallett Dem.-Rep.
Abraham Monfoort Dem.-Rep.
John I. Skidmore* Dem.-Rep.
Rensselaer Jacob A. Fort* Federalist
Daniel Gray* Federalist
James McKown Federalist
Josiah Masters Dem.-Rep.
John W. Schermerhorn*
George Tibbits Federalist
Richmond John P. Ryerss
Rockland Samuel G. Verbryck
Saratoga Daniel Bull
Samuel Clark*
Adam Comstock* Dem.-Rep.
James Warren*
Edward A. Watrous
Schoharie Storm A. Becker Federalist
Suffolk Nicoll Floyd* Dem.-Rep.
Jared Landon* Dem.-Rep.
John Smith* Dem.-Rep. elected in December 1799 to the 6th United States Congress and
took his seat on February 27, 1800, vacating his seat in the Assembly
Silas Wood Federalist
Tioga Samuel Tinkham Federalist
Ulster Charles W. Broadhead
Johannes Bruyn
Moses Cantine
John C. DeWitt
Martin G. Schuneman* Dem.-Rep.
Washington Benjamin Colvin
Micajah Pettit
Isaac Sargent Dem.-Rep.
Edward Savage* Dem.-Rep.
David Thomas Dem.-Rep. elected in April 1800 to the 7th United States Congress
John Thurman Federalist
Westchester George Comb
Abijah Gilbert Dem.-Rep.
Nathan Rockwell Federalist
Abel Smith* Dem.-Rep.
Charles Teed* Federalist

Employees

Notes

  1. ↑ The Anti-Federalists called themselves "Republicans." However, at the same time, the Federalists called them "Democrats" which was meant to be pejorative. After some time both terms got more and more confused, and sometimes used together as "Democratic Republicans" which later historians have adopted (with a hyphen) to describe the party from the beginning, to avoid confusion with both the later established and still existing Democratic and Republican parties.
  2. ↑ The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, from the Ratification of the Federal Constition to 1840 by Jabez D. Hammond (4th ed., Vol. 1, H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown, 1846; page 133)
  3. ↑ The choice of presidential electors by popular ballot in single districts was eventually enacted in 1825, but happened only once, at the United States presidential election, 1828. In 1829, the mode was changed to popular ballot on general ticket.
  4. ↑ Original owner of Robert Sands Estate in Rhinebeck, Dutchess Co.
  5. ↑ The exact date is unclear, but it was early enough to fill the vacancy at the State election in April 1800

Sources

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