17th New York State Legislature

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

17th New York State Legislature
←16th 18th→
Old Albany City Hall.png
The Old Albany City Hall, where the Legislature met again in 1794 (undated)
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJuly 1, 1793 – June 30, 1794
Senate
Members24
PresidentLt. Gov. Pierre Van Cortlandt
Party controlFederalist (13-11)
Assembly
Members70
SpeakerJames Watson (Fed.)
Party controlFederalist
Sessions
1stJanuary 7, 1794 – March 27, 1794

The 17th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to March 27, 1794, during the seventeenth year of George Clinton's governorship, in Albany.

Background[]

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, the State Senators were elected on general tickets in the senatorial districts, and were then divided into four classes. Six senators each drew lots for a term of 1, 2, 3 or 4 years and, beginning at the election in April 1778, every year six Senate seats came up for election to a four-year term. Assemblymen were elected countywide on general tickets to a one-year term, the whole assembly being renewed annually.

In March 1786, the Legislature enacted that future Legislatures meet on the first Tuesday of January of each year unless called earlier by the governor. No general meeting place was determined, leaving it to each Legislature to name the place where to reconvene, and if no place could be agreed upon, the Legislature should meet again where it adjourned.

On February 7, 1791, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate and Assembly districts, according to the figures of the 1790 United States Census.

State Senator Philip Van Cortlandt was elected in January 1793 to the 3rd United States Congress, leaving a vacancy in the Southern 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, 1793. Senator John Cantine (Middle D.) was re-elected. Ezra L'Hommedieu (Southern D.), (Western D.), and Assemblymen (Middle D.), (Eastern D.) and Michael Myers (Western D.) were elected to full terms in the Senate. Matthew Clarkson was elected to fill the vacancy in the Southern District.

Sessions[]

The Legislature met at the Old City Hall in Albany on January 7; and adjourned on March 27, 1794.

On January 7, 1794, , Clerk of the Assembly since 1777, was voted out of office. Oliver L. Ker, of New York City, was elected with 37 votes against 21 for McKesson.[2]

State Senate[]

Districts[]

  • The Southern District (8 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties.
  • The Middle District (6 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties.
  • The Eastern District (5 seats) consisted of Washington, Clinton, Columbia and Rensselaer counties.
  • The Western District (5 seats) consisted of Albany, Montgomery, Herkimer, Ontario, Otsego, Saratoga and Tioga counties.

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. Reuben Hopkins, Zina Hitchcock, Michael Myers changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

District Senators Term left Party Notes
Southern David Gelston* 1 year Dem.-Rep. also Surrogate of New York County
Matthew Clarkson 1 year Federalist elected to fill vacancy, in place of Philip Van Cortlandt
Samuel Jones* 2 years Federalist also Recorder of New York City
Joshua Sands* 2 years Federalist
Henry Cruger* 3 years Federalist
* 3 years Dem.-Rep.
* 3 years Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
Ezra L'Hommedieu 4 years Federalist
Middle * 1 year Dem.-Rep.
Thomas Tillotson* 2 years Dem.-Rep.
Jacobus Swartwout* 2 years Dem.-Rep.
* 3 years Dem.-Rep.
John Cantine* 4 years Dem.-Rep.
* 4 years Dem.-Rep. elected to the Council of Appointment
Eastern John Williams* 1 year Dem.-Rep. elected in April 1794 to the 4th United States Congress
* 2 years Federalist
*[3] 3 years Dem.-Rep.
Robert Woodworth* 3 years Dem.-Rep.
* 4 years Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
Western * 1 year Federalist
Stephen Van Rensselaer* 1 year Federalist
Philip Schuyler* 2 years Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
Michael Myers* 4 years Federalist
4 years Federalist

Employees[]

  • Clerk:

State Assembly[]

Districts[]

  • The City and County of Albany (7 seats)
  • Columbia County (6 seats)
  • Dutchess County (7 seats)
  • Herkimer County (1 seat)
  • Kings County (1 seat)
  • Montgomery County) (4 seats)
  • The City and County of New York (7 seats)
  • Ontario County (1 seat)
  • Orange County (3 seats)
  • Otsego County (1 seat)
  • Queens County (3 seats)
  • Rensselaer County (5 seats)
  • Richmond County (1 seat)
  • Saratoga County (4 seats)
  • Suffolk County (4 seats)
  • Tioga County (1 seat)
  • Ulster County (5 seats)
  • Washington and Clinton counties (4 seats)
  • Westchester County (5 seats)

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 * Federalist
* Federalist
William North Federalist
Columbia * Dem.-Rep.
Dem.-Rep.
Ambrose Spencer Federalist
Dutchess Federalist
or Jacob Bockée
David Brooks Federalist
Jacob Radclift[4]
Herkimer Jedediah Sanger Federalist
Kings Federalist
Montgomery *
*
New York
*
Federalist
Josiah Ogden Hoffman* Federalist
Jotham Post Jr. Federalist
James Watson Federalist elected Speaker
Ontario Thomas Morris Federalist
Orange John D. Coe Dem.-Rep.
Otsego Federalist
Queens *
Federalist
Samuel Youngs
Rensselaer
Benjamin Hicks* Federalist
Hosea Moffitt Federalist
Dem.-Rep.
Richmond * Federalist
Saratoga John Ball
Adam Comstock* Dem.-Rep.
Beriah Palmer* Dem.-Rep.
Suffolk *
Jonathan N. Havens* Dem.-Rep. elected in April 1794 to the 4th United States Congress
John Smith* Dem.-Rep.
Joshua Smith Jr.
Tioga Vincent Mathews Federalist
Ulster Federalist
Federalist
Federalist
Federalist
Federalist
Washington
and Clinton
David Thomas Dem.-Rep.
Westchester * Federalist
*
Pierre Van Cortlandt Jr. Dem.-Rep.

Employees[]

  • Clerk:
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Robert Hunter
  • Doorkeeper: Jacob Kidney

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. ^ Election for Clerk of the Assembly
  3. ^ John Livingston, fifth son of Robert Livingston (1708–1790), 3rd Lord of the Manor
  4. ^ It is unclear why this person is named "Radcliff", the Civil List of 1858 lists "Radclift" and he signed himself as such, see signature at his article on Wikipedia.

Sources[]

Retrieved from ""