36th New York State Legislature explained

Number:36th
Imagename:The Old State Capitol
Imagedate:1879
Start:July 1, 1812
End:June 30, 1813
Vp:Lt. Gov. DeWitt Clinton (Dem.-Rep.)
Speaker:Jacob R. Van Rensselaer (Fed.)
Senators:32
Reps:112
S-Majority:Clintonian (19-8-4)
H-Majority:Federalist (58-29-22)
Sessionnumber1:1st
Sessionstart1:November 3
Sessionend1:11, 1812
Sessionnumber2:2nd
Sessionstart2:January 12
Sessionend2:April 13, 1813
Previous:35th
Next:37th

The 36th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 3, 1812, to April 13, 1813, during the sixth year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, amended by the Constitutional Convention of 1801, 32 Senators were elected on general tickets in the four senatorial districts for four-year terms. They were divided into four classes, and every year eight 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.

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 28 to 30, 1812. Senator Francis A. Bloodgood (Western D.) was re-elected. Elbert H. Jones (Southern D.), Martin Van Buren (Middle D.), Gerrit Wendell (Eastern D.), Russell Attwater, Archibald S. Clarke (both Western D.); and Assemblymen Peter W. Radcliff (Southern D.) and Henry Hager (Western D.) were also elected to the Senate. Jones, Radcliff and Wendell were Federalists, the other five were Democratic-Republicans.

On May 28, a caucus of Dem.-Rep. legislators nominated DeWitt Clinton for U.S. president. On June 18, the United States declared War against Great Britain. The Federalists opposed the war; the Democratic-Republican Party split into two factions: the Clintonians (supporters of DeWitt Clinton and mostly opposed to the war) and the Madisonians (supporters of President James Madison and the war).

In September 1812, State Treasurer David Thomas was arrested in Chenango County on a warrant issued by Supreme Court Justice Ambrose Spencer, and tried before Justice William W. Van Ness, for an attempt to bribe State Senator Casper M. Rouse to vote for the chartering of the Bank of America during the previous session of the Legislature, but was acquitted by the jury. At the same time, Solomon Southwick was tried in Montgomery County before Chief Justice James Kent, for an attempt to bribe Alexander Sheldon, then Speaker of the Assembly, for the same purpose, but was also found not guilty.[2]

Sessions

The Legislature met at the Old State Capitol in Albany on November 3, 1812, to elect presidential electors; and adjourned on November 11.

Jacob R. Van Rensselaer (Fed.) was elected Speaker with 58 votes against 46 for William Ross (Dem.-Rep.). James Van Ingen (Fed.) was again elected Clerk of the Assembly with 57 votes against 46 for John F. Bacon (Dem.-Rep.).

Although the Democratic-Republicans had a small majority on joint ballot, and should have supported the party's caucus nominee, the Madisonians refused to support Clinton. The Assembly nominated Federalist electors (vote: Fed. 58, Clinton 29, Madison 22). The Senate nominated Clintonian electors (vote: Clinton 19, Fed. 9, Madison 4). On November 9, 1812, the Legislature proceeded to a joint ballot and elected the Clintonian ticket with a vote of 74 to 45, the Madisonians cast 28 blank ballots.[3] The 29 electors chosen were: Joseph C. Yates, Simeon De Witt, Archibald McIntyre, John C. Hogeboom, Gurdon S. Mumford, Jacob De La Montagnie, Philip Van Cortlandt, John Chandler, Henry Huntington, John Woodworth, David Boyd, Cornelius Bergen, Joseph Perine, Chauncey Belknap, George Rosecrantz, John Dill, David Van Ness, Robert Jenkins, Michael S. Vandecook, George Palmer Jr., James Hill, William Kirby, Henry Frey Yates, Thomas H. Hubbard, John Russell, James S. Kipp, Jotham Jayne, Jonathan Stanley Jr. and William Burnet. They cast their votes for DeWitt Clinton and Jared Ingersoll.

The Legislature met for the regular session on January 12, 1813; and the Assembly adjourned on April 12, the Senate on April 13.

On January 12, the Federalist majority of the Assembly elected a new Council of Appointment which removed almost all Democratic-Republican office-holders.

On February 2, the Legislature elected Rufus King (Fed.) to succeed John Smith (Dem.-Rep.) as U.S. Senator from New York for a term beginning on March 4, 1813.

On February 10, the Legislature elected Charles Z. Platt (Fed.) to succeed David Thomas (Dem.-Rep.) as New York State Treasurer.

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. Peter W. Radcliff and Henry Hager changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
SouthernIsrael Carll1 yearDem.-Rep.
Ebenezer White2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Nathan Sanford3 yearsDem.-Rep.also United States Attorney for the District of New York
Elbert H. Jones4 yearsFederalist
Peter W. Radcliff4 yearsFederalistelected to the Council of Appointment
MiddleJohannes Bruyn1 yearDem.-Rep.
Samuel Haight1 yearDem.-Rep.
Morgan Lewis2 yearsDem.-Rep.
James W. Wilkin2 yearsDem.-Rep.elected to the Council of Appointment
Erastus Root3 yearsDem.-Rep.
William Taber3 yearsDem.-Rep.
Martin Van Buren4 yearsDem.-Rep.until March 19, 1813, also Surrogate of Columbia Co.
EasternDaniel Paris1 yearFederalist
John Stearns1 yearFederalistelected to the Council of Appointment
Henry Yates Jr. 2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Elisha Arnold3 yearsDem.-Rep.
Kitchel Bishop3 yearsDem.-Rep.
Ruggles Hubbard3 yearsDem.-Rep.
John Tayler3 yearsDem.-Rep.
Gerrit Wendell4 yearsFederalist
WesternAmos Hall1 yearFederalist
Seth Phelps1 yearFederalist
Jonas Platt1 yearFederalistelected to the Council of Appointment
Reuben Humphrey2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Nathan Smith 2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Philetus Swift2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Henry A. Townsend2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Casper M. Rouse3 yearsDem.-Rep.
Russell Attwater4 yearsDem.-Rep.
Francis A. Bloodgood4 yearsDem.-Rep.
Archibald S. Clarke4 yearsDem.-Rep.
Henry Hager4 yearsDem.-Rep.

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.

DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyDavid BogardusFederalist
John GibbonsFederalist
Elishama JanesFederalist
Abraham Van VechtenFederalistfrom February 13, 1813, also New York Attorney General
Allegany
and Steuben		Jacob Teeple
BroomeChauncey HydeDem.-Rep.
Cattaraugus,
Chautauqua
and Niagara		Jonas WilliamsDem.-Rep.
CayugaWilliam C. BennetDem.-Rep.
Thomas LudlowDem.-Rep.
William SatterleeDem.-Rep.
ChenangoNathaniel Medbury
Ebenezer WakleyDem.-Rep.
Thornton Wasson
Clinton and
Franklin		Allen R. MooreFederalist
ColumbiaAaron OlmstedFederalistdeath announced on January 27, 1813
Alan SheldonFederalist
Jacob R. Van RensselaerFederalistelected Speaker;
from February 23, 1813, also Secretary of State of New York
Elisha WilliamsFederalist
CortlandBilly Trowbridge
DelawareRobert ClarkDem.-Rep.
Andrew Craig Jr.
DutchessJoseph Arnold
John BeadleFederalist
Cyrus Benjamin
Isaac Bryan
Henry DodgeFederalist
John Warren
EssexManoah Miller
GeneseeJames GansonDem.-Rep.
GreeneJohn AdamsFederalist
Perez SteeleFederalist
HerkimerJohn GravesDem.-Rep.
Hosea NelsonDem.-Rep.
Rudolph I. ShoemakerDem.-Rep.
JeffersonClark AllenFederalist
Egbert Ten EyckFederalist
KingsJohn C. VanderveerDem.-Rep.
LewisLevi Collins
Walter BeecherDem.-Rep.
John D. HenryFederalist
Jonathan OlmstedDem.-Rep.
Josiah Bartlettdeath announced January 29, 1813
Daniel CadyFederalistfrom February 28 to April 6, 1813, also District Attorney of the 5th D.
Daniel McVean
Simon Maybie
Richard Van Horne[6] Federalist
New YorkThomas CarpenterFederalist
Jameson Cox
Isaac S. DouglassFederalist
Richard Hatfield Jr.
William Henderson
Josiah Ogden HoffmanFederalistfrom February 8, 1813, also Recorder of New York City
Samuel Jones Jr.Federalist
Jacob LorillardFederalist
Abraham RussellFederalist
Isaac SebringFederalist
James SmithFederalist
OneidaJosiah Bacon
Erastus ClarkFederalist
George HuntingtonFederalist
John Lay
Nathan Townsend
Moses NashDem.-Rep.
Isaac SmithDem.-Rep.
Abraham Dox
Gilbert HowellDem.-Rep.
Hugh McNair
David Sutherland
Asahel WarnerDem.-Rep.
John Blake Jr.
David DillDem.-Rep.
William RossDem.-Rep.
John Wheeler
OtsegoErastus Crafts
Abel DeForest
Samuel Griffin
James HydeFederalist
QueensStephen CarmanFederalist
John FleetFederalist
David KissamFederalistor Daniel*?
RensselaerDavid AllenFederalist
James H. Ball
John Carpenter Jr.
John StevensFederalist
RichmondJames Guyon, Jr.Dem.-Rep.
RocklandPeter S. Van OrdenDem.-Rep.
St. LawrenceRoswell HopkinsFederalist
SaratogaCaleb Holmes
John Prior
John W. TaylorDem.-Rep.in December 1812, elected to the 13th United States Congress
Calvin Wheeler
SchenectadyAlexander CombsDem.-Rep.
Joseph ShurtleffFederalist
SchoharieHeman HickockDem.-Rep.
Peter A. Hilton
SenecaJames McCall
SuffolkHenry Rhodes
Caleb Smith
Benjamin F. Thompson
Sullivan
and Ulster		Jacob CoddingtonDem.-Rep.
Abraham I. HardenberghDem.-Rep.
Henry JansenDem.-Rep.
Elnathan SearsDem.-Rep.
TiogaJabez Beers
WashingtonJohn BeebeeFederalist
Jason KelloggDem.-Rep.
Francis McLeanDem.-Rep.
Ebenezer RussellFederalist
Melancton WheelerFederalist
WestchesterWilliam BarkerFederalist
Abraham MillerDem.-Rep.
vacant

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. see Hammond, pg. 317f
  3. This result has more votes (147) than there were seats in the Legislature (144), it is unclear where the mistake is.
  4. Henry Yates (1770–1854), brother of Gov. Joseph C. Yates, see bio in Schenectady History
  5. Nathan Smith (c. 1769 – 1836), of Fairfield, First Judge of the Herkimer County Court 1814–21; see bio in A History of Herkimer County by Nathaniel S. Benton (pages 357ff)
  6. Richard Van Horne (c. 1770 – March 12, 1823, Danube)

Sources

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "36th New York State Legislature".

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