20th New York State Legislature

The 20th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 1, 1796, to April 3, 1797, during the second year of John Jay's governorship, first in New York City, then in Albany.

20th New York State Legislature
←19th 21st→
The Old New York City Hall, where the Legislature first met in 1784. From January 1785 to August 1790, the Congress of the Confederation and the 1st United States Congress met here, and the building was renamed Federal Hall. From 1791 to 1793, and from 1795 to 1796, the State Legislature met again here. The building was demolished in 1812. (1798)
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJuly 1, 1796 – June 30, 1797
Senate
Members43
PresidentLt. Gov. Stephen Van Rensselaer (Fed.)
Party controlFederalist (36-6)
Assembly
Members108
SpeakerGulian Verplanck (Fed.)
Party controlFederalist
Sessions
1stNovember 1 – 11, 1796
2ndJanuary 3 – April 3, 1797

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 July 1, 1795, Stephen Van Rensselaer took office as Lieutenant Governor of New York, leaving a vacancy in the Western District.

On March 4, 1796, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate and Assembly districts, based on the figures of the New York State Census of 1795. The number of State Senators was increased from 24 to 43, adding 1 to the Southern D.; and 6 each to the other three districts. The number of assemblymen was increased from 70 to 108, double-county districts were separated, and several new counties were created.

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 26 to 28, 1796. Senator Selah Strong (Southern D.) was re-elected. Assemblymen James Watson (Southern D.), Thomas Morris, Johannes Dietz, Jacob Morris, Leonard Bronck and Francis Nicoll (all five Western D.) were elected to the Senate. Samuel Haight, Andrew Onderdonk (both Southern D.), Robert Sands, Christopher Tappen, William Thompson (all three Middle D.), Ebenezer Clark, Moses Vail, James Savage, Peter Silvester, Anthony Ten Eyck (all five Eastern D.), Jedediah Sanger, James Gordon, Leonard Gansevoort, Thomas R. Gold, John Richardson, Vincent Mathews, Joseph White and Abraham Arndt (all eight Western D.) were also elected to the Senate. All, except Christopher Tappen, were Federalists.

Upon taking their seats, the new senators were classified: Ebenezer Clark, Anthony Ten Eyck, Thomas Morris and John Richardson drew 1-year terms; James Watson, Leonard Gansevoort, Francis Nicoll, Abraham Arndt, Johannes Dietz and Thomas R. Gold drew 2-year terms; Christopher Tappen, Moses Vail, Vincent Mathews and Joseph White drew 3-year terms; and Samuel Haight, Andrew Onderdonk, Selah Strong, Robert Sands, James Savage, Peter Silvester, William Thompson, Leonard Bronck, Jacob Morris, James Gordon and Jedediah Sanger drew 4-year terms.

Sessions
The Old Albany City Hall

The Legislature met at Federal Hall in New York City on November 1, 1796, to elect presidential electors, and both Houses adjourned on November 11. This was the last session not held in Albany.

Federalist Gulian Verplanck was elected Speaker.

To balance the representation of the senatorial districts, the re-apportionment was amended, transferring Columbia Co. from the Eastern to the Middle District; and Albany and Saratoga counties from the Western to the Eastern D. Thus senators Spencer, Savage and Silvester moved from the Eastern to the Middle; and Bronck, Gansevoort, Gordon, Nicoll, Schuyler and Van Schoonhoven from the Western to the Eastern District.[2]

On November 7, 1796, the Legislature elected 12 presidential electors, all Federalists: Lewis Morris, Abijah Hammond, Richard Thorne, Peter Cantine Jr., Robert Van Rensselaer, Johannes Miller, Abraham Ten Broeck, Abraham Van Vechten, St. John Honeywood, William Root, Peter Smith and Charles Newkirk. They cast their votes for John Adams and Thomas Pinckney.

On November 9, 1796, the Legislature elected U.S. District Judge John Laurance to the U.S. Senate, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Rufus King.

The Legislature met for the regular session on January 3, 1797, at the Old City Hall in Albany, New York; and both Houses adjourned on April 3.

On January 24, 1797, the Legislature elected Senator Philip Schuyler to the U.S. Senate, to succeed Aaron Burr, for a 6-year term beginning on March 4, 1797.

Among the legislative acts of this session were: the declaration of Albany as the State capital, and plans to build a State capitol; the creation of the office of New York State Comptroller; and the creation of Delaware County, with 2 seats in the Assembly.

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. James Watson, Leonard Bronck, Francis Nicoll, Johannes Dietz, Jacob Morris and Thomas Morris changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Note: The table shows the Districts as re-apportioned after the election.
District Senators Term left Party Notes
Southern Ezra L'Hommedieu* 1 year Federalist
Richard Hatfield* 2 years Federalist
Philip Livingston*[3] 2 years Federalist
James Watson* 2 years Federalist
Samuel Jones* 3 years Federalist until March 15, 1797, also Recorder of New York City,
from March 15, 1797, also New York State Comptroller
Joshua Sands* 3 years Federalist vacated his seat on April 26, 1797, upon
appointment as Collector of the Port of New York
Samuel Haight 4 years Federalist
Andrew Onderdonk 4 years Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
Selah Strong* 4 years Federalist
Middle John Cantine* 1 year Dem.-Rep.
Reuben Hopkins* 1 year Dem.-Rep.
vacant[4] 1 year
John D. Coe* 2 years Dem.-Rep.
Ambrose Spencer* 2 years Federalist also Assistant Attorney General (3rd D.);
Spencer lived in Columbia Co., and
had been elected in the old Eastern D. in 1795;
elected to the Council of Appointment
Abraham Schenck* 3 years Dem.-Rep.
Christopher Tappen 3 years Dem.-Rep.
Thomas Tillotson* 3 years Dem.-Rep.
Robert Sands[5] 4 years Federalist
James Savage 4 years Federalist
Peter Silvester 4 years Federalist
William Thompson 4 years Federalist
Eastern Ebenezer Clark 1 year Federalist
Zina Hitchcock* 1 year Federalist
Anthony Ten Eyck 1 year Federalist
Jacobus Van Schoonhoven* 1 year Federalist Van Schoonhoven lived in Saratoga Co., and
had been elected in the old Western D. in 1793
Leonard Gansevoort 2 years Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
Francis Nicoll* 2 years Federalist
Ebenezer Russell* 3 years Federalist
Philip Schuyler* 3 years Federalist Schuyler lived in Albany Co., and
had been elected in the old Western D. in 1795;
elected on January 24, 1797, to the U.S. Senate
Moses Vail 3 years Federalist
Leonard Bronck* 4 years Federalist
James Gordon 4 years Federalist
Western Thomas Morris* 1 year Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
Michael Myers* 1 year Federalist
John Richardson 1 year Federalist
Abraham Arndt 2 years Federalist
Johannes Dietz* 2 years Federalist
John Frey* 2 years Federalist
Thomas R. Gold 2 years Federalist also Assistant Attorney General (7th D.)
Vincent Mathews 3 years Federalist
Joseph White 3 years Federalist
Jacob Morris* 4 years Federalist
Jedediah Sanger 4 years Federalist

Employees
  • Clerk: Abraham B. Bancker

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.
James C. Duane
Jacob Hochstrasser*
James Holcomb
Nathaniel Ogden
John Prince
Philip P. Schuyler
Dirck Ten Broeck* Federalist
John H. Wendell
Clinton Charles Platt
Columbia Caleb Benton
Palmer Cady
John C. Hogeboom Dem.-Rep.
John McKinstry
Peter I. Vosburgh
Jonathan Warner
Dutchess Samuel A. Barker Federalist
Jacob Bockée Federalist
Joseph Crane Jr.
Richard Davis*
Jesse Oakley* Federalist
William Pearce
Jacob Smith*
Jesse Thompson* Federalist
William B. Verplanck Federalist
William Wheeler
Herkimer Isaac Brayton
Arthur Breese
Matthew Brown Jr.
Ludwick Campbell
Gaylord Griswold Federalist
Joshua Leland
Henry McNeil Federalist
Kings Peter Vandervoort* Federalist
Montgomery Jacob Eaker
Frederick Gettman* Federalist
George Metcalfe from February 16, 1797, also Assistant Attorney General (5th D.)
John C. Van Eps
Peter V. Veeder
Simon Veeder
New York Leonard Bleecker
Richard Furman* Federalist
Josiah Ogden Hoffman Federalist also New York State Attorney General
James Kent Federalist previously a member from Dutchess Co.;
from March 28, 1797, also Recorder of New York City
Alexander Lamb* Dem.-Rep.
Herman LeRoy
Jonathan Little
Jacob Morton* Federalist
Jotham Post Jr.* Federalist
James Roosevelt Federalist
James Tylee
Gulian Verplanck Federalist elected Speaker
Henry Will
Onondaga Silas Halsey
Comfort Tyler
Ontario Lemuel Chipman
Charles Williamson
Orange Isaac Blanch
Jonathan Cooley
Seth Marvin*
Otsego Joshua H. Brett
Francis Henry Federalist
Timothy Morse
Isaac Nash
Abraham C. Ten Broeck
Queens Lewis Cornwall
David Kissam Federalist
William Pearsall Federalist
John M. Smith Federalist
Rensselaer John Bird* Federalist
John Carpenter Federalist
Jacob A. Fort Federalist
Daniel Gray* Federalist
James McKown Federalist
Hosea Moffitt Federalist
Richmond Lewis Ryerss*
Saratoga Seth C. Baldwin
Samuel Clark
Adam Comstock* Dem.-Rep.
John McClelland*
John Taylor
Schoharie John Rice Federalist
Suffolk Jared Landon*
Abraham Miller*
Joshua Smith Jr.*
Silas Wood* Federalist
Tioga Emanuel Coryell* Federalist
vacant
Ulster Johannes Bruyn Dem.-Rep.
John Burr
Francis Crawford
John C. DeWitt Dem.-Rep.
Ebenezer Foote* Federalist from March 20, 1797, also Delaware County Clerk
Josiah Hasbrouck Dem.-Rep.
James Oliver* Federalist
Benjamin Sears
Washington Anthony I. Blanchard* also Assistant Attorney General (4th D.)
Gerrit G. Lansing
Timothy Leonard*
Daniel Mason
Edward Savage* Dem.-Rep.
Andrew White
Westchester John Barker Federalist
Joseph Carpenter* Federalist
Mordecai Hale* Federalist
Charles Teed* Federalist
Samuel Youngs Federalist

Employees
  • Clerk: James Van Ingen
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Robert Hunter
  • Doorkeeper: Richard Ten Eyck

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 Constitution to 1840 by Jabez D. Hammond (4th ed., Vol. 1, H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown, 1846; pages 99ff)
  3. Philip Livingston, son of Peter Van Brugh Livingston
  4. It is unclear what caused this vacancy, since none of the sources mention any other person elected to the Senate. The Civil List of 1858 states that the number of Senators was 43 (page 108), and subsequent Legislatures had 43 members, until the re-apportionment by the Constitutional Convention of 1801.
  5. Original owner of Robert Sands Estate in Rhinebeck, Dutchess Co.

Sources
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