84th New York State Legislature

The 84th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to April 16, 1861, during the third year of Edwin D. Morgan's governorship, in Albany.

84th New York State Legislature
←83rd 85th→
The Old State Capitol (1879)
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1861
Senate
Members32
PresidentLt. Gov. Robert Campbell (R)
Temporary PresidentEphraim Goss (R), on February 8
Peter P. Murphy (R), on March 7
Erastus S. Prosser (R), on March 25
William H. Ferry, from March 25
Party controlRepublican (23-9)
Assembly
Members128
SpeakerDeWitt C. Littlejohn (R)
Party controlRepublican (93-35)
Sessions
1stJanuary 1 – April 16, 1861

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1846, 32 Senators and 128 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts were made up of entire counties, except New York County (four districts) and Kings County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards, forming a contiguous area, all within the same county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democrats split over the slavery issue and presidential nomination. Two State tickets were nominated, one supporting Stephen A. Douglas for president, the other supporting John C. Breckinridge.

Elections

The New York state election, 1860 was held on November 6. Gov. Edwin D. Morgan and Lt. Gov. Robert Campbell (both Rep.) were re-elected. The other two statewide elective offices were also carried by the Republicans. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor was: Republican 358,000; Douglas Democratic 294,000; and Breckinridge Democratic 19,000.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1861; and adjourned on April 16.

DeWitt C. Littlejohn (R) was re-elected Speaker with 90 votes against 31 for Francis Kernan (D).

On January 16, the Legislature elected Benjamin F. Bruce (R) as Canal Commissioner, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Commissioner-elect Samuel H. Barnes (R).

On February 5, the Legislature elected Ex-Supreme Court Justice Ira Harris (R) to succeed William H. Seward as U.S. Senator from New York for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1861.

On February 8, Ephraim Goss (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this day."[1]

On February 19, Jay Gibbons (D) asked the Assembly to appoint a Select Committee to investigate allegations that he had "corruptly solicited a consideration for his official action in regard to a bill now pending before this House, to increase the salary of the assistant district attorney of the County of Albany." Speaker Littlejohn appointed assemblymen Bingham, Tuthill (both R), Hutchings, Kernan and Taber (all three D) to this committee. Mitchell Sanford and Theophilus C. Callicot appeared for Gibbons's defence during the proceedings.

On March 7, Peter P. Murphy (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this day."[2] On the same day, a Committee was appointed to "enquire and report whether it be necessary to appoint a President pro tempore, or whether the President pro tempore chosen at the previous session holds his office during the present session."[3]

On March 12, the Committee reported that it is necessary to appoint a President pro tempore, and that the President pro tempore chosen at the previous session does not continue in office at the next session. Besides, the committee opined that a President pro tempore can only be appointed if the Lieutenant Governor is actually absent, and that the appointment ceases whenever the Lieutenant Governor returns.[4]

On March 25, Erastus S. Prosser (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this day."[5] Later on the same day, William H. Ferry (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for the balance of the Session."[6]

On April 3, the Select Committee's resolution to expel Jay Gibbons was adopted by a vote of 99 to 8.

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 Senator Party Notes
1st Edward A. Lawrence* Democrat
2nd Thomas A. Gardiner* Democrat
3rd Francis B. Spinola* Democrat
4th John McLeod Murphy* Democrat
5th Bernard Kelly* Democrat
6th Benjamin F. Manierre* Republican
7th Richard B. Connolly* Democrat
8th Hezekiah D. Robertson* Republican also Supervisor of Bedford
9th Robert Y. Grant* Democrat
10th Joshua Fiero Jr.* Republican
11th John H. Ketcham* Republican
12th Volney Richmond* Republican
13th Andrew J. Colvin* Democrat
14th Joseph H. Ramsey* Republican
15th Isaiah Blood* Democrat
16th Nathan Lapham* Republican
17th Charles C. Montgomery* Republican
18th James A. Bell* Republican
19th William H. Ferry* Republican on March 25, elected president pro tempore
20th Francis M. Rotch* Republican
21st Andrew S. Warner* Republican
22nd Allen Munroe* Republican
23rd Perrin H. McGraw* Republican
24th Lyman Truman* Republican
25th Alexander B. Williams* Republican
26th Thomas Hillhouse* Republican
27th Samuel H. Hammond* Republican
28th Ephraim Goss* Republican on February 8, elected president pro tempore
29th Peter P. Murphy* Republican on March 7, elected president pro tempore
30th David H. Abell* Republican
31st Erastus S. Prosser* Republican on March 25, elected president pro tempore
32nd Walter L. Sessions* Republican

Employees
  • Clerk: James Terwilliger
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: James C. Clark
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: George H. Knapp
  • Doorkeeper: Peter Kilmer
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper: Charles Johnson
  • Second Assistant Doorkeeper: John H. France
  • Third Assistant Doorkeeper: Caspar Walter

State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

Party affiliations follow the vote for Speaker and U.S. Senator.

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st Jay Gibbons Democrat expelled on April 3
2nd Lewis Benedict Jr. Republican
3rd Henry Lansing Democrat
4th William J. Wheeler Democrat
Allegany 1st Wilkes Angel Republican also Supervisor of Angelica
2nd Lucius S. May Republican
Broome Friend H. Burt Republican
Cattaraugus 1st Nelson I. Norton Republican
2nd Franklin Philbrick Republican
Cayuga 1st Heman Benton Republican
2nd Smith Anthony Republican
Chautauqua 1st Henry A. Prendergast Republican
2nd Hiram Smith 2d* Republican
Chemung Lucius Robinson* Republican on November 5, 1861, elected State Comptroller
Chenango 1st Thomas Carter Republican
2nd Samuel E. Lewis Republican
Clinton Henry McFadden* Republican
Columbia 1st Samuel Lasher Republican
2nd Norton S. Collin Republican
Cortland Loammi Kinney Republican
Delaware 1st Seymour E. Smith Republican
2nd Daniel Waterbury Republican
Dutchess 1st John B. Dutcher Republican
2nd Samuel J. Farnum Republican
Erie 1st Stephen V. R. Watson Republican
2nd Victor M. Rice Republican
3rd Benjamin H. Long Democrat
4th Zebulon Ferris Republican
Essex Martin Finch* Republican
Franklin William Andrus Republican
Fulton and Hamilton James H. Burr Republican
Genesee George W. Wright Republican
Greene Gilbert Bedell Democrat
Herkimer 1st John Markell[7] Republican
2nd Josiah Shull Republican
Jefferson 1st David Montague Republican
2nd David J. Wager Republican
3rd Harvey Bailey Republican
Kings 1st Andrew J. Provost Democrat
2nd Marquis D. Moore Republican
3rd Nathan Comstock Republican
4th James Darcy* Democrat
5th Lucius C. Andrus Republican
6th Joseph Nesbitt Democrat
7th George H. Fisher* Republican
Lewis Edmund Baldwin Republican
Livingston 1st Matthew Wiard Republican
2nd George Hyland Republican
Madison 1st Orrin B. Lord Republican
2nd Francis A. Hyatt Republican
Monroe 1st Martin Roberts Republican
2nd Lewis H. Morgan Republican
3rd Benjamin R. Wells Republican
Montgomery Frothingham Fish Republican
New York 1st John Callahan Democrat
2nd William Walsh* Democrat
3rd Christian B. Woodruff* Democrat
4th William J. C. Kenny Democrat unsuccessfully contested by Lewis Hopps[8]
5th John J. Shaw Republican
6th Samuel T. Webster* Democrat
7th Daniel Young Democrat
8th Andrew Craft Republican
9th Horatio N. Sherwood Republican
10th Luke F. Cozans Democrat
11th John Hardy Democrat
12th John Lambrecht Republican
13th Charles E. Birdsall Republican
14th Robert C. Hutchings Democrat
15th George W. Varian* Democrat
16th Henry Arcularius* Democrat unsuccessfully contested by Dennis McCabe (R)[9]
17th Jay Jarvis Jones Democrat
Niagara 1st Henry P. Smith Republican
2nd Oliver P. Scovell Republican
Oneida 1st Francis Kernan Democrat
2nd Levi T. Marshall Republican
3rd Marquis L. Kenyon Democrat
4th William Lewis Republican
Onondaga 1st Jeremiah Emerick* Republican
2nd Austin Myers* Republican
3rd Abner Chapman Republican
Ontario 1st Perez H. Field Republican
2nd Stephen H. Ainsworth Republican
Orange 1st Stephen W. Fullerton Jr.[10] Republican
2nd Milton Barnes Democrat
Orleans Gideon Randall Republican
Oswego 1st DeWitt C. Littlejohn* Republican re-elected Speaker
2nd Richard K. Sanford Republican
3rd Mason Salisbury Republican
Otsego 1st Elijah E. Ferrey Republican
2nd Frederick A. Bolles Republican
Putnam Charles T. Brewster Republican
Queens 1st Stephen Taber* Democrat
2nd John D. Townsend Democrat
Rensselaer 1st Charles J. Saxe Democrat
2nd L. Chandler Ball Republican
3rd Anson Bingham* Republican
Richmond N. Dane Ellingwood Democrat
Rockland William R. Knapp Democrat
St. Lawrence 1st Charles Richardson* Republican
2nd Edwin A. Merritt* Republican
3rd Clark S. Chittenden* Republican
Saratoga 1st John Fulton* Democrat
2nd James Sumner Jr. Republican
Schenectady Alonzo Macomber Republican
Schoharie Joseph Buckbee Democrat
Schuyler Abram V. Mekeel Republican
Seneca William Johnson Democrat
Steuben 1st Daniel B. Bryan Republican
2nd Jeffrey Smith Republican
3rd Redman S. Davis Republican
Suffolk 1st James H. Tuthill Republican
2nd Alexander J. Bergen Democrat
Sullivan Stephen St. John Gardner Democrat
Tioga Cero F. Barber Republican
Tompkins Jeremiah W. Dwight* Republican
Ulster 1st Robert Loughran Republican
2nd George T. Pierce Republican
3rd Benjamin Turner Jr. Republican
Warren Walter A. Faxon Republican
Washington 1st Peter Hill[11] Republican
2nd Nicholas M. Catlin Republican
Wayne 1st Jabez S. L'Amoreaux Republican
2nd Joseph W. Corning Republican
Westchester 1st William J. McDermott Democrat
2nd N. Holmes Odell* Democrat
3rd Benjamin F. Camp Republican
Wyoming John J. Doolittle Republican
Yates Gilbert Sherer Republican

Employees
  • Clerk: Hanson A. Risley
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles D. Easton
  • Doorkeeper: George C. Dennis
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper: Henry Henderson
  • Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Sanders Wilson

Notes
  1. see Senate Journal; pg. 154
  2. see Senate Journal; pg. 268
  3. see Senate Journal; pg. 269
  4. see Senate Journal; pg. 308
  5. see Senate Journal; pg. 400
  6. see Senate Journal; pg. 403
  7. John Markell (born 1796), son of Congressman Jacob Markell
  8. see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1871; pg. 313–332)
  9. see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1871; pg. 332ff)
  10. Stephen W. Fullerton Jr. (born ca. 1834), son of Assemblyman Daniel Fullerton (in 1850), nephew of Assemblyman Stephen W. Fullerton (in 1838 and 1858)
  11. Peter Hill (born 1803), son of Assemblyman James Hill (in 1807, 1808, 1808–09, 1812 and 1820)

Sources
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