10th New York State Legislature

10th New York State Legislature

The Old Royal Exchange, in New York City, where the Legislature met from 1785 to 1787. (undated)
Duration: July 1, 1786 – June 30, 1787
President of the State Senate: Lt. Gov. Pierre Van Cortlandt
Temporary President of the State Senate:
Speaker of the State Assembly: Richard Varick
Members: 24 Senators
70 (de facto 65) Assemblymen
Senate Majority:
Assembly Majority:
Sessions
1st: January 12, 1787 – April 21, 1787
<9th 11th>

The 10th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 12 to April 21, 1787, during the tenth year of George Clinton's governorship, at the Old Royal Exchange in New York City.

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.

Elections

The State election was held from April 25 to 27, 1786. Gov. George Clinton and Lt. Gov. Pierre Van Cortlandt were re-elected to a fourth term. Senators Lewis Morris (Southern D.), John Williams (Eastern D.) and Abraham Yates Jr. (Western D.) were re-elected; and John Hathorn (Middle D.), Peter Schuyler (Western D.) and Assemblyman John Vanderbilt (Southern D.), were elected to the Senate.

Sessions

The State Legislature was to meet on January 2, 1787, at the Old Royal Exchange in New York City, but the Assembly first assembled a quorum on January 12, the Senate on January 13; both Houses adjourned on April 21, 1787.

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. John Vanderbilt changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

District Senators Term left Notes
Southern Isaac Stoutenburgh* 1 year
Samuel Townsend* 1 year
Stephen Ward* 1 year
William Floyd* 2 years elected to the Council of Appointment
Ezra L'Hommedieu* 2 years
vacant 2 years Alexander McDougall died on June 9, 1786.
Thomas Tredwell* 3 years
Lewis Morris* 4 years
John Vanderbilt* 4 years
Middle Joseph Gasherie* 1 year
Jacobus Swartwout* 1 year
Arthur Parks* 2 years
John Haring* 3 years
Cornelius Humfrey* 3 years
John Hathorn 4 years elected to the Council of Appointment
Eastern Ebenezer Russell* 2 years elected to the Council of Appointment
David Hopkins* 3 years
John Williams* 4 years
Western Andrew Finck* 1 year
Peter Van Ness* 2 years
Volkert P. Douw* 3 years
Philip Schuyler* 3 years
Peter Schuyler 4 years elected to the Council of Appointment
Abraham Yates Jr.* 4 years

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 Notes
Albany Leonard Bronck*
Henry Glen*
James Gordon*
John Lansing Jr.* also Mayor of Albany
John Livingston*
William Powers
Thomas Sickles
John Tayler*
Matthew Visscher
Peter Vrooman*
Cumberland none No election returns from these counties[1]
Gloucester
Dutchess Dirck Brinckerhoff*
John DeWitt Jr.
Lewis DuBois*
Jacob Griffin*
Henry Ludington*
Brinton Paine*
Matthew Patterson*
Kings Charles Doughty*
Cornelius Wyckoff
Montgomery Zephaniah Batchelor
James Cannon
Josiah Crane
John Frey*
William Harper*
James Livingston*
New York Evert Bancker*
Nicholas Bayard
David Brooks
William Denning*
Alexander Hamilton
Robert C. Livingston
William Malcom*
John Ray
Richard Varick elected Speaker;
also Recorder of New York City
Orange Robert Armstrong
Jeremiah Clark
Gilbert Cooper*
Peter Taulman
Queens Samuel Jones*
John Schenck
Richard Thorne
James Townsend*
Richmond John C. Dongan*
Thomas Frost
Suffolk Jonathan N. Havens
David Hedges*
Daniel Osborn
Caleb Smith
John Smith
Ulster John Cantine
Ebenezer Clark
David Galatian*
Cornelius C. Schoonmaker*
Nathan Smith*
Johannis Snyder*
Washington Adam Martin
Ichabod Parker*
Edward Savage
Peter B. Tierce*
Westchester Ebenezer Lockwood*
Ebenezer Purdy
Nathan Rockwell
Joseph Strang
Thomas Thomas*
Jonathan G. Tompkins*

Employees

Notes

  1. ↑ Cumberland and Gloucester counties seceded from the Province of New York in January 1777, and became part of the Vermont Republic, while the Constitutional Convention was still debating the new Constitution. The New York Constitution was approved in April 1777, not recognizing the secession. Neither county did file any election returns with the Secretary of State of New York in 1786.

Sources