53rd New York State Legislature

53rd New York State Legislature

The Old State Capitol (1879)
Duration: January 1 – December 31, 1830
President of the State Senate:
Temporary President of the State Senate: William M. Oliver (J)
Speaker of the State Assembly: Erastus Root (J)
Members: 32 Senators
128 Assemblymen
Senate Majority: Jacksonian
Assembly Majority: Jacksonian
Sessions
1st: January 5 – April 20, 1830
<52nd 54th>

The 53rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to April 20, 1830, during the second year of Enos T. Throop's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1821, 32 Senators were elected on general tickets in eight 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.

State Senator Robert Bogardus resigned on May 4, 1829, leaving a vacancy in the First District.

At this time, there were three political parties: the "Jacksonians" (supporting President Andrew Jackson; led by U.S. Secretary of State Martin Van Buren), the "Anti-Jacksonians" (the former supporters of John Quincy Adams, opposing Jackson and the Albany Regency), and the "Anti-Masons". In New York City, a Workingmen's Party appeared, and polled a large number of votes, winning a seat in the Assembly. In 1830, the Anti-Jacksonians re-organized as the National Republican Party (supporting Henry Clay for the presidency).

Elections

The State election was held from November 2 to 4, 1829. Alpheus Sherman, Jonathan S. Conklin (both 1st D.), Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (2nd D.), William Dietz (3rd D.), Isaac Gere (4th D.), Alvin Bronson (5th D.), Levi Beardsley (6th D.), Albert H. Tracy (8th D.) and Assemblyman Thomas Armstrong (7th D.) were elected to the Senate. Tracy was an Anti-Mason; the other eight were Jacksonians.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 5, 1830; and adjourned on April 20.

Erastus Root (J) was again elected Speaker, receiving 93 votes against 30 for Francis Granger (A-M); and William M. Oliver (J) was elected President pro tempore of the State Senate.

On January 8, Conklin and Sherman drew lots to decide which one of the two senators elected in the 1st District would serve the short term, and which one the full term. Conklin drew the short term, and Sherman the full term.[1]

On February 12, the Legislature re-elected State Treasurer Abraham Keyser, Jr. (J).

On April 13, a caucus of Jacksonian legislators, chaired by President pro tem William M. Oliver, resolved to call a state convention, to meet on September 8 at Herkimer, to nominate candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.[2]

On April 16, a meeting of working men at the Old State Capitol in Albany nominated Speaker Erastus Root for Governor. Root did neither accept nor decline the nomination for the time being, expecting either to be nominated by Jacksonians and decline, or to be slighted by the Jacksonians and accept. In June, a meeting of the Workingmen's Party at New York City endorsed the Albany nomination, but asked Root to state his position. Root declined, stating that he would support the Jacksonian nominee. The Workingmen then nominated Ezekiel Williams for Governor, and Isaac S. Smith for Lieutenant Governor.

The Anti-Masonic state convention met in August at Utica, and nominated Assemblyman Francis Granger for Governor, and Samuel Stevens, of New York City, for Lieutenant Governor.

The Jacksonian state convention met on September 8 at Herkimer and nominated Gov. Throop for re-election, and Edward P. Livingston for Lieutenant Governor.

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. Thomas Armstrong changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

District Senators Term left Party Notes
First Jonathan S. Conklin 1 year Jacksonian elected to fill vacancy, in place of Robert Bogardus
John I. Schenck* 2 years Jacksonian
Stephen Allen* 3 years Jacksonian
Alpheus Sherman 4 years Jacksonian
Second Benjamin Woodward* 1 year Jacksonian also Postmaster of Mount Hope
Walker Todd* 2 years Jacksonian also Postmaster of Carmel
Samuel Rexford* 3 years Jacksonian
Nathaniel P. Tallmadge 4 years Jacksonian
Third John McCarty* 1 year Jacksonian
Moses Warren* 2 years Jacksonian
Lewis Eaton* 3 years Jacksonian
William Dietz 4 years Jacksonian
Fourth Duncan McMartin Jr.* 1 year Nat. Rep.
Reuben Sanford* 2 years Nat. Rep. also Postmaster of Wilmington
John McLean Jr.* 3 years Nat. Rep.
Isaac Gere 4 years Jacksonian
Fifth Truman Enos* 1 year Jacksonian
Nathaniel S. Benton* 2 years Jacksonian
William H. Maynard* 3 years Anti-Mason
Alvin Bronson 4 years Jacksonian
Sixth Thomas G. Waterman* 1 year Jacksonian
Grattan H. Wheeler* 2 years Jacksonian[3] in November 1830, elected to the 22nd U.S. Congress
John F. Hubbard* 3 years Jacksonian
Levi Beardsley 4 years Jacksonian
Seventh William M. Oliver* 1 year Jacksonian elected President pro tempore
George B. Throop* 2 years Jacksonian
Hiram F. Mather* 3 years Anti-Mason
Thomas Armstrong* 4 years Jacksonian also Supervisor of Butler, and Chairman
of the Board of Supervisors of Wayne Co.
Eighth George H. Boughton* 1 year Anti-Mason
Timothy H. Porter* 2 years Anti-Mason
Moses Hayden* 3 years Anti-Mason died on February 13, 1830
Albert H. Tracy 4 years Anti-Mason

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.

The party affiliations follow the vote on State Treasurer on February 12, and the participation in the Jacksonian caucus on April 13.[4]

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany Peter Gansevoort Jacksonian
Samuel S. Lush Nat. Rep.
Erastus Williams
Allegany Daniel Ashley Anti-Mason
Broome Peter Robinson* Jacksonian
Cattaraugus Stephen Crosby Anti-Mason
Cayuga Ephraim Hammond* Jacksonian
Solomon Love Jacksonian
William H. Noble* Jacksonian
Richard L. Smith Jacksonian
Chautauqua Abner Hazeltine* Anti-Mason
Squire White Anti-Mason
Chenango John Latham
Jarvis K. Pike
Charles Squires
Clinton Heman Cady Jacksonian
Columbia Jonathan Lapham Jacksonian
Aaron Vanderpoel Jacksonian
Oliver Wiswall Jacksonian
Cortland Chauncey Keep
Henry Stephens
Delaware Matthew Halcott Jacksonian
Erastus Root Jacksonian elected Speaker;
in November 1830, elected to the 22nd U.S. Congress
Dutchess James Hughson Jacksonian
George P. Oakley Jacksonian
Jacob Van Ness Jacksonian
Philo M. Winchell Jacksonian
Erie Millard Fillmore* Anti-Mason
Edmund Hull Anti-Mason
Essex William Kirby Jacksonian
Franklin Luther Bradish* Nat. Rep.
Genesee Calvin P. Bailey*
Timothy Fitch Anti-Mason
Stephen Griswold Anti-Mason
Greene Jonathan Miller Jacksonian
Herman I. Quackenboss Jacksonian
Hamilton and
Montgomery 		Thomas R. Benedict Jacksonian
Henry I. Diefendorf Jacksonian
Daniel Stewart Jacksonian
Herkimer Frederick P. Bellinger Jacksonian
Russel Hopkins Jacksonian
Abijah Mann, Jr.* Jacksonian from May 28, 1830, also Postmaster of Fairfield
Jefferson Curtis G. Brooks Jacksonian
Aaron Brown Jacksonian
Charles Orvis Jacksonian
Kings Coe S. Downing Jacksonian
Lewis Joseph O. Mott* Jacksonian
Livingston Philo C. Fuller* Anti-Mason
Titus Goodman Jr.* Anti-Mason
Madison William K. Fuller* Jacksonian
William Manchester Jacksonian
John M. Messinger Jacksonian
Monroe Ezra Sheldon Jr. Anti-Mason
Joseph Randall Anti-Mason
Thurlow Weed Anti-Mason
New York Jacob S. Bogert* Jacksonian
Abraham Cargill* Jacksonian
George Curtis[5] Jacksonian
Ebenezer Ford Workingmen
Charles L. Livingston Jacksonian
Dennis McCarthy Jacksonian
Gideon Ostrander Jacksonian
Silas M. Stilwell Jacksonian
Peter S. Titus* Jacksonian
Gideon Tucker Jacksonian
John Van Beuren* Jacksonian
Niagara Samuel De Veaux Anti-Mason
Oneida Arnon Comstock Jacksonian
Linus Parker Jacksonian
Elisha Pettibone Jacksonian
Eli Savage* Jacksonian
Ithai Thompson Jacksonian
Onondaga Timothy Brown Jacksonian
Thomas J. Gilbert Jacksonian
Johnson Hall* Jacksonian
Dorastus Lawrence Jacksonian
Ontario John Dickson* Anti-Mason
Francis Granger Anti-Mason
Robert C. Nicholas* Anti-Mason
Orange Abraham Cuddeback Jacksonian
Abraham M. Smith Jacksonian
Phineas Tuthill Jacksonian
Orleans John H. Tyler Anti-Mason
Oswego Hiram Hubbell Jacksonian
Otsego William Baker Jacksonian
Archibald Dixson
Samuel M. Ingalls Jacksonian
Jesse Ross Jacksonian
Putnam James Towner Jacksonian
Queens Thomas Tredwell Nat. Rep. contested by Henry Floyd-Jones (J) who took the seat on January 28[6]
Rensselaer Abiel Buckman Jacksonian
George R. Davis Jacksonian from February 1, 1830, also a Bank Commissioner
Ziba Hewitt Jacksonian
Abraham C. Lansing Jacksonian
Richmond John T. Harrison Jacksonian
Rockland George S. Allison* Jacksonian
St. Lawrence Jonah Sanford* Jacksonian
Asa Sprague Jr. Jacksonian
Saratoga Seth Perry Jacksonian
William Shepherd Jacksonian
Samuel Stewart
Schenectady Alonzo C. Paige* Jacksonian also Reporter of the New York Court of Chancery
Schoharie Abraham L. Lawyer Jacksonian
Charles Watson Jacksonian
Seneca Samuel Blain Anti-Mason
Septimus Evans Anti-Mason
Steuben Andrew B. Dickinson Jacksonian
Josiah Dunlap Anti-Mason
Suffolk Samuel Strong Jacksonian
Noah Youngs Jacksonian
Sullivan Herman M. Hardenburgh
Tioga John G. McDowell Jacksonian
Wright Dunham Jacksonian
Tompkins Elijah Atwater Jacksonian
Jonathan B. Gosman* Jacksonian
Ebenezer Mack Jacksonian
Ulster Green Miller Jacksonian
Matthew Oliver Jacksonian
Warren Norman Fox Jacksonian
Washington David Abel Russell Anti-Mason
David Sill Anti-Mason
Robert Wilcox Anti-Mason
Wayne Luther Chapin
Seth Eddy
Westchester Aaron Brown* Jacksonian
Lawrence Davenport* Jacksonian
Abel Smith* Jacksonian
Yates Morris F. Sheppard* Anti-Mason

Employees

Notes

  1. ↑ see Journal of the Senate (53rd Session) (1830; pg. 34f)
  2. ↑ Niles Register (issue of April 24, 1830; pg. 170ff; containing a complete list of the attendees, a total of 111 legislators, which is the source for most the party affiliations given in the list of senators and assemblymen)
  3. ↑ Wheeler had been elected to the State senate as an Adams man, attended the Jacksonian caucus on April 13, but was elected to Congress in November as an Anti-Mason.
  4. ↑ see Assembly Journal (53rd session; pg. 222f); Those who appeared at the caucus are clearly Jacksonians; those who voted for George Merchant as Treasurer, are clearly Anti-Masons; the affiliation of the remaining members is difficult to ascertain.
  5. ↑ George Curtis, brother of Edward Curtis
  6. ↑ The case was decided on January 27 in favor of Floyd-Jones, and he appeared the next day; see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1871; pg. 94–110)

Sources