56th New York State Legislature

56th New York State Legislature

The Old State Capitol (1879)

Duration: January 1 – December 31, 1833

President of the State Senate: Lt. Gov. John Tracy (J)
Temporary President of the State Senate:
Speaker of the State Assembly: Charles L. Livingston (J)
Members: 32 Senators
128 Assemblymen
Senate Majority: Jacksonian (25-7)
Assembly Majority: Jacksonian (101-27)

Sessions
1st: January 1 – April 30, 1833
<55th 57th>

The 56th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to April 30, 1833, during the first year of William L. Marcy'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.

At this time, there were three political parties: the Jacksonian Democrats, the Anti-Masonic Party, and the National Republican Party.

The Anti-Masonic state convention met on June 21, and nominated again Assemblyman Francis Granger for Governor and Samuel Stevens, of New York City, for Lieutenant Governor. They also nominated a full ticket of presidential electors, apparently composed of some supporters of William Wirt, and some of Henry Clay, but not pledged to any candidate.

The National Republican state convention met on July 26, Ambrose Spencer was chairman. They endorsed The Anti-Masonic nominees Granger and Stevens. They also endorsed the ticket of presidential electors nominated by the Anti-Masons, who—if they won the election—should vote for Henry Clay if this would help to defeat Jackson, otherwise for Wirt. In effect, both parties were in the process of merging, forming an Anti-Jacksonian bloc which eventually became the Whig Party.

The Jacksonian state convention met on September 19 at Herkimer, Samuel Young was chairman. They nominated U.S. Senator William L. Marcy for governor, and Judge John Tracy for lieutenant governor.

Elections

The state election was held from November 5 to 7, 1832. William L. Marcy and John Tracy were elected governor and lieutenant governor; and the Andrew Jackson/Martin Van Buren electoral ticket won.

State Senator John F. Hubbard (6th D.) was re-elected. John Sudam (2nd D.), Peter Gansevoort (3rd D.), Louis Hasbrouck (4th D.), John G. Stower (5th D.), Samuel L. Edwards (7th D.), John Griffin (8th D.) and Assemblyman Myndert Van Schaick (1st D.) were also elected to the Senate. Griffin and Hasbrouck were Anti-Jacksonians, the other six were Jacksonians.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1833; and adjourned on April 30.

Charles L. Livingston (D) was re-elected Speaker with 99 votes against 22 for John C. Spencer (A-M).

On January 4, the Legislature elected State Comptroller Silas Wright, Jr. to the U.S. Senate, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Gov. Marcy. Wright resigned the office of Comptroller on January 7.

On January 11, the Legislature elected Secretary of State Azariah C. Flagg to succeed Wright as State Comptroller. Flagg resigned the office of Secretary of State on January 12.

On January 15, the Legislature elected Adjutant General John Adams Dix to succeed Flagg as Secretary of State.

On February 4, the Legislature re-elected State Treasurer Abraham Keyser, Jr..

On February 5, the Legislature elected State Senator Nathaniel P. Tallmadge to succeed Charles E. Dudley as U.S. Senator for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1833.

On February 21, the Legislature passed "An act for the construction of the Chenango Canal".

On March 23, the Legislature passed "An act authorising the appointment of an additional Canal Commissioner", and on April 4, the Legislature elected Michael Hoffman as such.

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. Myndert Van Schaick changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

District Senators Term left Party Notes
First Alpheus Sherman* 1 year Jacksonian
Jonathan S. Conklin* 2 years Jacksonian
Harman B. Cropsey* 3 years Jacksonian
Myndert Van Schaick* 4 years Jacksonian
Second Nathaniel P. Tallmadge* 1 year Jacksonian on February 5, 1833, elected to the U.S. Senate,
and resigned his seat on February 20[1]
David M. Westcott* 2 years Jacksonian
Allan Macdonald* 3 years Jacksonian also Postmaster of White Plains
John Sudam 4 years Jacksonian
Third William Dietz* 1 year Jacksonian
Herman I. Quackenboss* 2 years Jacksonian
John W. Edmonds* 3 years Jacksonian until February 1833, also Recorder of the City of Hudson
Peter Gansevoort 4 years Jacksonian
Fourth Isaac Gere* 1 year Jacksonian
William I. Dodge* 2 years Jacksonian
Josiah Fisk* 3 years Jacksonian
Louis Hasbrouck 4 years Anti-Jacksonian
Fifth Alvin Bronson* 1 year Jacksonian
Henry A. Foster* 2 years Jacksonian
Robert Lansing* 3 years Jacksonian
John G. Stower 4 years Jacksonian
Sixth Levi Beardsley* 1 year Jacksonian
Charles W. Lynde* 2 years Anti-Jacksonian
John G. McDowell* 3 years Jacksonian also Postmaster of Chemung
John F. Hubbard* 4 years Jacksonian
Seventh Thomas Armstrong* 1 year Jacksonian also Supervisor of Butler, and Chairman
of the Board of Supervisors of Wayne Co.
William H. Seward* 2 years Anti-Jacksonian
Jehiel H. Halsey* 3 years Jacksonian
Samuel L. Edwards 4 years Jacksonian until February 1, 1833, also First Judge of Onondaga Co.
Eighth Albert H. Tracy* 1 year Anti-Jacksonian
Trumbull Cary* 2 years Anti-Jacksonian
John Birdsall* 3 years Anti-Jacksonian
John Griffin 4 years Anti-Jacksonian until April 26, 1833, also First Judge of Allegany Co.

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 U.S. senators and other State officers on January 4, 11 and 15; February 4 and 5; and April 4.[2]

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany Edward Livingston Jacksonian
Jacob Settle Jacksonian
Israel Shear Jacksonian
Allegany John B. Collins* Anti-Jacksonian
Broome Vincent Whitney* Anti-Jacksonian
Cattaraugus Chauncey J. Fox Anti-Jacksonian
Cayuga John Beardsley* Jacksonian
George H. Brinkerhoff* Jacksonian
Simon Lathrop Jacksonian
John W. Sawyer* Jacksonian
Chautauqua Alvin Plumb Anti-Jacksonian
Nathaniel Gray Anti-Jacksonian
Chenango Abel Chandler Jacksonian
Austin Hyde Jacksonian
William M. Patterson Jacksonian
Clinton Miles Stevenson Jacksonian
Columbia Anthony Boucher Jacksonian
Bastian C. Lasher Jacksonian
John Murdock Jacksonian
Cortland Enos S. Halbert Anti-Jacksonian
David Mathews Anti-Jacksonian
Delaware John Edgerton Jacksonian
Stoddard Stevens Jacksonian
Dutchess Daniel D. Akin Jacksonian
Joel Brown Jacksonian
Henry Conklin Jacksonian
George Lambert Jacksonian
Erie Horace Clark* Anti-Jacksonian
William Mills* Anti-Jacksonian
Essex Almerin Smith Anti-Jacksonian
Franklin Jabez Parkhurst Anti-Jacksonian
Genesee Peter Patterson Anti-Jacksonian
Rufus Robertson Anti-Jacksonian
Charles Woodworth Anti-Jacksonian
Greene Henry Goslee Jacksonian
William Pierson Jacksonian
Hamilton and
Montgomery
William Carlisle Jacksonian
Douw A. Fonda Jacksonian
Cornelius Mabee Jacksonian
Herkimer Dudley Burwell Jacksonian
Joseph M. Prendergast Jacksonian
Sherman Wooster Jacksonian
Jefferson William H. Angel* Jacksonian
John Burch Jacksonian
Jotham Ives Jacksonian
Kings Coe S. Downing* Jacksonian
Lewis Eli Rogers Jr. Jacksonian
Livingston George W. Patterson* Anti-Jacksonian
Samuel W. Smith Anti-Jacksonian
Madison Erastus Cleaveland Jacksonian
John Davis Jacksonian
Jesse Kilborn Jacksonian
Monroe Timothy Childs Anti-Jacksonian
Levi Pond Anti-Jacksonian
Milton Sheldon Anti-Jacksonian
New York Richard Cromwell Jacksonian
Thomas Herttell Jacksonian
Charles L. Livingston* Jacksonian re-elected Speaker
John McKeon* Jacksonian
Robert H. Morris Jacksonian
Mordecai Myers* Jacksonian
Gideon Ostrander* Jacksonian
Benjamin Ringgold Jacksonian
Silas M. Stilwell* Jacksonian
Minthorne Tompkins Jacksonian
Isaac L. Varian* Jacksonian
Niagara Henry Norton* Anti-Jacksonian
Oneida Ichabod C. Baker Jacksonian
Levi Buckingham Jacksonian
John Dewey Jacksonian
Squire Utley Jacksonian
David Wager Jacksonian
Onondaga Asa Eastwood Jacksonian
Elisha Litchfield* Jacksonian
Myron L. Mills Jacksonian
Gabriel Tappen Jacksonian
Ontario Ephraim W. Cleveland Anti-Jacksonian
John C. Spencer Anti-Jacksonian
James H. Woods Anti-Jacksonian
Orange James Finch Jr. Jacksonian
Ezra Keeler Jacksonian
Isaac R. Van Duzer* Jacksonian
Orleans Asahel Byington Anti-Jacksonian
Oswego Avery Skinner* Jacksonian
Otsego William Baker Jacksonian
Philo Bennet Jacksonian
Hiram Kinne Jacksonian
Robert C. Lansing Jacksonian
Putnam John Garrison Jacksonian
Queens Thomas B. Jackson Jacksonian
Rensselaer Alonzo G. Hammond Jacksonian
William P. Haskin Jacksonian
John I. Kittle Jacksonian
Seth Parsons Jacksonian
Richmond Jacob Mersereau* Jacksonian
Rockland James D. L. Montanya Jacksonian
St. Lawrence William Allen* Jacksonian
Sylvester Butrick Jacksonian
Saratoga Ebenezer Couch* Jacksonian
George Reynolds Jacksonian
Ephraim Stevens Jacksonian
Schenectady Cornelius C. Van Vranken Jacksonian
Schoharie Jacob L. Lawyer Jacksonian
Martines Mattice Jacksonian
Seneca Reuben D. Dodge* Jacksonian
John De Mott Jacksonian
Steuben William Hunter Jacksonian
William Kernan Jacksonian
Suffolk David Hedges Jr. Jacksonian
William Wicks Jacksonian
Sullivan James C. Curtis Jacksonian also Supervisor of Cochecton
Tioga Thomas Farrington Jacksonian
Jacob Westlake Jacksonian
Tompkins Thomas Bishop Jacksonian
Daniel B. Swartwood Jacksonian
Ira Tillotson Jacksonian
Ulster Gordon Craig Jacksonian
Joseph Jansen Jacksonian
Warren Nicholas Roosevelt Jr. Jacksonian
Washington Walter Cornell Anti-Jacksonian
Charles Rogers Anti-Jacksonian
David Abel Russell Anti-Jacksonian
Wayne James Humeston* Jacksonian
Ambrose Salisbury* Jacksonian
Westchester Joseph H. Anderson Jacksonian
Horatio Lockwood Jacksonian
Israel H. Watson* Jacksonian
Yates Joshua Lee Jacksonian

Employees

Notes

  1. Tallmadge sent a letter of "acceptance", dated February 20, to the Senate, which was read on February 23. On March, 2 the vacancies on the standing committees, caused by his "resignation", are filled; see Journal of the Senate (56th Session) (1833; pg. 133, 178 and 193)
  2. see Journal of the Assembly (56th Session) (1833, pg. 93f, 122f, 139, 239ff, 249ff and 646ff)

Sources