48th New York State Legislature

The 48th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 21, 1825, during the first year of DeWitt Clinton's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany.

48th New York State Legislature
47th 49th
The Old State Capitol (1879)
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1825
Senate
Members32
PresidentLt. Gov. James Tallmadge, Jr. (PP)
Party controlBucktail plurality (13-10-9)
Assembly
Members128
SpeakerClarkson Crolius (PP)
Party controlClintonian
Sessions
1stJanuary 4 – April 21, 1825

Background

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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.

The previous session had been dominated by the controversy about the presidential succession, and the question how to choose presidential electors. Party lines broke down when Martin Van Buren tried to have the "Bucktails" faction of the Democratic-Republican Party[1] support William H. Crawford for U.S. president. A large part of the Bucktails favored John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun as possible presidential candidates, and proposed to have the presidential electors elected by the people in districts, similar to the congressional elections. The Anti-Crawford factions became known as the "People's Party", and they joined forces with the "Clintonians" (supporters of DeWitt Clinton, opposed to the Bucktails). The rump Bucktail faction (which followed Van Buren) was called the "Regency Party" by their opponents, a reference to the Albany Regency.

On April 3, a caucus of Bucktail legislators, consisting of the Regency men and a minority of People's men, nominated Canal Commissioner Samuel Young[2] for Governor; and Lt. Gov. Erastus Root for re-election.

On September 22, a State convention "in favor of a new electoral law", consisting of about 30 People's men and about 90 Clintonians, nominated Ex-Gov. DeWitt Clinton[3] for Governor, and Assemblyman James Tallmadge, Jr. (PP) for Lieutenant Governor.

Elections

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The State election was held from November 1 to 3, 1824. DeWitt Clinton and James Tallmadge Jr. were elected in a landslide.

Cadwallader D. Colden (1st D.), Wells Lake (2nd D.), Richard McMichael (3rd D.), George Brayton (5th D.), Stukely Ellsworth (6th D.), John C. Spencer (7th D.); and Assemblymen John Crary (4th D.) and Samuel Wilkeson (8th D.) were elected to the Senate. Lake and Ellsworth were Bucktails, the other six were Clintonians.

Sessions

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The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1825, and adjourned on April 21.

Clarkson Crolius (PP) was elected Speaker with 109 votes out of 122.

In his message to the Legislature, Gov. Clinton recommended to enact that presidential electors be chosen by the people, by general ticket and a plurality of votes.

On February 1, the Legislature failed to elect a successor to U.S. Senator Rufus King, and the seat became vacant on March 4, 1825.

On February 16, the Legislature elected Gamaliel H. Barstow (Clint.) to succeed Abraham Keyser, Jr. (Buckt.) as New York State Treasurer.

State Senate

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Districts

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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

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The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. John Crary and Samuel Wilkeson changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

The party affiliations follow the vote for a U.S. senator on February 1 which showed that there was no majority; and that Clintonians and People's men, although having combined for the election against the Bucktails, were opposed to each other.

District Senators Term left Party Notes
First John Lefferts* 1 year Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Jasper Ward* 2 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
David Gardiner* 3 years People's Party
Cadwallader D. Colden 4 years Clintonian
Second Stephen Thorn* 1 year People's Party
James Burt* 2 years People's Party
William Nelson* 3 years People's Party[4]
Wells Lake 4 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Third Charles E. Dudley* 1 year Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
James Mallory* 2 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Jacob Haight* 3 years People's Party
Richard McMichael 4 years Clintonian
Fourth John Cramer* 1 year Clintonian
Archibald McIntyre* 2 years Clintonian
Silas Wright, Jr.* 3 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
John Crary* 4 years Clintonian
Fifth Thomas Greenly* 1 year People's Party
Sherman Wooster* 2 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Perley Keyes* 3 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
George Brayton 4 years Clintonian
Sixth Tilly Lynde* 1 years People's Party
Isaac Ogden* 2 years People's Party
Latham A. Burrows* 3 years People's Party
Stukely Ellsworth 4 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Seventh Jesse Clark* 1 year Clintonian
Jonas Earll, Jr.* 2 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Jedediah Morgan* 3 years Clintonian
John C. Spencer 4 years Clintonian
Eighth Heman J. Redfield* 1 year Dem.-Rep./Bucktail also D.A. of Genesee Co.
John Bowman* 2 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
James McCall* 3 years Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Samuel Wilkeson* 4 years Clintonian

Employees

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State Assembly

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Districts

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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

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The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature. Silas Bowker changed from the Senate to the Assembly.

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany George Batterman
Samuel S. Lush
Stephen Willes
Allegany Lazarus S. Rathbun* Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Broome Briant Stoddard
Cattaraugus Daniel Hodges
Cayuga Elijah Devoe
Roswell Enos
John W. Hulbert
Ephraim C. Marsh
Chautauqua Nathan Mixer
Chenango Russel Case
Charles Medbury
Robert Monell
Clinton Josiah Fisk
Columbia Ambrose L. Jordan Clintonian also Recorder of the City of Hudson
Joseph Lord
Killian Miller
Cortland James Chatterton
Josiah Hart unsuccessfully contested by Jabez B. Phelps
Delaware Jabez Bostwick
Herman I. Quackenboss
Dutchess John Armstrong Jr.
Eli Augerine
Enos Hopkins
vacant?
Erie Calvin Fillmore
Essex William Smith
Franklin Asa Hascall
Genesee Jeremiah Brown
Fitch Chipman
Shubeal Dunham*
Gaius B. Rich
Greene Gilbert Bedell Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Alvin Bushnell Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Hamilton and
Montgomery
Henry Cunningham* Clintonian
Samuel Jackson
Alexander St. John
Peter Smith*
Herkimer Samuel Dexter Jr.
Warner Folts
Jacob Wire
Jefferson John B. Esselstyn Clintonian
Richard Goodell* Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
George White C/PP
Kings William Furman* C/PP
Lewis Amos Buck Jr.
Livingston James Faulkner Clintonian
Robert McKay Clintonian previously a member from Genesee Co.
Madison Elias P. Benjamin
Nehemiah Huntington
James Nye
Monroe Gustavus Clark
Henry Fellows previously a member from Ontario Co.
Thurlow Weed
New York James Benedict* People's Party
Gilbert Coutant Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Clarkson Crolius* People's Party elected Speaker
Maltby Gelston Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Samuel L. Gouverneur People's Party
John Morss* People's Party
Jonathan E. Robinson Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
David Seaman* People's Party
Ira B. Wheeler People's Party
George Zabriskie People's Party
Niagara Daniel Washburn* Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Oneida Joseph Kirkland
David Pierson
Israel Stoddard
Broughton White
Samuel Woodworth previously a member from Herkimer Co.
Onondaga Erastus Barber
Moses Kinne
James R. Lawrence
James Pettit
Ontario Claudius V. Boughton Clintonian
Gideon Pitts*
Bowen Whiting* Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Orange William Finn
Nathaniel P. Hill
Joseph McLaughlin
Samuel J. Wilkin* Clintonian
Oswego Chester Hayden
Otsego Henry Barber
Isaac Hayes
Oliver Judd
John Woodbury
Putnam David Knapp
Queens William Jones* People's Party
Thomas Tredwell* People's Party
Rensselaer John Carpenter
Jacob C. Lansing
Fenner Palmer
Jacob G. Vanderheyden
Richmond Harmanus Garretson
Rockland Abraham Gurnee People's Party
St. Lawrence Jacob A. Vanden Heuvel[5]
Saratoga Nicholas B. Doe
Alpheus Goodrich
Philip Schuyler
Schenectady John S. Vrooman
Schoharie Joseph I. Borst Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Freeman Stanton Clintonian
Seneca James De Mott People's Party
Daniel Rhoad Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Steuben John Kennedy
James McBurney
Suffolk David Hedges Jr. Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Joshua Smith Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Sullivan John Hall Jr.
Tioga Charles Pumpelly
Samuel Winton
Tompkins Joshua North
Jared Patchin
Ulster James Cockburn Clintonian
Jacobus Hardenburgh Clintonian
Jacob J. Hasbrouck Clintonian
Warren William Cook
Washington David Campbell*
Lemuel Hastings
Ezra Smith* C/PP
Samuel Stevens People's Party
Wayne William H. Adams Clintonian
Enoch Morse Clintonian
Westchester Jeremiah Anderson Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Thaddeus Crane Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Joseph Scofield Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Yates Philip Robinson

Employees

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  • Clerk: Horatio Merchant
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel Shields
  • Doorkeeper: Chester Stebbins
  • Assistant Doorkeeper: Conrad Moore

Notes

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  1. ^ Originally, 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. ^ Young was an old Bucktail, and supported Henry Clay in 1824.
  3. ^ Clinton supported Andrew Jackson in 1824; most of the People's men supported John Quincy Adams and were hostile to Clinton.
  4. ^ Nelson did not vote for a U.S. senator, but had been a People's man at the previous session.
  5. ^ Jacob Adrian Vanden Heuvel; changed his name to "Van Heuvel" by Act of the Legislature in 1832; see Documents of the Assembly of the Staate of New York (55th Session; 1832; pg. 15)

Sources

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