75th New York State Legislature

The 75th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to April 16, 1852, during the second year of Washington Hunt's governorship, in Albany.

75th New York State Legislature
74th 76th
The Old State Capitol (1879)
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1852
Senate
Members32
PresidentLt. Gov. Sanford E. Church (D)
Temporary PresidentEdwin D. Morgan (W), from January 26;
William McMurray (D), from March 24
Party controlsplit (16-16)
Assembly
Members128
SpeakerJonas C. Heartt (W)
Party controlWhig (65-63)
Sessions
1stJanuary 6 – April 16, 1852

Background

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Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1846, 32 Senators were elected in single-seat senatorial districts for a two-year term, the whole Senate being renewed biennially. The senatorial districts (except those in New York City) were made up of entire counties. 128 Assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts to a one-year term, the whole Assembly being renewed annually. The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards, forming a contiguous area, all in the same county. The City and County of New York was divided into four senatorial districts, and 16 Assembly districts.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig Party.

Elections

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The New York state election, 1851 was held on November 4.

Of the eight statewide elective offices up for election, six were carried by the Democrats, and two by the Whigs.

16 Democrats and 16 Whigs were elected for a two-year term to the State Senate.

65 Whigs and 63 Democrats were elected to the State Assembly.

Sessions

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The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1852; and adjourned on April 16.

Jonas C. Heartt (Whig) was elected Speaker with 63 votes against 59 for Israel T. Hatch (Dem.).

Ira P. Barnes was elected Clerk of the Senate by resolution, with a vote of 16 to 15; Senator Dan S. Wright (W) did not vote. The same vote was given for Charles Lee as Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate. Doorkeeper of the Senate A. N. Beardsley was elected with the casting vote of Lt. Gov. Sanford E. Church.

On January 26, Edwin D. Morgan (W) was elected president pro tempore of the Senate.

On March 24, William McMurray (D) was elected president pro tempore of the Senate.

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.

District Senator Party Notes
1st James E. Cooley Democrat
2nd John Vanderbilt Democrat
3rd William McMurray Democrat on March 24, elected president pro tempore
4th Obadiah Newcomb Whig
5th James W. Beekman* Whig
6th Edwin D. Morgan* Whig on January 26, elected president pro tempore
7th Abraham B. Conger Democrat
8th John H. Otis Democrat
9th Nathaniel Jones Democrat
10th George T. Pierce Democrat
11th Azor Taber Whig
12th William H. Van Schoonhoven Whig
13th Dan S. Wright Whig
14th Eli W. Rogers Democrat
15th Henry B. Smith Democrat
16th Simeon Snow Democrat
17th Henry E. Bartlett Democrat
18th Harmon Bennett Democrat
19th Benjamin N. Huntington* Whig
20th James Platt Whig
21st Ashley Davenport Democrat
22nd James Munroe Whig
23rd Nathan Bristol Democrat
24th William Beach* Whig
25th Josiah B. Williams Whig
26th Francis R. E. Cornell Democrat
27th Micajah W. Kirby Democrat
28th Alonzo S. Upham* Whig
29th Myron H. Clark Whig
30th John A. McElwain Whig also Treasurer of Wyoming Co.
31st George R. Babcock* Whig
32nd Elisha Ward Whig

Employees

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  • Clerk: Ira P. Barnes
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles Lee
  • Doorkeeper: A. N. Beardsley
  • Assistant Doorkeeper: George Read

State Assembly

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Assemblymen

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

Party affiliations follow the vote on Speaker.

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st Hugh Swift Democrat
2nd George M. Sayles Whig
3rd Teunis Van Vechten Jr. Whig
4th Robert Harper Democrat
Allegany 1st John Wheeler Whig
2nd John R. Hartshorn Democrat
Broome William L. Ford Whig
Cattaraugus 1st Stephen S. Cole Whig
2nd Alexander Sheldon Whig
Cayuga 1st William Hayden Whig
2nd George Underwood* Whig
3rd Delos Bradley* Whig
Chautauqua 1st Austin Smith* Whig
2nd Jeremiah Ellsworth Whig
Chemung James B. Van Etten Whig
Chenango 1st Thompson White Democrat
2nd Joseph P. Chamberlin Democrat
Clinton Jacob H. Holt Democrat
Columbia 1st Wesley R. Gallup Democrat
2nd George Van Santvoord Democrat
Cortland George W. Bradford Whig
Delaware 1st Hezekiah Elwood Democrat
2nd Lewis Mills Democrat
Dutchess 1st John S. Emans Democrat
2nd John M. Keese Whig
3rd Augustus Martin Democrat
Erie 1st Israel T. Hatch Democrat
2nd Jasper B. Young Whig
3rd Aaron Riley Whig
4th Joseph Bennett Whig
Essex Abraham Welden* Whig
Franklin Darius W. Lawrence Democrat
Fulton and Hamilton Alfred N. Haner Whig
Genesee 1st Albert Rowe* Whig
2nd Levi Fisk* Whig
Greene 1st Norman H. Gray Democrat
2nd Thomas Bedell Jr. Democrat
Herkimer 1st John Hoover Democrat
2nd Charles Delong Democrat
Jefferson 1st William A. Gilbert* Whig
2nd Merrill Coburn Democrat
3rd William Rouse Whig
Kings 1st John Berry Democrat
2nd Waldo Hutchins Whig
3rd Samuel E. Johnson Democrat
Lewis John Benedict Democrat
Livingston 1st Alvin Chamberlin* Whig
2nd Orrin D. Lake* Whig
Madison 1st George B. Rowe Whig
2nd Henry L. Webb Whig
Monroe 1st John Shoecraft Whig
2nd Joel P. Milliner Whig
3rd Caleb B. Corser* Whig
Montgomery 1st John I. Davis Whig
2nd William Clark Whig
New York 1st William Miner Democrat took his seat on February 25
2nd Patrick G. Maloney Democrat
3rd Joseph Rose Jr. Democrat
4th Theodore A. Ward Whig
5th John Brown Democrat
6th Wyllis Blackstone* Whig
7th Freeborn G. Luckey Whig
8th Moses D. Gale Democrat
9th Aaron B. Rollins Democrat
10th James Monroe Whig
11th David O'Keefe Jr. Democrat
12th Michael Walsh Democrat on November 2, 1852, elected to the U.S. Congress
13th William Taylor Whig
14th Andrew Leary Democrat
15th Thomas P. St. John Democrat
16th Ephraim L. Snow Whig contested by Russell Smith (D);[1] the seat was
declared vacant on February 28, 1852
Niagara 1st Abijah H. Moss* Whig
2nd Jeptha W. Babcock* Whig
Oneida 1st George D. Williams Whig
2nd Chauncey S. Butler Whig
3rd Henry Sandford Democrat
4th John J. Castle Democrat
Onondaga 1st Lyman Norton Democrat
2nd William E. Tallman Whig
3rd George Stevens* Whig
4th John Merritt Democrat
Ontario 1st William R. Pettit Whig
2nd Elnathan U. Simmons Democrat
Orange 1st Hugh B. Bull Whig
2nd James B. Stevens Democrat
3rd Abraham J. Cuddeback Democrat
Orleans George M. Copeland Whig
Oswego 1st Edwin C. Hart Democrat
2nd James T. Gibson Democrat
Otsego 1st Hanson Wright Democrat
2nd Erastus King Democrat
3rd Harvey Keyes Democrat
Putnam Nathan A. Howes Democrat
Queens Sylvanus S. Smith Democrat
Rensselaer 1st Jonas C. Heartt Whig elected Speaker
2nd Albert E. Richmond Whig
3rd William H. Herrick Whig
Richmond Lawrence H. Cortelyou Whig
Rockland John Demarest Democrat
St. Lawrence 1st Smith Stilwell* Democrat
2nd Benjamin Smith Democrat
3rd Parker W. Rose Democrat
Saratoga 1st Isaiah Blood Democrat
2nd Alexander H. Palmer Whig
Schenectady James Donnan Whig
Schoharie 1st Seymour Sornberger Democrat
2nd James Osterhout Democrat
Seneca Robert R. Steele Democrat
Steuben 1st Robert B. Van Valkenburgh Whig
2nd Benajah P. Bailey Whig
3rd Nathaniel M. Perry Democrat
Suffolk 1st Henry P. Hedges Whig
2nd Zopher B. Oakley Whig
Sullivan Elisha P. Strong Democrat
Tioga William Pierson Democrat
Tompkins 1st Alvah Hurlbut Whig
2nd Stephen B. Cushing Democrat
Ulster 1st Jacob S. Freer Democrat
2nd Jacob Westbrook Jr. Democrat unsuccessfully contested by Job G. Elmore (W)[2]
Warren George Richards Whig
Washington 1st Elisha Billings Whig
2nd David Wilson Whig
Wayne 1st William Dutton Whig
2nd Theron G. Yeomans* Whig
Westchester 1st George W. Lyon Democrat
2nd Abraham Hatfield Democrat
Wyoming Wolcott J. Humphrey* Whig
Yates Charles S. Hoyt Democrat

Employees

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  • Clerk: Richard U. Sherman
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Joseph W. Caldwell
  • Doorkeeper: Nathan Chamberlin
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper: Archibald Smith
  • Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Asa Baldwin

Notes

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Sources

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