12th New York State Legislature


The 12th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from December 11, 1788, to March 3, 1789, during the twelfth year of George Clinton's governorship, in Albany.

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 29 to May 1, 1788. Senators Ezra L'Hommedieu and Peter Van Ness were re-elected; and Paul Micheau, Isaac Roosevelt, and Assemblyman James Clinton were also elected to the Senate. Assemblyman Edward Savage may have been elected at the same time to the State Senate and to the Assembly but was seated in the Assembly; the Senate seat vacated by the expiration of Ebenezer Russell's term remained vacant.
At the same time, delegates to a Convention to deliberate upon the adoption of the U.S. Constitution were elected. This was the first time that the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: those who advocated the creation of a stronger federal government and the adoption of the US Constitution, as drafted, were henceforth known as Federalists, those who advocated stronger State governments and demanded many changes to the proposed Constitution as Anti-Federalists, or Democratic-Republicans.

Sessions

The Convention met from June 17 to July 26, 1788, at Poughkeepsie, and ratified the U.S. Constitution by a vote of 30 to 27.
The State Legislature met on December 11, 1788, at the Old City Hall in Albany; and adjourned on March 3, 1789.
On January 27, 1789, the Legislature divided the State of New York into six congressional districts, and the first congressional elections in New York were held on March 3 and 4, 1789.
In February and March 1789, the Legislature debated at length "An act for prescribing the times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators of the United States of America, to be chosen in this State" but the Anti-Federalist Assembly majority and the Federalist Senate majority could not agree, and they adjourned without having elected U.S. Senators. Both parties hoped to win the next State election, to be held in April 1789, and agreed to adjourn earlier than usual, leaving it to the new members to find a way out of the deadlock.

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. James Clinton changed from the Assembly to the Senate. The vote of the members of this Legislature who had been delegates to the US Constitution ratifying convention is marked either "For ratification" or "Against ratification".
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
SouthernThomas Tredwell*1 yearAnti-Fed.Against ratification
SouthernLewis Morris*2 yearsFederalistFor ratification
SouthernJohn Vanderbilt*2 yearsFederalist
SouthernJames Duane*3 yearsFederalistFor ratification
SouthernJohn Laurance*3 yearsFederalistelected on March 3–4, 1789, to the 1st United States Congress
SouthernSamuel Townsend*3 yearsAnti-Fed.elected to the Council of Appointment
SouthernEzra L'Hommedieu*4 yearsFed./Anti-Fed.L'Hommedieu ran on both tickets for re-election, but was
at this time "clearly a Federalist"
SouthernPaul Micheau4 yearsFederalist
SouthernIsaac Roosevelt4 yearsFederalistFor ratification
MiddleJohn Haring*1 yearAnti-Fed.Against ratification
MiddleCornelius Humfrey*1 year
MiddleJohn Hathorn*2 yearsAnti-Fed.elected to the Council of Appointment;
elected on March 3–4, 1789, to the 1st United States Congress
MiddleAnthony Hoffman*3 yearsFederalist
MiddleJacobus Swartwout*3 yearsAnti-Fed.Against ratification
MiddleJames Clinton*4 yearsAnti-Fed.Against ratification
EasternDavid Hopkins*1 yearAnti-Fed.Against ratification
EasternJohn Williams*2 yearsAnti-Fed.Against ratification;
elected to the Council of Appointment
Easternvacant4 yearsEdward Savage is listed in the Civil List of 1858, but
he was seated in the Assembly during this session.
WesternVolkert P. Douw*1 year
WesternPhilip Schuyler*1 yearFederalist
WesternPeter Schuyler*2 yearsFederalist
WesternAbraham Yates Jr.*2 yearsAnti-Fed.
WesternJellis Fonda*3 years
WesternPeter Van Ness*4 yearsAnti-Fed.Against ratification;
elected to the Council of Appointment

Employees

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 vote of the members of this Legislature who had been delegates to the US Constitution ratifying convention is marked either "For ratification" or "Against ratification".
CountyAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyJohn DuncanAnti-Fed.
AlbanyJohn Lansing Jr.Anti-Fed.elected Speaker;
also Mayor of Albany;
Against ratification
AlbanyJohn ThompsonAnti-Fed.
AlbanyCornelius Van DyckAnti-Fed.
AlbanyHenry K. Van RensselaerAnti-Fed.
AlbanyJeremiah Van RensselaerAnti-Fed.
AlbanyJohn Younglove*Fed./Anti-Fed.Younglove ran on both tickets
ColumbiaMatthew AdgateAnti-Fed.Against ratification
ColumbiaJohn BayAnti-Fed.Against ratification;
previously a member from Albany Co.
ColumbiaJohn KortzAnti-Fed.
CumberlandnoneNo election returns from these counties
GloucesternoneNo election returns from these counties
Dutchess CountyJonathan AkinsAnti-Fed.Against ratification
Dutchess CountySamuel A. BarkerFed./Anti-Fed.Barker ran on both tickets
Dutchess CountyIsaac Bloom*Fed./Anti-Fed.Bloom ran on both tickets
Dutchess CountyJohn DeWitt Jr.*Anti-Fed.For ratification
Dutchess CountyJacob GriffinAnti-Fed.
Dutchess CountyGilbert LivingstonFederalistFor ratification
Dutchess CountyMatthew Patterson*
KingsAquila Giles
KingsPeter VandervoortFederalistFor ratification
MontgomeryJohn Frey*Anti-Fed.Against ratification
MontgomeryWilliam HarperAnti-Fed.Against ratification
MontgomeryHenry StaringAnti-Fed.Against ratification
MontgomeryVolkert Veeder*Anti-Fed.Against ratification
MontgomeryJohn Winn*Anti-Fed.Against ratification
MontgomeryChristopher P. YatesAnti-Fed.
New YorkWilliam W. Gilbert
New YorkRichard Harison*Federalist
New YorkNicholas HoffmanFederalist
New YorkHenry Brockholst Livingston
New YorkNicholas Low*Federalist
New YorkAlexander Macomb
New YorkComfort Sands*Federalist
New YorkGulian Verplanck*Federalist
New YorkJohn Watts Jr.Federalist
OrangeJohn CarpenterAnti-Fed.
OrangeJeremiah Clark*Anti-Fed.
OrangeHenry Wisner Jr.*Anti-Fed.
OrangevacantThe election was tied in fourth place:
the incumbent Peter Taulman and
James Post received 128 votes each,
thus there was "no choice."
QueensStephen Carman*Anti-Fed.For ratification
QueensWhitehead Cornwell*Anti-Fed.For ratification
QueensSamuel Jones*Anti-Fed.For ratification
QueensJohn SchenckAnti-Fed.For ratification
RichmondAbraham BanckerFederalistFor ratification
RichmondJohn C. Dongan*Anti-Fed.
SuffolkNathaniel GardinerFederalist
SuffolkJonathan N. Havens*Anti-Fed.For ratification
SuffolkDavid Hedges*Anti-Fed.
SuffolkHenry ScudderAnti-Fed.For ratification
SuffolkJohn Smith*Anti-Fed.For ratification
UlsterJohn Cantine*Anti-Fed.Against ratification
UlsterEbenezer ClarkAnti-Fed.Against ratification
UlsterJohannes G. HardenberghAnti-Fed.
UlsterCornelius C. Schoonmaker*Anti-Fed.Against ratification
UlsterNathan Smith*Anti-Fed.
UlsterChristopher TappenAnti-Fed.
WashingtonJoseph McCrackenAnti-Fed.
WashingtonEdward Savage*Anti-Fed.
WashingtonPeter B. Tearse*Anti-Fed.
WashingtonAlexander Webster*Anti-Fed.
WestchesterThaddeus CraneFederalistFor ratification
WestchesterJonathan HortonFederalist
WestchesterPhilip LivingstonFederalistFor ratification
WestchesterNathan RockwellFederalist
WestchesterWalter SeamanFederalist
WestchesterPhilip Van CortlandtFederalistFor ratification

Employees