24th New York State Legislature


The 24th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 4, 1800, to April 8, 1801, during the sixth year of John Jay's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, amended by the re-apportionment of March 4, 1796, Senators were elected on general tickets in the senatorial districts for four-year terms. They were divided into four classes, and every year about one fourth of the Senate seats came up for election. Assemblymen were elected countywide on general tickets to a one-year term, the whole assembly being renewed annually.
In 1797, Albany was declared the State capital, and all subsequent Legislatures have been meeting there ever since. In 1799, the Legislature enacted that future Legislatures meet on the last Tuesday of January of each year unless called earlier by the governor.
Senator John Addison died in 1800, leaving a vacancy in the Middle District.
In 1800, Greene County was created from parts of Albany and Ulster counties, and was apportioned 2 seats in the Assembly, one each taken from Albany and Ulster.
In August 1800, U.S. Senator John Laurance resigned.
At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.

Elections

The State election was held from April 29 to May 1, 1800. Senators William Denning, James Gordon and Jedediah Sanger were re-elected. Benjamin Huntting, Ebenezer Purdy, James W. Wilkin, David Van Ness, Solomon Sutherland, John C. Hogeboom, Stephen Lush and Assemblyman Robert Roseboom were also elected to full terms in the Senate. Jacobus S. Bruyn was elected to a one-year term to fill the vacancy. Gordon, Sanger and Lush were Federalists, the other nine were Democratic-Republicans.

Sessions

The Legislature met at the Old City Hall in Albany on November 4, 1800, to elect presidential electors; and the Senate adjourned on November 7, the Assembly on November 8.
Dem.-Rep. Samuel Osgood was elected Speaker with 62 votes against 31 for Federalist Dirck Ten Broeck.
On November 6, 1800, the Legislature elected 12 presidential electors, all Democratic-Republicans: William Floyd, Isaac Ledyard, Anthony Lispenard, Philip Van Cortlandt Jr., James Burt, Gilbert Livingston, Thomas Jenkins, Peter Van Ness, Robert Ellis, John Woodworth, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer and Jacob Eaker. They cast their votes for Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.
On November 6, 1800, the Legislature elected John Armstrong to fill the vacancy in the U.S. Senate.
The Legislature met for the regular session on January 27, 1801; and adjourned on April 8.
On January 27, 1801, John Armstrong was re-elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate.
On February 26, 1801, Gov. John Jay sent a message to the Assembly about the controversy that had arisen in the Council of Appointment concerning the right to nominate appointees. Jay held that only the governor could nominate somebody, and the councillors then could only approve or reject this nomination. The Dem.-Rep. councillors however claimed that they too had the right to nominate appointees, and Jay had adjourned the Council and did not make any appointments anymore. Jay asked the Assembly to solve the problem, but they refused, claiming that it was a constitutional issue to be decided by the Governor and Council. Jay asked then the chancellor and the justices of the New York Supreme Court for their opinion, but they refused to give it, claiming that to give opinions was outside the scope of their constitutional duties. To find a way out of the impasse, the Legislature passed on April 6 an "Act Recommending a Convention" which called for the election of delegates to a convention, to consider amending the State Constitution concerning the Council of Appointment and the apportionment of the State Legislature.

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. Robert Roseboom changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
SouthernEzra L'Hommedieu*1 yearDem.-Rep.
SouthernDeWitt Clinton*2 yearsDem.-Rep.elected to the Council of Appointment
SouthernDavid Gelston*2 yearsDem.-Rep.also Surrogate of New York County
SouthernJohn Schenck*2 yearDem.-Rep.
SouthernJohn B. Coles*3 yearsFederalist
SouthernRichard Hatfield*3 yearsFederalist
SouthernWilliam Denning*4 yearsDem.-Rep.
SouthernBenjamin Huntting4 yearsDem.-Rep.
SouthernEbenezer Purdy4 yearsDem.-Rep.
MiddleJacobus S. Bruyn1 yearDem.-Rep.elected to fill vacancy, in place of John Addison
MiddlePeter Cantine Jr.*1 yearFederalist
MiddleJames G. Graham*1 yearDem.-Rep.
MiddleEbenezer Foote*2 yearsFederalistalso Delaware County Clerk
MiddleAmbrose Spencer*2 yearsDem.-Rep.also Assistant Attorney General ;
elected to the Council of Appointment
MiddleIsaac Bloom*3 yearsDem.-Rep.
MiddleJohn Hathorn*3 yearsDem.-Rep.
MiddleJohn Suffern*3 yearsDem.-Rep.
MiddleJohn C. Hogeboom4 yearsDem.-Rep.
MiddleSolomon Sutherland4 yearsDem.-Rep.
MiddleDavid Van Ness4 yearsDem.-Rep.
MiddleJames W. Wilkin4 yearsDem.-Rep.
EasternEbenezer Clark*1 yearFederalist
EasternAnthony Ten Eyck*1 yearFederalist
EasternJacobus Van Schoonhoven*1 yearFederalist
EasternAbraham Van Vechten*1 yearFederalistalso Recorder of the City of Albany
EasternLeonard Gansevoort*2 yearsFederalist
EasternJohn Sanders*2 yearsFederalistelected to the Council of Appointment
EasternZina Hitchcock*3 yearsFederalist
EasternEbenezer Russell*3 yearsFederalist
EasternMoses Vail*3 yearsFederalistvacated his seat upon appointment as Sheriff
of Rensselaer County on November 11, 1800
EasternJames Gordon*4 yearsFederalist
EasternStephen Lush4 yearsFederalist
WesternThomas Morris*1 yearFederalistelected in April 1800 to the 7th United States Congress
WesternMichael Myers*1 yearFederalist
WesternSeth Phelps*1 yearFederalist
WesternWilliam Beekman*2 yearsFederalist
WesternJohn Frey*2 yearsFederalist
WesternFrederick Gettman*2 yearsFederalist
WesternThomas R. Gold*2 yearsFederalistalso Assistant Attorney General
WesternVincent Mathews*3 yearsFederalist
WesternMoss Kent*3 yearsFederalist
WesternRobert Roseboom*4 yearsDem.-Rep.elected to the Council of Appointment
WesternJedediah Sanger*4 yearsFederalistalso First Judge of the Oneida County Court

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.
DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyJohann Jost Dietz*Federalistf
AlbanyPrince Doty*Federalist
AlbanyJohn Vernon Henry*Federalistalso New York State Comptroller
AlbanyJoseph Shurtleff*Federalist
AlbanyDirck Ten Broeck*Federalist
AlbanyJacob Ten EyckFederalist
AlbanyPeter WestFederalist
AlbanyJacob Winne*Federalist
CayugaSilas Halsey*Dem.-Rep.
ChenangoJonathan Forman
ChenangoJames Glover
Clinton and
Essex		vacantBenjamin Mooers and Daniel Ross were tied in first place
with 229 votes each, so there was "no choice"
ColumbiaWilliam CantineFederalist
ColumbiaAsa DouglassFederalist
ColumbiaDirck GardenierFederalist
ColumbiaEzekiel Gilbert*Federalist
ColumbiaJohn LivingstonFederalist
ColumbiaElisha WilliamsFederalist
DelawareGabriel NorthDem.-Rep.
DelawareErastus RootDem.-Rep.
DutchessAbraham Adriance*Dem.-Rep.
DutchessBenjamin AkinsDem.-Rep.
DutchessElisha BarlowDem.-Rep.
DutchessNicholas H. EmighDem.-Rep.
DutchessRobert Johnston*Dem.-Rep.
DutchessEbenezer Mott*Federalist
DutchessZalman Sanford
DutchessIsaac Sherwood*Dem.-Rep.
DutchessSmith ThompsonDem.-Rep.
DutchessJohn M. ThurstonDem.-Rep.
GreeneThomas E. BarkerFederalistpreviously a member from Albany Co.
GreeneCaleb Bentonpreviously a member from Columbia Co.
HerkimerNathan SmithDem.-Rep.
HerkimerEvans WharryDem.-Rep.
HerkimerGeorge WidrigDem.-Rep.
KingsJacob Sharpe Jr.*Dem.-Rep.
MontgomeryCornelius Humfrey*Dem.-Rep.
MontgomeryArchibald McIntyre*Dem.-Rep.
MontgomeryAlexander SheldonDem.-Rep.
MontgomeryJacob Snell*Dem.-Rep.
MontgomerySimon Veeder*Dem.-Rep.
MontgomeryChristopher P. YatesDem.-Rep.
New YorkPhilip I. ArculariusDem.-Rep.
New YorkJohn BroomeDem.-Rep.
New YorkGeorge ClintonDem.-Rep.in April 1801 elected again Governor of New York
New YorkHoratio GatesDem.-Rep.
New YorkJames HuntDem.-Rep.
New YorkHenry Brockholst LivingstonDem.-Rep.
New YorkElias NexsenDem.-Rep.
New YorkSamuel OsgoodDem.-Rep.elected Speaker
New YorkEzekiel RobinsDem.-Rep.
New YorkHenry RutgersDem.-Rep.
New YorkThomas StormDem.-Rep.
New YorkJohn SwartwoutDem.-Rep.
New YorkGeorge WarnerDem.-Rep.
OneidaJesse Curtiss
OneidaAbel FrenchFederalist
OneidaDavid Ostrom*Federalist
OnondagaAsa DanforthDem.-Rep.
Ontario and
Steuben		Lemuel ChipmanFederalist
Ontario and
Steuben		Nathaniel Norton*Federalist
OrangeAaron BurrDem.-Rep.previously a member from New York City;
elected U.S. Vice President on February 17, 1801, and took
office on March 4, thus vacating his seat in the Assembly
OrangeJames ClintonDem.-Rep.previously a member from Ulster Co.
OrangeAndrew McCord*Dem.-Rep.
OrangePeter TownsendDem.-Rep.
OrangeHenry TuckerDem.-Rep.
OtsegoBenjamin HicksFederalistpreviously a member from Rensselaer Co.
OtsegoSolomon MartinFederalist
OtsegoJedediah Peck*Dem.-Rep.
OtsegoJacob Ten Broeck*Dem.-Rep.
QueensJonah Hallett*Dem.-Rep.
QueensAbraham Monfoort*Dem.-Rep.
QueensJoseph PettitDem.-Rep.
QueensJohn I. Skidmore*Dem.-Rep.
RensselaerJonathan BrownDem.-Rep.
RensselaerJohn LovettFederalist
RensselaerJames McKown*Federalist
RensselaerJosiah Masters*Dem.-Rep.
RensselaerHosea MoffittFederalist
RensselaerJohn E. Van AlenFederalist
RichmondPaul I. MicheauFederalist
RocklandSamuel G. Verbryck*
SaratogaDaniel Bull*
SaratogaAdam Comstock*Dem.-Rep.
SaratogaHenry Corl Jr.Federalist
SaratogaJames Merrill
SaratogaJames Warren*
SchoharieJoseph Borst Jr.
SuffolkNicoll Floyd*Dem.-Rep.
SuffolkJared Landon*Dem.-Rep.
SuffolkAbraham MillerDem.-Rep.
SuffolkMills PhillipsDem.-Rep.
TiogaEdward EdwardsFederalist
UlsterBenjamin Bevier Jr.Dem.-Rep.
UlsterConrad E. ElmendorfFederalistalso Assistant Attorney General
UlsterPhilip EltingeFederalist
UlsterJoseph Hasbrouck Jr.Dem.-Rep.
WashingtonSeth AldenFederalist
WashingtonDavid HopkinsFederalist
WashingtonGerrit G. LansingFederalist
WashingtonTimothy LeonardFederalist
WashingtonWilliam McAuleyFederalist
WashingtonEdward Savage*Dem.-Rep.
WestchesterAbijah GilbertDem.-Rep.
WestchesterRobert GrahamFederalist
WestchesterAbraham OdellDem.-Rep.
WestchesterAbel Smith*Dem.-Rep.
WestchesterThomas ThomasDem.-Rep.

Employees