54th New York State Legislature


The 54th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 26, 1831, during the third year of Enos T. Throop'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.
State Senator Moses Hayden died on February 13, 1830, leaving a vacancy in the Eighth District.
At this time, there were three political parties: the Jacksonians, the Anti-Masons, and the National Republicans.
The Anti-Masonic state convention met in August 1830 at Utica, and nominated Assemblyman Francis Granger for governor, and Samuel Stevens, of New York City, for lieutenant governor. The National Republicans did not call a convention, and supported the Anti-Masonic ticket.
The Jacksonian state convention met on September 8, 1830, at Herkimer and nominated Gov. Throop for re-election, and Edward P. Livingston for lieutenant governor.

Elections

The State election was held from November 1 to 3, 1830. Gov. Enos T. Throop was re-elected, and Edward P. Livingston was elected lieutenant governor.
State Senator Jonathan S. Conklin was re-elected. David M. Westcott, William I. Dodge, Henry A. Foster, Charles W. Lynde, William H. Seward, Trumbull Cary ; and Assemblymen Herman I. Quackenboss and Philo C. Fuller were also elected to the Senate. Lynde, Seward, Cary and Fuller were Anti-Masons, the other five were Jacksonians.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1831; and adjourned on April 26.
George R. Davis was elected Speaker with 91 votes against 30 for John C. Spencer.
On January 6, Cary and Fuller drew lots to decide which one of the two senators elected in the 8th District would serve the short term, and which one the full term. Fuller drew the short term, and Cary the full term.
On February 1, the Legislature elected Supreme Court Justice William L. Marcy to succeed Nathan Sanford as U.S. Senator for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1831.
On February 1, the Legislature re-elected State Treasurer Abraham Keyser, Jr..
On June 3, a National Republican state convention met at Albany, Peter R. Livingston was Chairman. The convention chose delegates to the National Republican national convention which would nominate Henry Clay for U.S. President, among them Stephen Van Rensselaer and Ambrose Spencer.

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. Herman I. Quackenboss and Philo C. Fuller changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
FirstJohn I. Schenck*1 yearJacksonian
FirstStephen Allen*2 yearsJacksonian
FirstAlpheus Sherman*3 yearsJacksonian
FirstJonathan S. Conklin*4 yearsJacksonian
SecondWalker Todd*1 yearJacksonianalso Postmaster of Carmel
SecondSamuel Rexford*2 yearsJacksonian
SecondNathaniel P. Tallmadge*3 yearsJacksonian
SecondDavid M. Westcott4 yearsJacksonian
ThirdMoses Warren*1 yearJacksonian
ThirdLewis Eaton*2 yearsJacksonian
ThirdWilliam Dietz*3 yearsJacksonian
ThirdHerman I. Quackenboss*4 yearsJacksonian
FourthReuben Sanford*1 yearJacksonianalso Postmaster of Wilmington
FourthJohn McLean Jr.*2 yearsJacksonian
FourthIsaac Gere*3 yearsJacksonian
FourthWilliam I. Dodge4 yearsJacksonian
FifthNathaniel S. Benton*1 yearJacksonianresigned on April 13, 1831, to take office as
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York
FifthWilliam H. Maynard*2 yearsAnti-Mason
FifthAlvin Bronson*3 yearsJacksonian
FifthHenry A. Foster4 yearsJacksonian
SixthGrattan H. Wheeler*1 yearJacksonianin November 1830, elected to the 22nd U.S. Congress, and
resigned his seat in the State Senate on March 3, 1831
SixthJohn F. Hubbard*2 yearsJacksonian
SixthLevi Beardsley*3 yearsJacksonian
SixthCharles W. Lynde4 yearsAnti-Mason
SeventhGeorge B. Throop*1 yearJacksonian
SeventhHiram F. Mather*2 yearsAnti-Mason
SeventhThomas Armstrong*3 yearsJacksonianalso Supervisor of Butler, and Chairman
of the Board of Supervisors of Wayne Co.
SeventhWilliam H. Seward4 yearsAnti-Mason
EighthTimothy H. Porter*1 yearAnti-Mason
EighthPhilo C. Fuller*2 yearsAnti-Masonelected to fill vacancy, in place of Moses Hayden
EighthAlbert H. Tracy*3 yearsAnti-Mason
EighthTrumbull Cary4 yearsAnti-Mason

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 party affiliations follow the vote for U.S. Senator and state treasurer.
DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyPeter Gansevoort*Jacksonian
AlbanyWheeler WatsonJacksonian
AlbanyPeter W. WinneJacksonian
AlleganyDaniel Ashley*Anti-Mason
BroomePeter Robinson*Jacksonian
CattaraugusRussell HubbardAnti-Mason
CayugaSolomon Love*Jacksonian
CayugaElias ManchesterAnti-Mason
CayugaGeorge S. TilfordJacksonian
CayugaPeter YawgerJacksonian
ChautauquaJohn BirdsallAnti-Mason
ChautauquaSquire White*Anti-Mason
ChenangoJoseph JuliandAnti-Mason
ChenangoJarvis K. Pike*
ChenangoIra WillcoxAnti-Mason
ClintonJohn WalkerJacksonian
ColumbiaJohn W. EdmondsJacksonian
ColumbiaJohn S. HarrisJacksonian
ColumbiaPliny Hudson
CortlandFredus HowardJacksonian
CortlandCharles RichardsonJacksonian
DelawareDavid P. MapesJacksonian
DelawarePeter PineJacksonian
DutchessJoel BentonJacksonian
DutchessSamuel B. HalseyJacksonian
DutchessWilliam HookerJacksonian
DutchessJohn E. TownsendJacksonian
ErieMillard Fillmore*Anti-Mason
ErieNathaniel Knight
EssexJoseph S. WeedJacksonian
FranklinJames B. SpencerJacksonian
GeneseeRobert Earll Jr.Anti-Mason
GeneseeStephen Griswold*Anti-Mason
GeneseeCharles WoodworthAnti-Mason
GreeneLewis BentonJacksonian
GreeneJohn I. BrandowJacksonian
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Josiah O. BrownJacksonian
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Platt PotterJacksonian
Hamilton and
Montgomery		William RobJacksonian
HerkimerAtwater Cooke Jr.Jacksonian
HerkimerOlmsted HoughJacksonian
HerkimerNicholas LawyerJacksonian
JeffersonJoseph C. BuddJacksonian
JeffersonWalter ColeJacksonian
JeffersonFleury KeithJacksonian
KingsCoe S. Downing*Jacksonian
LewisHarrison BlodgetJacksonian
LivingstonJerediah HorsfordAnti-Mason
LivingstonJames PercivalAnti-Mason
MadisonRobert HenryJacksonian
MadisonStephen B. HoffmanJacksonian
MadisonJohn WhitmanJacksonian
MonroeSamuel G. AndrewsAnti-Mason
MonroeIsaac LaceyAnti-Mason
MonroePeter PriceAnti-Mason
New YorkJacob S. Bogert*Jacksonian
New YorkAbraham Cargill*Jacksonian
New YorkNathaniel JarvisJacksonian
New YorkCharles L. Livingston*Jacksonian
New YorkDennis McCarthy*Jacksonian
New YorkJames MorganJacksonian
New YorkMordecai MyersJacksonian
New YorkGideon Ostrander*Jacksonian
New YorkDudley SeldenJacksonian
New YorkSilas M. Stilwell*Jacksonian
New YorkIsaac L. VarianJacksonian
NiagaraHenry NortonAnti-Mason
OneidaReuben BettisJacksonian
OneidaArnon Comstock*Jacksonian
OneidaDavid MoultonJacksonian
OneidaRiley ShepardJacksonian
OneidaJohn F. TrowbridgeJacksonian
OnondagaOtis BigelowJacksonian
OnondagaThomas J. Gilbert*Jacksonian
OnondagaElisha LitchfieldJacksonian
OnondagaJared H. Parker
OntarioThomas OttleyAnti-Mason
OntarioSamuel RawsonAnti-Mason
OntarioJohn C. SpencerAnti-Mason
OrangeEdward BlakeJacksonian
OrangeRobert FowlerJacksonian
OrangeJames HulseJacksonian
OrleansJohn H. Tyler*Anti-Mason
OswegoJoel TurrillJacksonianalso First Judge of the Oswego County Court
OtsegoHenry Clark
OtsegoPeter Collier
OtsegoSchuyler CrippenJacksonian
OtsegoEben B. MorehouseJacksonian
PutnamBennet Boyd
QueensThomas TredwellNat. Rep.
RensselaerGeorge R. Davis*Jacksonianelected Speaker;
also a Bank Commissioner
RensselaerChester GriswoldJacksonian
RensselaerMartin SpringerJacksonian
RensselaerAaron WorthingtonJacksonian
RichmondJohn T. Harrison*Jacksonian
RocklandJohn J. EckersonJacksonian
St. LawrenceJoseph FreemanJacksonian
St. LawrenceAsa Sprague Jr.*Jacksonian
SaratogaHowell GardnerJacksonian
SaratogaJohn GilchristJacksonian
SaratogaOran G. OtisJacksonian
SchenectadyAaron CarrollJacksonian
SchoharieRobert EldredgeJacksonian
SchoharieDaniel Hager Jr.Jacksonian
SenecaJohn SayreAnti-Mason
SenecaBenjamin WoodruffAnti-Mason
SteubenPaul C. Cook
SteubenJosiah Dunlap*Anti-Mason
SuffolkGeorge L. ConklinJacksonian
SuffolkGeorge S. PhillipsJacksonian
SullivanJames C. CurtisJacksonianalso Supervisor of Cochecton
TiogaJohn G. McDowell*Jacksonian
TiogaDavid WilliamsJacksonian
TompkinsJohn Ellis
TompkinsJehiel LudlowAnti-Mason
TompkinsJohn SaylerAnti-Mason
UlsterJacob J. Schoonmaker
UlsterJohn Van BurenJacksonian
WarrenSamuel StackhouseJacksonian
WashingtonGeorge W. JermainJacksonian
WashingtonHenry ThornJacksonian
WashingtonWilliam TownsendJacksonian
WayneSeth Eddy*Anti-Mason
WayneAnanias WellsAnti-Mason
WestchesterSt. John ConstantJacksonian
WestchesterThomas MurphyJacksonian
WestchesterAaron VarkJacksonianalso Postmaster of Yonkers
YatesAaron RemerJacksonian

Employees