60th New York State Legislature


The 60th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to May 16, 1837, during the fifth year of William L. Marcy'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 John C. Kemble resigned on May 20, 1836; and State Senator Isaac W. Bishop on May 23; leaving vacancies in the Third and Fourth District.
On May 23, 1836, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate and Assembly districts, according to the State census of 1835. Queens and Suffolk counties were transferred from the First to the Second District; Delaware County from the Second to the Third; Herkimer County from the Fifth to the Fourth; Otsego from the Sixth to the Fifth; Allegany, Cattaraugus and Livingston counties from the Eighth to the Sixth; and Cortland County from the Sixth to the Seventh. The total number of assemblymen remained 128. The new county of Chemung was apportioned one seat. Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Kings, Niagara, Oswego and Steuben counties gained one seat each; New York County gained two; and Cayuga, Dutchess, Herkimer, Oneida, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Seneca, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington and Westchester counties lost one seat each.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig Party. In New York City, a radical faction of the Democratic Party organized as the Equal Rights Party, and became known as the Locofocos.
The Democratic state convention met on September 14 at Herkimer and nominated Gov. William L. Marcy and Lt. Gov. John Tracy for re-election; and an electoral ticket pledged to Martin Van Buren for President and Richard M. Johnson for Vice President.
The Whig state convention nominated Jesse Buel for Governor, and Gamaliel H. Barstow for Lieutenant Governor; and an electoral ticket pledged to William Henry Harrison for President.
The Equal Rights state convention met on September 15 at Utica, and nominated Isaac S. Smith for Governor; and Moses Jaques for Lieutenant Governor. In New York City, they nominated Frederick A. Tallmadge for the State Senate; and a full ticket for the Assembly, among them Clinton Roosevelt and Robert Townsend Jr.. Tallmadge, Roosevelt and Townsend were then endorsed by the Whigs, and elected.

Elections

The State election was held from November 7 to 9, 1836. Gov. William L. Marcy and Lt. Gov. John Tracy were re-elected to a third term. Also, the Democratic electoral ticket won; the 42 New York votes were cast for Martin Van Buren and Richard M. Johnson. In New York City, the combined vote of the Whigs and Locofocos upset the Tammany Hall political machine, electing the State Senator of the First District, and 7 of 13 assemblymen.
State Senators Samuel Young, David Wager and Samuel L. Edwards were re-elected.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1837; and adjourned on May 16.
Edward Livingston was elected Speaker with 80 votes against 27 for Luther Bradish.
Upon taking their seats in the Senate, Johnson and Paige, and McLean and Young, drew lots to decide which one of the two senators elected in each district would serve the short term, and which one the full term. Paige and McLean drew the short term, and Johnson and Young the full term.
On February 6, State Treasurer Abraham Keyser was re-elected.
On February 7, the Legislature re-elected U.S. Senator Silas Wright, Jr. to a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1837.
Near the end of the session, the Panic of 1837 erupted.

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.
Senators who resided in counties which were transferred to a different district continued to represent the district in which they were elected.
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
FirstCharles L. Livingston*1 yearDemocrat
FirstCoe S. Downing*2 yearsDemocrat
FirstHenry Floyd-Jones*3 yearsDemocratresided in Queens Co., elected in the old 1st D.
FirstFrederick A. Tallmadge4 yearsLocofoco/Whig
SecondLeonard Maison*1 yearDemocrat
SecondJohn P. Jones*2 yearsDemocrat
SecondJohn Hunter*3 yearsDemocrat
SecondHenry H. Van Dyck4 yearsDemocrat
ThirdAlonzo C. Paige1 yearDemocratelected to fill vacancy, in place of John C. Kemble;
also Reporter of the New York Court of Chancery
ThirdAbraham L. Lawyer*2 yearsDemocrat
ThirdJames Powers*3 yearsDemocrat
ThirdNoadiah Johnson4 yearsDemocrat
FourthJohn McLean1 yearDemocratelected to fill vacancy, in place of Isaac W. Bishop;
also First Judge of the Washington County Court
FourthJabez Willes*2 yearsDemocrat
FourthDavid Spraker*3 yearsDemocrat
FourthSamuel Young*4 yearsDemocratalso a Canal Commissioner and First Judge of the Saratoga Co. Court
FifthFrancis Seger*1 yearDemocrat
FifthAbijah Beckwith*2 yearsDemocratresided in Herkimer Co., elected in the old 5th D.
FifthMicah Sterling*3 yearsDemocrat
FifthDavid Wager*4 yearsDemocrat
SixthEbenezer Mack*1 yearDemocrat
SixthLevi Beardsley*2 yearsDemocratresided in Otsego Co., elected in the old 6th D.
SixthGeorge Huntington*3 yearsDemocrat
SixthDaniel S. Dickinson4 yearsDemocrat
SeventhThomas Armstrong*1 yearDemocrat
SeventhChester Loomis*2 yearsDemocratalso Postmaster of Rushville
SeventhJohn Beardsley*3 yearsDemocrat
SeventhSamuel L. Edwards*4 yearsDemocrat
EighthAlbert H. Tracy*1 yearWhig
EighthIsaac Lacey*2 yearsWhig
EighthChauncey J. Fox*3 yearsWhigresided in Cattaraugus Co., elected in the old 8th D.
EighthSamuel Works4 yearsWhig

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.
Party affiliations follow the vote on State officers on February 6 and 7;, the result given by the Whig Almanac, and the result for New York City given in Niles' Register.
DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyRichard KimmeyDemocrat
AlbanyEdward LivingstonDemocratelected Speaker
AlbanyAbraham VerplanckDemocrat
AlleganyCalvin T. Chamberlain*Democratalso Postmaster of Cuba
AlleganyAzel FitchDemocrat
BroomeJudson Allen*Democratalso Postmaster of Harpursville
CattaraugusTilly GilbertDemocrat
CattaraugusPhineas SpencerDemocrat
CayugaCurtiss C. CadyDemocrat
CayugaCharles E. Shepard*Democrat
CayugaWilliam Wilbur*Democrat
ChautauquaAlvin PlumbWhig
ChautauquaCalvin RumseyWhig
ChautauquaWilliam WilcoxWhig
ChemungJacob WestlakeDemocrat
ChenangoJohn F. HillDemocrat
ChenangoSquire Smith*Democrat
ChenangoIsaac StokesDemocrat
ClintonCornelius HalseyDemocrat
ColumbiaWilliam W. HoysradtDemocrat
ColumbiaRufus ReedDemocrat
ColumbiaJohn S. VosburghDemocrat
CortlandJosiah HineWhig
CortlandJohn ThomasWhig
DelawareJesse BoothDemocrat
DelawareThomas J. HubbellDemocrat
DutchessTaber BeldingDemocrat
DutchessJohn R. MyerDemocrat
DutchessDavid SheldenDemocrat
ErieBenjamin O. BivinsWhig
ErieSquire S. CaseWhig
ErieElisha SmithWhig
EssexGideon HammondWhig
FranklinLuther Bradish*Whig
GeneseeReuben BenhamWhig
GeneseeJohn A. McElwainWhig
GeneseeLeverett SewardWhig
GeneseeCharles O. Shepard*Whig
GreeneStephen TryonDemocrat
GreeneJohn WatsonDemocrat
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Joseph Blair*Democrat
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Jacob HeesDemocrat
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Richard PeckDemocrat
HerkimerHenry L. EastonDemocrat
HerkimerAaron HackleyDemocrat
JeffersonJotham BigelowDemocrat
JeffersonRichard Hulbert*Democrat
JeffersonJohn W. TamblinDemocrat
KingsJoseph ConselyeaDemocrat
KingsRichard V. W. ThorneDemocrat
LewisGeorge D. RugglesDemocrat
LivingstonGeorge W. Patterson*Whig
LivingstonWilliam ScottWhig
MadisonWait ClarkDemocrat
MadisonIsaac Coe Jr.Democrat
MadisonSilas SaylesDemocrat
MonroeLevi RussellWhig
MonroeDerick SibleyWhig
MonroeSilas WalkerWhig
New YorkHenry AndrewWhig
New YorkCharles P. Clinch*Democrat
New YorkFrancis B. Cutting*Democrat
New YorkMorris FranklinWhigelected in a special election on December 21 and 22, 1836, after
there was a tie for the thirteenth seat at the regular election
New YorkThomas Herttell*Democrat
New YorkJohn I. LabaghWhig
New YorkClinton RooseveltLocofoco/Whig
New YorkThomas G. TalmageDemocrat
New YorkRobert Townsend Jr.Locofoco/Whig
New YorkThomas W. TuckerDemocrat
New YorkJames I. M. ValentineDemocrat
New YorkAnson WillisWhig
New YorkGeorge ZabriskieWhig
NiagaraReuben H. BoughtonDemocratcontested by Davis Hurd who was seated on January 24
NiagaraHiram McNeilWhig
OneidaLevi BuckinghamDemocrat
OneidaJohn I. CookDemocrat
OneidaLester N. FowlerDemocrat
OneidaAndrew S. PondDemocrat
OnondagaDaniel Denison*Democrat
OnondagaGeorge PettitDemocrat
OnondagaWilliam Porter Jr.Democrat
OnondagaNathan SouleDemocrat
OntarioAmos Jones*Whig
OntarioHenry Pardee*Whig
OntarioHenry W. TaylorWhig
OrangeMerit H. CashDemocrat
OrangeWilliam JacksonDemocrat
OrangeWilliam MorrisonDemocrat
OrleansSilas M. BurroughsDemocrat
OswegoCaleb CarrDemocrat
OswegoOrville Robinson*Democratalso Surrogate of Oswego Co.
OtsegoEdmund B. BigelowDemocrat
OtsegoIvory Holland*Democrat
OtsegoHarvey StrongDemocrat
PutnamJohn CrawfordDemocrat
QueensJarvis Jackson*Democrat
RensselaerRandall A. BrownDemocrat
RensselaerAlexander BryanDemocrat
RensselaerAbraham Van TuylDemocrat
RichmondLawrence HillyerWhigunsuccessfully contested by John Garretson Jr.
RocklandAbraham J. DemarestDemocrat
St. LawrencePreston King*Democrat
St. LawrenceWilliam S. Paddock*Democrat
SaratogaSeabury AllenDemocrat
SaratogaHalsey RogersDemocrat
SchenectadyThomas KnightDemocrat
SchohariePhilip MannDemocrat
SchoharieReuben MerchantDemocrat
SenecaJohn L. BigelowDemocrat
SteubenHenry G. CottonDemocrat
SteubenJohn I. PoppinoDemocrat
SteubenBenjamin SmeadDemocrat
SuffolkJosiah C. DaytonDemocrat
SuffolkJohn M. WilliamsonDemocrat
SullivanGeorge S. JoscelynDemocrat
TiogaEzra CanfieldDemocrat
TompkinsLewis HalseyDemocrat
TompkinsBenjamin JenningsDemocrat
UlsterEphraim E. DepuyDemocrat
UlsterSamuel ElmoreDemocrat
WarrenWalter Geer Jr.Democrat
WashingtonJoseph W. RichardsWhig
WashingtonCharles RogersWhig
WayneDavid Arne Jr.Democrat
WaynePomeroy TuckerDemocrat
WestchesterWilliam Fisher*Democrat
WestchesterBarnardus MontrossDemocrat
YatesMordecai Ogden*Democrat

Employees