86th New York State Legislature


The 86th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to April 25, 1863, during the first year of Horatio Seymour's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1846, 32 Senators and 128 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts were made up of entire counties, except New York County and Kings County. The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards, forming a contiguous area, all within the same county.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democrats split over the civil war issue. The "War Democrats" and the Republicans formed a coalition known as the "Republican Union," and supported President Abraham Lincoln and the Union Army's war effort; the rump Democratic Party opposed the war, favoring a compromise with the South, and became known as "Peace Democrats" or "Copperheads." The Constitutional Union held a state convention and joined the Peace Democrats.

Elections

The New York state election, 1862 was held on November 4. With a large contingent of soldiers at the Civil War front, who did not vote at the state election, surprisingly all five statewide elective offices up for election were carried by the Democrats, including Gov. Horatio Seymour and Lt. Gov. David R. Floyd-Jones. The approximate party strength at this election, expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democrats/Constitutional Union 307,000; Republican Union 296,000.
64 Union Republicans and 64 Democrats were elected to the Assembly, resulting in a split.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1863; and adjourned on April 25.
On January 21, James A. Bell was re-elected President pro tempore of the State Senate.
On January 26, after three weeks of deadlock, Democrat Theophilus C. Callicot was elected Speaker on the 92nd ballot, receiving the votes of the Republicans. Callicot had talked to the Republican leader Chauncey M. Depew, and offered a deal: the Republicans should elect him Speaker, and he would help them to elect a U.S. Senator.
BallotDateGilbert
Dean
Dem.		Henry
Sherwood
Rep.		-BallotDateGilbert
Dean
Dem.		Henry
Sherwood
Rep.		Theophilus
C. Callicot
Fusion		Eliphaz
Trimmer
Dem.		Chauncey
M. Depew
Rep.
1stJan. 6636347thJan. 104141
2ndJan. 6636348thJan. 104141
3rdJan. 6636349thJan. 124040
4thJan. 7636350thJan. 124040
5thJan. 7636351stJan. 123939
6thJan. 7636352ndJan. 123939
7thJan. 7636353rdJan. 123939
8thJan. 8636354thJan. 135656
9thJan. 8636355thJan. 135555
10thJan. 8636356thJan. 135555
11thJan. 8636357thJan. 135555
12thJan. 8636358thJan. 135555
13thJan. 8636359thJan. 135454
14thJan. 8636360thJan. 135555
15thJan. 8636361stJan. 135555
16thJan. 8636362ndJan. 135555
17thJan. 8636363rdJan. 135555
18thJan. 8636364thJan. 125454
19thJan. 8636365thJan. 135454
20thJan. 8636366thJan. 135454
21stJan. 8636367thJan. 146363
22ndJan. 8636368thJan. 146262
23rdJan. 8636369thJan. 146262
24thJan. 8636370thJan. 126262
25thJan. 8636371stJan. 146262
26thJan. 8636372ndJan. 146262
27thJan. 9616173rdJan. 146060
28thJan. 9616174thJan. 146060
29thJan. 9626275thJan. 156262
30thJan. 9626276thJan. 155757
31stJan. 9626277thJan. 156060
32ndJan. 9626278thJan. 155858
33rdJan. 9626279thJan. 2360602
34thJan. 9626280thJan. 2360602
35thJan. 9606081stJan. 2360613
36thJan. 9606082ndJan. 2361612
37thJan. 9606083rdJan. 2361612
38thJan. 10474784thJan. 2361612
39thJan. 10444485thJan. 2361612
40thJan. 10444486thJan. 2361612
41stJan. 10444487thJan. 2360602
42ndJan. 10434388thJan. 2360602
43rdJan. 10444489thJan. 2359592
44thJan. 10424290thJan. 2360602
45thJan. 10424291stJan. 2460601
46thJan. 10424292ndJan. 266159

On February 3, the Legislature elected Ex-Governor Edwin D. Morgan to succeed Preston King as U.S. Senator from New York for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1863.

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.
Party affiliations follow the vote for U.S. Senator.
DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1stMonroe Henderson*due to ill health, did not take his seat at this session
2ndJesse C. Smith*Republican
3rdHenry C. Murphy*Democrat
4thChristian B. Woodruff*Democrat
5thCharles G. Cornell*Democratalso New York City Street Commissioner
6thJohn J. Bradley*Democrat
7thRichard B. Connolly*Democrat
8thHezekiah D. Robertson*Republican
9thHenry R. Low*Republican
10thJacob S. Freer*Democrat
11thWilliam H. Tobey*Republican
12thRalph Richards*Republican
13thJohn V. L. Pruyn*Democrat
14thJoseph H. Ramsey*Republican
15thWilliam ClarkRepublicanelected to fill vacancy, in place of John Willard
16thRussell M. Little*Republican
17thCharles C. Montgomery*Republican
18thJames A. Bell*Republican
19thAlexander H. Bailey*Republican
20thGeorge A. Hardin*Republican
21stRichard K. Sanford*Republican
22ndAllen Munroe*Republican
23rdHenry A. Clark*Republican
24thLyman Truman*Republican
25thChauncey M. Abbott*Republicandied on November 11, 1863
26thCharles J. Folger*Republican
27thCharles Cook*Republican
28thLysander Farrar*Republican
29thAlmanzor Hutchinson*Republican
30thWilkes Angel*Republican
31stJohn Ganson*Democraton November 4, 1862, elected to the 38th U.S. Congress
32ndHorace C. Young*Republican

Employees

Assemblymen

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.
Party affiliations follow the original vote for Speaker.

Employees