18th New York State Legislature

18th New York State Legislature

Clinton House, one of the buildings used by the State government during sessions at Poughkeepsie (2007)
Duration: July 1, 1794 – June 30, 1795
President of the State Senate: Lt. Gov. Pierre Van Cortlandt
Temporary President of the State Senate:
Speaker of the State Assembly: William North (Fed.)
Members: 24 Senators
70 Assemblymen
Senate Majority: Federalist (14-10)
Assembly Majority: Federalist
Sessions
1st: January 6, 1795 – January 14, 1795
2nd: January 20, 1795 – April 9, 1795
<17th 19th>

The 18th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to April 9, 1795, during the eighteenth year of George Clinton's governorship, first in Poughkeepsie, then in New York City.

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.

On February 7, 1791, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate and Assembly districts, according to the figures of the 1790 United States Census.

At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.[1]

Elections

The State election was held from April 29 to May 1, 1794. Senators Matthew Clarkson (Southern D.), John Williams (Eastern D.), John Frey and Stephen Van Rensselaer (both Western D.) were re-elected. Assemblymen Richard Hatfield (Southern D.) and John D. Coe (Middle D.) were also elected to the Senate.

Sessions

The Old New York City Hall, where the Legislature met in 1784. From January 1785 to August 1790, the Congress of the Confederation and the 1st United States Congress met here, and the building was renamed Federal Hall. From 1791 to 1793, and from 1795 to 1796, the State Legislature met again here. The building was demolished in 1812.

The Legislature met first in Poughkeepsie on January 6; and adjourned on January 14, 1795. The Legislature met again at Federal Hall in New York City on January 20; and adjourned on April 9.

William North was elected Speaker with 33 votes to 28 for James Watson, the Speaker of the previous Assembly, both were Federalists. The average vote for the members of the Council of Appointment was 36 to 29, showing a Federalist majority of 7.[2]

On January 27, the Legislature re-elected Federalist Rufus King to the U.S. Senate.

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. Richard Hatfield and John D. Coe changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

District Senators Term left Party Notes
Southern Samuel Jones* 1 year Federalist also Recorder of New York City
Joshua Sands* 1 year Federalist
Henry Cruger* 2 years Federalist
John Schenck* 2 years Dem.-Rep.
Selah Strong* 2 years Federalist
Ezra L'Hommedieu* 3 years Federalist
Matthew Clarkson* 4 years Federalist
Richard Hatfield* 4 years Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
Middle Thomas Tillotson* 1 year Dem.-Rep.
Jacobus Swartwout* 1 year Dem.-Rep.
Joseph Hasbrouck* 2 years Dem.-Rep. elected to the Council of Appointment
John Cantine* 3 years Dem.-Rep.
Reuben Hopkins* 3 years Dem.-Rep.
John D. Coe* 4 years Dem.-Rep.
Eastern William Powers* 1 year Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
John Livingston*[3] 2 years Dem.-Rep.
Robert Woodworth* 2 years Dem.-Rep.
Zina Hitchcock* 3 years Federalist
John Williams* 4 years Dem.-Rep. elected in December 1794 to the 4th United States Congress[4]
Western Philip Schuyler* 1 year Federalist
Michael Myers* 3 years Federalist
Jacobus Van Schoonhoven* 3 years Federalist elected to the Council of Appointment
John Frey* 4 years Federalist
Stephen Van Rensselaer* 4 years Federalist

Employees

State Assembly

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. David Pye changed from the Senate to the Assembly.

County Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany Johannes Dietz* Federalist
Leonard Gansevoort Jr.
Jacob Hochstrasser*
Thomas Hun*
William North* Federalist elected Speaker
Stephen Platt*
Andries Van Patten
Columbia Matthew Adgate* Dem.-Rep.
John Bay* Dem.-Rep.
James Brebner*
Philip L. Hoffman
Elisha Jenkins Dem.-Rep.
Matthew Scott*
Dutchess Samuel A. Barker* Federalist
Jacob Bockée*?
David Brooks* Federalist
Jesse Oakley*
Jacob Radclift*[5]
Jacob Smith
Isaac Van Wyck*
Herkimer and
Onondaga		 Jedediah Sanger*
Kings Peter Vandervoort* Federalist
Montgomery Douw Fonda
Frederick Gettman*
David McMasters
Simon Veeder*
New York Nicholas Cruger
John DeLancey*
Richard Furman* Federalist
Josiah Ogden Hoffman* Federalist
James M. Hughes
Jotham Post Jr.* Federalist
James Watson* Federalist
Ontario Thomas Morris* Federalist
Orange William Allison
John Hathorn Dem.-Rep.
David Pye* Dem.-Rep.
Otsego Jacob Morris Federalist
Queens Stephen Carman
Samuel Clowes*
Nathaniel Lawrence Dem.-Rep. also New York Attorney General
Rensselaer Jonathan Brown* Dem.-Rep.
Daniel Gray Federalist
Benjamin Hicks* Federalist
Hosea Moffitt* Federalist
Jacob C. Schermerhorn
Richmond Lewis Ryerss
Saratoga Adam Comstock* Dem.-Rep.
Jabez Davis
Beriah Palmer* Dem.-Rep.
John B. Schuyler
Suffolk John Gelston*
Jonathan N. Havens* Dem.-Rep. elected in April 1794 to the 4th United States Congress[6]
Joshua Smith Jr.
Isaac Thompson
Tioga Vincent Mathews* Federalist
Ulster (Severyn T. Bruyn) Dem.-Rep. died September 1794, before the Legislature met
John C. DeWitt Dem.-Rep.
Andrew McCord Dem.-Rep.
Cornelius C. Schoonmaker Dem.-Rep.
(Jacob W. Tremper) Dem.-Rep. died October 8, 1794, before the Legislature met[7]
Washington
and Clinton		 Samuel Beman Jr.
Benjamin Colvin*
David Hopkins Dem.-Rep.
Edward Savage Dem.-Rep.
Westchester Thomas Bowne
Ebenezer Purdy
Abel Smith*
Pierre Van Cortlandt Jr.* Dem.-Rep.
Ebenezer White*

Employees

Notes

  1. ↑ The Anti-Federalists called themselves "Republicans." However, at the same time, the Federalists called them "Democrats" which was meant to be pejorative. After some time both terms got more and more confused, and sometimes used together as "Democratic Republicans" which later historians have adopted (with a hyphen) to describe the party from the beginning, to avoid confusion with both the later established and still existing Democratic and Republican parties.
  2. ↑ The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, from the Ratification of the Federal Constition to 1840 by Jabez D. Hammond (4th ed., Vol. 1, H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown, 1846; pages 87f)
  3. ↑ John Livingston, fifth son of Robert Livingston (1708–1790), 3rd Lord of the Manor
  4. ↑ John Williams was re-elected in April 1794 to the State Senate for a four-year term beginning on July 1, 1794; and elected to the 4th United States Congress in December 1794 for a two-year term beginning on March 4, 1795. Although the Legislature had pronounced the incompatibility of holding both seats concurrently, Williams could remain in the Senate until the end of this session of the State Legislature because it ended about eight months before Congress actually met on December 7, 1795. A special election was held in April 1795 to fill the remainder of Williams's term in the State Senate, and was won by Ambrose Spencer.
  5. ↑ It is unclear why this person is named "Radcliff", the Civil List of 1858 lists "Radclift" and he signed himself as such, see signature at his article on Wikipedia.
  6. ↑ Jonathan N. Havens was re-elected in April 1794 to the State Assembly for a one-year term beginning on July 1, 1794; and elected to the 4th United States Congress in December 1794 for a two-year term beginning on March 4, 1795. Although the Legislature had pronounced the incompatibility of holding both seats concurrently, Havens could remain in the Assembly until the end of this session of the State Legislature because it ended about eight months before Congress actually met on December 7, 1795..
  7. ↑ see Burial info at Find a Grave

Sources

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