3rd New York State Legislature

3rd New York State Legislature

Senate House, Kingston (2007)
Duration: July 1, 1779 – July 2, 1780
President of the State Senate: Lt. Gov. Pierre Van Cortlandt
Temporary President of the State Senate:
Speaker of the State Assembly: Evert Bancker
Members: 24 Senators
70 (de facto 68) Assemblymen
Senate Majority:
Assembly Majority:
Sessions
1st: August 18 – October 25, 1779
2nd: January 27 – March 17, 1780
3rd: April 22 – July 2, 1780
<2nd 4th>

The 3rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from August 18, 1779 to July 2, 1780, during the third year of George Clinton's governorship, first at Kingston, then at Albany, and finally at Kingston again.

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.

On May 8, 1777, the Constitutional Convention had appointed the senators from the Southern District, and the assemblymen from Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties—the area which was under British control—and determined that these appointees serve in the Legislature until elections could be held in those areas, presumably after the end of the American Revolutionary War. Vacancies among the appointed members in the Senate should be filled by the Assembly, and vacancies in the Assembly by the Senate.

Elections

The State elections were held from April 27 to 29, 1779. Under the determination by the Constitutional Convention, the senators Jonathan Lawrence, Lewis Morris and Richard Morris, whose seats were up for election, continued in office, as well as the assemblymen from Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties. Zephaniah Platt (Middle D.) was re-elected. Ephraim Paine (Middle D.) and Abraham Ten Broeck (Western D.) were also elected to the Senate. In the Eastern District, a special election was held to fill the vacancy caused by the expulsion of John Williams, and Assemblyman Elishama Tozer was elected to a one-year term.

Sessions

The Old Albany City Hall

The State Legislature met first in Kingston, the seat of Ulster County. The Assembly met on August 18, the Senate on August 24, 1779; and both adjourned on October 25. The Legislature reconvened at the Old City Hall in Albany, the seat of Albany County, on January 27, 1780; and the Senate adjourned on March 14, the Assembly on March 17. The Legislature reconvened again in Kingston on April 22, and adjourned finally on July 2. Senator Richard Morris (Southern D.) was appointed Chief Judge of the New York Supreme Court, and thus vacated his seat to which Ex-Assemblyman Stephen Ward was appointed.

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. In 1784, Charlotte Co. was renamed Washington Co., and Tryon Co. was renamed Montgomery Co.

Senators

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Elishama Tozer changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

District Senators Term left Notes
Southern William Floyd* 1 year appointed by Constitutional Convention
William Smith* 1 year appointed by Constitutional Convention
Isaac Stoutenburgh* 1 year appointed by State Assembly
Sir James Jay* 2 years appointed by State Assembly
Isaac Roosevelt* 3 years holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention;
elected to the Council of Appointment
John Morin Scott* 3 years holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention;
also Secretary of State of New York
Jonathan Lawrence* 4 years holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Lewis Morris* 4 years holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Richard Morris* 4 years holding over on appointment by State Assembly;
appointed Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court on October 23, 1779
Stephen Ward appointed by the State Assembly on February 15, 1780, in place of Richard Morris
Middle Arthur Parks* 1 year
Levi Pawling* 2 years elected to the Council of Appointment
Jesse Woodhull* 2 years
Henry Wisner* 3 years
Ephraim Paine 4 years
Zephaniah Platt* 4 years
Eastern Elishama Tozer* 1 year elected to fill vacancy, in place of John Williams;
attended only the 3rd session
Alexander Webster* 2 years elected to the Council of Appointment
(Ebenezer Russell)* 3 years did not attend
Western Anthony Van Schaick* 1 year
Jellis Fonda* 2 years
Rinier Mynderse* 2 years elected to the Council of Appointment
Jacob G. Klock* 3 years
Abraham Yates Jr.* 3 years
Abraham Ten Broeck 4 years also Mayor of Albany

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. In 1784, Charlotte Co. was renamed Washington Co., and Tryon Co. was renamed Montgomery Co.

Assemblymen

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.

County Assemblymen Notes
Albany Flores Bancker
John Bay
James Gordon*
Cornelius Humfrey
Hugh Mitchell
Henry Oothoudt
Henry Quackenbos
Isaac Vrooman
William B. Whiting*
Phinehas Whiteside
Charlotte Albert Baker*
John Grover
David Hopkins*
Noah Payn
Cumberland[2] Elkanah Day attended "only a few days at the beginning of the session"[3]
John Sessions
Micah Townsend did not attend the 3rd session
Dutchess Egbert Benson* also New York State Attorney General
Dirck Brinckerhoff*
Ananias Cooper[4]
Samuel Dodge*
Henry Ludington
Brinton Paine
Nathaniel Sacket
Gloucester none No election returns from this county[5]
Kings William Boerum* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Henry Williams* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
New York Evert Bancker* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention;
elected Speaker
John Berrien* holding over on appointment by the State Senate
Abraham Brasher* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Daniel Dunscomb* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Robert Harpur* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Frederick Jay* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Abraham P. Lott* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Jacobus Van Zandt* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Peter P. Van Zandt* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Orange John Coe
John Hathorn
Thomas Moffat
Bezaleel Seely Jr.
Queens Benjamin Birdsall* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Benjamin Coe* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Philip Edsall* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Daniel Lawrence* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Richmond Joshua Mersereau* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
vacant
Suffolk David Gelston* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Ezra L'Hommedieu* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Burnet Miller* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Thomas Tredwell* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Thomas Wickes* holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Tryon Abraham Copeman
Peter S. Deygart
Frederick Fox
Jacob Gardenier
Melkert Van Deuzen
Peter Waggoner Jr.
Ulster Robert Boyd Jr.
John Cantine
Johannes G. Hardenbergh
Thomas Palmer
Cornelius C. Schoonmaker*
Nathan Smith*
Westchester Samuel Drake
Abijah Gilbert
Zebediah Mills*
William Paulding
Philip Pell Jr.
Ebenezer Purdy

Employees

Notes

  1. ↑ All three senators from the Eastern District in this Legislature came from Charlotte County; see note for Assembly.
  2. ↑ These three members from Cumberland Co. were "Yorkers", a faction who opposed the Vermont government and advocated the seceded counties' remaining in the State of New York. See History of Eastern Vermont by Benjamin Homer Hall (Chapter XIII: Conflict of Jurisdictions; pages 332ff)
  3. ↑ History of Eastern Vermont by Benjamin Homer Hall (Chapter XIV: pages 367f)
  4. ↑ Dr. Ananias Cooper, physician, father of Charles D. Cooper
  5. ↑ Cumberland and Gloucester counties seceded from the Province of New York in January 1777, and became part of the Vermont Republic, while the Constitutional Convention was still debating the new Constitution. The New York Constitution was approved in April 1777, not recognizing the secession. Gloucester Co. did not file any election returns with the Secretary of State of New York in 1779.

Sources

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