22nd New York State Legislature


The 22nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from August 9, 1798, to April 3, 1799, during the fourth year of John Jay's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, amended by the re-apportionment of March 4, 1796, Senators were elected on general tickets in the senatorial districts for four-year terms. They were divided into four classes, and every year about one fourth of the Senate seats came up for election. 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. In 1797, Albany was declared the State capital, and all subsequent Legislatures have been meeting there ever since.
On April 26, 1797, State Senator Joshua Sands was appointed as Collector of the Port of New York; and on September 24, 1797, State Senator Andrew Onderdonk died; leaving two vacancies in the Southern District.
U.S. Senator John Sloss Hobart vacated his seat on April 16, 1798, when he was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of New York, and on May 5, Gov. John Jay appointed William North to fill the vacancy temporarily.
In 1798, Chenango County was created from parts of Herkimer and Tioga counties, and was apportioned two seats in the Assembly, one each taken from Herkimer and Tioga. Oneida County was created from Herkimer, and was apportioned three seats in the Assembly, taken from Herkimer. Rockland County was created from Orange County, and was apportioned one seat in the Assembly, taken from Orange. Besides, two seats from Ulster Co. and one seat from Albany Co. were transferred to Orange Co.
At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.

Elections

The State election was held from April 24 to 26, 1798. Gov. John Jay and Lt. Gov. Stephen Van Rensselaer were re-elected.
Senators Ambrose Spencer, Leonard Gansevoort, John Frey and Thomas R. Gold were re-elected. David Gelston, John Schenck, Ebenezer Foote, John Sanders ; and Assemblymen DeWitt Clinton and Frederick Gettman were also elected to full terms in the Senate. Senator Richard Hatfield was re-elected, but only to a one-year term to fill a vacancy. Assemblyman William Denning was elected to the Senate to a two-year term, to fill the other vacancy.

Sessions

Gov. Jay called a special session of the Legislature when it seemed that a war with France was likely to break out, and he deemed it necessary to prepare the State for defence. The Legislature met on August 9, 1798, at the Old City Hall in Albany, New York; and adjourned on August 27.
Federalist Dirck Ten Broeck was re-elected Speaker with 58 votes against 37 for Dem.-Rep. John Swartwout.
On August 17, 1798, the Legislature elected James Watson to fill the vacancy in the U.S. Senate.
The Legislature met for the regular session on January 2, 1799; and both Houses adjourned on April 3.
Near the end of the session, an "Act for Supplying the City of New-York with Pure and Wholesome Water" was passed, which contained hidden in its text the charter to set up the Bank of the Manhattan Company.

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. William Denning, DeWitt Clinton and Frederick Gettman changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
SouthernSamuel Jones*1 yearFederalistalso New York State Comptroller
SouthernRichard Hatfield*1 yearFederalistelected to fill vacancy, in place of Joshua Sands
SouthernSamuel Haight*2 yearsFederalist
SouthernWilliam Denning*2 yearsDem.-Rep.elected to fill vacancy, in place of Andrew Onderdonk;
elected to the Council of Appointment
SouthernSelah Strong*2 yearsFederalist
SouthernEzra L'Hommedieu*3 yearsDem.-Rep.
SouthernDeWitt Clinton*4 yearsDem.-Rep.
SouthernDavid Gelston4 yearsDem.-Rep.also Surrogate of New York County
SouthernJohn Schenck4 yearDem.-Rep.
MiddleAbraham Schenck*1 yearDem.-Rep.
MiddleChristopher Tappen*1 yearDem.-Rep.
MiddleThomas Tillotson*1 yearDem.-Rep.
MiddleRobert Sands*2 yearsFederalist
MiddleJames Savage*2 yearsFederalist
MiddlePeter Silvester*2 yearsFederalist
MiddleWilliam Thompson*2 yearsFederalist
MiddleJohn Addison*3 yearsDem.-Rep.
MiddlePeter Cantine Jr.*3 yearsFederalist
MiddleJames G. Graham*3 yearsDem.-Rep.
MiddleEbenezer Foote4 yearsFederalistalso Delaware County Clerk;
elected to the Council of Appointment
MiddleAmbrose Spencer*4 yearsDem.-Rep.also Assistant Attorney General
EasternZina Hitchcock*1 yearFederalist
EasternEbenezer Russell*1 yearFederalist
EasternMoses Vail*1 yearFederalist
EasternLeonard Bronck*2 yearsFederalist
EasternJames Gordon*2 yearsFederalist
EasternEbenezer Clark*3 yearsFederalistelected to the Council of Appointment
EasternAnthony Ten Eyck*3 yearsFederalist
EasternJacobus Van Schoonhoven*3 yearsFederalist
EasternAbraham Van Vechten*3 yearsFederalistalso Recorder of the City of Albany
EasternLeonard Gansevoort*4 yearsFederalist
EasternJohn Sanders4 yearsFederalist
WesternVincent Mathews*1 yearFederalist
WesternJoseph White*1 yearFederalist
WesternJacob Morris*2 yearsFederalist
WesternJedediah Sanger*2 yearsFederalistalso First Judge of the Oneida County Court
WesternThomas Morris*3 yearsFederalist
WesternMichael Myers*3 yearsFederalist
WesternSeth Phelps*3 yearsFederalist
WesternWilliam Beekman4 yearsFederalist
WesternJohn Frey*4 yearsFederalistelected to the Council of Appointment
WesternFrederick Gettman*4 yearsFederalist
WesternThomas R. Gold*4 yearsFederalistalso Assistant Attorney General

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.
DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyThomas E. Barker*Federalist
AlbanyJames Bill
AlbanyJohann Jost Dietz*Federalist
AlbanyPrince DotyFederalist
AlbanyAndrew N. Heermance*
AlbanyJeremiah Lansingh
AlbanyPhilip P. Schuyler*
AlbanyJoseph ShurtleffFederalist
AlbanyDirck Ten Broeck*Federalistre-elected Speaker
ChenangoObadiah GermanFederalist
ChenangoNathaniel King
ClintonAsa AdgateDem.-Rep.
ColumbiaElisha Gilbert
ColumbiaKillian Hogeboom*Dem.-Rep.
ColumbiaCharles McKinstryFederalist
ColumbiaJohn McKinstry
ColumbiaPeter B. Ten Broeck
ColumbiaSamuel Ten Broeck*Dem.-Rep.
DelawareElias Butler
DelawareErastus RootDem.-Rep.
DutchessAbraham AdrianceDem.-Rep.
DutchessLemuel Clift*Federalist
DutchessHenry DodgeFederalist
DutchessRobert JohnstonDem.-Rep.
DutchessEbenezer Mott
DutchessWilliam Pearce
DutchessPlatt Smith
DutchessJonathan Soule
DutchessWilliam TaberDem.-Rep.
DutchessJohn Van BenthuysenDem.-Rep.
HerkimerLudwick Campbell*
HerkimerJohn Cummins Jr.
HerkimerPhineas Gates
KingsJohannes I. Lott
MontgomeryArchibald McIntyreDem.-Rep.
MontgomeryHenry Pawling
MontgomeryStephen Reynolds
MontgomeryJacob Snell*Dem.-Rep.
MontgomerySimon Veeder
MontgomeryPeter Voorhis
New YorkPhilip I. Arcularius*Dem.-Rep.
New YorkWilliam Boyd*Dem.-Rep.
New YorkEbenezer S. Burling*Dem.-Rep.
New YorkAaron Burr*Dem.-Rep.
New YorkJames FairlieDem.-Rep.
New YorkRichard FurmanFederalist
New YorkJames Hunt*Dem.-Rep.
New YorkElias NexsenDem.-Rep.
New YorkJohn B. PrevostDem.-Rep.
New YorkEzekiel RobinsDem.-Rep.
New YorkThomas StormDem.-Rep.
New YorkJohn SwartwoutDem.-Rep.
New YorkJohn A. WolfeDem.-Rep.
OneidaAbel FrenchFederalist
OneidaHenry McNeil*Federalistpreviously a member from Herkimer Co.
OneidaDavid OstromFederalist
OnondagaEdward Paine
OnondagaJohn RichardsonFederalist
Ontario and
Steuben		Amos Hall*Federalist
Ontario and
Steuben		Charles Williamson*
OrangeJohn Blake Jr.Dem.-Rep.
OrangeJames Burt*Dem.-Rep.
OrangeMoses Philips
OrangeHendrick Smith
OrangeDavid M. Westcott
OtsegoJoshua Dewey*
OtsegoBenjamin Gilbert
OtsegoFrancis Henry*Federalist
OtsegoJedediah PeckFederalistalso judge of the Otsego County Court
until March 9, 1799, when he was removed
QueensRobert MooreFederalist
QueensWilliam MottFederalist
QueensJohn I. Skidmore*Dem.-Rep.
QueensJohn M. SmithFederalist
RensselaerJacob A. Fort*Federalist
RensselaerDaniel Gray*Federalist
RensselaerJonathan Hoag
RensselaerCornelius Lansing
RensselaerJohn W. Schermerhorn
RensselaerJohn I. Van Rensselaer
RichmondPaul I. Micheau*Federalist
RocklandBenjamin Coe*previously a member from Orange Co.
SaratogaSeth C. Baldwin*
SaratogaSamuel Clark*
SaratogaAdam Comstock*Dem.-Rep.
SaratogaHenry Corl Jr.
SaratogaJames Warren
SchohariePeter SwartDem.-Rep.
SuffolkNicoll Floyd
SuffolkJared LandonDem.-Rep.
SuffolkJohn SmithDem.-Rep.
SuffolkJoshua Smith Jr.
TiogaMatthew Carpenter
UlsterGerrit Abeel
UlsterJacobus S. Bruyn*Dem.-Rep.
UlsterJohn A. DeWitt*
UlsterPeter Lefevre Jr.
UlsterMartin G. SchunemanDem.-Rep.
WashingtonSeth Crocker
WashingtonDavid HopkinsDem.-Rep.
WashingtonCharles Kane*
WashingtonEdward Savage*Dem.-Rep.
WashingtonPhilip Smith
WashingtonDavid ThomasDem.-Rep.
WestchesterWilliam Adams*
WestchesterIsrael Honeywell
WestchesterElijah Lee*
WestchesterAbel Smith*Dem.-Rep.
WestchesterCharles Teed*Federalist

Employees