56th New York State Legislature


The 56th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to April 30, 1833, during the first 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.
At this time, there were three political parties: the Jacksonian Democrats, the Anti-Masonic Party, and the National Republican Party.
The Anti-Masonic state convention met on June 21, and nominated again Assemblyman Francis Granger for governor and Samuel Stevens, of New York City, for lieutenant governor. They also nominated a full ticket of presidential electors, apparently composed of some supporters of William Wirt, and some of Henry Clay, but not pledged to any candidate.
The National Republican state convention met on July 26, Ambrose Spencer was chairman. They endorsed The Anti-Masonic nominees Granger and Stevens. They also endorsed the ticket of presidential electors nominated by the Anti-Masons, who—if they won the election—should vote for Henry Clay if this would help to defeat Jackson, otherwise for Wirt. In effect, both parties were in the process of merging, forming an Anti-Jacksonian bloc which eventually became the Whig Party.
The Jacksonian state convention met on September 19 at Herkimer, Samuel Young was chairman. They nominated U.S. Senator William L. Marcy for governor, and Judge John Tracy for lieutenant governor.

Elections

The state election was held from November 5 to 7, 1832. William L. Marcy and John Tracy were elected governor and lieutenant governor; and the Andrew Jackson/Martin Van Buren electoral ticket won.
State Senator John F. Hubbard was re-elected. John Sudam, Peter Gansevoort, Louis Hasbrouck, John G. Stower, Samuel L. Edwards, John Griffin and Assemblyman Myndert Van Schaick were also elected to the Senate. Griffin and Hasbrouck were Anti-Jacksonians, the other six were Jacksonians.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1833; and adjourned on April 30.
Charles L. Livingston was re-elected Speaker with 99 votes against 22 for John C. Spencer.
On January 4, the Legislature elected State Comptroller Silas Wright, Jr. to the U.S. Senate, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Gov. Marcy. Wright resigned the office of Comptroller on January 7.
On January 11, the Legislature elected Secretary of State Azariah C. Flagg to succeed Wright as State Comptroller. Flagg resigned the office of Secretary of State on January 12.
On January 15, the Legislature elected Adjutant General John Adams Dix to succeed Flagg as Secretary of State.
On February 4, the Legislature re-elected State Treasurer Abraham Keyser, Jr..
On February 5, the Legislature elected State Senator Nathaniel P. Tallmadge to succeed Charles E. Dudley as U.S. Senator for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1833.
On February 21, the Legislature passed "An act for the construction of the Chenango Canal".
On March 23, the Legislature passed "An act authorising the appointment of an additional Canal Commissioner", and on April 4, the Legislature elected Michael Hoffman as such.

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. Myndert Van Schaick changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
FirstAlpheus Sherman*1 yearJacksonian
FirstJonathan S. Conklin*2 yearsJacksonian
FirstHarman B. Cropsey*3 yearsJacksonian
FirstMyndert Van Schaick*4 yearsJacksonian
SecondNathaniel P. Tallmadge*1 yearJacksonianon February 5, 1833, elected to the U.S. Senate,
and resigned his seat on February 20
SecondDavid M. Westcott*2 yearsJacksonian
SecondAllan Macdonald*3 yearsJacksonianalso Postmaster of White Plains
SecondJohn Sudam4 yearsJacksonian
ThirdWilliam Dietz*1 yearJacksonian
ThirdHerman I. Quackenboss*2 yearsJacksonian
ThirdJohn W. Edmonds*3 yearsJacksonianuntil February 1833, also Recorder of the City of Hudson
ThirdPeter Gansevoort4 yearsJacksonian
FourthIsaac Gere*1 yearJacksonian
FourthWilliam I. Dodge*2 yearsJacksonian
FourthJosiah Fisk*3 yearsJacksonian
FourthLouis Hasbrouck4 yearsAnti-Jacksonian
FifthAlvin Bronson*1 yearJacksonian
FifthHenry A. Foster*2 yearsJacksonian
FifthRobert Lansing*3 yearsJacksonian
FifthJohn G. Stower4 yearsJacksonian
SixthLevi Beardsley*1 yearJacksonian
SixthCharles W. Lynde*2 yearsAnti-Jacksonian
SixthJohn G. McDowell*3 yearsJacksonianalso Postmaster of Chemung
SixthJohn F. Hubbard*4 yearsJacksonian
SeventhThomas Armstrong*1 yearJacksonianalso Supervisor of Butler, and Chairman
of the Board of Supervisors of Wayne Co.
SeventhWilliam H. Seward*2 yearsAnti-Jacksonian
SeventhJehiel H. Halsey*3 yearsJacksonian
SeventhSamuel L. Edwards4 yearsJacksonianuntil February 1, 1833, also First Judge of Onondaga Co.
EighthAlbert H. Tracy*1 yearAnti-Jacksonian
EighthTrumbull Cary*2 yearsAnti-Jacksonian
EighthJohn Birdsall*3 yearsAnti-Jacksonian
EighthJohn Griffin4 yearsAnti-Jacksonianuntil April 26, 1833, also First Judge of Allegany Co.

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.
The party affiliations follow the vote on U.S. senators and other State officers on January 4, 11 and 15; February 4 and 5; and April 4.
DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyEdward LivingstonJacksonian
AlbanyJacob SettleJacksonian
AlbanyIsrael ShearJacksonian
AlleganyJohn B. Collins*Anti-Jacksonian
BroomeVincent Whitney*Anti-Jacksonian
CattaraugusChauncey J. FoxAnti-Jacksonian
CayugaJohn Beardsley*Jacksonian
CayugaGeorge H. Brinkerhoff*Jacksonian
CayugaSimon LathropJacksonian
CayugaJohn W. Sawyer*Jacksonian
ChautauquaAlvin PlumbAnti-Jacksonian
ChautauquaNathaniel GrayAnti-Jacksonian
ChenangoAbel ChandlerJacksonian
ChenangoAustin HydeJacksonian
ChenangoWilliam M. PattersonJacksonian
ClintonMiles StevensonJacksonian
ColumbiaAnthony BoucherJacksonian
ColumbiaBastian C. LasherJacksonian
ColumbiaJohn MurdockJacksonian
CortlandEnos S. HalbertAnti-Jacksonian
CortlandDavid MathewsAnti-Jacksonian
DelawareJohn EdgertonJacksonian
DelawareStoddard StevensJacksonian
DutchessDaniel D. AkinJacksonian
DutchessJoel BrownJacksonian
DutchessHenry ConklinJacksonian
DutchessGeorge LambertJacksonian
ErieHorace Clark*Anti-Jacksonian
ErieWilliam Mills*Anti-Jacksonian
EssexAlmerin SmithAnti-Jacksonian
FranklinJabez ParkhurstAnti-Jacksonian
GeneseePeter PattersonAnti-Jacksonian
GeneseeRufus RobertsonAnti-Jacksonian
GeneseeCharles WoodworthAnti-Jacksonian
GreeneHenry GosleeJacksonian
GreeneWilliam PiersonJacksonian
Hamilton and
Montgomery		William CarlisleJacksonian
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Douw A. FondaJacksonian
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Cornelius MabeeJacksonian
HerkimerDudley BurwellJacksonian
HerkimerJoseph M. PrendergastJacksonian
HerkimerSherman WoosterJacksonian
JeffersonWilliam H. Angel*Jacksonian
JeffersonJohn BurchJacksonian
JeffersonJotham IvesJacksonian
KingsCoe S. Downing*Jacksonian
LewisEli Rogers Jr.Jacksonian
LivingstonGeorge W. Patterson*Anti-Jacksonian
LivingstonSamuel W. SmithAnti-Jacksonian
MadisonErastus CleavelandJacksonian
MadisonJohn DavisJacksonian
MadisonJesse KilbornJacksonian
MonroeTimothy ChildsAnti-Jacksonian
MonroeLevi PondAnti-Jacksonian
MonroeMilton SheldonAnti-Jacksonian
New YorkRichard CromwellJacksonian
New YorkThomas HerttellJacksonian
New YorkCharles L. Livingston*Jacksonianre-elected Speaker
New YorkJohn McKeon*Jacksonian
New YorkRobert H. MorrisJacksonian
New YorkMordecai Myers*Jacksonian
New YorkGideon Ostrander*Jacksonian
New YorkBenjamin RinggoldJacksonian
New YorkSilas M. Stilwell*Jacksonian
New YorkMinthorne TompkinsJacksonian
New YorkIsaac L. Varian*Jacksonian
NiagaraHenry Norton*Anti-Jacksonian
OneidaIchabod C. BakerJacksonian
OneidaLevi BuckinghamJacksonian
OneidaJohn DeweyJacksonian
OneidaSquire UtleyJacksonian
OneidaDavid WagerJacksonian
OnondagaAsa EastwoodJacksonian
OnondagaElisha Litchfield*Jacksonian
OnondagaMyron L. MillsJacksonian
OnondagaGabriel TappenJacksonian
OntarioEphraim W. ClevelandAnti-Jacksonian
OntarioJohn C. SpencerAnti-Jacksonian
OntarioJames H. WoodsAnti-Jacksonian
OrangeJames Finch Jr.Jacksonian
OrangeEzra KeelerJacksonian
OrangeIsaac R. Van Duzer*Jacksonian
OrleansAsahel ByingtonAnti-Jacksonian
OswegoAvery Skinner*Jacksonian
OtsegoWilliam BakerJacksonian
OtsegoPhilo BennetJacksonian
OtsegoHiram KinneJacksonian
OtsegoRobert C. LansingJacksonian
PutnamJohn GarrisonJacksonian
QueensThomas B. JacksonJacksonian
RensselaerAlonzo G. HammondJacksonian
RensselaerWilliam P. HaskinJacksonian
RensselaerJohn I. KittleJacksonian
RensselaerSeth ParsonsJacksonian
RichmondJacob Mersereau*Jacksonian
RocklandJames D. L. MontanyaJacksonian
St. LawrenceWilliam Allen*Jacksonian
St. LawrenceSylvester ButrickJacksonian
SaratogaEbenezer Couch*Jacksonian
SaratogaGeorge ReynoldsJacksonian
SaratogaEphraim StevensJacksonian
SchenectadyCornelius C. Van VrankenJacksonian
SchoharieJacob L. LawyerJacksonian
SchoharieMartines MatticeJacksonian
SenecaReuben D. Dodge*Jacksonian
SenecaJohn De MottJacksonian
SteubenWilliam HunterJacksonian
SteubenWilliam KernanJacksonian
SuffolkDavid Hedges Jr.Jacksonian
SuffolkWilliam WicksJacksonian
SullivanJames C. CurtisJacksonianalso Supervisor of Cochecton
TiogaThomas FarringtonJacksonian
TiogaJacob WestlakeJacksonian
TompkinsThomas BishopJacksonian
TompkinsDaniel B. SwartwoodJacksonian
TompkinsIra TillotsonJacksonian
UlsterGordon CraigJacksonian
UlsterJoseph JansenJacksonian
WarrenNicholas Roosevelt Jr.Jacksonian
WashingtonWalter CornellAnti-Jacksonian
WashingtonCharles RogersAnti-Jacksonian
WashingtonDavid Abel RussellAnti-Jacksonian
WayneJames Humeston*Jacksonian
WayneAmbrose Salisbury*Jacksonian
WestchesterJoseph H. AndersonJacksonian
WestchesterHoratio LockwoodJacksonian
WestchesterIsrael H. Watson*Jacksonian
YatesJoshua LeeJacksonian

Employees