71st New York State Legislature

The 71st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 12, 1848, during the second year of John Young's governorship, in Albany.

71st New York State Legislature
←70th 72nd→
The Old State Capitol (1879)
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1848
Senate
Members32
PresidentLt. Gov. Hamilton Fish (W)
Party controlWhig (24-8)
Assembly
Members128
SpeakerAmos K. Hadley (W)
Party controlWhig (93-35)
Sessions
1stJanuary 4 – April 12, 1848

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1846, 32 Senators were elected in single-seat senatorial districts for a two-year term, the whole Senate being renewed biennially. The senatorial districts (except those in New York City) were made up of entire counties. 128 Assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts to a one-year term, the whole Assembly being renewed annually. The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards, forming a contiguous area, all in the same county. The City and County of New York was divided into four senatorial districts, and 16 Assembly districts.

On September 27, the Legislative passed "An Act to provide for the election of a Lieutenant Governor", to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Addison Gardiner.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig Party. The Democratic Party was split into two factions: the "Barnburners" and the "Hunkers." The radical abolitionists appeared as the Liberty Party. The Anti-Rent Party nominated some candidates, but mostly cross-endorsed Whigs or Democrats, according to their opinion on the rent issue. The Native American Party (later better known as "Know Nothings") also ran.

Elections

The New York state election, 1847 was held on November 3. Hamilton Fish (W) was elected Lieutenant Governor; and all the other eleven statewide elective offices were won by the Whigs.

24 Whigs and 8 Democrats were elected to the State Senate. 93 Whigs and 35 Democrats were elected to the Assembly.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1848; and adjourned on April 12.

Amos K. Hadley (W) was elected Speaker with 89 votes against 22 for Henry Wager (D).

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. Valentine Treadwell and William J. Cornwell changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Party affiliations follow the vote on Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms.[1]

District Senator Party Notes
1st John G. Floyd Democrat
2nd David A. Bokee Whig on November 7, 1848, elected to the 31st U.S. Congress
3rd William Hall Whig
4th John L. Lawrence Whig
5th Samuel Frost Whig
6th William Samuel Johnson Whig
7th Saxton Smith* Democrat
8th Alexander J. Coffin Whig
9th Samuel J. Wilkin Whig
10th Platt Adams Democrat
11th Valentine Treadwell* Whig
12th Albert R. Fox Whig
13th James M. Cook Whig
14th James S. Whallon Democrat
15th John Fine Democrat
16th Thomas Burch Whig
17th John M. Betts Democrat
18th David H. Little Whig
19th Thomas E. Clark Whig
20th Thomas H. Bond Whig
21st John W. Tamblin Democrat
22nd George Geddes Whig
23rd Samuel H. P. Hall* Whig
24th William J. Cornwell* Whig
25th Timothy S. Williams Whig
26th William M. Hawley Democrat
27th Jerome Fuller Whig
28th A. Hyde Cole Whig
29th Allen Ayrault Whig resigned his seat on June 2, 1848
30th John W. Brownson Whig
31st John T. Bush Whig
32nd Frederick S. Martin Whig

Employees
  • Clerk: Andrew H. Calhoun
  • Deputy Clerks: John P. Lott, J. N. T. Tucker
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Senter M. Giddings
  • Doorkeeper: Ransom Van Valkenburgh
  • Assistant Doorkeeper: George A. Loomis
  • Reporter (Albany Argus): William G. Bishop
  • Reporter (Evening Journal): Frans. S. Rew
  • Messengers: John Manning, Richard E. Nagle
  • Janitor: David Emery

State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

Party affiliations follow the vote on Speaker.[2]

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st Edward S. Willett Whig
2nd Frederick Mathias Whig
3rd Robert H. Pruyn Whig
4th Henry A. Brigham Whig
Allegany 1st John Wheeler Whig
2nd William Cobb Democrat
Broome Jeremiah Hull Whig
Cattaraugus 1st James G. Johnson Whig
2nd Marcus H. Johnson
Cayuga 1st Ebenezer Curtis Whig
2nd John I. Brinckerhoff Whig
3rd Hector C. Tuthill Whig
Chautauqua 1st John H. Pray Whig
2nd David H. Treadway Whig
Chemung George W. Buck Whig
Chenango 1st Levi H. Case Democrat
2nd Ezra P. Church Whig
Clinton Rufus Heaton* Democrat
Columbia 1st Jonas H. Miller Whig
2nd Charles B. Osborn Whig
Cortland James Comstock Whig
Delaware 1st Platt Townsend
2nd John Calhoun Whig
Dutchess 1st Edgar Vincent Whig
2nd David Collins Jr. Whig
3rd James Hammond Whig
Erie 1st Elbridge G. Spaulding Whig on November 7, 1848, elected to the 31st U.S. Congress
2nd Harry Slade Whig
3rd Ira E. Irish Whig
4th Charles C. Severance Whig
Essex William H. Butrick* Whig
Franklin Elos L. Winslow Democrat
Fulton and Hamilton Isaac Benedict Democrat
Genesee 1st Tracy Pardee Whig
2nd Alonzo S. Upham* Whig
Greene 1st Alexander H. Palmer Whig
2nd Frederick A. Fenn Democrat
Herkimer 1st James Feeter Whig
2nd Lawrence L. Merry Whig
Jefferson 1st Benjamin Maxson Democrat
2nd Harvey D. Parker Democrat
3rd Fleury Keith Democrat
Kings 1st Ebenezer W. Peck* Whig
2nd Edwards W. Fiske Whig
3rd John A. Cross Whig
Lewis David D. Reamer Whig
Livingston 1st Gurdon Nowlen Whig Nowlan
2nd Nathaniel Coe Whig
Madison 1st John T. G. Bailey Whig
2nd George Grant Democrat
Monroe 1st Ezra Sheldon Whig
2nd Abraham M. Schermerhorn Whig on November 7, 1848, elected to the 31st U.S. Congress
3rd Isaac Chase Jr. Whig
Montgomery 1st Asa Bowman Whig
2nd William A. Haslet Democrat
New York 1st J. Phillips Phoenix Whig on November 7, 1848, elected to the 31st U.S. Congress
2nd James Bowen Whig
3rd John H. Bowie* Democrat
4th John F. Rodman Whig
5th Peter H. Titus Whig
6th Samuel G. Raymond Whig
7th William B. Meech Whig
8th Thomas Charlock Democrat
9th Dennis Garrison* Democrat
10th Martin H. Truesdell Whig
11th Alexander Stewart* Democrat
12th Michael Walsh* Democrat
13th Erastus C. Benedict Whig
14th Robert G. Campbell Whig
15th Merwin R. Brewer Whig
16th James Brooks Whig on November 7, 1848, elected to the 31st U.S. Congress
Niagara 1st Elias Ransom Whig
2nd Solomon Moss Democrat contested by Morgan Johnson (W) who was seated on April 1[3]
Oneida 1st Luke Smith Whig
2nd Warren Converse Whig
3rd Bloomfield J. Beach Whig
4th Henry Wager Democrat
Onondaga 1st James Little Democrat
2nd Horace Hazen Whig
3rd Thomas Spencer Whig
4th Curtis J. Hurd Whig
Ontario 1st Charles S. Brother Whig
2nd Hiram Ashley Whig
Orange 1st Stephen Rapelje Whig
2nd George Houston Whig
3rd Augustus P. Thompson Whig
Orleans Arba Chubb Whig
Oswego 1st M. Lindley Lee* Whig
2nd Andrew Z. McCarty Whig
Otsego 1st Benjamin Davis Whig
2nd Olcott C. Chamberlin
3rd Elisha S. Sanders Democrat
Putnam Chauncey R. Weeks Whig
Queens Wessell S. Smith* Whig
Rensselaer 1st Amos K. Hadley* Whig elected Speaker
2nd George T. Denison Whig
3rd George W. Glass Whig
Richmond Ephraim J. Totten Whig
Rockland Lawrence J. Sneden Whig
St. Lawrence 1st Charles G. Myers Democrat also D.A. of St. Lawrence County
2nd John S. Chipman Whig
3rd Benjamin Holmes Whig
Saratoga 1st Cady Hollister Democrat
2nd George Payn Whig
Schenectady Abraham W. Toll Democrat
Schoharie 1st Adam Mattice Democrat
2nd James Parsons Democrat
Seneca John Kennedy Democrat
Steuben 1st Abel Kendall Democrat
2nd John G. Mersereau Whig
3rd Alexander H. Stephens
Suffolk 1st Edwin Rose Whig
2nd William Sidney Smith Democrat
Sullivan James F. Bush Whig
Tioga Erastus Goodrich Democrat
Tompkins 1st John Jessup Whig
2nd Alpheus West Whig
Ulster 1st George A. Gay Whig
2nd Job G. Elmore Whig
Warren Albert Cheney Whig
Washington 1st Benjamin Crocker Whig
2nd Elisha A. Martin Whig
Wayne 1st Eliada Pettit Whig
2nd John Lapham Whig
Westchester 1st Richard M. Underhill Whig
2nd Jared V. Peck Democrat
Wyoming Paul Richards Whig
Yates Hatley N. Dox Whig

Employees
  • Clerk: Philander B. Prindle
  • Deputy Clerks: Edgar A. Barber, William E. Mills, Friend W. Humphrey
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Samuel H. Marks
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: William Van Olinda
  • Doorkeeper: John Davies
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper: Samuel Merclean
  • Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Erasmus D. S. Strong
  • Doorkeeper for the Gentlemen's Gallery: Isaac Betticker
  • Dorrkeeper for the Ladies' Gallery: Alexander Hamilton Stoutenburgh
  • Porter: George Fonda
  • Librarians: Ira Dubois, John T. Diossey
  • Messengers: William Freeman, George W. Weed, Peter Craff, Edward Martin, James Whelpley, Seymour Daley, Harris Fellows, Peter Drum, Andrew Ryan, Penfield Strong, Webster Gardiner, Eugene Rearden, A. W. Baker

Notes
  1. see Journal of the Senate (71st Session) (1848; pg. 6)
  2. see Journal of the Assembly (71st Session) (1848; pg. 8f);
    see also incomplete result in New York Daily Tribune (issue of November 6, 1847)
  3. see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1871; pg. 206–228)

Sources
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