16th New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2026 October 2019 16th Federal Hall-Archibald Robertson.jpg 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, the State Legislature met again here, and the building was demolished in 1812. 1798 July 1, 1792 June 30, 1793 Lt. Gov. Pierre Van Cortlandt John Watts (Fed.) 24 70 Democratic-Republican (13-11) Democratic-Republican 1st November 6, 1792 March 12, 1793 15th 17th The 16th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 6, 1792, to March 12, 1793, during the sixteenth year of George Clinton's governorship, 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. State Senator Peter Schuyler died on January 4, 1792, leaving a vacancy in the Western District. At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.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. Since the first appearance of the political parties, many politicians changed sides for a variety of reasons, but the highly controversial gubernatorial election of 1792 re-aligned the politicians more clearly. Elections The State election was held from April 24 to 26, 1792. Gov. George Clinton and Lt. Gov. Pierre Van Cortlandt were re-elected to a sixth term after the Canvass CommitteeThe Canvass Committee at the time consisted of 6 state senators and 6 assemblymen; however, Hammond lists only 11 names: 7 Democratic-Republicans (Senators David Gelston and Thomas Tillotson; Assemblymen Melancton Smith, Daniel Graham, Pierre Van Cortlandt Jr., David McCarty and Jonathan N. Havens) and 4 Federalists (Senators Samuel Jones, Isaac Roosevelt, Leonard Gansevoort and Joshua Sands) rejected the votes of Otsego, Clinton and Tioga counties on technicalities. Henry Cruger, John Schenck, Selah Strong (all three Southern D.), John Livingston, Robert Woodworth (both Eastern D.) and Assemblyman Joseph Hasbrouck (Middle D.) were elected to full terms in the Senate. Assemblyman John Frey was elected to fill the vacancy in the Western District. Sessions This time, the legislature was called to meet early to elect presidential electors. Both Houses met at Federal Hall in New York City; assembled a quorum on November 6, 1792; and adjourned on March 12, 1793. On November 20, 1792, the legislature chose 12 presidential electors: William Floyd, Samuel Osgood, Edward Savage, Stephen Ward, John Bay, Jesse Woodhull, David Van Ness, Johannes Bruyn, Volkert Veeder, Abraham Yates Jr., Samuel Clark and Abraham Ten Eyck. All were Democratic-Republicans, elected on the first ballot in both Houses, and all cast their votes for George Washington and Gov. George Clinton.At the time all votes, of which each elector had two, were cast for President, the most voted taking the office of President and the runner-up the office of Vice-President. Washington received one vote of each elector from all States; the second votes were split among four men: John Adams 77; George Clinton 50, Thomas Jefferson 4 and Aaron Burr 1. George Clinton was eventually elected Vice-President in 1804. After the 1790 United States census, Congress re-apportioned the seats, increasing New York's representation from 6 to 10 seats. This required the legislature to re-apportion the congressional districts in the State what was belatedly done on December 18, 1792. Subsequently, the congressional elections were held in January 1793. State Senate Districts The Southern District (8 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties. The Middle District (6 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties. The Eastern District (5 seats) consisted of Washington, Clinton, Columbia and Rensselaer counties. The Western District (5 seats) consisted of Albany, Montgomery, Herkimer, Ontario, Otsego, Saratoga and Tioga counties. 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. Joseph Hasbrouck and John Frey changed from the Assembly to the Senate. The party affiliations follow the vote on the contested election of John Livingston. The Democratic-Republicans voted to seat Livingston, affirming that the decision of the Canvass Committee was final for both the governor's and the senators' vote. The Federalists voted against this, supporting the claim of Thomas Jenkins, the Federalist candidate who had lost the election after the rejection of the ballots from Clinton County, affirming that under the Constitution it was the right and duty of the Senate to revise the decision of the Canvass Committee concerning the election of senators.The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, from the Ratification of the Federal Constitution to 1840 by Jabez D. Hammond (4th ed., Vol. 1, H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown, 1846; pg. 74f) District Senators Term left Party Notes SouthernPhilip Livingston*Philip Livingston, son of Peter Van Brugh Livingston1 year FederalistDavid Gelston*2 years Dem.-Rep.also Surrogate of New York County; elected to the Council of AppointmentPhilip Van Cortlandt*2 years Dem.-Rep.elected in January 1793 to the 3rd United States CongressSamuel Jones*3 years Federalistalso Recorder of New York CityJoshua Sands*3 years FederalistHenry Cruger4 years FederalistJohn Schenck4 years Dem.-Rep.Selah Strong4 years Federalist MiddleJohn Cantine*1 year Dem.-Rep.James Carpenter*1 year Dem.-Rep.David Pye*2 years Dem.-Rep.Thomas Tillotson*3 years Dem.-Rep.Jacobus Swartwout*3 years Dem.-Rep.Joseph Hasbrouck*4 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of Appointment EasternAlexander Webster* 1 year Dem.-Rep.John Williams*2 years Dem.-Rep.William Powers*3 years FederalistJohn LivingstonJohn Livingston, fifth son of Robert Livingston (1708–1790), 3rd Lord of the Manor4 years Dem.-Rep.Robert Woodworth4 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of Appointment WesternVolkert P. Douw*1 year FederalistLeonard Gansevoort1 year FederalistJohn Frey*2 years Federalistelected to fill vacancy, in place of Peter Schuyler; elected to the Council of AppointmentStephen Van Rensselaer*2 years FederalistPhilip Schuyler*3 years Federalist Employees Clerk: Abraham B. Bancker State Assembly Districts The City and County of Albany (7 seats) Columbia County (6 seats) Dutchess County (7 seats) Herkimer County (1 seat) Kings County (1 seat) Montgomery County) (4 seats) The City and County of New York (7 seats) Ontario County (1 seat) Orange County (3 seats) Otsego County (1 seat) Queens County (3 seats) Rensselaer County (5 seats) Richmond County (1 seat) Saratoga County (4 seats) Suffolk County (4 seats) Tioga County (1 seat) Ulster County (5 seats) Washington and Clinton counties (4 seats) Westchester County (5 seats) 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. County Assemblymen Party Notes AlbanyLeonard Bronck FederalistJohannes Dietz FederalistJellis A. Fonda* FederalistStephen Lush*Francis Nicoll* FederalistJohn Ten Broeck*Cornelius A. Van Slyck ColumbiaMatthew Adgate Dem.-Rep.Benjamin Birdsall*Jared Coffin*Philip FrisbeeStephen HogeboomSamuel Ten Broeck DutchessJonathan Akins* Dem.-Rep.Josiah HollyJames Kent FederalistEbenezer MottMatthew Patterson*Barnabas PayenWilliam RadcliftHerkimerMichael Myers* FederalistKingsAquila Giles Montgomery Jacob EakerDavid McMasters*Silas Talbot* Federalistelected in January 1793 to the 3rd United States CongressSimon Veeder New YorkWilliam CockJohn DeLanceyWilliam W. GilbertJosiah Ogden Hoffman* FederalistWilliam S. Livingston*John Watts* Federalistre-elected Speaker; elected in January 1793 to the 3rd United States CongressJohn Wylly*OntarioIsaac Chapinor Israel Chapin Orange Reuben Hopkins Dem.-Rep.John Smith*Daniel ThewOtsegoJacob Morris Federalist QueensSamuel Clowes*Whitehead Cornwell* Dem.-Rep.Jacob Hicks RensselaerBenjamin Hicks FederalistChristopher HuttonJosiah Masters Dem.-Rep.Jonathan NilesNicholas StaatsRichmondGozen Ryerss* Federalist SaratogaAdam ComstockBeriah Palmer Dem.-Rep.vacantvacant SuffolkJohn Gelston*Jonathan N. Havens* Dem.-Rep.Ebenezer PlattJohn Smith* Dem.-Rep.TiogaJohn Paterson Dem.-Rep. UlsterJohn Addison Dem.-Rep.Philip D. Bevier Dem.-Rep.Severyn T. Bruyn Dem.-Rep.John C. DeWitt Dem.-Rep.Nathan Smith Dem.-Rep. Washington and ClintonDaniel CurtisZina Hitchcock* FederalistDavid Hopkins* Dem.-Rep.Stanton Tifft WestchesterThe Civil List of 1858 lists only Newman and Thomas; the Documents of the Assembly of 1852 list only Brown and Hatfield.Hezekiah BrownRichard Hatfield FederalistElias Newman*Thomas Thomasvacant Employees Clerk: John McKesson Sergeant-at-Arms: Robert Hunter Doorkeeper:Richard Ten Eyck Notes Sources The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) [see pg. 108 for Senate districts; pg. 114 for senators; pg. 148f for Assembly districts; pg. 167 for assemblymen; pg. 320 and 323 for presidential election] Election result Assembly, Dutchess Co. at project "A New Nation Votes", compiled by Phil Lampi, hosted by Tufts University Digital Library Election result Assembly, Herkimer Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Kings Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Montgomery Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Orange Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Otsego Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Rensselaer Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Ulster Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Category:1792 in New York (state) Category:1793 in New York (state) 016