15th New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2026 October 2019 15th 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, 1791 June 30, 1792 Lt. Gov. Pierre Van Cortlandt John Watts (Fed.) 24 70 1st January 5, 1792 April 12, 1792 14th 16th The 15th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to April 12, 1792, during the fifteenth 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 United States census of 1790. The area of Columbia and Rensselaer counties were transferred from the Western to the Eastern District; and the Southern and the Western districts lost one senator each, which were added to the Eastern District. The total number of assemblymen was again set at 70; but several new counties were established: Herkimer (1 seat), Ontario (1), Otsego (1), Rensselaer (5), Saratoga (4) and Tioga (1); Kings, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester lost 1 seat, and Montgomery and New York lost 2; and Columbia won 3 seats. 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. Party lines were not as distinctly drawn then as they became during the 19th century. Some politicians changed sides, for example the Livingston faction of the Federalist Party who felt betrayed after the election of Rufus King over their candidate James Duane in the 1789 United States Senate elections in New York and later voted down Schuyler for re-election in 1791. Elections The State election was held from April 26 to 28, 1791. Senators Samuel Jones (Southern D.), Thomas Tillotson and Jacobus Swartwout (both Middle D.) were re-elected; and Joshua Sands (Southern D.), William Powers (Eastern D.) and Ex-U.S. Senator Philip Schuyler (Western D.) were also elected to the Senate. Sessions The legislature was to meet for the regular session on January 3, 1792, at Federal Hall in New York City; both Houses assembled a quorum two days later; and adjourned on April 12. On April 12, 1792, they enacted that the legislature should meet on the first Tuesday of November every four years, beginning in 1792, to choose presidential electors. The electors should then meet as electoral college at Poughkeepsie. 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. District Senators Term left Party Notes SouthernEzra L'Hommedieu*1 year Fed./Dem.-Rep.Paul Micheau*1 year FederalistIsaac Roosevelt*1 year FederalistPhilip Livingston*Philip Livingston (1740-1810), son of Peter Van Brugh Livingston, father of Charles L. Livingston2 years FederalistDavid Gelston*3 years Dem.-Rep.also Surrogate of New York CountyPhilip Van Cortlandt*3 years Federalistelected to the Council of AppointmentSamuel Jones*4 years Dem.-Rep.also Recorder of New York CityJoshua Sands4 years Federalist MiddleJames Clinton*1 year Dem.-Rep.John Cantine*2 years Dem.-Rep.James Carpenter*2 yearsDavid Pye*3 years Federalistelected to the Council of AppointmentThomas Tillotson*4 years Dem.-Rep.Jacobus Swartwout*4 years Dem.-Rep. EasternEdward Savage*1 year Dem.-Rep.Peter Van Ness*1 year Dem.-Rep.Van Ness was elected in 1788 as an Anti-Federalist, but presided on February 13, 1792, over the Federalist meeting in New York City which nominated John Jay for Governor and Stephen Van Rensselaer for Lt. Gov.; see The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, from the Ratification of the Federal Constitution to December, 1840 by Jabez D. Hammond (4th ed., Vol. 1, H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown, 1846; page 55)Van Ness lived in Columbia Co., and was elected in the old Western D. in 1788Alexander Webster* 2 years Dem.-Rep.John Williams*3 years Dem.-Rep.William Powers4 years Federalistelected to the Council of Appointment WesternVolkert P. Douw*2 yearsLeonard Gansevoort2 years Federalist(Peter Schuyler)*Peter Schuyler, of Canajoharie (now Danube, New York), nephew of Philip Schuyler3 years Federalistdied January 4, 1792,Death notice in The Gentleman's Magazine (London, England, 1792; Vol. 72, pg. 182) before the Legislature convenedStephen Van Rensselaer*3 years Federalistelected to the Council of AppointmentPhilip Schuyler4 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 AlbanyJellis A. Fonda FederalistStephen LushDavid McCarty Dem.-Rep.Francis Nicoll FederalistWilliam North FederalistJohn Ten BroeckHenry Ten Eyck ColumbiaBenjamin BirdsallJared CoffinJacob Ford Federalistpreviously a member from Albany Co.Lawrence HogeboomHenry Livingston FederalistJames Savage* Federalist DutchessJonathan Akins* Dem.-Rep.Samuel A. Barker*Isaac Bloom*Daniel Graham Dem.-Rep.Morgan LewisMatthew PattersonJames Tallmadge*HerkimerMichael Myers*previously a member from Montgomery Co.; unsuccessfully contestedsee A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1871; pg. 14ff)KingsCharles Doughty Montgomery Douw FondaJohn Frey* Dem.-Rep.David McMastersSilas Talbot Federalist New YorkJosiah Ogden Hoffman* FederalistWilliam S. LivingstonMelancton Smith Dem.-Rep.William Pitt SmithJohn Watts* Federalistre-elected SpeakerHenry Will*John WyllyOntarioEleazer Lindsley Orange John D. Coe* FederalistSeth Marvin* FederalistJohn Smith*OtsegoJames Cannonpreviously a member from Montgomery Co. QueensSamuel Clowes*Whitehead Cornwell Dem.-Rep.Nathaniel Lawrence* Dem.-Rep. RensselaerJonathan Brown*previously a member from Albany Co.John Knickerbacker Jr. FederalistJohn W. Schermerhorn* Federalistpreviously a member from Albany Co.Thomas Sickles Federalistpreviously a member from Albany Co.Moses VailRichmondGozen Ryerss* Federalist SaratogaThe seats of Sidney Berry and Andrew Mitchell were contested by Beriah Palmer and Adam Comstock. The ballots cast in the Town of Ballston were not counted because two persons who claimed to be Supervisor of the Town held separate elections; and all ballots from the county were burned by the canvass committee, so that the result could not be revised. The Assembly vacated the seats of Berry and Mitchell, but did not admit Palmer and Comstock, since the true election result could not be determined; see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1871; pg. 10–14)Sidney Berry*previously a member from Albany Co.; seat vacated on January 20, 1792Andrew Mitchellseat vacated on January 20, 1792Elias PalmerBenjamin Rosekrans SuffolkJohn Gelston*Jonathan N. Havens* Dem.-Rep.Henry Scudder Dem.-Rep.John Smith* Dem.-Rep.TiogaJonathan Fitchseat in doubt, but retainedsee A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1871; pg. 17f) UlsterEbenezer Clark Dem.-Rep.Jacob De Lametter*Ebenezer Foote FederalistJoseph Hasbrouck*vacant Washington and ClintonJohn CongerThomas Converse*Zina Hitchcock*David Hopkins Dem.-Rep. WestchesterSamuel Haight*Elias NewmanEbenezer Purdy*Jonathan G. Tompkins* Dem.-Rep.Pierre Van Cortlandt Jr. Dem.-Rep. Employees Clerk: John McKesson 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. 166f for assemblymen] Election result Senate, Southern D. (only Queens Co.) at project "A New Nation Votes", compiled by Phil Lampi, hosted by Tufts University Digital Library Election result Assembly, Albany Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Columbia Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Kings Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, New York Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Queens Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Rensselaer Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Westchester Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Category:1791 in New York (state) Category:1792 in New York (state) 015