The 21st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to April 6, 1798, during the third 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 January 24, 1797, State Senator Philip Schuyler was elected to the U.S. Senate, leaving a vacancy in the Eastern District.
In 1797, Delaware County was created from parts of Ulster and Otsego counties, and was apportioned two seats in the Assembly, one each taken from Ulster and Otsego.
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.
Elections The State election was held from April 25 to 27, 1797. Senators Ezra L'Hommedieu (Southern D.), Ebenezer Clark, Anthony Ten Eyck, Jacobus Van Schoonhoven (all three Eastern D.), Thomas Morris and Michael Myers (both Western D.) were re-elected. John Addison, Peter Cantine Jr., James G. Graham (all three Middle D.) and Seth Phelps (Western D.) were also elected to full terms in the Senate. Senator Zina Hitchcock (Eastern D.) was re-elected, but only to a two-year term to fill the vacancy.
Sessions The Legislature met on January 2, 1798, at the Old City Hall in Albany, New York; the Senate adjourned on April 5, the Assembly on April 6.
Federalist Dirck Ten Broeck was elected Speaker with 59 votes against 42 for Dem.-Rep. William Denning.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; page 110)
On January 3, 1798, Philip Schuyler (Fed.) resigned from the U.S. Senate. On January 11, the Legislature elected New York Supreme Court Justice John Sloss Hobart (Fed.) to fill the vacancy. 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 (Fed.) to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy temporarily.
State Senate Districts The Southern District (9 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties. The Middle District (12 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Columbia and Delaware counties. The Eastern District (11 seats) consisted of Washington, Clinton, Rensselaer, Albany and Saratoga counties. The Western District (11 seats) consisted of Montgomery, Herkimer, Ontario, Otsego, Tioga, Onondaga, Schoharie and Steuben 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 SouthernRichard Hatfield*1 year FederalistPhilip Livingston*Philip Livingston, son of Peter Van Brugh Livingston1 year FederalistJames Watson*1 year FederalistSamuel Jones*2 years Federalistalso New York State Comptrollervacant2 yearsJoshua Sands vacated his seat on April 26, 1797, upon appointment as Collector of the Port of New YorkSamuel Haight*3 years Federalist(Andrew Onderdonk*)3 years Federalistdied September 24, 1797, before this Legislature metSelah Strong*3 years FederalistEzra L'Hommedieu*4 years Dem.-Rep.L'Hommedieu changed sides, see Hammond, page 108elected to the Council of Appointment MiddleJohn D. Coe*1 year Dem.-Rep.Ambrose Spencer*1 year Federalistalso Assistant Attorney General (3rd D.)Abraham Schenck*2 years Dem.-Rep.Christopher Tappen*2 years Dem.-Rep.Thomas Tillotson*2 years Dem.-Rep.Robert Sands*Original owner of Robert Sands Estate in Rhinebeck, Dutchess Co.3 years FederalistJames Savage*3 years FederalistPeter Silvester*3 years FederalistWilliam Thompson*3 years Federalistelected to the Council of AppointmentJohn Addison4 years Dem.-Rep.Peter Cantine Jr.4 years FederalistJames G. Graham4 years Dem.-Rep. EasternLeonard Gansevoort*1 year FederalistFrancis Nicoll*1 year FederalistZina Hitchcock*2 years Federalistelected to fill vacancy, in place of Philip SchuylerEbenezer Russell*2 years FederalistMoses Vail*2 years Federalistelected to the Council of AppointmentLeonard Bronck*3 years FederalistJames Gordon*3 years FederalistEbenezer Clark*4 years FederalistAnthony Ten Eyck*4 years Federalist Jacobus Van Schoonhoven*4 years FederalistAbraham Van Vechten4 years Federalistalso Recorder of the City of Albany WesternAbraham Arndt1 year FederalistJohannes Dietz*1 year FederalistJohn Frey*1 year FederalistThomas R. Gold*1 year Federalistalso Assistant Attorney General (7th D.)Vincent Mathews*2 years FederalistJoseph White*2 years Federalistelected to the Council of AppointmentJacob Morris*3 years FederalistJedediah Sanger*3 years Federalistfrom March 22, 1798, also First Judge of the Oneida County CourtThomas Morris*4 years FederalistMichael Myers*4 years FederalistSeth Phelps4 years Federalist
Employees Clerk: Abraham B. Bancker
State Assembly Districts
Albany County (10 seats) Clinton County (1 seat) Columbia County (6 seats) Delaware County (2 seats) Dutchess County (10 seats) Herkimer County (7 seats) Kings County (1 seat) Montgomery County (6 seats) The City and County of New York (13 seats) Onondaga County (2 seats) Ontario and Steuben counties (2 seats) Orange County (3 seats) Otsego County (4 seats) Queens County (4 seats) Rensselaer County (6 seats) Richmond County (1 seat) Saratoga County (5 seats) Schoharie County (1 seat) Suffolk County (4 seats) Tioga County (2 seats) Ulster County (7 seats) Washington County (6 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.
District Assemblymen Party Notes AlbanyThomas E. Barker FederalistJohann Jost Dietz FederalistAndrew N. HeermanceNathaniel Ogden*John Prince*Philip P. Schuyler*Dirck Ten Broeck* Federalistelected SpeakerJoel Thompson FederalistJohn H. Wendell*Peter West FederalistClintonDaniel Ross ColumbiaCaleb Benton*John C. Hogeboom* Dem.-Rep.Killian Hogeboom Dem.-Rep.Elisha Jenkins FederalistJenkins was a close political friend of Ambrose Spencer and both changed sides in 1798. Samuel Ten Broeck Dem.-Rep.Peter I. Vosburgh* DelawareWilliam HortonNathaniel Wattlesdied on January 2, 1798, in Albany DutchessWilliam Barker Dem.-Rep.Lemuel Clift FederalistLuther HolleyJoseph Potter FederalistPhilip J. Schuyler FederalistJacob Smith*John ThomasJesse Thompson* FederalistSamuel Towner Dem.-Rep.William B. Verplanck* Federalist HerkimerBenjamin BowenMatthew Brown Jr.*Ludwick Campbell*Isaac Foote FederalistGaylord Griswold* FederalistHenry McNeil* FederalistNathan SmithKingsPeter Vandervoort* Federalist Montgomery Frederick Gettman* FederalistJames HildrethRobert McFarlandGeorge Metcalfealso Assistant Attorney General (5th D.)Jacob Snell Dem.-Rep.Philip Van Alstyne Dem.-Rep. New YorkPhilip I. Arcularius Dem.-Rep.William Boyd Dem.-Rep.Ebenezer S. Burling Dem.-Rep.Aaron Burr Dem.-Rep.DeWitt Clinton Dem.-Rep.Jacob De La Montagnie Dem.-Rep.William Denning Dem.-Rep.James Fairlie Dem.-Rep.James Hunt Dem.-Rep.Samuel L. Mitchill Dem.-Rep.Ezekiel Robins Dem.-Rep.Thomas Storm Dem.-Rep.previously a member from Dutchess Co.George Warner Dem.-Rep. Onondaga Silas Halsey*Comfort Tyler* Ontario and SteubenAmos Hall FederalistCharles Williamson* Orange James Burt Dem.-Rep.Benjamin CoeMoses Hatfield OtsegoJoshua DeweyFrancis Henry* FederalistElijah HoltTimothy Morse* QueensStephen Carman FederalistWhitehead CornwellWilliam Pearsall* FederalistJohn I. Skidmore Dem.-Rep. RensselaerJohn Bird* Federalistin April 1798, elected to the 6th United States CongressJacob A. Fort* FederalistDaniel Gray* FederalistJonathan HoagHosea Moffitt* FederalistIsrael ThompsonRichmondPaul I. Micheau Federalist SaratogaSeth C. Baldwin*Samuel Clark*Adam Comstock* Dem.-Rep.Douw I. FondaAaron GregorySchoharieJohn Rice* Federalist SuffolkJohn HowardAbraham Miller* Dem.-Rep.Josiah ReeveSilas Wood* Federalist TiogaEmanuel Coryell* FederalistBenjamin Hovey UlsterJohn BarberPhilip D. Bevier Dem.-Rep.Phineas BowmanJacobus S. Bruyn Dem.-Rep.John A. DeWittJohn C. DeWitt* Dem.-Rep.Andrew McCord Dem.-Rep. WashingtonCharles KaneDaniel Mason*Reuben PrideEdward Savage* Dem.-Rep.Thomas SmithMelancton Wheeler WestchesterWilliam AdamsJohn Barker* FederalistElijah LeeAbel Smith Dem.-Rep.Charles Teed* Federalist
Employees Clerk: James Van Ingen Sergeant-at-Arms: Robert Hunter Doorkeeper: Peter Hansen
Notes
Sources The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) [see pg. 108f for Senate districts; pg. 116 for senators; pg. 148f for Assembly districts; pg. 171 for assemblymen] Election result Assembly, Dutchess Co. at project "A New Nation Votes", compiled by Phil Lampi, hosted by Tufts University Digital Library Election result Assembly, Montgomery Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Rensselaer Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Saratoga Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Washington Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly Speaker at project "A New Nation Votes"