The 34th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 29 to April 9, 1811, during the fourth year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.
Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, amended by the Constitutional Convention of 1801, 32 Senators were elected on general tickets in the four 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.
In 1797, Albany was declared the State capital, and all subsequent Legislatures have been meeting there ever since. In 1799, the Legislature enacted that future Legislatures meet on the last Tuesday of January of each year unless called earlier by the governor.
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 24 to 26, 1810. Gov. Daniel D. Tompkins and Lt. Gov. John Broome (both Dem.-Rep.) were re-elected.
Senator Nathan Smith (Western D.) was re-elected. Ebenezer White (Southern D.), Ex-Gov. Morgan Lewis, James W. Wilkin (both Middle D.), Henry Yates Jr. (Eastern D.), Reuben Humphrey, Philetus Swift and Henry A. Townsend (all three Western D.) were also elected to the Senate. All eight were Democratic-Republicans.
Sessions The Legislature met at the Old City Hall in Albany on January 29, 1811; and adjourned on April 9.
Nathan Sanford (Dem.-Rep.) was elected Speaker with 64 votes against 33 for Samuel A. Barker (Fed.). Samuel North (Dem.-Rep.) was elected Clerk of the Assembly with 64 votes against 37 for the incumbent James Van Ingen (Fed.). Sanford soon became ill, and could not attend the session anymore, and on February 12,This date is given by the Civil List, other sources state February 10 (Lampi) or 14 (Hammond) William Ross (Dem.-Rep.) was elected Speaker for the remainder of the session with 65 votes against 24 for Barker (Fed.).
Lt. Gov. Broome died on August 8, 1810, leaving the presidency of the State Senate vacant. The senators elected John Tayler (Dem.-Rep.) as president pro tempore (vote: Tayler 21, Lewis 2, blank 2).
On January 30, the Dem.-Rep. Assembly majority elected a new Council of Appointment which removed almost all Federalist office-holders, most of whom had been appointed during the previous year.
At this session, the Legislature passed a bill incorporating the Mechanics and Farmers Bank of Albany, and Solomon Southwick became its first President.
On April 8, 1811, the Legislature appointed a new Erie Canal Commission to continue the planning and eventually the construction of the Erie Canal. The previous commissioners Gouverneur Morris, Stephen Van Rensselaer, William North, Thomas Eddy, State Senator DeWitt Clinton, Surveyor General Simeon DeWitt and Congressman Peter B. Porter were re-appointed; and Ex-Chancellor Robert R. Livingston and Robert Fulton, who were running a steamboat service between New York City and Albany, were added to the commission.
State Senate Districts The Southern District (5 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties. The Middle District (7 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Columbia, Delaware, Rockland, Greene and Sullivan counties. The Eastern District (8 seats) consisted of Washington, Clinton, Rensselaer, Albany, Saratoga, Essex, Montgomery, Franklin and Schenectady counties. The Western District (12 seats) consisted of Herkimer, Ontario, Otsego, Tioga, Onondaga, Schoharie, Steuben, Chenango, Oneida, Cayuga, Genesee, Seneca, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Allegany, Broome, Madison, Niagara and Cortland 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 SouthernDeWitt Clinton*1 year Dem.-Rep.also an Erie Canal Commissioner; from February 1, 1811, also Mayor of New York CityBenjamin Coe*2 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of AppointmentWilliam W. Gilbert*2 years Dem.-Rep.Israel Carll*3 years Dem.-Rep.Ebenezer White4 years Dem.-Rep. MiddleJoshua H. Brett*1 year Dem.-Rep.Robert Williams*1 yearnoneWilliams had been elected as a Democratic-Republican in 1807, but combined with the Federalists at the previous session: He was elected to the Council of Appointment in 1810 by the Federalist majority, and then joined the other two Federalist councillors to outvote Carll and Gov. Tompkins. Since there were no Federalists from the Southern and the Middle districts, the Federalist Assembly majority had to choose 2 Democratic-Republicans who with Gov. Tompkins would have retained a majority in the Council. With Williams's help the Federalists proceeded to remove most of the Dem.-Rep. office-holders, and Williams's son-in-law Thomas J. Oakley was appointed Surrogate Dutchess Co. to succeed James Tallmadge, Jr. Afterwards Williams was considered a traitor, was ostracized by both parties and disappeared from politics. Edward P. Livingston*2 years Dem.-Rep.Johannes Bruyn*3 years Dem.-Rep.Samuel Haight*3 years Dem.-Rep.Morgan Lewis4 years Dem.-Rep.James W. Wilkin4 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of Appointment EasternIsaac Kellogg*1 year Dem.-Rep.John McLean*1 year Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of AppointmentCharles Selden*1 year Dem.-Rep.John Tayler*1 year Dem.-Rep.elected President pro temporeDavid Hopkins*2 years FederalistDaniel Paris*3 years FederalistJohn Stearns*3 years FederalistHenry Yates Jr.Henry Yates (1770–1854), brother of Gov. Joseph C. Yates, see bio in Schenectady History4 years Dem.-Rep. WesternAlexander Rea*1 year Dem.-Rep.Francis A. Bloodgood*2 years Dem.-Rep.Walter Martin*2 years Dem.-Rep.Luther Rich*2 years Dem.-Rep.Sylvanus Smalley*2 years Dem.-Rep.Amos Hall*3 years FederalistSeth Phelps*3 years FederalistJonas Platt*3 years FederalistReuben Humphrey4 years Dem.-Rep.Nathan Smith*Nathan Smith (c. 1769 – 1836), of Fairfield, First Judge of the Herkimer County Court 1814–1821; see bio in A History of Herkimer County by Nathaniel S. Benton (pages 357ff)4 years Dem.-Rep.Philetus Swift4 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of AppointmentHenry A. Townsend4 years Dem.-Rep.
Employees Clerk: Sebastian Visscher
State Assembly Districts
Albany County (4 seats) Allegany and Steuben counties (1 seat) Broome County (1 seat) Cayuga County (3 seats) Chenango County (3 seats) Clinton and Franklin counties (1 seat) Columbia County (4 seats) Cortland County (1 seat) Delaware County (2 seats) Dutchess County (6 seats) Essex County (1 seat) Genesee County (1 seat) Greene County (2 seats) Herkimer County (3 seats) Jefferson County (2 seats) Kings County (1 seat) Lewis County (1 seat) Madison County (3 seats) Montgomery County (5 seats) The City and County of New York (11 seats) Niagara County (1 seat) Oneida County (5 seats) Onondaga County (2 seats) Ontario County (5 seats) Orange County (4 seats) Otsego County (4 seats) Queens County (3 seats) Rensselaer County (4 seats) Richmond County (1 seat) Rockland County (1 seat) St. Lawrence County (1 seat) Saratoga County (4 seats) Schenectady County (2 seats) Schoharie County (2 seats) Seneca County (1 seat) Suffolk County (3 seats) Sullivan and Ulster counties (4 seats) Tioga County (1 seat) Washington County (5 seats) Westchester County (3 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.