The 54th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 26, 1831, during the third year of Enos T. Throop's governorship, in Albany.
Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1821, 32 senators were elected on general tickets in eight 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.
State Senator Moses Hayden died on February 13, 1830, leaving a vacancy in the Eighth District.
At this time, there were three political parties: the Jacksonians (supporting President Andrew Jackson; led by U.S. Secretary of State Martin Van Buren), the Anti-Masons, and the National Republicans (supporting Henry Clay for the presidency).
The Anti-Masonic state convention met in August 1830 at Utica, and nominated Assemblyman Francis Granger for governor, and Samuel Stevens, of New York City, for lieutenant governor. The National Republicans did not call a convention, and supported the Anti-Masonic ticket.
The Jacksonian state convention met on September 8, 1830, at Herkimer and nominated Gov. Throop for re-election, and Edward P. Livingston for lieutenant governor.
Elections The State election was held from November 1 to 3, 1830. Gov. Enos T. Throop was re-elected, and Edward P. Livingston was elected lieutenant governor.
State Senator Jonathan S. Conklin (1st D.) was re-elected. David M. Westcott (2nd D.), William I. Dodge (4th D.), Henry A. Foster (5th D.), Charles W. Lynde (6th D.), William H. Seward (7th D.), Trumbull Cary (8th D.); and Assemblymen Herman I. Quackenboss (3rd D.) and Philo C. Fuller (8th D.) were also elected to the Senate. Lynde, Seward, Cary and Fuller were Anti-Masons, the other five were Jacksonians.
Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1831; and adjourned on April 26.
George R. Davis (J) was elected Speaker with 91 votes against 30 for John C. Spencer (A-M).
On January 6, Cary and Fuller drew lots to decide which one of the two senators elected in the 8th District would serve the short term, and which one the full term. Fuller drew the short term, and Cary the full term.see Journal of the Senate, pg. 40
On February 1, the Legislature elected Supreme Court Justice William L. Marcy (J) to succeed Nathan Sanford as U.S. Senator for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1831.
On February 1, the Legislature re-elected State Treasurer Abraham Keyser, Jr.
On June 3, a National Republican state convention met at Albany, Peter R. Livingston was Chairman. The convention chose delegates to the National Republican national convention which would nominate Henry Clay for U.S. president, among them Stephen Van Rensselaer and Ambrose Spencer.
State Senate Districts The First District (4 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties. The Second District (4 seats) consisted of Delaware, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties. The Third District (4 seats) consisted of Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie counties. The Fourth District (4 seats) consisted of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Montgomery, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties. The Fifth District (4 seats) consisted of Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida and Oswego counties. The Sixth District (4 seats) consisted of Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Otsego, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins counties. The Seventh District (4 seats) consisted of Cayuga, Onondaga, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties. The Eighth District (4 seats) consisted of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara and Orleans 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. Herman I. Quackenboss and Philo C. Fuller changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
District Senators Term left Party Notes FirstJohn I. Schenck*1 year JacksonianStephen Allen*2 years JacksonianAlpheus Sherman*3 years JacksonianJonathan S. Conklin*4 years Jacksonian SecondWalker Todd*1 year Jacksonianalso Postmaster of CarmelSamuel Rexford*2 years JacksonianNathaniel P. Tallmadge*3 years JacksonianDavid M. Westcott4 years Jacksonian ThirdMoses Warren*1 year JacksonianLewis Eaton*2 years JacksonianWilliam Dietz*3 years JacksonianHerman I. Quackenboss*4 years Jacksonian FourthReuben Sanford*1 year Jacksonianalso Postmaster of WilmingtonJohn McLean Jr.*2 years JacksonianIsaac Gere*3 years JacksonianWilliam I. Dodge4 years Jacksonian FifthNathaniel S. Benton*1 year Jacksonianresigned on April 13, 1831, to take office as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New YorkHis letter of resignation, dated April 13, was read on the next day in the State Senate, and formally accepted; see Journal of the Senate (54th Session, 1831; pg. 271)William H. Maynard*2 years Anti-MasonAlvin Bronson*3 years JacksonianHenry A. Foster4 years Jacksonian SixthGrattan H. Wheeler*1 year Jacksonianin November 1830, elected to the 22nd U.S. Congress, and resigned his seat in the State Senate on March 3, 1831see Journal of the Senate (54th Session, 1831; pg. 144)John F. Hubbard*2 years JacksonianLevi Beardsley*3 years JacksonianCharles W. Lynde4 years Anti-Mason SeventhGeorge B. Throop*1 year JacksonianHiram F. Mather*2 years Anti-MasonThomas Armstrong*3 years Jacksonianalso Supervisor of Butler, and Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Wayne Co.William H. Seward4 years Anti-Mason EighthTimothy H. Porter*1 year Anti-MasonPhilo C. Fuller*2 years Anti-Masonelected to fill vacancy, in place of Moses HaydenAlbert H. Tracy*3 years Anti-MasonTrumbull Cary4 years Anti-Mason
Employees Clerk: John F. Bacon
State Assembly Districts
Albany County (3 seats) Allegany County (1 seat) Broome County (1 seat) Cattaraugus County (1 seat) Cayuga County (4 seats) Chautauqua County (2 seats) Chenango County (3 seats) Clinton County (1 seat) Columbia County (3 seats) Cortland County (2 seats) Delaware County (2 seats) Dutchess County (4 seats) Erie County (2 seats) Essex County (1 seat) Franklin County (1 seat) Genesee County (3 seats) Greene County (2 seats) Hamilton and Montgomery counties (3 seats) Herkimer County (3 seats) Jefferson County (3 seats) Kings County (1 seat) Lewis County (1 seat) Livingston County (2 seats) Madison County (3 seats) Monroe County (3 seats) The City and County of New York (11 seats) Niagara County (1 seat) Oneida County (5 seats) Onondaga County (4 seats) Ontario County (3 seats) Orange County (3 seats) Orleans County (1 seat) Oswego County (1 seat) Otsego County (4 seats) Putnam County (1 seat) Queens County (1 seat) Rensselaer County (4 seats) Richmond County (1 seat) Rockland County (1 seat) St. Lawrence County (2 seats) Saratoga County (3 seats) Schenectady County (1 seat) Schoharie County (2 seats) Seneca County (2 seats) Steuben County (2 seats) Suffolk County (2 seats) Sullivan County (1 seat) Tioga County (2 seats) Tompkins County (3 seats) Ulster County (2 seats) Warren County (1 seat) Washington (3 seats) Wayne County (2 seats) Westchester County (3 seats) Yates County (1 seat)
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.
The party affiliations follow the vote for U.S. Senator and state treasurer.Journal of the Assembly, 54th Session (pg. 178ff)
District Assemblymen Party Notes AlbanyPeter Gansevoort* JacksonianWheeler Watson JacksonianPeter W. Winne JacksonianAlleganyDaniel Ashley* Anti-MasonBroomePeter Robinson* JacksonianCattaraugusRussell Hubbard Anti-Mason CayugaSolomon Love* JacksonianElias Manchester Anti-MasonGeorge S. Tilford JacksonianPeter Yawger Jacksonian ChautauquaJohn Birdsall Anti-MasonSquire White* Anti-Mason ChenangoJoseph Juliand Anti-MasonJarvis K. Pike*Ira Willcox Anti-MasonClintonJohn Walker Jacksonian ColumbiaJohn W. Edmonds JacksonianJohn S. Harris JacksonianPliny Hudson CortlandFredus Howard JacksonianCharles Richardson Jacksonian DelawareDavid P. Mapes JacksonianPeter Pine Jacksonian DutchessJoel Benton JacksonianSamuel B. Halsey JacksonianWilliam Hooker JacksonianJohn E. Townsend Jacksonian ErieMillard Fillmore* Anti-Mason Nathaniel KnightEssexJoseph S. Weed JacksonianFranklinJames B. Spencer Jacksonian GeneseeRobert Earll Jr. Anti-MasonStephen Griswold* Anti-MasonCharles Woodworth Anti-Mason GreeneLewis Benton JacksonianJohn I. Brandow Jacksonian Hamilton and Montgomery Josiah O. Brown JacksonianPlatt Potter JacksonianWilliam Rob Jacksonian HerkimerAtwater Cooke Jr. JacksonianOlmsted Hough JacksonianNicholas Lawyer Jacksonian JeffersonJoseph C. Budd JacksonianWalter Cole JacksonianFleury Keith JacksonianKingsCoe S. Downing* JacksonianLewisHarrison Blodget Jacksonian LivingstonJerediah Horsford Anti-MasonJames Percival Anti-Mason Madison Robert Henry JacksonianStephen B. Hoffman JacksonianJohn Whitman Jacksonian MonroeSamuel G. Andrews Anti-MasonIsaac Lacey Anti-MasonPeter Price Anti-Mason New YorkJacob S. Bogert* JacksonianAbraham Cargill* JacksonianNathaniel Jarvis JacksonianCharles L. Livingston* JacksonianDennis McCarthy* JacksonianJames Morgan JacksonianMordecai Myers JacksonianGideon Ostrander* JacksonianDudley Selden JacksonianSilas M. Stilwell* JacksonianIsaac L. Varian JacksonianNiagaraHenry Norton Anti-Mason OneidaReuben Bettis JacksonianArnon Comstock* JacksonianDavid Moulton JacksonianRiley Shepard JacksonianJohn F. Trowbridge Jacksonian Onondaga Otis Bigelow JacksonianThomas J. Gilbert* JacksonianElisha Litchfield JacksonianJared H. Parker Ontario Thomas Ottley Anti-MasonSamuel Rawson Anti-MasonJohn C. Spencer Anti-Mason Orange Edward Blake JacksonianRobert Fowler JacksonianJames Hulse JacksonianOrleansJohn H. Tyler* Anti-MasonOswegoJoel Turrill Jacksonianalso First Judge of the Oswego County Court OtsegoHenry ClarkPeter CollierSchuyler Crippen JacksonianEben B. Morehouse JacksonianPutnamBennet BoydQueensThomas Tredwell Nat. Rep. RensselaerGeorge R. Davis* Jacksonianelected Speaker; also a Bank CommissionerChester Griswold JacksonianMartin Springer JacksonianAaron Worthington JacksonianRichmondJohn T. Harrison* JacksonianRocklandJohn J. Eckerson Jacksonian St. LawrenceJoseph Freeman JacksonianAsa Sprague Jr.* Jacksonian SaratogaHowell Gardner JacksonianJohn Gilchrist JacksonianOran G. Otis JacksonianSchenectadyAaron Carroll Jacksonian SchoharieRobert Eldredge JacksonianDaniel Hager Jr. Jacksonian SenecaJohn Sayre Anti-MasonBenjamin Woodruff Anti-Mason SteubenPaul C. CookJosiah Dunlap* Anti-Mason SuffolkGeorge L. Conklin JacksonianGeorge S. Phillips JacksonianSullivanJames C. Curtis Jacksonianalso Supervisor of Cochecton TiogaJohn G. McDowell* JacksonianDavid Williams Jacksonian TompkinsJohn EllisJehiel Ludlow Anti-MasonJohn Sayler Anti-Mason UlsterJacob J. SchoonmakerJohn Van Buren JacksonianWarrenSamuel Stackhouse Jacksonian WashingtonGeorge W. Jermain JacksonianHenry Thorn JacksonianWilliam Townsend Jacksonian WayneSeth Eddy* Anti-MasonAnanias Wells Anti-Mason WestchesterSt. John Constant JacksonianThomas Murphy JacksonianAaron Vark Jacksonianalso Postmaster of YonkersYatesAaron Remer Jacksonian
Employees Clerk: Francis Seger