The 57th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to May 6, 1834, during the second year of William L. Marcy'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.
At the time of the state election in 1833, there were three political parties: the Jacksonian Democrats, the Anti-Masonic Party, and the National Republican Party. The latter two parties had formed an Anti-Jacksonian bloc at the previous election.
Elections The State election was held from November 4 to 6, 1833. State Senators Thomas Armstrong (7th D.) and Albert H. Tracy (8th D.) were re-elected. Leonard Maison (2nd D.), John C. Kemble (3rd D.), Isaac W. Bishop (4th D.), Ebenezer Mack (6th D.); and Assembly Speaker Charles L. Livingston (1st D.) and Assembly Clerk Francis Seger (5th D.) were also elected to the Senate. Tracy was an Anti-Jacksonian, the other seven were Jacksonians.
Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1834; and adjourned on May 6.
William Baker (J) was elected Speaker unopposed.
On February 7, the Legislature re-elected State Treasurer Abraham Keyser, Jr.
On January 15, Assemblyman Samuel S. Bowne introduced "An act to abolish capital punishment, and to provide for the punishment of certain crimes". On March 8, the Assembly rejected the bill, after much debate, with a vote of 49 to 37.see Journal of the Assembly (pg. 93, 355, 365, 387, 398 and 410)
About the time of the New York City election in April 1834, the Anti-Jacksonians assumed the name of Whig Party, and the Jacksonians became the Democratic Party.
The Whig state convention nominated State Senator William H. Seward for governor, and Silas M. Stilwell for lieutenant governor.
The Democratic state convention met on September 10 at Herkimer and nominated Gov. Marcy and Lt. Gov. Tracy for re-election.
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. Charles L. Livingston changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
District Senators Term left Party Notes FirstJonathan S. Conklin*1 year JacksonianHarman B. Cropsey*2 years JacksonianMyndert Van Schaick*3 years JacksonianCharles L. Livingston*4 years Jacksonian SecondDavid M. Westcott*1 year JacksonianAllan Macdonald*2 years Jacksonianalso Postmaster of White PlainsJohn Sudam*3 years JacksonianLeonard Maison4 years Jacksonian ThirdHerman I. Quackenboss*1 year JacksonianJohn W. Edmonds*2 years JacksonianPeter Gansevoort*3 years JacksonianJohn C. Kemble4 years Jacksonian FourthWilliam I. Dodge*1 year JacksonianJosiah Fisk*2 years JacksonianLouis Hasbrouck*3 years Anti-Jacksoniandied on August 20, 1834Isaac W. Bishop4 years Jacksonian FifthHenry A. Foster*1 year JacksonianRobert Lansing*2 years JacksonianJohn G. Stower*3 years JacksonianFrancis Seger4 years Jacksonian SixthCharles W. Lynde*1 year Anti-JacksonianJohn G. McDowell*2 years Jacksonianalso Postmaster of ChemungJohn F. Hubbard*3 years JacksonianEbenezer Mack4 years Jacksonian SeventhWilliam H. Seward*1 year Anti-JacksonianJehiel H. Halsey*2 years JacksonianSamuel L. Edwards*3 years JacksonianThomas Armstrong*4 years Jacksonian EighthTrumbull Cary*1 year Anti-Jacksonian(John Birdsall*)2 years Anti-Jacksoniandid not take his seat during this session,see Journal of the Senate (57th Session) and resigned on June 5, 1834John Griffin*3 years Anti-JacksonianAlbert H. Tracy*4 years Anti-Jacksonian
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 on State officers on February 7 and April 17.see Journal of the Assembly (57th Session) (1834, pg. 222f and 807f)
District Assemblymen Party Notes AlbanyAaron Livingston JacksonianBarent P. Staats JacksonianPrentice Williams Jr. JacksonianAlleganyLewis Wood JacksonianBroomeDavid C. Case JacksonianCattaraugusChauncey J. Fox* Anti-Jacksonian CayugaDennis Arnold JacksonianCornelius Cuykendall JacksonianAndrew Groom JacksonianNoyes Palmer Jacksonian ChautauquaJames Hall JacksonianThomas A. Osborne Jacksonian ChenangoJoseph P. Chamberlin JacksonianMilo Hunt JacksonianWells Wait JacksonianClintonMiles Stevenson* Jacksonian ColumbiaHenry C. BarnesJohn F. CollinJohn Snyder CortlandStephen Bogardus JacksonianOliver Kingman Jacksonian DelawareSamuel Gordon Jacksonianalso Postmaster of DelhiAmasa J. Parker Jacksonian DutchessTheodore V. W. Anthony JacksonianWilliam H. Bostwick JacksonianHenry Conklin* JacksonianJames Mabbett Jacksonian ErieJoseph Clary JacksonianCarlos Emmons Anti-JacksonianEssexBarnabas Myrick JacksonianFranklinJabez Parkhurst* Anti-Jacksonian GeneseeTruman Lewis Anti-JacksonianPeter Patterson* Anti-JacksonianRufus Robertson* Anti-Jacksonian GreeneBenedict BagleySylvester Nichols Jacksonian Hamilton and Montgomery Clark S. Grinnell JacksonianAzel Hough JacksonianDaniel Morrell Jacksonian HerkimerAugustus Beardslee JacksonianTimothy L. Campbell JacksonianCharles Dyer Jacksonian JeffersonWilliam H. Angel* JacksonianCalvin McKnight JacksonianEli West JacksonianKingsPhilip Brasher JacksonianLewisGeorge D. Ruggles Jacksonian LivingstonSalmon G. GroverTabor Ward Jacksonian Madison Sardis Dana JacksonianBenjamin Enos JacksonianHenry T. Sumner Jacksonian MonroeElihu Church JacksonianFletcher Mathews Haight JacksonianJeremy S. Stone Jacksonian New YorkAbraham Cargill JacksonianJohn W. Degrauw JacksonianDaniel Dusenbury JacksonianThomas Herttell* JacksonianHenry Hone JacksonianJohn McKeon* JacksonianRobert H. Morris* JacksonianMordecai Myers* JacksonianBenjamin Ringgold* JacksonianPeter S. Titus JacksonianMinthorne Tompkins* JacksonianNiagaraRobert Fleming Anti-Jacksonian OneidaPomeroy Jones JacksonianIsrael S. Parker JacksonianHiram Shays JacksonianAaron Stafford JacksonianIthai Thompson Jacksonian Onondaga Squire M. Brown JacksonianJared H. Parker JacksonianOliver R. Strong JacksonianHorace Wheaton Jacksonian Ontario Peter Mitchell JacksonianOliver Phelps JacksonianAaron Younglove Jacksonian Orange Merit H. Cash JacksonianGilbert O. Fowler JacksonianCharles Winfield JacksonianOrleansAsa Clark Jr. JacksonianOswegoOrville Robinson Jacksonianalso Surrogate of Oswego Co. OtsegoWilliam Baker* Jacksonianelected SpeakerSamuel S. Bowne JacksonianRansom Spafard JacksonianWilliam TemplePutnamJonathan Morehouse JacksonianQueensThomas B. Jackson* Jacksonian RensselaerArchibald Bull JacksonianSmith Germond JacksonianNicholas B. Harris Anti-JacksonianJames Yates JacksonianRichmondPaul Mersereau JacksonianRocklandDaniel Johnson Jacksonian St. LawrenceSylvester Butrick* JacksonianJabez Willes Jacksonian SaratogaSolomon Ellithorp JacksonianThomas J. Marvin JacksonianEli M. Todd JacksonianSchenectadySimeon Schermerhorn Jacksonian SchoharieWatson Orr JacksonianJohn G. Young Jacksonian SenecaPeter Bockoven JacksonianJohn D. Coe Jacksonian SteubenJoshua Healy JacksonianWilliam Kernan* Jacksonian SuffolkWilliam Sidney Smith JacksonianJohn Terry JacksonianSullivanAnthony Hasbrouck Jacksonian TiogaJohn R. Drake Jacksonianalso First Judge of the Tioga Co. CourtGeorge Gardner Jacksonian TompkinsGeorge B. Guinnip JacksonianCharles Humphrey Anti-JacksonianThomas B. Sears UlsterSamuel Culver JacksonianDaniel Le Fever JacksonianWarrenThomas Archibald Jacksonian WashingtonCharles F. Ingalls JacksonianMelancton Wheeler JacksonianJames Wright Jacksonian WayneJames P. Bartle JacksonianRussell Whipple Jacksonian WestchesterJoseph H. Anderson* JacksonianEdwin Crosby JacksonianHoratio Lockwood* JacksonianYatesJames P. Robinson Jacksonian
Employees Clerk: Philip Reynolds Jr. Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel Dygert Doorkeeper: Alonzo Crosby Assistant Doorkeeper: Samuel Campbell
Notes
Sources The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) [pg. 109 and 441 for Senate districts; pg. 130 for senators; pg. 148f for Assembly districts; pg. 214ff for assemblymen] 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. 2, Phinney & Co., Buffalo, 1850; pg. 435 to 442)