The 58th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to May 11, 1835, during the third 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.
State Senator John Birdsall resigned on June 5; and State Senator Louis Hasbrouck died on August 20, 1834; leaving vacancies in the Fourth and Eighth District.
Surveyor General Simeon De Witt died on December 3, 1834, leaving a vacancy to be filled by the Legislature.
At this time there were two political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig 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.
Elections The State election was held from November 3 to 5, 1834. Gov. William L. Marcy and Lt. Gov. John Tracy were re-elected.
Coe S. Downing (1st D.), John P. Jones (2nd D.), Abraham L. Lawyer (3rd D.), Samuel Young (4th D.), Abijah Beckwith (5th D.), Levi Beardsley (6th D.), Chester Loomis (7th D.), Isaac Lacey (8th D.); and Assemblymen Jabez Willes (4th D.) and Chauncey J. Fox (8th D.) were elected to the Senate. Lacey and Fox were Whigs, the other eight were Democrats.
Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1835; and adjourned on May 11.
Charles Humphrey (D) was elected Speaker with 91 votes against 31 for Mark H. Sibley (W).
Upon taking their seats in the Senate, Young and Willes (4th D.), and Fox and Lacey (8th D.), drew lots to decide which one of the two senators elected in each district would serve the short term, and which one the full term. Young and Fox drew the short term, and Willes and Lacey the full term.see Journal of the Senate (58th Session) (1835; pg. 4)
On January 20, the Legislature elected William Campbell as Surveyor General; and Amasa J. Parker as a regent of the University of the State of New York.
On February 2, the Legislature re-elected Attorney General Greene C. Bronson and State Treasurer Abraham Keyser.
On May 6, Canal Commissioner Michael Hoffman resigned.
On May 9, the Legislature elected Heman J. Redfield to succeed Hoffman; and Washington Irving as a regent of the University of the State of New York. Redfield declined to take office, and Gov. Marcy appointed John Bowman to fill the vacancy temporarily.
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. Jabez Willes and Chauncey J. Fox changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
District Senators Term left Party Notes FirstHarman B. Cropsey*1 year DemocratMyndert Van Schaick*2 years DemocratCharles L. Livingston*3 years DemocratCoe S. Downing4 years Democrat SecondAllan Macdonald*1 year Democratalso Postmaster of White PlainsJohn Sudam*2 years Democratdied on April 13, 1835Leonard Maison*3 years DemocratJohn P. Jones4 years Democrat ThirdJohn W. Edmonds*1 year DemocratPeter Gansevoort*2 years DemocratJohn C. Kemble*3 years DemocratAbraham L. Lawyer4 years Democrat FourthJosiah Fisk*1 year DemocratSamuel Young2 years Democratelected to fill vacancy, in place of Louis Hasbrouck; also a Canal Commissioner and First Judge of the Saratoga Co. CourtIsaac W. Bishop*3 years DemocratJabez Willes*4 years Democrat FifthRobert Lansing*1 year DemocratJohn G. Stower*2 years Democratresigned on September 29, 1835Francis Seger*3 years DemocratAbijah Beckwith4 years Democrat SixthJohn G. McDowell*1 year Democratalso Postmaster of ChemungJohn F. Hubbard*2 years DemocratEbenezer Mack*3 years DemocratLevi Beardsley4 years Democrat SeventhJehiel H. Halsey*1 year DemocratSamuel L. Edwards*2 years DemocratThomas Armstrong*3 years DemocratChester Loomis4 years Democratalso Postmaster of Rushville EighthChauncey J. Fox*1 year Whigelected to fill vacancy, in place of John BirdsallJohn Griffin*2 years WhigAlbert H. Tracy*3 years WhigIsaac Lacey4 years Whig
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. Herman I. Quackenboss changed from the Senate to the Assembly.
The party affiliations follow the vote on State officers on January 20, February 2 and May 9.see Journal of the Assembly (58th Session) (1835, pg. 83ff, 162ff and 918f)
District Assemblymen Party Notes AlbanyEdward Livingston DemocratTobias T. E. Waldron Whig(Henry G. Wheaton)Wheaton did not claim or take the seat; contestedDavid G. Seger Democratseated on January 9, 1835, in place of Wheatonsee A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1871; pg. 110ff)AlleganyAlvin Burr WhigBroomeNeri Blatchly WhigCattaraugusAlbert G. Burke Whig CayugaCornelius Cuykendall* DemocratAndrew Groom* DemocratNoyes Palmer* DemocratAndrews Preston Democrat ChautauquaOrrin McClure WhigJohn Woodward Jr. Whig ChenangoHendrick Crain DemocratHenry Crary DemocratWoodward Warren DemocratClintonLemuel Stetson Democrat ColumbiaJacob Shafer DemocratHorace Stevens DemocratJulius Wilcoxson Democrat CortlandAaron Brown WhigBarak Niles Whig DelawareDubois Burhans DemocratWilliam B. Ogden Democrat DutchessTheodore V. W. Anthony* DemocratDavid Barnes Jr. DemocratStoddard Judd DemocratStephen Thorn Democrat ErieWilliam A. Moseley WhigRalph Plumb WhigEssexThomas A. Tomlinson WhigFranklinAsa Hascall Whig GeneseeTruman Lewis* WhigSamuel Richmond WhigAmos Tyrrel Jr. Whig GreeneDavid Ingersoll DemocratAnthony Van Bergen Democrat Hamilton and Montgomery Henry Adams DemocratAshbel Loomis DemocratCollins Odell Democrat HerkimerCharles Gray DemocratPeter P. Murphy DemocratHenry Tillinghast Democrat JeffersonCalvin Clark WhigEli Farwell WhigCharles Strong WhigKingsPhilip Brasher* DemocratLewisCharles Dayan Democrat LivingstonHollom Hutchinson WhigGeorge W. Patterson Whig Madison Joseph Clark DemocratWilliam J. Hough DemocratJason W. Powers Democrat MonroeGeorge Brown WhigDerick Sibley WhigEnoch Strong Whig New YorkThomas N. Carr DemocratCharles P. Clinch DemocratCharles Henry Hall DemocratJob Haskell DemocratThomas Herttell* DemocratHerman I. Quackenboss* Democratpreviously a member from Delaware Co., and then from Greene Co. Christopher C. Rice DemocratBenjamin Ringgold* Democrat James I. Roosevelt DemocratProsper M. Wetmore DemocratAndrew C. Wheeler DemocratNiagaraHiram McNeil Whig OneidaMerit Brooks DemocratDan P. Cadwell DemocratRiley Shepard DemocratDavid Wager DemocratAmos Woodworth Democrat Onondaga David C. Lytle DemocratSandford C. Parker DemocratGeorge Pettit DemocratJohn Wilkinson Democratalso Postmaster of Syracuse Ontario Ariel Hendee WhigWilliam Hildreth WhigMark H. Sibley Whig Orange Merit H. Cash* DemocratRobert Denniston Democrat(Robert Fowler) DemocratFowler died before the beginning of the session; James Finch (D) was elected in a special election, and seated on January 23see Assembly Journal, pg. 101OrleansAsa Clark* DemocratOswegoJesse Crowell Democrat OtsegoJoseph Carpenter DemocratHenry Harvey DemocratCornelius Jones DemocratJoseph Peck DemocratPutnamDaniel Kent DemocratQueensThomas B. Jackson* Democrat RensselaerChester Griswold DemocratJacob W. Lewis WhigDaniel Simmons WhigMartin Springer DemocratRichmondLawrence Hillyer WhigRocklandEdward Suffern Democrat St. LawrencePreston King DemocratWilliam S. Paddock Democrat SaratogaEli Beecher DemocratAsahel Philo DemocratWilliam B. Van Benthuisen Democratresigned on March 11, 1835SchenectadyDavid Ostrom Democrat SchoharieJohn F. Hiller DemocratJonas Krum Democrat SenecaCaleb Barnum DemocratJohn D. Coe* Democrat SteubenJeremiah Baker DemocratJoshua Healy* Democrat SuffolkGeorge L. Conklin DemocratGeorge S. Phillips DemocratSullivanJames Eldred Democrat TiogaGreen Bennet DemocratGeorge Fisher Democrat TompkinsCharles Humphrey* Democratelected SpeakerParvis A. Williams DemocratCaleb Woodbury Democrat UlsterHenry I. Davis DemocratWilliam WoodworthWarrenTruman B. Hicks Democrat WashingtonJonathan K. Horton WhigGeorge McKie WhigAllen R. Moore Whig WayneElisha Benjamin DemocratWilliam D. Wylie Democrat WestchesterEdwin Crosby* DemocratHoratio Lockwood* DemocratPrince W. Paddock DemocratYatesMeredith Mallory Democrat
Employees Clerk: Philip Reynolds Jr. Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel Dygert Doorkeeper: Nathan Manson Jr. Assistant Doorkeeper: James M. D. Carr
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