The 67th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to May 7, 1844, during the second year of William C. Bouck'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 William Ruger died on May 21, 1843, leaving a vacancy in the Fifth District.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig Party. About this time began the split of the Democratic Party into Barnburners and Hunkers. The radical abolitionists appeared as the Liberty Party. In New York City the American Republican Party nominated a full ticket
Elections The state election was held on November 7, 1843.
State Senator Morris Franklin (1st D.) was defeated for re-election.
+1843 New York State Senate election result District Democrat Whig Liberty AmericanRepublicanFirst David R. Floyd-Jones 18,422Morris Franklin 18,052Fan. 119Mangle M. Quackenbos 8,712Second Joshua B. Smith 22,296Wells 17,443 65Third Stephen C. Johnson 24,479More 21,608 710Fourth Orville Clark 25,242George A. Simmons 20,345Campbell 2,093 Fifth Thomas Barlow 23,701Clark 17,405Delong 5,042 George C. Sherman Sixth Clark Burnham 23,609Henry S. Walbridge 20,611 1,824Seventh Albert Lester 21,733Maynard 19,271Bradley 3,055EighthMurphy 18,928 Frederick F. Backus 22,143Plumb 2,661
Sessions On January 1, the Democratic assemblymen met in caucus and nominated Elisha Litchfield (Hunker) for Speaker with 56 votes against 35 for Michael Hoffman (Barnburner).
The legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 2, 1844; and adjourned on May 7.
Elisha Litchfield (D) was elected Speaker with 90 votes against 28 for Samuel Stevens (W). James R. Rose (D) was elected Clerk of the Assembly with 89 votes against 33 for George W. Weed (W).
On February 5, the legislature re-elected State Treasurer Thomas Farrington (D).
On February 8, Henry A. Foster was elected president pro tempore of the Senate.
On May 6, the legislature enacted to reduce the number of canal commissioners from 6 to 4, and that the canal commissioners be elected statewide by popular ballot. This was the first time, since Independence, that any other office than governor and lieutenant governor was to be filled by a statewide popular election.This mode was adopted a few years later by the New York Constitution of 1846, and subsequent amendments, so that in the early 1870s a total of 20 offices were so filled (governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state comptroller, attorney general, state treasurer, state engineer, 3 canal commissioners, 3 inspectors of state prisons and 7 Court of Appeals judges). Now only the governor, lieutenant governor, state comptroller, attorney general and two U.S. senators are elected by statewide popular ballot in New York.
On June 17, U.S. Senator Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (W) resigned his seat, and was appointed as Governor of the Wisconsin Territory.
The Democratic state convention met on September 4 at Syracuse, Heman J. Redfield (Hunker) was chairman. They nominated U.S. Senator Silas Wright, Jr. for governor, Addison Gardiner for lieutenant governor; and an electoral ticket pledged to James K. Polk.
The Whig state convention met on September 11 at Syracuse, Francis Granger was chairman. They nominated Millard Fillmore for governor; Samuel J. Wilkin for lieutenant governor; and an electoral ticket pledged to Henry Clay.
U.S. Senator Silas Wright, Jr. (D) was elected Governor of New York, and resigned his seat in November 1844. On November 30, Gov. Bouck appointed Lt. Gov. Daniel S. Dickinson (D) and State Senator Henry A. Foster (D) to fill the two vacancies temporarily.
State Senate Districts The First District (4 seats) consisted of Kings, New York and Richmond counties. The Second District (4 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties. The Third District (4 seats) consisted of Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie counties. The Fourth District (4 seats) consisted of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties. The Fifth District (4 seats) consisted of Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Oswego and Otsego counties. The Sixth District (4 seats) consisted of Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chemung, Chenango, Livingston, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins counties. The Seventh District (4 seats) consisted of Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties. The Eighth District (4 seats) consisted of Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming 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. David R. Floyd-Jones and Joshua B. Smith changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
District Senators Term left Party Notes FirstJohn B. Scott*1 year Democrat/BarnburnerIsaac L. Varian*2 years DemocratJohn A. Lott*3 years Democrat/HunkerDavid R. Floyd-Jones*4 years Democrat/Hunker SecondRobert Denniston*1 year DemocratAbraham Bockee*2 years Democrat/HunkerAbraham A. Deyo*3 years DemocratJoshua B. Smith*4 years Democrat ThirdHenry W. Strong*1 year Democratresigned on December 3, 1844Erastus Corning*2 years Democrat/HunkerJohn C. Wright*3 years DemocratStephen C. Johnson4 years Democrat FourthSidney Lawrence*1 year DemocratEdmund Varney*2 years DemocratThomas B. Mitchell*3 years Democrat/HunkerOrville Clark4 years Democrat/Hunker FifthHenry A. Foster*1 year Democrat/Hunkeron November 30, 1844, appointed a U.S. Senator from New York George C. Sherman2 years Democrat/Barnburnerelected to fill vacancy, in place of William RugerCarlos P. Scovil*3 years DemocratThomas Barlow4 years Democrat/Barnburneralso First Judge of the Madison County Court SixthNehemiah Platt*1 year WhigJames Faulkner*2 years DemocratCalvin T. Chamberlain*3 years DemocratClark Burnham4 years Democrat SeventhElijah Rhoades*1 year WhigWilliam Bartlit*2 years Democrat/HunkerJohn Porter*3 years Democrat Albert Lester4 years Democrat EighthSamuel Works*1 year WhigGideon Hard*2 years WhigHarvey Putnam*3 years WhigFrederick F. Backus4 years Whig
Employees Clerk: Isaac R. Elwood Deputy Clerks: Charles Bryan, Hiram Leonard Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles Niven Doorkeeper: Joel Gillett Assistant Doorkeeper: Martin Miller
State Assembly Districts
Albany County (3 seats) Allegany County (2 seats) Broome County (1 seat) Cattaraugus County (2 seats) Cayuga County (3 seats) Chautauqua County (3 seats) Chemung County (1 seat) Chenango County (3 seats) Clinton County (1 seat) Columbia County (3 seats) Cortland County (2 seats) Delaware County (2 seats) Dutchess County (3 seats) Erie County (3 seats) Essex County (1 seat) Franklin County (1 seat) Fulton and Hamilton counties (1 seat) Genesee County (2 seats) Greene County (2 seats) Herkimer County (2 seats) Jefferson County (3 seats) Kings County (2 seats) Lewis County (1 seat) Livingston County (2 seats) Madison County (3 seats) Monroe County (3 seats) Montgomery County (2 seats) The City and County of New York (13 seats) Niagara County (2 seats) Oneida County (4 seats) Onondaga County (4 seats) Ontario County (3 seats) Orange County (3 seats) Orleans County (1 seat) Oswego County (2 seats) Otsego County (3 seats) Putnam County (1 seat) Queens County (1 seat) Rensselaer County (3 seats) Richmond County (1 seat) Rockland County (1 seat) St. Lawrence County (2 seats) Saratoga County (2 seats) Schenectady County (1 seat) Schoharie County (2 seats) Seneca County (1 seat) Steuben County (3 seats) Suffolk County (2 seats) Sullivan County (1 seat) Tioga County (1 seat) Tompkins County (2 seats) Ulster County (2 seats) Warren County (1 seat) Washington (2 seats) Wayne County (2 seats) Westchester County (2 seats) Wyoming County (2 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.
District Assemblymen Party Notes AlbanyLevi Shaw Samuel StevensGen. Samuel Stevens (1794–1854), lawyer, see The Gravestone of Samuel Stevens Whigpreviously a member from Washington Co.Simon Veeder AlleganyNathaniel Coe WhigHoratio R. RiddleBroomeJohn B. Rogers CattaraugusJames BurtMarcus H. Johnson CayugaAshbel AveryBenjamin F. Hall WhigRobert Hume ChautauquaForbes JohnsonMarcius SimonsElijah WatersChemungSylvester Hazen ChenangoRensselaer W. Clark DemocratErastus DickinsonDaniel Noyes DemocratClintonJulius C. Hubbell* Democrat ColumbiaWilliam A. CarpenterUriah EdwardsPeter P. Rossman CortlandPlatt F. GrowJohn Kingman Jr. DelawareEdward I. Burhans DemocratJesse Palmer DutchessAlexander H. CoffinJohn K. MeadAmbrose L. Pinney Democrat ErieDaniel LeeElisha SmithAmos WrightEssexGideon Hammond WhigFranklinFrancis D. Flanders DemocratFulton and HamiltonJames Harris GeneseeCharles P. BrownChester Hannum Whig GreeneRobert C. Field DemocratLemuel C. Stimson Democrat HerkimerMichael Hoffman Democrat/BarnburnerPeter H. Warren JeffersonSamuel BondWilliam CarlisleEli West KingsWilliam BurbankJacob RapeljeLewisAlburn Foster LivingstonGardner ArnoldDaniel D. Spencer* Whig Madison Ralph I. GatesThomas KeithAlfred Medbery MonroeAshley Sampson DemocratMoses SperryEdward Wadhams Montgomery Clark B. Cochrane DemocratMorgan L. Harris New YorkJoseph S. Bosworth DemocratMichael BurkeThomas N. CarrAuguste Davezac DemocratJoshua FleetGeorge G. Glasier* DemocratWilliam H. Jansen DemocratThomas JeremiahGeorge S. MannJohn E. RossEdward Sanford* DemocratJames H. SuydamRichard S. Williams NiagaraJohn Sweeney* WhigLuther Wilson OneidaJustus ChildsJames DouglassRichard EmpeyHoratio Seymour Democrat/Hunker Onondaga Warner AbbottThomas G. Alvord DemocratSeth HutchinsonElisha Litchfield Democrat/Hunkerelected Speaker Ontario Lorenzo ClarkIsrael Huntington WhigHenry Pardee Orange Leonard Lee* Democrat/BarnburnerDavid H. Smith DemocratGeorge W. Tuthill DemocratOrleansSands Cole OswegoWilliam F. Allen* DemocratAlban Strong* Democrat OtsegoGeorge S. Gorham DemocratWilliam W. Snow DemocratNahum ThompsonPutnamSaxton Smith DemocratQueensSamuel Youngs* Democrat RensselaerJohn L. ColeGeorge B. WarrenJonathan E. WhippleRichmondWilliam NicklesRocklandJohn Haring Jr. St. LawrenceCalvin T. Hulburd* Democrat/BarnburnerGeorge Redington* Democrat SaratogaJames GroomEzra WilsonSchenectadyArchibald L. Linn Whig SchoharieSeth EldredgeJohn SpickermanSenecaHelim Sutton SteubenJohn JamisonAsa McConnellJeffery Smith SuffolkSilas HortonRichard W. SmithSullivanAmos Y. GrantTiogaNathaniel W. Davis TompkinsPeter LounsburyCharles M. Turner UlsterAbraham D. BevierSamuel ReynoldsWarrenJohn F. Sherrill WashingtonJohn BarkerJohn W. Proudfit WayneAustin RoeIsaac R. Sanford WestchesterAndrew Findlay* DemocratCharles Wright WyomingTruman Benedict* WhigLeverett Spring WhigYatesThomas Seamans
Employees Clerk: James R. Rose Sergeant-at-Arms: Jonathan P. Couch Doorkeeper: John P. Davis Assistant Doorkeeper: David E. Williams