48th New York State Legislature
# 48th New York State Legislature

The 48th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 21, 1825, during the first year of DeWitt Clinton's second tenure as Governor of New York, 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.

The previous session had been dominated by the controversy about the presidential succession, and the question how to choose presidential electors. Party lines broke down when Martin Van Buren tried to have the "Bucktails" faction of the Democratic-Republican Party support William H. Crawford for U.S. president. A large part of the Bucktails favored John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun as possible presidential candidates, and proposed to have the presidential electors elected by the people in districts, similar to the congressional elections. The Anti-Crawford factions became known as the "People's Party", and they joined forces with the "Clintonians" (supporters of DeWitt Clinton, opposed to the Bucktails). The rump Bucktail faction (which followed Van Buren) was called the "Regency Party" by their opponents, a reference to the Albany Regency.

On April 3, a caucus of Bucktail legislators, consisting of the Regency men and a minority of People's men, nominated Canal Commissioner Samuel Young for Governor; and Lt. Gov. Erastus Root for re-election.

On September 22, a State convention "in favor of a new electoral law", consisting of about 30 People's men and about 90 Clintonians, nominated Ex-Gov. DeWitt Clinton for Governor, and Assemblyman James Tallmadge, Jr. (PP) for Lieutenant Governor.

## Elections

The State election was held from November 1 to 3, 1824. DeWitt Clinton and James Tallmadge Jr. were elected in a landslide.

Cadwallader D. Colden (1st D.), Wells Lake (2nd D.), Richard McMichael (3rd D.), George Brayton (5th D.), Stukely Ellsworth (6th D.), John C. Spencer (7th D.); and Assemblymen John Crary (4th D.) and Samuel Wilkeson (8th D.) were elected to the Senate. Lake and Ellsworth were Bucktails, the other six were Clintonians.

## Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1825, and adjourned on April 21.

Clarkson Crolius (PP) was elected Speaker with 109 votes out of 122.

In his message to the Legislature, Gov. Clinton recommended to enact that presidential electors be chosen by the people, by general ticket and a plurality of votes.

On February 1, the Legislature failed to elect a successor to U.S. Senator Rufus King, and the seat became vacant on March 4, 1825.

On February 16, the Legislature elected Gamaliel H. Barstow (Clint.) to succeed Abraham Keyser, Jr. (Buckt.) as New York State Treasurer.

## 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 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, Delaware, Otsego, 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 Steuben counties.

### Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. John Crary and Samuel Wilkeson changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

The party affiliations follow the vote for a U.S. senator on February 1 which showed that there was no majority; and that Clintonians and People's men, although having combined for the election against the Bucktails, were opposed to each other.

| District | Senators | Term left | Party | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| First | John Lefferts* | 1 year | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| First | Jasper Ward* | 2 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| First | David Gardiner* | 3 years | People's Party | |
| First | Cadwallader D. Colden | 4 years | Clintonian | |
| Second | Stephen Thorn* | 1 year | People's Party | |
| Second | James Burt* | 2 years | People's Party | |
| Second | William Nelson* | 3 years | People's Party | |
| Second | Wells Lake | 4 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Third | Charles E. Dudley* | 1 year | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Third | James Mallory* | 2 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Third | Jacob Haight* | 3 years | People's Party | |
| Third | Richard McMichael | 4 years | Clintonian | |
| Fourth | John Cramer* | 1 year | Clintonian | |
| Fourth | Archibald McIntyre* | 2 years | Clintonian | |
| Fourth | Silas Wright, Jr.* | 3 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Fourth | John Crary* | 4 years | Clintonian | |
| Fifth | Thomas Greenly* | 1 year | People's Party | |
| Fifth | Sherman Wooster* | 2 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Fifth | Perley Keyes* | 3 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Fifth | George Brayton | 4 years | Clintonian | |
| Sixth | Tilly Lynde* | 1 years | People's Party | |
| Sixth | Isaac Ogden* | 2 years | People's Party | |
| Sixth | Latham A. Burrows* | 3 years | People's Party | |
| Sixth | Stukely Ellsworth | 4 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Seventh | Jesse Clark* | 1 year | Clintonian | |
| Seventh | Jonas Earll, Jr.* | 2 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Seventh | Jedediah Morgan* | 3 years | Clintonian | |
| Seventh | John C. Spencer | 4 years | Clintonian | |
| Eighth | Heman J. Redfield* | 1 year | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | also D.A. of Genesee Co. |
| Eighth | John Bowman* | 2 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Eighth | James McCall* | 3 years | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Eighth | Samuel Wilkeson* | 4 years | Clintonian | |

### 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 (1 seat)
* 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 (1 seat)
* Essex County (1 seat)
* Franklin County (1 seat)
* Genesee County (4 seats)
* Greene County (2 seats)
* Hamilton and Montgomery counties (4 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 (10 seats)
* Niagara County (1 seat)
* Oneida County (5 seats)
* Onondaga County (4 seats)
* Ontario County (3 seats)
* Orange County (4 seats)
* Oswego County (1 seat)
* Otsego County (4 seats)
* Putnam County (1 seat)
* Queens County (2 seats)
* Rensselaer County (4 seats)
* Richmond County (1 seat)
* Rockland County (1 seat)
* St. Lawrence County (1 seat)
* 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 (2 seats)
* Ulster County (3 seats)
* Warren County (1 seat)
* Washington (4 seats)
* Wayne County (2 seats)
* Westchester County (3 seats)
* Yates County (1 seat)

### Assemblymen

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature. Silas Bowker changed from the Senate to the Assembly.

| District | Assemblymen | Party | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| Albany | George Batterman | | |
| Albany | Samuel S. Lush | | |
| Albany | Stephen Willes | | |
| Allegany | Lazarus S. Rathbun* | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Broome | Briant Stoddard | | |
| Cattaraugus | Daniel Hodges | | |
| Cayuga | Elijah Devoe | | |
| Cayuga | Roswell Enos | | |
| Cayuga | John W. Hulbert | | |
| Cayuga | Ephraim C. Marsh | | |
| Chautauqua | Nathan Mixer | | |
| Chenango | Russel Case | | |
| Chenango | Charles Medbury | | |
| Chenango | Robert Monell | | |
| Clinton | Josiah Fisk | | |
| Columbia | Ambrose L. Jordan | Clintonian | also Recorder of the City of Hudson |
| Columbia | Joseph Lord | | |
| Columbia | Killian Miller | | |
| Cortland | James Chatterton | | |
| Cortland | Josiah Hart | | unsuccessfully contested by Jabez B. Phelps |
| Delaware | Jabez Bostwick | | |
| Delaware | Herman I. Quackenboss | | |
| Dutchess | John Armstrong Jr. | | |
| Dutchess | Eli Augerine | | |
| Dutchess | Enos Hopkins | | |
| Dutchess | vacant? | | |
| Erie | Calvin Fillmore | | |
| Essex | William Smith | | |
| Franklin | Asa Hascall | | |
| Genesee | Jeremiah Brown | | |
| Genesee | Fitch Chipman | | |
| Genesee | Shubeal Dunham* | | |
| Genesee | Gaius B. Rich | | |
| Greene | Gilbert Bedell | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Greene | Alvin Bushnell | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Hamilton and Montgomery | Henry Cunningham* | Clintonian | |
| Hamilton and Montgomery | Samuel Jackson | | |
| Hamilton and Montgomery | Alexander St. John | | |
| Hamilton and Montgomery | Peter Smith* | | |
| Herkimer | Samuel Dexter Jr. | | |
| Herkimer | Warner Folts | | |
| Herkimer | Jacob Wire | | |
| Jefferson | John B. Esselstyn | Clintonian | |
| Jefferson | Richard Goodell* | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Jefferson | George White | C/PP | |
| Kings | William Furman* | C/PP | |
| Lewis | Amos Buck Jr. | | |
| Livingston | James Faulkner | Clintonian | |
| Livingston | Robert McKay | Clintonian | previously a member from Genesee Co. |
| Madison | Elias P. Benjamin | | |
| Madison | Nehemiah Huntington | | |
| Madison | James Nye | | |
| Monroe | Gustavus Clark | | |
| Monroe | Henry Fellows | | previously a member from Ontario Co. |
| Monroe | Thurlow Weed | | |
| New York | James Benedict* | People's Party | |
| New York | Gilbert Coutant | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| New York | Clarkson Crolius* | People's Party | elected Speaker |
| New York | Maltby Gelston | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| New York | Samuel L. Gouverneur | People's Party | |
| New York | John Morss* | People's Party | |
| New York | Jonathan E. Robinson | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| New York | David Seaman* | People's Party | |
| New York | Ira B. Wheeler | People's Party | |
| New York | George Zabriskie | People's Party | |
| Niagara | Daniel Washburn* | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Oneida | Joseph Kirkland | | |
| Oneida | David Pierson | | |
| Oneida | Israel Stoddard | | |
| Oneida | Broughton White | | |
| Oneida | Samuel Woodworth | | previously a member from Herkimer Co. |
| Onondaga | Erastus Barber | | |
| Onondaga | Moses Kinne | | |
| Onondaga | James R. Lawrence | | |
| Onondaga | James Pettit | | |
| Ontario | Claudius V. Boughton | Clintonian | |
| Ontario | Gideon Pitts* | | |
| Ontario | Bowen Whiting* | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Orange | William Finn | | |
| Orange | Nathaniel P. Hill | | |
| Orange | Joseph McLaughlin | | |
| Orange | Samuel J. Wilkin* | Clintonian | |
| Oswego | Chester Hayden | | |
| Otsego | Henry Barber | | |
| Otsego | Isaac Hayes | | |
| Otsego | Oliver Judd | | |
| Otsego | John Woodbury | | |
| Putnam | David Knapp | | |
| Queens | William Jones* | People's Party | |
| Queens | Thomas Tredwell* | People's Party | |
| Rensselaer | John Carpenter | | |
| Rensselaer | Jacob C. Lansing | | |
| Rensselaer | Fenner Palmer | | |
| Rensselaer | Jacob G. Vanderheyden | | |
| Richmond | Harmanus Garretson | | |
| Rockland | Abraham Gurnee | People's Party | |
| St. Lawrence | Jacob A. Vanden Heuvel | | |
| Saratoga | Nicholas B. Doe | | |
| Saratoga | Alpheus Goodrich | | |
| Saratoga | Philip Schuyler | | |
| Schenectady | John S. Vrooman | | |
| Schoharie | Joseph I. Borst | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Schoharie | Freeman Stanton | Clintonian | |
| Seneca | James De Mott | People's Party | |
| Seneca | Daniel Rhoad | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Steuben | John Kennedy | | |
| Steuben | James McBurney | | |
| Suffolk | David Hedges Jr. | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Suffolk | Joshua Smith | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Sullivan | John Hall Jr. | | |
| Tioga | Charles Pumpelly | | |
| Tioga | Samuel Winton | | |
| Tompkins | Joshua North | | |
| Tompkins | Jared Patchin | | |
| Ulster | James Cockburn | Clintonian | |
| Ulster | Jacobus Hardenburgh | Clintonian | |
| Ulster | Jacob J. Hasbrouck | Clintonian | |
| Warren | William Cook | | |
| Washington | David Campbell* | | |
| Washington | Lemuel Hastings | | |
| Washington | Ezra Smith* | C/PP | |
| Washington | Samuel Stevens | People's Party | |
| Wayne | William H. Adams | Clintonian | |
| Wayne | Enoch Morse | Clintonian | |
| Westchester | Jeremiah Anderson | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Westchester | Thaddeus Crane | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Westchester | Joseph Scofield | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Yates | Philip Robinson | | |

### Employees

* Clerk: Horatio Merchant
* Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel Shields
* Doorkeeper: Chester Stebbins
* Assistant Doorkeeper: Conrad Moore
