60th New York State Legislature
# 60th New York State Legislature

The 60th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to May 16, 1837, during the fifth 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 C. Kemble resigned on May 20, 1836; and State Senator Isaac W. Bishop on May 23; leaving vacancies in the Third and Fourth District.

On May 23, 1836, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate and Assembly districts, according to the State census of 1835. Queens and Suffolk counties were transferred from the First to the Second District; Delaware County from the Second to the Third; Herkimer County from the Fifth to the Fourth; Otsego from the Sixth to the Fifth; Allegany, Cattaraugus and Livingston counties from the Eighth to the Sixth; and Cortland County from the Sixth to the Seventh. The total number of assemblymen remained 128. The new county of Chemung was apportioned one seat. Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Kings, Niagara, Oswego and Steuben counties gained one seat each; New York County gained two; and Cayuga, Dutchess, Herkimer, Oneida, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Seneca, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington and Westchester counties lost one seat each.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig Party. In New York City, a radical faction of the Democratic Party organized as the Equal Rights Party, and became known as the Locofocos.

The Democratic state convention met on September 14 at Herkimer and nominated Gov. William L. Marcy and Lt. Gov. John Tracy for re-election; and an electoral ticket pledged to Martin Van Buren for president and Richard M. Johnson for vice president.

The Whig state convention nominated Jesse Buel for Governor, and Gamaliel H. Barstow for Lieutenant Governor; and an electoral ticket pledged to William Henry Harrison for president.

The Equal Rights state convention met on September 15 at Utica, and nominated Isaac S. Smith for Governor; and Moses Jaques for Lieutenant Governor. In New York City, they nominated Frederick A. Tallmadge for the State Senate; and a full ticket for the Assembly, among them Clinton Roosevelt and Robert Townsend Jr. Tallmadge, Roosevelt and Townsend were then endorsed by the Whigs, and elected.

## Elections

The State election was held from November 7 to 9, 1836. Gov. William L. Marcy and Lt. Gov. John Tracy were re-elected to a third term. Also, the Democratic electoral ticket won; the 42 New York votes were cast for Martin Van Buren and Richard M. Johnson. In New York City, the combined vote of the Whigs and Locofocos upset the Tammany Hall political machine, electing the State Senator of the First District, and 7 of 13 assemblymen.

State Senators Samuel Young (4th D.), David Wager (5th D.) and Samuel L. Edwards (7th D.) were re-elected.

1836 New York State Senate election result :

| District | Democrat | Democrat | Whig | Whig |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| First | Morgan L. Smith | 18,992 | Frederick A. Tallmadge | 20,173 |
| Second | Henry H. Van Dyck | 20,824 | Stephen W. Fullerton | 12,040 |
| Third | Alonzo C. Paige | 23,243 | Elisha Jenkins | 16,812 |
| Third | Noadiah Johnson | 23,218 | Amos Briggs | 15,805 |
| Fourth | Samuel Young | 23,575 | Gerrit Wendell | 14,707 |
| Fourth | John McLean | 20,616 | Anthony C. Brown | 14,251 |
| Fifth | David Wager | 17,851 | Samuel Comstock | 17,241 |
| Sixth | Daniel S. Dickinson | 21,497 | Peter Robinson | 17,813 |
| Seventh | Samuel L. Edwards | 20,316 | James R. Lawrence | 17,227 |
| Eighth | Alexis Ward | 15,894 | Samuel Works | 22,346 |

## Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1837; and adjourned on May 16.

Edward Livingston (D) was elected Speaker with 80 votes against 27 for Luther Bradish (W).

Upon taking their seats in the Senate, Johnson and Paige (3rd D.), and McLean and Young (4th 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. Paige and McLean drew the short term, and Johnson and Young the full term.

On February 6, State Treasurer Abraham Keyser was re-elected.

On February 7, the Legislature re-elected U.S. Senator Silas Wright, Jr. to a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1837.

Near the end of the session, the Panic of 1837 erupted.

## 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, 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 and Orleans counties.

### Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.

Senators who resided in counties which were transferred to a different district continued to represent the district in which they were elected.

| District | Senators | Term left | Party | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| First | Charles L. Livingston* | 1 year | Democrat | |
| First | Coe S. Downing* | 2 years | Democrat | |
| First | Henry Floyd-Jones* | 3 years | Democrat | resided in Queens Co., elected in the old 1st D. |
| First | Frederick A. Tallmadge | 4 years | Locofoco/Whig | |
| Second | Leonard Maison* | 1 year | Democrat | |
| Second | John P. Jones* | 2 years | Democrat | |
| Second | John Hunter* | 3 years | Democrat | |
| Second | Henry H. Van Dyck | 4 years | Democrat | |
| Third | Alonzo C. Paige | 1 year | Democrat | elected to fill vacancy, in place of John C. Kemble; also Reporter of the New York Court of Chancery |
| Third | Abraham L. Lawyer* | 2 years | Democrat | |
| Third | James Powers* | 3 years | Democrat | |
| Third | Noadiah Johnson | 4 years | Democrat | |
| Fourth | John McLean | 1 year | Democrat | elected to fill vacancy, in place of Isaac W. Bishop; also First Judge of the Washington County Court |
| Fourth | Jabez Willes* | 2 years | Democrat | |
| Fourth | David Spraker* | 3 years | Democrat | |
| Fourth | Samuel Young* | 4 years | Democrat | also a Canal Commissioner and First Judge of the Saratoga Co. Court |
| Fifth | Francis Seger* | 1 year | Democrat | |
| Fifth | Abijah Beckwith* | 2 years | Democrat | resided in Herkimer Co., elected in the old 5th D. |
| Fifth | Micah Sterling* | 3 years | Democrat | |
| Fifth | David Wager* | 4 years | Democrat | |
| Sixth | Ebenezer Mack* | 1 year | Democrat | |
| Sixth | Levi Beardsley* | 2 years | Democrat | resided in Otsego Co., elected in the old 6th D. |
| Sixth | George Huntington* | 3 years | Democrat | |
| Sixth | Daniel S. Dickinson | 4 years | Democrat | |
| Seventh | Thomas Armstrong* | 1 year | Democrat | |
| Seventh | Chester Loomis* | 2 years | Democrat | also Postmaster of Rushville |
| Seventh | John Beardsley* | 3 years | Democrat | |
| Seventh | Samuel L. Edwards* | 4 years | Democrat | |
| Eighth | Albert H. Tracy* | 1 year | Whig | |
| Eighth | Isaac Lacey* | 2 years | Whig | |
| Eighth | Chauncey J. Fox* | 3 years | Whig | resided in Cattaraugus Co., elected in the old 8th D. |
| Eighth | Samuel Works | 4 years | Whig | |

### Employees

* Clerk: John F. Bacon

## 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)
* Genesee County (4 seats)
* Greene County (2 seats)
* Hamilton and Montgomery counties (3 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)
* 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)
* Yates County (1 seat)

### Assemblymen

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.

Party affiliations follow the vote on State officers on February 6 and 7;, the result given by the Whig Almanac, and the result for New York City given in Niles' Register.

| District | Assemblymen | Party | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| Albany | Richard Kimmey | Democrat | |
| Albany | Edward Livingston | Democrat | elected Speaker |
| Albany | Abraham Verplanck | Democrat | |
| Allegany | Calvin T. Chamberlain* | Democrat | also Postmaster of Cuba |
| Allegany | Azel Fitch | Democrat | |
| Broome | Judson Allen* | Democrat | also Postmaster of Harpursville |
| Cattaraugus | Tilly Gilbert | Democrat | |
| Cattaraugus | Phineas Spencer | Democrat | |
| Cayuga | Curtiss C. Cady | Democrat | |
| Cayuga | Charles E. Shepard* | Democrat | |
| Cayuga | William Wilbur* | Democrat | |
| Chautauqua | Alvin Plumb | Whig | |
| Chautauqua | Calvin Rumsey | Whig | |
| Chautauqua | William Wilcox | Whig | |
| Chemung | Jacob Westlake | Democrat | |
| Chenango | John F. Hill | Democrat | |
| Chenango | Squire Smith* | Democrat | |
| Chenango | Isaac Stokes | Democrat | |
| Clinton | Cornelius Halsey | Democrat | |
| Columbia | William W. Hoysradt | Democrat | |
| Columbia | Rufus Reed | Democrat | |
| Columbia | John S. Vosburgh | Democrat | |
| Cortland | Josiah Hine | Whig | |
| Cortland | John Thomas | Whig | |
| Delaware | Jesse Booth | Democrat | |
| Delaware | Thomas J. Hubbell | Democrat | |
| Dutchess | Taber Belding | Democrat | |
| Dutchess | John R. Myer | Democrat | |
| Dutchess | David Shelden | Democrat | |
| Erie | Benjamin O. Bivins | Whig | |
| Erie | Squire S. Case | Whig | |
| Erie | Elisha Smith | Whig | |
| Essex | Gideon Hammond | Whig | |
| Franklin | Luther Bradish* | Whig | |
| Genesee | Reuben Benham | Whig | |
| Genesee | John A. McElwain | Whig | |
| Genesee | Leverett Seward | Whig | |
| Genesee | Charles O. Shepard* | Whig | |
| Greene | Stephen Tryon | Democrat | |
| Greene | John Watson | Democrat | |
| Hamilton and Montgomery | Joseph Blair* | Democrat | |
| Hamilton and Montgomery | Jacob Hees | Democrat | |
| Hamilton and Montgomery | Richard Peck | Democrat | |
| Herkimer | Henry L. Easton | Democrat | |
| Herkimer | Aaron Hackley | Democrat | |
| Jefferson | Jotham Bigelow | Democrat | |
| Jefferson | Richard Hulbert* | Democrat | |
| Jefferson | John W. Tamblin | Democrat | |
| Kings | Joseph Conselyea | Democrat | |
| Kings | Richard V. W. Thorne | Democrat | |
| Lewis | George D. Ruggles | Democrat | |
| Livingston | George W. Patterson* | Whig | |
| Livingston | William Scott | Whig | |
| Madison | Wait Clark | Democrat | |
| Madison | Isaac Coe Jr. | Democrat | |
| Madison | Silas Sayles | Democrat | |
| Monroe | Levi Russell | Whig | |
| Monroe | Derick Sibley | Whig | |
| Monroe | Silas Walker | Whig | |
| New York | Henry Andrew | Whig | |
| New York | Charles P. Clinch* | Democrat | |
| New York | Francis B. Cutting* | Democrat | |
| New York | Morris Franklin | Whig | elected in a special election on December 21 and 22, 1836, after there was a tie for the thirteenth seat at the regular election |
| New York | Thomas Herttell* | Democrat | |
| New York | John I. Labagh | Whig | |
| New York | Clinton Roosevelt | Locofoco/Whig | |
| New York | Thomas G. Talmage | Democrat | |
| New York | Robert Townsend Jr. | Locofoco/Whig | |
| New York | Thomas W. Tucker | Democrat | |
| New York | James I. M. Valentine | Democrat | |
| New York | Anson Willis | Whig | |
| New York | George Zabriskie | Whig | |
| Niagara | Reuben H. Boughton | Democrat | contested by Davis Hurd (W) who was seated on January 24 |
| Niagara | Hiram McNeil | Whig | |
| Oneida | Levi Buckingham | Democrat | |
| Oneida | John I. Cook | Democrat | |
| Oneida | Lester N. Fowler | Democrat | |
| Oneida | Andrew S. Pond | Democrat | |
| Onondaga | Daniel Denison* | Democrat | |
| Onondaga | George Pettit | Democrat | |
| Onondaga | William Porter Jr. | Democrat | |
| Onondaga | Nathan Soule | Democrat | |
| Ontario | Amos Jones* | Whig | |
| Ontario | Henry Pardee* | Whig | |
| Ontario | Henry W. Taylor | Whig | |
| Orange | Merit H. Cash | Democrat | |
| Orange | William Jackson | Democrat | |
| Orange | William Morrison | Democrat | |
| Orleans | Silas M. Burroughs | Democrat | |
| Oswego | Caleb Carr | Democrat | |
| Oswego | Orville Robinson* | Democrat | also Surrogate of Oswego Co. |
| Otsego | Edmund B. Bigelow | Democrat | |
| Otsego | Ivory Holland* | Democrat | |
| Otsego | Harvey Strong | Democrat | |
| Putnam | John Crawford | Democrat | |
| Queens | Jarvis Jackson* | Democrat | |
| Rensselaer | Randall A. Brown | Democrat | |
| Rensselaer | Alexander Bryan | Democrat | |
| Rensselaer | Abraham Van Tuyl | Democrat | |
| Richmond | Lawrence Hillyer | Whig | unsuccessfully contested by John Garretson Jr. |
| Rockland | Abraham J. Demarest | Democrat | |
| St. Lawrence | Preston King* | Democrat | |
| St. Lawrence | William S. Paddock* | Democrat | |
| Saratoga | Seabury Allen | Democrat | |
| Saratoga | Halsey Rogers | Democrat | |
| Schenectady | Thomas Knight | Democrat | |
| Schoharie | Philip Mann | Democrat | |
| Schoharie | Reuben Merchant | Democrat | |
| Seneca | John L. Bigelow | Democrat | |
| Steuben | Henry G. Cotton | Democrat | |
| Steuben | John I. Poppino | Democrat | |
| Steuben | Benjamin Smead | Democrat | |
| Suffolk | Josiah C. Dayton | Democrat | |
| Suffolk | John M. Williamson | Democrat | |
| Sullivan | George S. Joscelyn | Democrat | |
| Tioga | Ezra Canfield | Democrat | |
| Tompkins | Lewis Halsey | Democrat | |
| Tompkins | Benjamin Jennings | Democrat | |
| Ulster | Ephraim E. Depuy | Democrat | |
| Ulster | Samuel Elmore | Democrat | |
| Warren | Walter Geer Jr. | Democrat | |
| Washington | Joseph W. Richards | Whig | |
| Washington | Charles Rogers | Whig | |
| Wayne | David Arne Jr. | Democrat | |
| Wayne | Pomeroy Tucker | Democrat | |
| Westchester | William Fisher* | Democrat | |
| Westchester | Barnardus Montross | Democrat | |
| Yates | Mordecai Ogden* | Democrat | |

### Employees

* Clerk: Philip Reynolds Jr.
* Sergeant-at-Arms: Alden S. Stevens
* Doorkeeper: William H. Powell
* Assistant Doorkeeper: James Halliday Jr.
