6th New York State Legislature
# 6th New York State Legislature

The 6th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from July 8, 1782, to March 27, 1783, during the sixth year of George Clinton's governorship, first at Poughkeepsie, then at Kingston.

## Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, the State Senators were elected on general tickets in the senatorial districts, and were then divided into four classes. Six senators each drew lots for a term of 1, 2, 3 or 4 years and, beginning at the election in April 1778, every year six Senate seats came up for election to a four-year term. Assemblymen were elected countywide on general tickets to a one-year term, the whole assembly being renewed annually.

On May 8, 1777, the Constitutional Convention had appointed the senators from the Southern District, and the assemblymen from Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties—the area which was under British control—and determined that these appointees serve in the Legislature until elections could be held in those areas, presumably after the end of the American Revolutionary War. Vacancies among the appointed members in the Senate should be filled by the Assembly, and vacancies in the Assembly by the Senate.

## Elections

The State elections were held from April 30 to May 2, 1782. Under the determination by the Constitutional Convention, senators Isaac Roosevelt and John Morin Scott, whose seats were up for election, continued in office, as well as the assemblymen from Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties. Jacob G. Klock and Abraham Yates Jr. (both Western D.) were re-elected. William Allison (Middle D.) was also elected to the Senate. Two members who had been expelled previously were elected again to the Senate: Ephraim Paine (Middle D., to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Levi Pawling) and Assemblyman John Williams (Eastern D.)

## Sessions

The State Legislature met in Poughkeepsie, the seat of Dutchess County. The Senate met first on July 8, 1782, the Assembly on July 11; and they adjourned on July 25. On July 22, James Duane was appointed by the Assembly to fill the vacancy caused by the absence of Sir James Jay. The Legislature reconvened in Kingston, the seat of Ulster County, on January 27, 1783; and the Assembly adjourned on March 23, the Senate on March 27.

## State Senate

### Districts

* The Southern District (9 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties.
* The Middle District (6 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties.
* The Eastern District (3 seats) consisted of Charlotte, Cumberland and Gloucester counties.
* The Western District (6 seats) consisted of Albany and Tryon counties.

### Senators

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

| District | Senators | Term left | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| Southern | Jonathan Lawrence* | 1 year | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention; elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Southern | (Lewis Morris)* | 1 year | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention; did not attend |
| Southern | Stephen Ward* | 1 year | appointed by State Assembly |
| Southern | William Floyd* | 2 years | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Southern | William Smith* | 2 years | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Southern | Isaac Stoutenburgh* | 2 years | holding over on appointment by State Assembly |
| Southern | James Duane | 3 years | appointed by the State Assembly on July 22, 1782, to fill vacancy, in place of Sir James Jay |
| Southern | Isaac Roosevelt* | 4 year | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Southern | (John Morin Scott)* | 4 year | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention; also Secretary of State of New York; did not attend |
| Middle | Thomas Palmer* | 1 year | |
| Middle | Zephaniah Platt* | 1 year | |
| Middle | Arthur Parks* | 2 years | |
| Middle | John Haring* | 3 years | elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Middle | Ephraim Paine | 3 years | elected to fill vacancy, in place of Levi Pawling |
| Middle | William Allison | 4 years | |
| Eastern | (Elkanah Day)* | 2 years | elected to the Council of Appointment; did not attend |
| Eastern | Alexander Webster* | 3 years | |
| Eastern | John Williams* | 4 years | |
| Western | Abraham Ten Broeck* | 1 year | also Mayor of Albany |
| Western | Philip Schuyler* | 2 years | also New York State Surveyor General |
| Western | Henry Oothoudt* | 3 years | |
| Western | William B. Whiting* | 3 years | elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Western | Jacob G. Klock* | 4 years | |
| Western | Abraham Yates Jr.* | 4 years | |

### Employees

* Clerk: Robert Benson

## State Assembly

### Districts

* The City and County of Albany (10 seats)
* Charlotte County (4 seats)
* Cumberland County (3 seats)
* Dutchess County (7 seats)
* Gloucester County (2 seats)
* Kings County (2 seats)
* The City and County of New York (9 seats)
* Orange County (4 seats)
* Queens County (4 seats)
* Richmond County (2 seats)
* Suffolk County (5 seats)
* Tryon County (6 seats)
* Ulster County (6 seats)
* Westchester County (6 seats)

### Assemblymen

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

| County | Assemblymen | Notes |
| - | - | - |
| Albany | Matthew Adgate* | |
| Albany | John H. Beekman | |
| Albany | John Ja. Beekman | |
| Albany | Jacob Ford* | |
| Albany | John Lansing Jr.* | |
| Albany | Dirck Swart* | |
| Albany | Samuel Ten Broeck* | |
| Albany | Peter Van Ness | |
| Albany | Christopher Yates | |
| Albany | John Younglove | |
| Charlotte | Benjamin Baker | |
| Charlotte | David Hopkins* | |
| Charlotte | Hamilton McCollister* | |
| Charlotte | Joseph McCracken | |
| Cumberland | none | No election returns from these counties |
| Gloucester | none | No election returns from these counties |
| Dutchess | Benjamin Birdsall | |
| Dutchess | Jonathan Dennis* | |
| Dutchess | Cornelius Humfrey* | |
| Dutchess | Ebenezer Husted* | |
| Dutchess | Matthew Patterson | |
| Dutchess | Thomas Storm* | |
| Dutchess | Jacobus Swartwout* | |
| Kings | William Boerum* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Kings | Henry Williams* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| New York | Evert Bancker* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention; re-elected Speaker |
| New York | John Berrien* | holding over on appointment by the State Senate |
| New York | Abraham Brasher* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| New York | Daniel Dunscomb* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| New York | Robert Harpur* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| New York | Frederick Jay* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| New York | Abraham P. Lott* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| New York | Jacobus Van Zandt* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| New York | Peter P. Van Zandt* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Orange | Jeremiah Clark* | |
| Orange | Gilbert Cooper | |
| Orange | John Hathorn* | |
| Orange | John Stagg* | |
| Queens | Benjamin Birdsall* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Queens | Benjamin Coe* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Queens | Daniel Lawrence* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Queens | Nathaniel Tom* | holding over on appointment by State Senate |
| Richmond | Joshua Mersereau* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Richmond | vacant | |
| Suffolk | David Gelston* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Suffolk | Ezra L'Hommedieu* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Suffolk | Burnet Miller* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Suffolk | Thomas Tredwell* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Suffolk | Thomas Wickes* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Tryon | Zephaniah Batchelor* | |
| Tryon | Frederick Fisher | |
| Tryon | John Frey | |
| Tryon | Andrew Finck Jr. | |
| Tryon | Christian Nellis | |
| Tryon | William Petrie* | |
| Ulster | Johannes Bruyn* | |
| Ulster | Charles DeWitt* | |
| Ulster | James Hunter* | |
| Ulster | William Malcom | |
| Ulster | John Nicholson | |
| Ulster | Cornelius C. Schoonmaker | |
| Westchester | Abijah Gilbert* | |
| Westchester | Samuel Haight | |
| Westchester | John Laurance | |
| Westchester | Zebediah Mills* | |
| Westchester | Ebenezer Purdy | |
| Westchester | Thomas Thomas* | |

### Employees

* Clerk: John McKesson
* Doorkeeper: Richard Ten Eyck
