3rd New York State Legislature
# 3rd New York State Legislature

The 3rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from August 18, 1779, to July 2, 1780, during the third year of George Clinton's governorship, first at Kingston, then at Albany, and finally at Kingston again.

## 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 27 to 29, 1779. Under the determination by the Constitutional Convention, the senators Jonathan Lawrence, Lewis Morris and Richard Morris, whose seats were up for election, continued in office, as well as the assemblymen from Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties. Zephaniah Platt (Middle D.) was re-elected. Ephraim Paine (Middle D.) and Abraham Ten Broeck (Western D.) were also elected to the Senate. In the Eastern District, a special election was held to fill the vacancy caused by the expulsion of John Williams, and Assemblyman Elishama Tozer was elected to a one-year term.

## Sessions

The State Legislature met first in Kingston, the seat of Ulster County. The Assembly met on August 18, the Senate on August 24, 1779; and both adjourned on October 25. The Legislature reconvened at the Old City Hall in Albany, the seat of Albany County, on January 27, 1780; and the Senate adjourned on March 14, the Assembly on March 17. The Legislature reconvened again in Kingston on April 22, and adjourned finally on July 2. Senator Richard Morris (Southern D.) was appointed Chief Judge of the New York Supreme Court, and thus vacated his seat to which Ex-Assemblyman Stephen Ward was appointed.

## 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. Elishama Tozer changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

| District | Senators | Term left | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| Southern | William Floyd* | 1 year | appointed by Constitutional Convention |
| Southern | William Smith* | 1 year | appointed by Constitutional Convention |
| Southern | Isaac Stoutenburgh* | 1 year | appointed by State Assembly |
| Southern | Sir James Jay* | 2 years | appointed by State Assembly |
| Southern | Isaac Roosevelt* | 3 years | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention; elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Southern | John Morin Scott* | 3 years | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention; also Secretary of State of New York |
| Southern | Jonathan Lawrence* | 4 years | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Southern | Lewis Morris* | 4 years | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Southern | Richard Morris* | 4 years | holding over on appointment by State Assembly; appointed Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court on October 23, 1779 |
| Southern | Stephen Ward | 4 years | appointed by the State Assembly on February 15, 1780, in place of Richard Morris |
| Middle | Arthur Parks* | 1 year | |
| Middle | Levi Pawling* | 2 years | elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Middle | Jesse Woodhull* | 2 years | |
| Middle | Henry Wisner* | 3 years | |
| Middle | Ephraim Paine | 4 years | |
| Middle | Zephaniah Platt* | 4 years | |
| Eastern | Elishama Tozer* | 1 year | elected to fill vacancy, in place of John Williams; attended only the 3rd session |
| Eastern | Alexander Webster* | 2 years | elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Eastern | (Ebenezer Russell)* | 3 years | did not attend |
| Western | Anthony Van Schaick* | 1 year | |
| Western | Jellis Fonda* | 2 years | |
| Western | Rinier Mynderse* | 2 years | elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Western | Jacob G. Klock* | 3 years | |
| Western | Abraham Yates Jr.* | 3 years | |
| Western | Abraham Ten Broeck | 4 years | also Mayor of Albany |

### 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 | Flores Bancker | |
| Albany | John Bay | |
| Albany | James Gordon* | |
| Albany | Cornelius Humfrey | |
| Albany | Hugh Mitchell | |
| Albany | Henry Oothoudt | |
| Albany | Henry Quackenbos | |
| Albany | Isaac Vrooman | |
| Albany | William B. Whiting* | |
| Albany | Phinehas Whiteside | |
| Charlotte | Albert Baker* | |
| Charlotte | John Grover | |
| Charlotte | David Hopkins* | |
| Charlotte | Noah Payn | |
| Cumberland | Elkanah Day | attended "only a few days at the beginning of the session" |
| Cumberland | John Sessions | |
| Cumberland | Micah Townsend | did not attend the 3rd session |
| Dutchess | Egbert Benson* | also New York State Attorney General |
| Dutchess | Dirck Brinckerhoff* | |
| Dutchess | Ananias Cooper | |
| Dutchess | Samuel Dodge* | |
| Dutchess | Henry Ludington | |
| Dutchess | Brinton Paine | |
| Dutchess | Nathaniel Sacket | |
| Gloucester | none | No election returns from this county |
| 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; 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 | John Coe | |
| Orange | John Hathorn | |
| Orange | Thomas Moffat | |
| Orange | Bezaleel Seely Jr. | |
| Queens | Benjamin Birdsall* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Queens | Benjamin Coe* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Queens | Philip Edsall* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| Queens | Daniel Lawrence* | holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention |
| 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 | Abraham Copeman | |
| Tryon | Peter S. Deygart | |
| Tryon | Frederick Fox | |
| Tryon | Jacob Gardenier | |
| Tryon | Melkert Van Deuzen | |
| Tryon | Peter Waggoner Jr. | |
| Ulster | Robert Boyd Jr. | |
| Ulster | John Cantine | |
| Ulster | Johannes G. Hardenbergh | |
| Ulster | Thomas Palmer | |
| Ulster | Cornelius C. Schoonmaker* | |
| Ulster | Nathan Smith* | |
| Westchester | Samuel Drake | |
| Westchester | Abijah Gilbert | |
| Westchester | Zebediah Mills* | |
| Westchester | William Paulding | |
| Westchester | Philip Pell Jr. | |
| Westchester | Ebenezer Purdy | |

### Employees

* Clerk: John McKesson
* Sergeant-at-Arms: John Tillman Jr.
* Doorkeeper: Richard Ten Eyck
