10th New York State Legislature
# 10th New York State Legislature

The 10th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 12 to April 21, 1787, during the tenth year of George Clinton's governorship, at the Old Royal Exchange in New York City.

## 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.

In March 1786, the Legislature enacted that future Legislatures meet on the first Tuesday of January of each year unless called earlier by the governor. No general meeting place was determined, leaving it to each Legislature to name the place where to reconvene, and if no place could be agreed upon, the Legislature should meet again where it adjourned.

## Elections

The State election was held from April 25 to 27, 1786. Gov. George Clinton and Lt. Gov. Pierre Van Cortlandt were re-elected to a fourth term. Senators Lewis Morris (Southern D.), John Williams (Eastern D.) and Abraham Yates Jr. (Western D.) were re-elected; and John Hathorn (Middle D.), Peter Schuyler (Western D.) and Assemblyman John Vanderbilt (Southern D.), were elected to the Senate.

## Sessions

The State Legislature was to meet on January 2, 1787, at the Old Royal Exchange in New York City, but the Assembly first assembled a quorum on January 12, the Senate on January 13; both Houses adjourned on April 21, 1787.

## 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 Washington, Cumberland and Gloucester counties.
* The Western District (6 seats) consisted of Albany and Montgomery 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. John Vanderbilt changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

| District | Senators | Term left | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| Southern | Isaac Stoutenburgh* | 1 year | |
| Southern | Samuel Townsend* | 1 year | |
| Southern | Stephen Ward* | 1 year | |
| Southern | William Floyd* | 2 years | elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Southern | Ezra L'Hommedieu* | 2 years | |
| Southern | vacant | 2 years | Alexander McDougall died on June 9, 1786. |
| Southern | Thomas Tredwell* | 3 years | |
| Southern | Lewis Morris* | 4 years | |
| Southern | John Vanderbilt* | 4 years | |
| Middle | Joseph Gasherie* | 1 year | |
| Middle | Jacobus Swartwout* | 1 year | |
| Middle | Arthur Parks* | 2 years | |
| Middle | John Haring* | 3 years | |
| Middle | Cornelius Humfrey* | 3 years | |
| Middle | John Hathorn | 4 years | elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Eastern | Ebenezer Russell* | 2 years | elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Eastern | David Hopkins* | 3 years | |
| Eastern | John Williams* | 4 years | |
| Western | Andrew Finck* | 1 year | |
| Western | Peter Van Ness* | 2 years | |
| Western | Volkert P. Douw* | 3 years | |
| Western | Philip Schuyler* | 3 years | |
| Western | Peter Schuyler | 4 years | elected to the Council of Appointment |
| Western | Abraham Yates Jr.* | 4 years | |

### Employees

* Clerk: Abraham B. Bancker

## State Assembly

### Districts

* The City and County of Albany (10 seats)
* Cumberland County (3 seats)
* Dutchess County (7 seats)
* Gloucester County (2 seats)
* Kings County (2 seats)
* Montgomery County) (6 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)
* Ulster County (6 seats)
* Washington County (4 seats)
* Westchester County (6 seats)

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.

| County | Assemblymen | Notes |
| - | - | - |
| Albany | Leonard Bronck* | |
| Albany | Henry Glen* | |
| Albany | James Gordon* | |
| Albany | John Lansing Jr.* | also Mayor of Albany |
| Albany | John Livingston* | |
| Albany | William Powers | |
| Albany | Thomas Sickles | |
| Albany | John Tayler* | |
| Albany | Matthew Visscher | |
| Albany | Peter Vrooman* | |
| Cumberland | none | No election returns from these counties |
| Gloucester | none | No election returns from these counties |
| Dutchess | Dirck Brinckerhoff* | |
| Dutchess | John DeWitt Jr. | |
| Dutchess | Lewis DuBois* | |
| Dutchess | Jacob Griffin* | |
| Dutchess | Henry Ludington* | |
| Dutchess | Brinton Paine* | |
| Dutchess | Matthew Patterson* | |
| Kings | Charles Doughty* | |
| Kings | Cornelius Wyckoff | |
| Montgomery | Zephaniah Batchelor | |
| Montgomery | James Cannon | |
| Montgomery | Josiah Crane | |
| Montgomery | John Frey* | |
| Montgomery | William Harper* | |
| Montgomery | James Livingston* | |
| New York | Evert Bancker* | |
| New York | Nicholas Bayard | |
| New York | David Brooks | |
| New York | William Denning* | |
| New York | Alexander Hamilton | |
| New York | Robert C. Livingston | |
| New York | William Malcom* | |
| New York | John Ray | |
| New York | Richard Varick | elected Speaker; also Recorder of New York City |
| Orange | Robert Armstrong | |
| Orange | Jeremiah Clark | |
| Orange | Gilbert Cooper* | |
| Orange | Peter Taulman | |
| Queens | Samuel Jones* | |
| Queens | John Schenck | |
| Queens | Richard Thorne | |
| Queens | James Townsend* | |
| Richmond | John C. Dongan* | |
| Richmond | Thomas Frost | |
| Suffolk | Jonathan N. Havens | |
| Suffolk | David Hedges* | |
| Suffolk | Daniel Osborn | |
| Suffolk | Caleb Smith | |
| Suffolk | John Smith | |
| Ulster | John Cantine | |
| Ulster | Ebenezer Clark | |
| Ulster | David Galatian* | |
| Ulster | Cornelius C. Schoonmaker* | |
| Ulster | Nathan Smith* | |
| Ulster | Johannis Snyder* | |
| Washington | Adam Martin | |
| Washington | Ichabod Parker* | |
| Washington | Edward Savage | |
| Washington | Peter B. Tierce* | |
| Westchester | Ebenezer Lockwood* | |
| Westchester | Ebenezer Purdy | |
| Westchester | Nathan Rockwell | |
| Westchester | Joseph Strang | |
| Westchester | Thomas Thomas* | |
| Westchester | Jonathan G. Tompkins* | |

### Employees

* Clerk: John McKesson
