The 24th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 4, 1800, to April 8, 1801, during the sixth year of John Jay's governorship, in Albany.
Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, amended by the re-apportionment of March 4, 1796, Senators were elected on general tickets in the senatorial districts for four-year terms. They were divided into four classes, and every year about one fourth of the Senate seats came up for election. Assemblymen were elected countywide on general tickets to a one-year term, the whole assembly being renewed annually.
In 1797, Albany was declared the State capital, and all subsequent Legislatures have been meeting there ever since. In 1799, the Legislature enacted that future Legislatures meet on the last Tuesday of January of each year unless called earlier by the governor.
Senator John Addison died in 1800, leaving a vacancy in the Middle District.
In 1800, Greene County was created from parts of Albany and Ulster counties, and was apportioned 2 seats in the Assembly, one each taken from Albany and Ulster.
In August 1800, U.S. Senator John Laurance (Fed.) resigned.
At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.The Anti-Federalists called themselves "Republicans." However, at the same time, the Federalists called them "Democrats" which was meant to be pejorative. After some time both terms got more and more confused, and sometimes used together as "Democratic Republicans" which later historians have adopted (with a hyphen) to describe the party from the beginning, to avoid confusion with both the later established and still existing Democratic and Republican parties.
Elections The State election was held from April 29 to May 1, 1800. Senators William Denning (Southern D.), James Gordon (Eastern D.) and Jedediah Sanger (Western D.) were re-elected. Benjamin Huntting, Ebenezer Purdy (both Southern D.), James W. Wilkin, David Van Ness, Solomon Sutherland, John C. Hogeboom (all four Middle D.), Stephen Lush (Eastern D.) and Assemblyman Robert Roseboom (Western D.) were also elected to full terms in the Senate. Jacobus S. Bruyn (Middle D.) was elected to a one-year term to fill the vacancy. Gordon, Sanger and Lush were Federalists, the other nine were Democratic-Republicans.
Sessions The Legislature met at the Old City Hall in Albany on November 4, 1800, to elect presidential electors; and the Senate adjourned on November 7, the Assembly on November 8.
Dem.-Rep. Samuel Osgood was elected Speaker with 62 votes against 31 for Federalist Dirck Ten Broeck.
On November 6, 1800, the Legislature elected 12 presidential electors, all Democratic-Republicans: William Floyd, Isaac Ledyard, Anthony Lispenard, Philip Van Cortlandt Jr., James Burt, Gilbert Livingston, Thomas Jenkins, Peter Van Ness, Robert Ellis, John Woodworth, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer and Jacob Eaker. They cast their votes for Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.
On November 6, 1800, the Legislature elected John Armstrong (Dem.-Rep.) to fill the vacancy in the U.S. Senate.
The Legislature met for the regular session on January 27, 1801; and adjourned on April 8.
On January 27, 1801, John Armstrong was re-elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate.
On February 26, 1801, Gov. John Jay sent a message to the Assembly about the controversy that had arisen in the Council of Appointment concerning the right to nominate appointees. Jay held that only the governor could nominate somebody, and the councillors then could only approve or reject this nomination. The Dem.-Rep. councillors however claimed that they too had the right to nominate appointees, and Jay had adjourned the council and did not make any appointments anymore. Jay asked the Assembly to solve the problem, but they refused, claiming that it was a constitutional issue to be decided by the Governor and Council. Jay asked then the chancellor and the justices of the New York Supreme Court for their opinion, but they refused to give it, claiming that to give opinions was outside the scope of their constitutional duties. To find a way out of the impasse, the Legislature passed on April 6 an "Act Recommending a Convention" which called for the election of delegates to a convention, to consider amending the State Constitution concerning the Council of Appointment and the apportionment of the State Legislature.The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, from the Ratification of the Federal Constitution to 1840 by Jabez D. Hammond (4th ed., Vol. 1, H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown, 1846; pages 156ff)
State Senate Districts The Southern District (9 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties. The Middle District (12 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Columbia, Delaware, Rockland and Greene counties. The Eastern District (11 seats) consisted of Washington, Clinton, Rensselaer, Albany, Saratoga and Essex counties. The Western District (11 seats) consisted of Montgomery, Herkimer, Ontario, Otsego, Tioga, Onondaga, Schoharie, Steuben, Chenango, Oneida and Cayuga 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. Robert Roseboom changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
District Senators Term left Party Notes SouthernEzra L'Hommedieu*1 year Dem.-Rep.DeWitt Clinton*2 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of AppointmentDavid Gelston*2 years Dem.-Rep.also Surrogate of New York CountyJohn Schenck*2 year Dem.-Rep.John B. Coles*3 years FederalistRichard Hatfield*3 years FederalistWilliam Denning*4 years Dem.-Rep.Benjamin Huntting4 years Dem.-Rep.Ebenezer Purdy4 years Dem.-Rep. MiddleJacobus S. Bruyn1 year Dem.-Rep.elected to fill vacancy, in place of John AddisonPeter Cantine Jr.*1 year FederalistJames G. Graham*1 year Dem.-Rep.Ebenezer Foote*2 years Federalistalso Delaware County ClerkAmbrose Spencer*2 years Dem.-Rep.also Assistant Attorney General (3rd D.); elected to the Council of AppointmentIsaac Bloom*3 years Dem.-Rep.John Hathorn*3 years Dem.-Rep.John Suffern*3 years Dem.-Rep.John C. Hogeboom4 years Dem.-Rep.Solomon Sutherland4 years Dem.-Rep.David Van Ness4 years Dem.-Rep.James W. Wilkin4 years Dem.-Rep. EasternEbenezer Clark*1 year FederalistAnthony Ten Eyck*1 year Federalist Jacobus Van Schoonhoven*1 year FederalistAbraham Van Vechten*1 year Federalistalso Recorder of the City of AlbanyLeonard Gansevoort*2 years FederalistJohn Sanders*2 years Federalistelected to the Council of AppointmentZina Hitchcock*3 years FederalistEbenezer Russell*3 years FederalistMoses Vail*3 years Federalistvacated his seat upon appointment as Sheriff of Rensselaer County on November 11, 1800James Gordon*4 years FederalistStephen Lush4 years Federalist WesternThomas Morris*1 year Federalistelected in April 1800 to the 7th United States CongressMorris continued to sit in the State Senate until the end of this session, because Congress met only on December 7, 1801.Michael Myers*1 year FederalistSeth Phelps*1 year FederalistWilliam Beekman*2 years FederalistJohn Frey*2 years FederalistFrederick Gettman*2 years FederalistThomas R. Gold*2 years Federalistalso Assistant Attorney General (7th D.)Vincent Mathews*3 years FederalistMoss Kent*3 years FederalistRobert Roseboom*4 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of AppointmentJedediah Sanger*4 years Federalistalso First Judge of the Oneida County Court
Employees Clerk: Abraham B. Bancker
State Assembly Districts
Albany County (8 seats) Cayuga County (1 seat) Chenango County (2 seats) Clinton and Essex counties (1 seat) Columbia County (6 seats) Delaware County (2 seats) Dutchess County (10 seats) Greene County (2 seats) Herkimer County (3 seats) Kings County (1 seat) Montgomery County (6 seats) The City and County of New York (13 seats) Oneida County (3 seats) Onondaga County (1 seat) Ontario and Steuben counties (2 seats) Orange County (5 seats) Otsego County (4 seats) Queens County (4 seats) Rensselaer County (6 seats) Richmond County (1 seat) Rockland County (1 seat) Saratoga County (5 seats) Schoharie County (1 seat) Suffolk County (4 seats) Tioga County (1 seat) Ulster County (4 seats) Washington County (6 seats) Westchester County (5 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.