11th New York State Legislature


The 11th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 9 to March 22, 1788, during the eleventh year of George Clinton's governorship, in Poughkeepsie.

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.
In 1786, Columbia County was partitioned from Albany County, and 3 of Albany's Assembly seats were apportioned to Columbia.

Elections

The State election was held from April 24 to 26, 1787. Senators Samuel Townsend and Jacobus Swartwout were re-elected; and James Duane, John Laurance, Anthony Hoffman and Jellis Fonda were also elected to the Senate.

Sessions

The State Legislature was to meet on January 1, 1788, at Poughkeepsie, but the Assembly first had a quorum on January 9, the Senate on January 11; both Houses adjourned on March 22, 1788.
On February 1, 1788, the Legislature passed a resolution for the election of delegates to a Convention to deliberate upon the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. The Convention met from June 17 to July 26, 1788, at Poughkeepsie and ratified the Constitution by a vote of 30 to 27. From this time, the politicians were divided in two political parties: those who voted for the Constitution were henceforth known as Federalists, those who voted against it as Anti-Federalists, or Democratic-Republicans.

State Senate

Districts

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.
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftNotes
SouthernWilliam Floyd*1 year
SouthernEzra L'Hommedieu*1 year
Southernvacant1 yearAlexander McDougall died on June 9, 1786.
It is unclear if a special election was held, but nobody claimed the seat.
SouthernThomas Tredwell*2 years
SouthernLewis Morris*3 years
SouthernJohn Vanderbilt*3 yearselected to the Council of Appointment
SouthernJames Duane4 years
SouthernJohn Laurance4 years
SouthernSamuel Townsend*4 years-
MiddleArthur Parks*1 year
MiddleJohn Haring*2 years
MiddleCornelius Humfrey*2 years
MiddleJohn Hathorn*3 years
MiddleAnthony Hoffman4 yearselected to the Council of Appointment
MiddleJacobus Swartwout*4 years
EasternEbenezer Russell*1 year
EasternDavid Hopkins*2 yearselected to the Council of Appointment
EasternJohn Williams*3 years
WesternPeter Van Ness*1 year
WesternVolkert P. Douw*2 years
WesternPhilip Schuyler*2 yearselected to the Council of Appointment
WesternPeter Schuyler*3 years
WesternAbraham Yates Jr.*3 years
Western4 yearsdid not attend

Employees

Districts

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.
CountyAssemblymenNotes
AlbanyLeonard Gansevoort
AlbanyJames Gordon*
AlbanyThomas Sickles*
AlbanyJohn De Peyster Ten Eyck
AlbanyDirck Van Ingen
AlbanyHezekiah Van Orden
AlbanyJohn Younglove
ColumbiaJohn Livingston*previously a member from Albany Co.
ColumbiaWilliam Powers*previously a member from Albany Co.
ColumbiaPeter Silvester
CumberlandnoneNo election returns from these counties
GloucesternoneNo election returns from these counties
DutchessEgbert Bensonalso New York Attorney General
DutchessIsaac Bloom
DutchessPeter Cantine Jr.
DutchessJohn DeWitt Jr.*
DutchessMorris Graham
DutchessMatthew Patterson*
DutchessThomas Tillotson
KingsCharles Doughty*
KingsCornelius Wyckoff*
MontgomeryAbraham Arndt
MontgomeryJohn Frey*
MontgomeryJames Livingston*
MontgomeryIsaac Paris
MontgomeryVolkert Veeder
MontgomeryJohn Winn
New YorkEvert Bancker*
New YorkNicholas Bayard*
New YorkDavid Brooks*
New YorkRichard Harison
New YorkNicholas Low
New YorkDaniel Nivin
New YorkComfort Sands
New YorkRichard Varickre-elected Speaker;
also Recorder of New York City
New YorkGulian Verplanck
OrangeJeremiah Clark*
OrangePeter Taulman*
OrangeWilliam Thompson
OrangeHenry Wisner Jr.
QueensStephen Carman
QueensWhitehead Cornwell
QueensSamuel Jones*
QueensFrancis Lewis Jr.
RichmondJohn C. Dongan*
RichmondPeter Winant
SuffolkJonathan N. Havens*
SuffolkDavid Hedges*
SuffolkDaniel Osborn*
SuffolkJohn Smith*
Suffolkvacant
UlsterJames Bruyn
UlsterJohn Cantine*
UlsterJames Clinton
Ulsterdied on August 27, 1787
UlsterCornelius C. Schoonmaker*
UlsterNathan Smith*
WashingtonAlbert Baker
WashingtonEdward Savage*
WashingtonPeter B. Tearse*
WashingtonAlexander Webster
WestchesterSamuel Drake
WestchesterAbijah Gilbert
WestchesterEbenezer Lockwood*
WestchesterJoseph Strang*
WestchesterThomas Thomas*
WestchesterJonathan G. Tompkins*

Employees