2nd New York State Legislature


The 2nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from October 13, 1778, to March 17, 1779, during the second year of George Clinton's governorship, at 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.
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 28 to 30, 1778. Under the determination by the Constitutional Convention, the 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. Two vacancies in the Senate—caused by the death of Philip Livingston and the election of Pierre Van Cortlandt as Lieutenant Governor—were filled by the State Assembly. Henry Wisner and Abraham Yates Jr. were re-elected. Assemblymen Ebenezer Russell and Jacob G. Klock were elected to the Senate.
The State Legislature met in Poughkeepsie, the seat of Dutchess County, on October 13, 1778, and adjourned on November 6. The Senate reconvened from January 27 to March 17, the Assembly from January 28 to March 16, 1779. Due to the difficult situation during the American Revolutionary War, four senators and several assemblymen could not attend the meeting.

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. In 1784, Charlotte Co. was renamed Washington Co., and Tryon Co. was renamed Montgomery Co.

Senators

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Ebenezer Russell and Jacob G. Klock changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftNotes
SouthernJonathan Lawrence*1 yearappointed by Constitutional Convention;
elected to the Council of Appointment
SouthernLewis Morris*1 yearappointed by Constitutional Convention
SouthernRichard Morris*1 yearappointed by State Assembly
SouthernWilliam Floyd*2 yearsappointed by Constitutional Convention
SouthernWilliam Smith*2 yearsappointed by Constitutional Convention
SouthernIsaac Stoutenburgh2 yearsappointed by State Assembly on October 18, 1778, to fill vacancy,
in place of Pierre Van Cortlandt
SouthernSir James Jay3 yearsappointed by State Assembly on October 7, 1778, to fill vacancy,
in place of Philip Livingston
SouthernIsaac Roosevelt*4 yearsholding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
SouthernJohn Morin Scott*4 yearsholding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention;
also Secretary of State of New York
MiddleJonathan Landon*1 year
MiddleZephaniah Platt*1 yearelected to the Council of Appointment
MiddleArthur Parks*2 years
MiddleLevi Pawling*3 years
MiddleJesse Woodhull*3 years
MiddleHenry Wisner*4 years
EasternJohn Williams*2 yearsexpelled on February 8, 1779
EasternAlexander Webster*3 years
EasternEbenezer Russell*4 yearselected to the Council of Appointment
WesternDirck W. Ten Broeck*1 yearelected to the Council of Appointment
WesternAnthony Van Schaick*2 years
WesternJellis Fonda*3 years
WesternRinier Mynderse*3 years
WesternJacob G. Klock*4 years
WesternAbraham Yates Jr.*4 years

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. In 1784, Charlotte Co. was renamed Washington Co., and Tryon Co. was renamed Montgomery Co.

Assemblymen

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.
CountyAssemblymenNotes
AlbanyLeonard Gansevoort
AlbanyJames Gordon*
AlbanyWalter Livingston*re-elected Speaker
AlbanyStephen J. Schuyler*
AlbanyJohn Tayler*
AlbanyJacobus Teller
AlbanyKillian Van Rensselaer*
AlbanyRobert Van Rensselaer*
AlbanyPeter Vrooman*
AlbanyWilliam B. Whiting*
CharlotteAlbert Baker
CharlotteEbenezer Clarke*
CharlotteDavid Hopkins
CharlotteElishama Tozerunsuccessfully contested by John Rowan
CumberlandnoneNo election returns from these counties
GloucesternoneNo election returns from these counties
DutchessEgbert Benson*also New York State Attorney General
DutchessDirck Brinckerhoff*
DutchessJoseph Crane Jr.
DutchessSamuel Dodge
DutchessAnthony Hoffman*
DutchessAndrew Moorhouse*
DutchessJacobus Swartwout*
KingsWilliam Boerum*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
KingsHenry Williams*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
New YorkEvert Bancker*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
New YorkJohn Berrien*holding over on appointment by the State Senate
New YorkAbraham Brasher*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
New YorkDaniel Dunscomb*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
New YorkRobert Harpur*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
New YorkFrederick Jay*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
New YorkAbraham P. Lott*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
New YorkJacobus Van Zandt*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
New YorkPeter P. Van Zandt*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
OrangeJeremiah Clark*
OrangeBenjamin Coe
OrangePeter Ogilvie
OrangeRoeluf Van Houten*
QueensBenjamin Birdsall*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
QueensBenjamin Coe*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
QueensPhilip Edsall*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
QueensDaniel Lawrence*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
RichmondJoshua Mersereau*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
Richmondvacant
SuffolkDavid Gelston*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
SuffolkEzra L'Hommedieu*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
SuffolkBurnet Miller*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
SuffolkThomas Tredwell*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
SuffolkThomas Wickes*holding over on appointment by Constitutional Convention
TryonGeorge Henry Bell
TryonJohn Newkirk
TryonAbraham Van Horne*
TryonPeter Waggoner
TryonMoses Younglove
Tryonvacant
UlsterAndries Bevierunsuccessfully contested by Thomas Palmer
UlsterMatthew Rea*
UlsterCornelius C. Schoonmaker*
UlsterNathan Smith
UlsterJohannis Snyder*
Ulstervacant
WestchesterJoseph Benedict
WestchesterThaddeus Crane*
WestchesterIsrael Honeywell Jr.*
WestchesterEbenezer Lockwood
WestchesterZebediah Mills*
WestchesterStephen Ward

Employees