48th New York State Legislature


The 48th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 21, 1825, during the first year of DeWitt Clinton's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1821, 32 Senators were elected on general tickets in eight senatorial districts for four-year terms. They were divided into four classes, and every year eight Senate seats came up for election. Assemblymen were elected countywide on general tickets to a one-year term, the whole Assembly being renewed annually.
The previous session had been dominated by the controversy about the presidential succession, and the question how to choose presidential electors. Party lines broke down when Martin Van Buren tried to have the "Bucktails" faction of the Democratic-Republican Party support William H. Crawford for U.S. President. A large part of the Bucktails favored John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun as possible presidential candidates, and proposed to have the presidential electors elected by the people in districts, similar to the congressional elections. The Anti-Crawford factions became known as the "People's Party", and they joined forces with the "Clintonians". The rump Bucktail faction was called the "Regency Party" by their opponents, a reference to the Albany Regency.
On April 3, a caucus of Bucktail legislators, consisting of the Regency men and a minority of People's men, nominated Canal Commissioner Samuel Young for Governor; and Lt. Gov. Erastus Root for re-election.
On September 22, a State convention "in favor of a new electoral law", consisting of about 30 People's men and about 90 Clintonians, nominated Ex-Gov. DeWitt Clinton for Governor, and Assemblyman James Tallmadge, Jr. for Lieutenant Governor.

Elections

The State election was held from November 1 to 3, 1824. DeWitt Clinton and James Tallmadge Jr. were elected in a landslide.
Cadwallader D. Colden, Wells Lake, Richard McMichael, George Brayton, Stukely Ellsworth, John C. Spencer ; and Assemblymen John Crary and Samuel Wilkeson were elected to the Senate. Lake and Ellsworth were Bucktails, the other six were Clintonians.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1825, and adjourned on April 21.
Clarkson Crolius was elected Speaker with 109 votes out of 122.
In his message to the Legislature, Gov. Clinton recommended to enact that presidential electors be chosen by the people, by general ticket and a plurality of votes.
On February 1, the Legislature failed to elect a successor to U.S. Senator Rufus King, and the seat became vacant on March 4, 1825.
On February 16, the Legislature elected Gamaliel H. Barstow to succeed Abraham Keyser, Jr. as New York State Treasurer.

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. John Crary and Samuel Wilkeson changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
The party affiliations follow the vote for a U.S. senator on February 1 which showed that there was no majority; and that Clintonians and People's men, although having combined for the election against the Bucktails, were opposed to each other.
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
FirstJohn Lefferts*1 yearDem.-Rep./Bucktail
FirstJasper Ward*2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
FirstDavid Gardiner*3 yearsPeople's Party
FirstCadwallader D. Colden4 yearsClintonian
SecondStephen Thorn*1 yearPeople's Party
SecondJames Burt*2 yearsPeople's Party
SecondWilliam Nelson*3 yearsPeople's Party
SecondWells Lake4 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
ThirdCharles E. Dudley*1 yearDem.-Rep./Bucktail
ThirdJames Mallory*2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
ThirdJacob Haight*3 yearsPeople's Party
ThirdRichard McMichael4 yearsClintonian
FourthJohn Cramer*1 yearClintonian
FourthArchibald McIntyre*2 yearsClintonian
FourthSilas Wright, Jr.*3 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
FourthJohn Crary*4 yearsClintonian
FifthThomas Greenly*1 yearPeople's Party
FifthSherman Wooster*2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
FifthPerley Keyes*3 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
FifthGeorge Brayton4 yearsClintonian
SixthTilly Lynde*1 yearsPeople's Party
SixthIsaac Ogden*2 yearsPeople's Party
SixthLatham A. Burrows*3 yearsPeople's Party
SixthStukely Ellsworth4 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
SeventhJesse Clark*1 yearClintonian
SeventhJonas Earll, Jr.*2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
SeventhJedediah Morgan*3 yearsClintonian
SeventhJohn C. Spencer4 yearsClintonian
EighthHeman J. Redfield*1 yearDem.-Rep./Bucktailalso D.A. of Genesee Co.
EighthJohn Bowman*2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
EighthJames McCall*3 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
EighthSamuel Wilkeson*4 yearsClintonian

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. Silas Bowker changed from the Senate to the Assembly.
DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyGeorge Batterman
AlbanySamuel S. Lush
AlbanyStephen Willes
AlleganyLazarus S. Rathbun*Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
BroomeBriant Stoddard
CattaraugusDaniel Hodges
CayugaElijah Devoe
CayugaRoswell Enos
CayugaJohn W. Hulbert
CayugaEphraim C. Marsh
ChautauquaNathan Mixer
ChenangoRussel Case
ChenangoCharles Medbury
ChenangoRobert Monell
ClintonJosiah Fisk
ColumbiaAmbrose L. JordanClintonianalso Recorder of the City of Hudson
ColumbiaJoseph Lord
ColumbiaKillian Miller
CortlandJames Chatterton
CortlandJosiah Hartunsuccessfully contested by Jabez B. Phelps
DelawareJabez Bostwick
DelawareHerman I. Quackenboss
DutchessJohn Armstrong, Jr.
DutchessEli Augerine
DutchessEnos Hopkins
Dutchessvacant?
ErieCalvin Fillmore
EssexWilliam Smith
FranklinAsa Hascall
GeneseeJeremiah Brown
GeneseeFitch Chipman
GeneseeShubeal Dunham*
GeneseeGaius B. Rich
GreeneGilbert BedellDem.-Rep./Bucktail
GreeneAlvin BushnellDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Henry Cunningham*Clintonian
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Samuel Jackson
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Alexander St. John
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Peter Smith*
HerkimerSamuel Dexter Jr.
HerkimerWarner Folts
HerkimerJacob Wire
JeffersonJohn B. EsselstynClintonian
JeffersonRichard Goodell*Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
JeffersonGeorge WhiteC/PP
KingsWilliam Furman*C/PP
LewisAmos Buck Jr.
LivingstonJames FaulknerClintonian
LivingstonRobert McKayClintonianpreviously a member from Genesee Co.
MadisonElias P. Benjamin
MadisonNehemiah Huntington
MadisonJames Nye
MonroeGustavus Clark
MonroeHenry Fellowspreviously a member from Ontario Co.
MonroeThurlow Weed
New YorkJames Benedict*People's Party
New YorkGilbert CoutantDem.-Rep./Bucktail
New YorkClarkson Crolius*People's Partyelected Speaker
New YorkMaltby GelstonDem.-Rep./Bucktail
New YorkSamuel L. GouverneurPeople's Party
New YorkJohn Morss*People's Party
New YorkJonathan E. RobinsonDem.-Rep./Bucktail
New YorkDavid Seaman*People's Party
New YorkIra B. WheelerPeople's Party
New YorkGeorge ZabriskiePeople's Party
NiagaraDaniel Washburn*Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
OneidaJoseph Kirkland
OneidaDavid Pierson
OneidaIsrael Stoddard
OneidaBroughton White
OneidaSamuel Woodworthpreviously a member from Herkimer Co.
OnondagaErastus Barber
OnondagaMoses Kinne
OnondagaJames R. Lawrence
OnondagaJames Pettit
OntarioClaudius V. BoughtonClintonian
OntarioGideon Pitts*
OntarioBowen Whiting*Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
OrangeWilliam Finn
OrangeNathaniel P. Hill
OrangeJoseph McLaughlin
OrangeSamuel J. Wilkin*Clintonian
OswegoChester Hayden
OtsegoHenry Barber
OtsegoIsaac Hayes
OtsegoOliver Judd
OtsegoJohn Woodbury
PutnamDavid Knapp
QueensWilliam Jones*People's Party
QueensThomas Tredwell*People's Party
RensselaerJohn Carpenter
RensselaerJacob C. Lansing
RensselaerFenner Palmer
RensselaerJacob G. Vanderheyden
RichmondHarmanus Garretson
RocklandAbraham GurneePeople's Party
St. LawrenceJacob A. Vanden Heuvel
SaratogaNicholas B. Doe
SaratogaAlpheus Goodrich
SaratogaPhilip Schuyler
SchenectadyJohn S. Vrooman
SchoharieJoseph I. BorstDem.-Rep./Bucktail
SchoharieFreeman StantonClintonian
SenecaJames De MottPeople's Party
SenecaDaniel RhoadDem.-Rep./Bucktail
SteubenJohn Kennedy
SteubenJames McBurney
SuffolkDavid Hedges Jr.Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
SuffolkJoshua SmithDem.-Rep./Bucktail
SullivanJohn Hall Jr.
TiogaCharles Pumpelly
TiogaSamuel Winton
TompkinsJoshua North
TompkinsJared Patchin
UlsterJames CockburnClintonian
UlsterJacobus HardenburghClintonian
UlsterJacob J. HasbrouckClintonian
WarrenWilliam Cook
WashingtonDavid Campbell*
WashingtonLemuel Hastings
WashingtonEzra Smith*C/PP
WashingtonSamuel StevensPeople's Party
WayneWilliam H. AdamsClintonian
WayneEnoch MorseClintonian
WestchesterJeremiah AndersonDem.-Rep./Bucktail
WestchesterThaddeus CraneDem.-Rep./Bucktail
WestchesterJoseph ScofieldDem.-Rep./Bucktail
YatesPhilip Robinson

Employees