61st New York State Legislature


The 61st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to April 18, 1838, during the sixth year of William L. Marcy's governorship, 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.
At this time there were two political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig Party.
In May 1837, the Panic of 1837 broke out, and led to a severe financial crisis. The incumbent Democratic State government was blamed for it by the voters, and the opposing Whig Party won the election in November in a landslide.

Elections

The State election was held from November 6 to 8, 1837. Gulian C. Verplanck, Henry A. Livingston, Edward P. Livingston, Martin Lee, Avery Skinner, Laurens Hull, John Maynard and William A. Moseley were elected to the Senate. Edward P. Livingston and Avery Skinner were Democrats, the other six were Whigs.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 2, 1838; and adjourned on April 18.
Luther Bradish was elected Speaker.
On February 5, the Legislature elected Gamaliel H. Barstow to succeed Abraham Keyser as State Treasurer; and Orville L. Holley to succeed William Campbell as Surveyor General.
On September 12, the Whig state convention met at Utica, and nominated William H. Seward for Governor, and Speaker Luther Bradish for Lieutenant Governor. On the same day, the Democratic state convention met at Herkimer, and nominated Gov. Marcy and Lt. Gov. Tracy unanimously for re-election.
On October 3, a state convention of former Democrats met under the name of "Conservatives" at Syracuse, and endorsed the Whig nominees Seward and Bradish.

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.
Senators who resided in counties which were transferred to a different district continued to represent the district in which they were elected.
DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
FirstCoe S. Downing*1 yearDemocrat
FirstHenry Floyd-Jones*2 yearsDemocratresided in Queens Co., elected in the old 1st D.
FirstFrederick A. Tallmadge*3 yearsWhig
FirstGulian C. Verplanck4 yearsWhig
SecondJohn P. Jones*1 yearDemocrat
SecondJohn Hunter*2 yearsDemocrat
SecondHenry H. Van Dyck*3 yearsDemocrat
SecondHenry A. Livingston4 yearsWhig
ThirdAbraham L. Lawyer*1 yearDemocrat
ThirdJames Powers*2 yearsDemocrat
ThirdNoadiah Johnson*3 yearsDemocrat
ThirdEdward P. Livingston4 yearsDemocrat
FourthJabez Willes*1 yearDemocrat
FourthDavid Spraker*2 yearsDemocrat
FourthSamuel Young*3 yearsDemocratalso a Canal Commissioner and,
until February 13, 1838, First Judge of the Saratoga Co. Court
FourthMartin Lee4 yearsWhig
FifthAbijah Beckwith*1 yearDemocratresided in Herkimer Co., elected in the old 5th D.
FifthMicah Sterling*2 yearsDemocrat
FifthDavid Wager*3 yearsDemocrat
FifthAvery Skinner4 yearsDemocratalso Postmaster of Union Square
SixthLevi Beardsley*1 yearDemocratresided in Otsego Co., elected in the old 6th D.
SixthGeorge Huntington*2 yearsDemocrat
SixthDaniel S. Dickinson*3 yearsDemocrat
SixthLaurens Hull4 yearsWhig
SeventhChester Loomis*1 yearDemocratalso Postmaster of Rushville
SeventhJohn Beardsley*2 yearsDemocrat
SeventhSamuel L. Edwards*3 yearsDemocrat
SeventhJohn Maynard4 yearsWhig
EighthIsaac Lacey*1 yearWhig
EighthChauncey J. Fox*2 yearsWhigresided in Cattaraugus Co., elected in the old 8th D.
EighthSamuel Works*3 yearsWhig
EighthWilliam A. Moseley4 yearsWhig

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.
Party affiliations follow the vote on State officers on February 5.
DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyDaniel D. BarnardWhigin November 1838 elected to the 26th U.S. Congress
AlbanyEdmund RaynsfordWhig
AlbanyPaul SettleWhig
AlleganySeth H. PrattWhig
AlleganySamuel RussellWhig
BroomeJames StoddardWhig
CattaraugusNelson GreenWhig
CattaraugusTimothy H. PorterWhig
CayugaHenry R. FilleyWhig
CayugaIsaac S. Miller
CayugaNathan G. Morgan
ChautauquaThomas I. AllenWhig
ChautauquaGeorge A. FrenchWhig
ChautauquaAbner LewisWhig
ChemungHiram WhiteDemocrat
ChenangoHenry BalcomWhig
ChenangoDemas Hubbard, Jr.Whig
ChenangoJustus ParceWhig
ClintonCornelius Halsey*Democrat
ColumbiaAbraham BainWhig
ColumbiaWilliam A. DeanWhig
ColumbiaWilliam H. TobeyWhig
CortlandDavid MatthewsWhig
CortlandJohn OsgoodWhig
DelawareCornelius BassettDemocrat
DelawareDarius Mapes
DutchessCornelius DuboisWhig
DutchessFreeborn GarretsonWhig
DutchessJacob Sisson
ErieLewis F. AllenWhig
ErieAsa WarrenWhig
ErieCyrenus WilburWhig
EssexGideon Hammond*Whig
FranklinLuther Bradish*Whigelected Speaker;
in November 1838 elected Lieutenant Governor of New York
GeneseeReuben Benham*Whig
GeneseeAndrew H. GreenWhig
GeneseeJohn HeadWhig
GeneseeLeverett Seward*Whig
GreeneThomas B. CookeWhig
GreenePeter HubbellWhig
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Jeremiah NellisWhig
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Abraham V. Putman
Hamilton and
Montgomery		Marcellus Weston
HerkimerAbijah Mann, Jr.Democrat
HerkimerVolney Owen
JeffersonCharles B. HoardDemocratalso Postmaster of Antwerp
JeffersonRichard Hulbert*Democrat
JeffersonDaniel WardwellDemocrat
KingsCornelius BergenWhig
KingsBenjamin D. SillimanWhig
LewisWilliam DominickDemocrat
LivingstonGeorge W. Patterson*Whig
LivingstonWilliam Scott*Whig
MadisonWilliam F. BostwickDemocrat
MadisonWilliam LordDemocrat
MadisonOnesimus MeadDemocrat
MonroeJohn P. PattersonWhig
MonroeEzra Sheldon Jr.Whig
MonroeDerick Sibley*Whig
New YorkAlfred CarhartWhig
New YorkAdoniram Chandler
New YorkHeman W. ChildsWhig
New YorkEvan GriffithWhig
New YorkWillis HallWhig
New YorkWilliam Harsell
New YorkJohn I. Labagh*Whig
New YorkDavid B. OgdenWhig
New YorkSamuel B. RugglesWhig
New YorkJohn B. ScolesWhig
New YorkGarret H. StrykerWhig
New YorkAnson Willis*Whig
New YorkGeorge Zabriskie*Whig
NiagaraDavis Hurd*Whig
NiagaraPeter B. Porter, Jr.Whig
OneidaRussel FullerWhig
OneidaHenry HearseyWhig
OneidaJames S. T. Stranahan
OneidaFortune C. WhiteWhig
OnondagaVictory BirdseyeWhig
OnondagaPhares GouldWhig
OnondagaJames R. LawrenceWhig
OnondagaAzariah SmithWhig
OntarioJonathan BuellWhig
OntarioDavid HudsonWhig
OntarioHenry W. Taylor*Whig
OrangeGoldsmith DennistonWhig
OrangeStephen W. FullertonWhig
OrangeHudson McFarlanWhig
OrleansHoratio ReedWhig
OswegoArvin RiceWhig
OswegoJohn M. RichardsonWhig
OtsegoSamuel Betts Jr.Democrat
OtsegoJohn DrakeDemocrat
OtsegoJacob K. LullDemocrat
PutnamSaxton SmithDemocrat
QueensJohn A. KingWhig
RensselaerHezekiah HullWhig
RensselaerJacob A. Ten EyckWhig
RensselaerJames WallaceWhig
RichmondIsrael Oakley
RocklandDavid ClarkDemocrat
St. LawrencePreston King*Democrat
St. LawrenceMyron G. PeckDemocrat
SaratogaWalter Van VeghtenWhig
SaratogaCalvin WheelerWhig
SchenectadySilas H. MarshWhig
SchoharieJedediah Miller
SchoharieMitchell SanfordWhig
SenecaNathan WakemanDemocrat
SteubenSamuel GriggsDemocrat
SteubenDavid HallDemocrat
SteubenManning KellyDemocrat
SuffolkCharles A. FloydDemocrat
SuffolkSidney L. GriffinDemocrat
SullivanJohn H. BowersDemocrat
TiogaJohn CoryellWhig
TompkinsElbert Curtis
TompkinsRobert SwartwoutWhig
UlsterBenjamin R. BevierWhig
UlsterJames N. MitchellWhig
WarrenThomas A. LeggettDemocrat
WashingtonErastus D. CulverWhig
WashingtonLeonard GibbsWhig
WayneEsbon BlackmarWhig
WayneJohn M. HolleyWhig
WestchesterFrancis Barretto
WestchesterNicholas Cruger
YatesMiles BenhamWhig

Employees