63rd New York State Legislature

{{Infobox New York Legislature

|number = 63rd

|image = Old State Capitol at Albany NY.jpg

|imagename = The Old State Capitol

|imagedate = 1879

|start = January 1

|end = December 31, 1840

|vp = Lt. Gov. Luther Bradish (W)

|pro tem =

|speaker = George W. Patterson (W)

|senators = 32

|reps = 128

|s-majority = Whig (20-12)

|h-majority = Whig (70-58)

|sessionnumber1 = 1st

|sessionstart1 = January 7

|sessionend1 = May 14, 1840

|previous = 62nd

|next = 64th

}}

The 63rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to May 14, 1840, during the second year of William H. Seward'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.

State Senator Noadiah Johnson died on April 4, 1839; and State Senator Edward P. Livingston resigned on October 9, 1839; leaving two vacancies in the Third District.

At this time there were two political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig Party.

Elections

The State election was held from November 4 to 6, 1839.

State Senator John Hunter (2nd D.) was re-elected.

class=wikitable

|+1839 New York State Senate election result

bgcolor=lightgrey

! District

! colspan="2" {{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

! colspan="2" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

First

|Philip Hone

| align="right" | 21,396

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Minthorne Tompkins

| align="right" | 23,385

Second

|Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr.

| align="right" | 22,152

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | John Hunter

| align="right" | 23,669

rowspan="3" | Third

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Friend Humphrey

| align="right" | 24,716

|William K. Wilson

| align="right" | 24,549

{{Party shading/Whig}} | Mitchell Sanford

| align="right" | 24,675

|Henry W. Strong

| align="right" | 24,533

{{Party shading/Whig}} | Erastus Root

| align="right" | 24,551

|Amasa J. Parker

| align="right" | 24,517

Fourth

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | James G. Hopkins

| align="right" | 24,312

|Sidney Lawrence

| align="right" | 22,933

Fifth

|James Brackett

| align="right" | 21,150

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Sumner Ely

| align="right" | 22,792

Sixth

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Andrew B. Dickinson

| align="right" | 23,893

|William Maxwell

| align="right" | 23,517

Seventh

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Mark H. Sibley

| align="right" | 24,049

|Joshua Lee

| align="right" | 22,831

Eighth

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Abram Dixon

| align="right" | 21,927

|Isaac R. Elwood

| align="right" | 15,603

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1840; and adjourned on May 14.

George W. Patterson (W) was re-elected Speaker with 68 votes against 56 for Levi S. Chatfield (D).

Upon taking their seats in the Senate, Humphrey, Sanford and Root drew lots to decide which one of the three senators elected in the Third District would serve which term. Sanford drew the one-year term, Humphrey the two-year term, and Root the full term.see [https://books.google.com/books?id=ItcaAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA4 Journal of the Senate (63rd Session)] (1840; pg. 4)

On January 14, the Legislature elected Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (W) to the seat in the U.S. Senate which he had vacated on March 4, 1839.

On January 20, Mayor of Rochester Samuel G. Andrews was elected Clerk of the Senate, to succeed John F. Bacon who had been Clerk since 1814.see Senate Journal, pg. 100ff

The Legislature appointed Thurlow Weed to succeed Edwin Croswell as State Printer.

On February 3, Lt. Gov. Bradish did not attend the session, and Frederick A. Tallmadge was elected president pro tempore of the Senate. On the same day, Jacob Haight (W) was re-elected State Treasurer.

On February 22, the Legislature elected George H. Boughton, Simon Newton Dexter, Henry Hamilton, David Hudson and Asa Whitney to succeed William Baker, William C. Bouck, John Bowman, Jonas Earll, Jr. and State Senator Samuel Young as Canal Commissioners.

On September 2, the Democratic state convention met at Syracuse, and nominated William C. Bouck for Governor, and State Senator Daniel S. Dickinson for Lieutenant Governor.

The Whig state convention nominated Gov. Seward and Lt. Gov. Bradish for re-election.

State Senate

=Districts=

The First District (4 seats) consisted of Kings, New York and Richmond counties.
The Second District (4 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties.
The Third District (4 seats) consisted of Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie counties.
The Fourth District (4 seats) consisted of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties.
The Fifth District (4 seats) consisted of Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Oswego and Otsego counties.
The Sixth District (4 seats) consisted of Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chemung, Chenango, Livingston, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins counties.
The Seventh District (4 seats) consisted of Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties.
The Eighth District (4 seats) consisted of Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara and Orleans counties.

{{refbegin}}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.{{refend}}

=Members=

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.

class=wikitable

! District

! Senators

! Term left

! Party

! Notes

rowspan="4" | First

|Frederick A. Tallmadge*

|1 year

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

|on February 3, 1840, elected president pro tempore

Gulian C. Verplanck*

|2 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Gabriel Furman*

|3 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Minthorne Tompkins

|4 years

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="4" | Second

|Henry H. Van Dyck*

|1 year

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Henry A. Livingston*

|2 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Daniel Johnson*

|3 years

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

John Hunter*

|4 years

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="4" | Third

|Mitchell Sanford

|1 year

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

|elected to fill vacancy, in place of Noadiah Johnson

Friend Humphrey

|2 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

|elected to fill vacancy, in place of Edward P. Livingston

Alonzo C. Paige*

|3 years

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Erastus Root

|4 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="4" | Fourth

|Samuel Young*

|1 year

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

|until February 13, 1840, also a Canal Commissioner

Martin Lee*

|2 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Bethuel Peck*

|3 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

James G. Hopkins

|4 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="4" | Fifth

|David Wager*

|1 year

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Avery Skinner*

|2 years

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

|also Postmaster of Union Square

Joseph Clark*

|3 years

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Sumner Ely

|4 years

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="4" | Sixth

|Daniel S. Dickinson*

|1 year

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Laurens Hull*

|2 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Alvah Hunt*

|3 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Andrew B. Dickinson

|4 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="4" | Seventh

|Samuel L. Edwards*

|1 year

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

John Maynard*

|2 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

|in November 1840 elected to the 27th U.S. Congress

Robert C. Nicholas*

|3 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Mark H. Sibley

|4 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="4" | Eighth

|Samuel Works*

|1 year

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

William A. Moseley*

|2 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Henry Hawkins*

|3 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Abram Dixon

|4 years

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

=Employees=

Clerk: John F. Bacon, until January 20, 1840
Samuel G. Andrews, from January 20, 1840
Sergeant-at-Arms: Richard M. Meigs
Doorkeeper: Philip M. De Zeng
Assistant Doorkeeper: Chauncey Dexter, from January 25, 1840

State Assembly

=Districts=

Albany County (3 seats)
Allegany County (2 seats)
Broome County (1 seat)
Cattaraugus County (2 seats)
Cayuga County (3 seats)
Chautauqua County (3 seats)
Chemung County (1 seat)
Chenango County (3 seats)
Clinton County (1 seat)
Columbia County (3 seats)
Cortland County (2 seats)
Delaware County (2 seats)
Dutchess County (3 seats)
Erie County (3 seats)
Essex County (1 seat)
Franklin County (1 seat)
Fulton and Hamilton counties (1 seat)
Genesee County (4 seats)
Greene County (2 seats)
Herkimer County (2 seats)
Jefferson County (3 seats)
Kings County (2 seats)
Lewis County (1 seat)
Livingston County (2 seats)
Madison County (3 seats)
Monroe County (3 seats)
Montgomery County (2 seats)
The City and County of New York (13 seats)
Niagara County (2 seats)
Oneida County (4 seats)
Onondaga County (4 seats)
Ontario County (3 seats)
Orange County (3 seats)
Orleans County (1 seat)
Oswego County (2 seats)
Otsego County (3 seats)
Putnam County (1 seat)
Queens County (1 seat)
Rensselaer County (3 seats)
Richmond County (1 seat)
Rockland County (1 seat)
St. Lawrence County (2 seats)
Saratoga County (2 seats)
Schenectady County (1 seat)
Schoharie County (2 seats)
Seneca County (1 seat)
Steuben County (3 seats)
Suffolk County (2 seats)
Sullivan County (1 seat)
Tioga County (1 seat)
Tompkins County (2 seats)
Ulster County (2 seats)
Warren County (1 seat)
Washington (2 seats)
Wayne County (2 seats)
Westchester County (2 seats)
Yates County (1 seat)

=Assemblymen=

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.

Party affiliations follow the result given in The New Yorker.

class=wikitable

! District

! Assemblymen

! Party

! Notes

rowspan="3" | Albany

|Frederick Bassler Jr.

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Peter Flagler

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Henry G. Wheaton

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Allegany

|Lorenzo Dana

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

William Welch*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Broome

|Cornelius Mersereau

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Cattaraugus

|George A. S. Crooker*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Timothy H. Porter

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="3" | Cayuga

|Artemas Cady

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

John W. McFadden

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Andrews Preston

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="3" | Chautauqua

|Odin Benedict

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

George A. French

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

William Rice

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Chemung

|Guy Hulett

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="3" | Chenango

|William Church

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Demas Hubbard, Jr.*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Samuel Plumb

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Clinton

|Abijah North*

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="3" | Columbia

|Robert McKinstry

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Jonas H. Miller

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Justin Niles

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Cortland

|William Barnes

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Jabez B. Phelps

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Delaware

|Orson M. Allaben

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Nathan Bristol

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="3" | Dutchess

|Amos Bryan

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Henry Conklin*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Daniel Toffey*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="3" | Erie

|Seth C. Hawley

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Stephen Osborn

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Aaron Salisbury

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Essex

|George A. Simmons

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Franklin

|John S. Eldridge

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Fulton and Hamilton

|Langdon I. Marvin

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="4" | Genesee

|John W. Brownson

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Horace Healy*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Alva Jefferson*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

George W. Lay

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Greene

|Gilbert Bedell

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Sylvester Nichols

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="2" | Herkimer

|Daniel Bellinger

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

George Burch

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="3" | Jefferson

|Calvin Clark*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Charles E. Clarke*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Stephen Johnson

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Kings

|Jeremiah Johnson

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Adrian Hegeman

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Lewis

|Chester Buck

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Livingston

|Elias Clark*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

George W. Patterson*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

|re-elected Speaker

rowspan="3" | Madison

|Daniel Barker

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Daniel Dickey

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Benjamin Enos*

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="3" | Monroe

|George Brown

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Derick Sibley

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Enoch Strong

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Montgomery

|John S. Veeder

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Peter Wood

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="13" | New York

|Cornelius H. Bryson

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Ulysses D. French

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Paul Grout

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Thomas Herttell

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Norman Hickok

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Francis W. Lasak

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

William B. Maclay

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

John J. Morgan

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Edmund J. Porter

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

James J. Roosevelt Jr.

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

|in November 1840 elected to the 27th U.S. Congress

Thomas Spofford

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Solomon Townsend

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

George Weir

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="2" | Niagara

|Peter B. Porter, Jr.*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Francis O. Pratt

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="4" | Oneida

|Nelson Dawley

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Anson Knibloe

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Charles A. Mann

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

John F. Trowbridge

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="4" | Onondaga

|Victory Birdseye

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

|in November 1840 elected to the 27th U.S. Congress

Phares Gould*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

James R. Lawrence*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Azariah Smith*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="3" | Ontario

|Reynold Peck

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Abraham A. Post

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Henry W. Taylor*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="3" | Orange

|Benjamin Brown

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Robert Denniston*

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

William S. Little

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Orleans

|John J. Walbridge

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Oswego

|Peter Devendorf

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

William Duer

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="3" | Otsego

|Levi S. Chatfield*

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Charles Walker

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Arnold B. Watson

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Putnam

|Saxton Smith

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Queens

|John A. King

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="3" | Rensselaer

|Garrardus Deyoe

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Samuel W. Hoag

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

William H. Van Schoonhoven

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Richmond

|Bornt P. Winant

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Rockland

|William F. Fraser

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="2" | St. Lawrence

|Zenas Clark

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Asa Sprague*

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="2" | Saratoga

|Daniel Stewart

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

John Stewart*

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Schenectady

|Theodore W. Sanders

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

|unsuccessfully contested by John I. De Graff (D)see [https://books.google.com/books?id=6yMUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA119 A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York] (1871; pg. 119–141)

rowspan="2" | Schoharie

|Seymour Boughton

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Charles Goodyear

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Seneca

|Orange W. Wilkinson

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="3" | Steuben

|Richard Brower

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Andrew G. Chatfield*

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Abram M. Lybolt*

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="2" | Suffolk

|David Halsey

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

John M. Williamson

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Sullivan

|Daniel B. St. John

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Tioga

|Thomas Farrington

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

|until January 20, 1840, also Surrogate of Tioga Co.

rowspan="2" | Tompkins

|William H. L. Bogart

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Robert Swartwout

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Ulster

|David L. Bernard

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

John V. L. Overbagh

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Warren

|Joseph Russell

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

rowspan="2" | Washington

|John H. Boyd

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Anderson Simpson

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Wayne

|Horace Morley

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

Durfee Osband

|{{Party shading/Whig}} | Whig

rowspan="2" | Westchester

|Samuel B. Ferris*

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Joseph Strang*

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

Yates

|Samuel S. Ellsworth

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat

=Employees=

Clerk: Philander B. Prindle
Sergeant-at-Arms: Minos McGowen
Doorkeeper: Samuel Francis Jr.
Assistant Doorkeeper: Abraham H. Grovesteen

Notes

Sources

[https://books.google.com/books?id=E3sFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA132 The New York Civil List] compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) [pg. 109 and 441 for Senate districts; pg. 132 for senators; pg. 148f for Assembly districts; pg. 223f for assemblymen]
[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ij0OAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA517 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. 2, Phinney & Co., Buffalo, 1850; pg. 517 to 528)
[https://books.google.com/books?id=REbjwjaGjXIC&pg=PA55 The Politician's Register] published by Horace Greeley (1840; pg. 55f)
[https://books.google.com/books?id=b5lBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA17 A Political Register for 1840] published by E. C. Markley (Philadelphia, 1840; pg. 17f)
[https://books.google.com/books?id=6aMeAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA138 The New Yorker] (issue of November 16, 1839)

063

Category:1840 in New York (state)

Category:1840 U.S. legislative sessions