86th New York State Legislature

Summary

The 86th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to April 25, 1863, during the first year of Horatio Seymour's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany.

86th New York State Legislature
85th 87th
The Old State Capitol (1879)
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1863
Senate
Members32
PresidentLt. Gov. David R. Floyd-Jones (D)
Temporary PresidentJames A. Bell (R), from January 21
Party controlRepublican (23-8)
Assembly
Members128
SpeakerTheophilus C. Callicot (D)
Party controlsplit (64-64)
Sessions
1stJanuary 6 – April 25, 1863

Background edit

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1846, 32 Senators and 128 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts were made up of entire counties, except New York County (four districts) and Kings County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards, forming a contiguous area, all within the same county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democrats split over the civil war issue. The "War Democrats" and the Republicans formed a coalition known as the "Republican Union," and supported President Abraham Lincoln and the Union Army's war effort; the rump Democratic Party opposed the war, favoring a compromise with the South, and became known as "Peace Democrats" or "Copperheads." The Constitutional Union (consisting of former "Silver Gray" Whigs and Know Nothings) held a state convention and joined the Peace Democrats.

Elections edit

The New York state election, 1862 was held on November 4. With a large contingent of soldiers at the Civil War front, who did not vote at the state election, surprisingly all five statewide elective offices up for election were carried by the Democrats, including Gov. Horatio Seymour and Lt. Gov. David R. Floyd-Jones. The approximate party strength at this election, expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democrats/Constitutional Union 307,000; Republican Union 296,000.

64 Union Republicans and 64 Democrats were elected to the Assembly, resulting in a split.

Sessions edit

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1863; and adjourned on April 25.

On January 21, James A. Bell (R) was re-elected President pro tempore of the State Senate.

On January 26, after three weeks of deadlock, Democrat Theophilus C. Callicot (D) was elected Speaker on the 92nd ballot, receiving the votes of the Republicans. Callicot had talked to the Republican leader Chauncey M. Depew, and offered a deal: the Republicans should elect him Speaker, and he would help them to elect a U.S. Senator.

1863 Speaker election result
Ballot Date Gilbert
Dean

Dem.
Henry
Sherwood

Rep.
- Ballot Date Gilbert
Dean

Dem.
Henry
Sherwood

Rep.
Theophilus
C. Callicot

Fusion
Eliphaz
Trimmer
Dem.
Chauncey
M. Depew

Rep.
1st Jan. 6 63 63 47th Jan. 10 41 41
2nd Jan. 6 63 63 48th Jan. 10 41 41
3rd Jan. 6 63 63 49th Jan. 12 40 40
4th Jan. 7 63 63 50th Jan. 12 40 40
5th Jan. 7 63 63 51st Jan. 12 39 39
6th Jan. 7 63 63 52nd Jan. 12 39 39
7th Jan. 7 63 63 53rd Jan. 12 39 39
8th Jan. 8 63 63 54th Jan. 13 56 56
9th Jan. 8 63 63 55th Jan. 13 55 55
10th Jan. 8 63 63 56th Jan. 13 55 55
11th Jan. 8 63 63 57th Jan. 13 55 55
12th Jan. 8 63 63 58th Jan. 13 55 55
13th Jan. 8 63 63 59th Jan. 13 54 54
14th Jan. 8 63 63 60th Jan. 13 55 55
15th Jan. 8 63 63 61st Jan. 13 55 55
16th Jan. 8 63 63 62nd Jan. 13 55 55
17th Jan. 8 63 63 63rd Jan. 13 55 55
18th Jan. 8 63 63 64th Jan. 12 54 54
19th Jan. 8 63 63 65th Jan. 13 54 54
20th Jan. 8 63 63 66th Jan. 13 54 54
21st Jan. 8 63 63 67th Jan. 14 63 63
22nd Jan. 8 63 63 68th Jan. 14 62 62
23rd Jan. 8 63 63 69th Jan. 14 62 62
24th Jan. 8 63 63 70th Jan. 12 62 62
25th Jan. 8 63 63 71st Jan. 14 62 62
26th Jan. 8 63 63 72nd Jan. 14 62 62
27th Jan. 9 61 61 73rd Jan. 14 60 60
28th Jan. 9 61 61 74th Jan. 14 60 60
29th Jan. 9 62 62 75th Jan. 15 62 62
30th Jan. 9 62 62 76th Jan. 15 57 57
31st Jan. 9 62 62 77th Jan. 15 60 60
32nd Jan. 9 62 62 78th Jan. 15 58 58
33rd Jan. 9 62 62 79th Jan. 23 60 60 2
34th Jan. 9 62 62 80th Jan. 23 60 60 2
35th Jan. 9 60 60 81st Jan. 23 60 61 3
36th Jan. 9 60 60 82nd Jan. 23 61 61 2
37th Jan. 9 60 60 83rd Jan. 23 61 61 2
38th Jan. 10 47 47 84th Jan. 23 61 61 2
39th Jan. 10 44 44 85th Jan. 23 61 61 2
40th Jan. 10 44 44 86th Jan. 23 61 61 2
41st Jan. 10 44 44 87th Jan. 23 60 60 2
42nd Jan. 10 43 43 88th Jan. 23 60 60 2
43rd Jan. 10 44 44 89th Jan. 23 59 59 2
44th Jan. 10 42 42 90th Jan. 23 60 60 2
45th Jan. 10 42 42 91st Jan. 24 60 60 1
46th Jan. 10 42 42 92nd Jan. 26 61 59

On February 3, the Legislature elected Ex-Governor Edwin D. Morgan (R) to succeed Preston King (R) as U.S. Senator from New York for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1863.

State Senate edit

Districts edit

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 edit

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

Party affiliations follow the vote for U.S. Senator.

District Senator Party Notes
1st Monroe Henderson* due to ill health, did not take his seat at this session
2nd Jesse C. Smith* Republican
3rd Henry C. Murphy* Democrat
4th Christian B. Woodruff* Democrat
5th Charles G. Cornell* Democrat also New York City Street Commissioner
6th John J. Bradley* Democrat
7th Richard B. Connolly* Democrat
8th Hezekiah D. Robertson* Republican
9th Henry R. Low* Republican
10th Jacob S. Freer* Democrat
11th William H. Tobey* Republican
12th Ralph Richards* Republican
13th John V. L. Pruyn* Democrat
14th Joseph H. Ramsey* Republican
15th William Clark Republican elected to fill vacancy, in place of John Willard
16th Russell M. Little* Republican
17th Charles C. Montgomery* Republican
18th James A. Bell* Republican
19th Alexander H. Bailey* Republican
20th George A. Hardin* Republican
21st Richard K. Sanford* Republican
22nd Allen Munroe* Republican
23rd Henry A. Clark* Republican
24th Lyman Truman* Republican
25th Chauncey M. Abbott* Republican died on November 11, 1863
26th Charles J. Folger* Republican
27th Charles Cook* Republican
28th Lysander Farrar* Republican
29th Almanzor Hutchinson* Republican
30th Wilkes Angel* Republican
31st John Ganson* Democrat on November 4, 1862, elected to the 38th U.S. Congress
32nd Horace C. Young* Republican

Employees edit

  • Clerk: James Terwilliger
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Richard U. Owens
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Caleb S. Babcock
  • Doorkeeper: Orville Griffin
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper: Charles Johnson
  • Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Sanders Wilson
  • Third Assistant Doorkeeper: Giles H. Holden

State Assembly edit

Assemblymen edit

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

Party affiliations follow the original vote for Speaker.

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st William J. Snyder Democrat
2nd John Cutler Democrat
3rd Henry L. Wait Democrat
4th William L. Oswald Democrat
Allegany 1st Alvah E. Cruttenden* Republican
2nd Edward D. Loveridge* Republican
Broome Francis B. Smith Republican
Cattaraugus 1st Andrew L. Allen* Republican
2nd Albert G. Dow Republican
Cayuga 1st George I. Post Republican
2nd William P. Robinson Republican
Chautauqua 1st John Steward Republican
2nd Henry C. Lake* Republican
Chemung Charles Hulett Democrat
Chenango 1st Elizur H. Prindle Republican
2nd Francis B. Fisher* Republican
Clinton George Adgate Democrat
Columbia 1st Peter G. Kisselbrack Democrat
2nd Elias W. Bostwick Republican
Cortland Henry B. Van Hoesen Republican
Delaware 1st Robert W. Courtney Republican
2nd Francis R. Gilbert Democrat
Dutchess 1st Luther S. Dutcher Democrat
2nd Joseph C. Doughty Democrat
Erie 1st John W. Murphy* Democrat
2nd Horatio Seymour* Democrat
3rd Timothy A. Hopkins Democrat
4th Anson G. Conger Republican
Essex Palmer E. Havens* Republican
Franklin Albert Andrus* Republican
Fulton and Hamilton Willard J. Heacock Republican
Genesee Loren Green Republican
Greene Luke Roe Democrat
Herkimer 1st Griffin Sweet Republican
2nd Archibald C. McGowan Republican
Jefferson 1st Charles A. Benjamin Republican
2nd Levi Miller Republican
3rd William Dewey* Republican
Kings 1st John Paulding[1] Democrat
2nd Bernard Hughes Democrat
3rd Samuel E. Johnson Democrat
4th James Darcy* Democrat died on September 1, 1863[2]
5th Theophilus C. Callicot Democrat elected Speaker
6th Henry C. Boswell Democrat
7th Charles P. Leslie Democrat
Lewis John Chickering Republican
Livingston 1st Hamilton E. Smith Republican
2nd Samuel Skinner* Republican
Madison 1st William H. Brand* Republican
2nd George L. Rouse Republican
Monroe 1st George E. McGonegal* Republican
2nd Eliphaz Trimmer* Democrat
3rd William Brown[3] Republican
Montgomery Freeman P. Moulton Democrat
New York 1st Cornelius Flynn Democrat
2nd Daniel Leamy* Democrat
3rd George L. Loutrel* Democrat
4th William C. Gover Democrat
5th Henry Rogers Democrat
6th Julius Korn Democrat
7th Vincent C. King Democrat
8th Thomas H. Hill Democrat
9th David V. Freeman Democrat
10th Daniel M. O'Brien* Democrat
11th Thomas A. Ledwith Democrat
12th Andrew Smith* Democrat
13th Alexander Ward* Democrat
14th Robert C. Hutchings Democrat
15th Gilbert Dean Democrat
16th Michael McCann Democrat
17th Thomas C. Fields Democrat also a Central Park Commissioner
Niagara 1st Benjamin H. Fletcher* Democrat
2nd William Morgan Republican
Oneida 1st Abram B. Weaver Democrat
2nd Daniel M. Prescott Republican
3rd Asa S. Sherman Democrat
4th Isaac McDougall Republican
Onondaga 1st James M. Munro Republican
2nd Elizur Clark Democrat
3rd Joseph Breed Republican
Ontario 1st Perez H. Field Republican
2nd Lanson Dewey Republican
Orange 1st John D. Van Buren Democrat
2nd Charles S. Woodward Democrat
Orleans John Parks Republican
Oswego 1st Abner C. Mattoon Republican
2nd Hiram W. Loomis Republican
3rd Harvey Palmer Republican
Otsego 1st William Brooks Democrat
2nd Cornelius A. Church* Republican
Putnam Saxton Smith Democrat also Supervisor of Putnam Valley
Queens 1st Charles T. Duryea Democrat
2nd Henry S. Lott Democrat
Rensselaer 1st James McKeon Democrat
2nd John A. Quackenbush Republican
3rd Ebenezer S. Strait Democrat
Richmond Theodore Frean Democrat
Rockland James S. Haring* Democrat
St. Lawrence 1st Elias P. Townsley* Republican
2nd James Redington* Republican
3rd Abraham X. Parker Republican
Saratoga 1st Ira Brockett Democrat
2nd Nathaniel M. Houghton* Republican
Schenectady John McShea Jr. Democrat
Schoharie Stephen L. Mayham Democrat
Schuyler Samuel Lawrence Republican
Seneca James McLean Democrat
Steuben 1st John W. Taggart Republican
2nd Henry Sherwood* Republican
3rd Horace Bemis Republican
Suffolk 1st Benjamin F. Wiggins Republican
2nd John S. Havens* Democrat
Sullivan William Gillespie Democrat
Tioga Nathaniel W. Davis Republican
Tompkins Ezra Cornell* Republican
Ulster 1st Jesse F. Bookstaver* Democrat
2nd Jacob LeFever Republican
3rd Ebenezer Westbrook* Democrat
Warren Newton Aldrich Republican
Washington 1st Asa C. Tefft Republican
2nd Ervin Hopkins Jr. Republican
Wayne 1st Thaddeus W. Collins Republican
2nd Lemuel Durfee Republican
Westchester 1st Pierre C. Talman* Democrat
2nd John E. Marshall Democrat
3rd Chauncey M. Depew* Republican on November 3, 1863, elected Secretary of State of New York
Wyoming Byron Healy Republican
Yates Guy Shaw Republican

Employees edit

  • Clerk: Joseph B. Cushman
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Levi M. Gano
  • Doorkeeper: Charles E. Young
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper: Alexander Frier
  • Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Willard L. Cook

References edit

  1. ^ John Paulding, grandson of John Paulding (1758–1818)
  2. ^ "Death of the Honorable James Darcy". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Vol. 22, no. 212. Brooklyn, N.Y. September 2, 1863. p. 2 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  3. ^ William Brown, son of William B. Brown, assemblyman in 1832

Sources edit

  • The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner (1870; see pg. 439 for Senate districts; pg. 443 for senators; pg. 450–463 for Assembly districts; and pg. 497ff for assemblymen)
  • Journal of the Senate (86th Session) (1863)
  • Journal of the Assembly (86th Session) (1863)
  • Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and the Members of the Legislature of the State of New York in 1862 and '63 by William D. Murphy (1863)