67th New York State Legislature

67th New York State Legislature
The Old State Capitol (1879)
Duration: January 1 – December 31, 1844
President of the State Senate:	Lt. Gov. Daniel S. Dickinson (D)
Temporary President of the State Senate:	Henry A. Foster (D), from February 8
Speaker of the State Assembly:	Elisha Litchfield (D)
Members:	32 Senators 128 Assemblymen
Senate Majority:	Democratic (26-6)
Assembly Majority:	Democratic (92-36)
Sessions
1st: January 2 – May 7, 1844
<66th 68th>

The 67th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to May 7, 1844, during the second year of William C. Bouck'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 William Ruger died on May 21, 1843, leaving a vacancy in the Fifth District.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig Party. About this time began the split of the Democratic Party into Barnburners and Hunkers. The radical abolitionists appeared as the Liberty Party. In New York City the American Republican Party nominated a full ticket

Elections

The State election was held on November 7, 1843.

State Senator Morris Franklin (1st D.) was defeated for re-election.

Sessions

On January 1, the Democratic assemblymen met in caucus and nominated Elisha Litchfield (Hunker) for Speaker with 56 votes against 35 for Michael Hoffman (Barnburner).

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 2, 1844; and adjourned on May 7.

Elisha Litchfield (D) was elected Speaker with 90 votes against 28 for Samuel Stevens (W). James R. Rose (D) was elected Clerk of the Assembly with 89 votes against 33 for George W. Weed (W).

On February 5, the Legislature re-elected State Treasurer Thomas Farrington (D).

On February 8, Henry A. Foster was elected President pro tempore of the Senate.

On May 6, the Legislature enacted to reduce the number of canal commissioners from 6 to 4, and that the canal commissioners be elected statewide by popular ballot. This was the first time, since Independence, that any other office than governor and lieutenant governor was to be filled by a statewide popular election.^[1]

On June 17, U.S. Senator Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (W) resigned his seat, and was appointed as Governor of the Wisconsin Territory.

The Democratic state convention met on September 4 at Syracuse, Heman J. Redfield (Hunker) was Chairman. They nominated U.S. Senator Silas Wright, Jr. for Governor, Addison Gardiner for Lieutenant Governor; and an electoral ticket pledged to James K. Polk.

The Whig state convention met on September 11 at Syracuse, Francis Granger was Chairman. They nominated Millard Fillmore for Governor; Samuel J. Wilkin for Lieutenant Governor; and an electoral ticket pledged to Henry Clay.

U.S. Senator Silas Wright, Jr. (D) was elected Governor of New York, and resigned his seat in November 1844. On November 30, Gov. Bouck appointed Lt. Gov. Daniel S. Dickinson (D) and State Senator Henry A. Foster (D) to fill the two vacancies temporarily.

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, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. David R. Floyd-Jones and Joshua B. Smith changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Employees

• Clerk: Isaac R. Elwood
• Deputy Clerks: Charles Bryan, Hiram Leonard
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles Niven
• Doorkeeper: Joel Gillett
• Assistant Doorkeeper: Martin Miller

State Assembly

Districts

Assemblymen

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

Employees

• Clerk: James R. Rose
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Jonathan P. Couch
• Doorkeeper: John P. Davis
• Assistant Doorkeeper: David E. Williams
• Second Assistant Doorkeeper: John Moore

Notes

1. ↑ This mode was adopted a few years later by the New York Constitution of 1846, and subsequent amendments, so that in the early 1870s a total of 20 offices were so filled (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Comptroller, Attorney General, State Treasurer, State Engineer, 3 Canal Commissioners, 3 Inspectors of State Prisons and 7 Court of Appeals judges). Now only the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Comptroller, Attorney General and 2 U.S. Senators are elected by statewide popular ballot in New York.
2. ↑ Gen. Samuel Stevens (1794–1854), lawyer, see The Gravestone of Samuel Stevens

Sources

• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) [pg. 109 and 441 for Senate districts; pg. 134 for senators; pg. 148f for Assembly districts; pg. 228f for assemblymen]
• Political History of the State of New York from January 1, 1841, to January 1, 1847, Vol III, including the Life of Silas Wright (Hall & Dickson, Syracuse NY, 1848; pg. 368 to 565)
• The Whig Almanac and Politicians Register for 1844 (pg. 56)

New York State Legislatures by year convened
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