Background
Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, amended by the Constitutional Convention of 1801, 32 Senators were elected on general tickets in the four 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. In 1797, Albany was declared the State capital, and all subsequent Legislatures have been meeting there ever since. In 1799, the Legislature enacted that future Legislatures meet on the last Tuesday of January of each year unless called earlier by the governor. In 1808, Cortland County was split from Onondaga County, and in 1809 was apportioned 1 seat in the Assembly, taken from Onondaga. In 1809, Schenectady County was split from Albany County, and was apportioned 2 seats in the Assembly, taken from Albany. Also in 1809, Sullivan County was split from Ulster County, but both remained in a joint Assembly district. At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalist Party, Federalists and the Democratic-Republican Party, Democratic-Republicans.The Anti-Federalists called themselves "Republicans." However, at the same time, the Federalists called them "Democrats" which was meant to be pejorative. After some time both terms got more and more confused, and sometimes used together as "Democratic Republicans" which later historians have adopted (with a hyphen) to describe the party from the beginning, to avoid confusion with both the later established and still existing Democratic Party (United States), Democratic and Republican Party (United States), Republican parties. At this time the major political controversy was the Embargo Act of 1807 which was supported by the Democratic-Republicans, but opposed by the Federalists. The Embargo was very unpopular and led to a revival of the Federalist Party which had been reduced to a small minority (without any member in the Senate from 1806 to 1808), but at the State election in April 1809 already won a majority of the Assembly seats.Elections
The State election was held from April 25 to 27, 1809. Israel Carll (Southern D.), Johannes Bruyn, Samuel Haight (Greene County, NY), Samuel Haight (both Middle D.), Daniel Paris (politician), Daniel Paris, John Stearns (New York), John Stearns, (both Eastern D.), Amos Hall, Seth Phelps (New York), Seth Phelps and Jonas Platt (all three Western D.) were elected to the Senate. Carll, Bruyn and Haight were Democratic-Republicans, the other five were Federalists.Sessions
The Legislature met at the Old City Hall in Albany, New York, Albany on January 30, 1810; and adjourned on April 6. William North (Fed.) was elected Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Speaker with 59 votes against 45 for William Livingston (Washington County, NY), William Livingston (Dem.-Rep.). James Van Ingen (Fed.) was elected Clerk of the Assembly with 59 votes against 47 for the incumbent Daniel Rodman (New York), Daniel Rodman (Dem.-Rep.). The incumbent Thomas D. Donnelly (Dem.-Rep.) was re-elected Sergeant-at-Arms of the Assembly with 55 votes against 49 for Jacob C. Cuyler (Fed.). On February 8, the Legislature elected Abraham G. Lansing (Fed.) to succeed David Thomas (New York), David Thomas (Dem.-Rep.) as New York State Treasurer. On March 13, 1810, State Senator Jonas Platt presented his project for a bipartisan Erie Canal Commission, Canal Commission to the State Legislature, and two days later the Legislature appointed Gouverneur Morris, Assemblyman Stephen Van Rensselaer, Speaker William North, Thomas Eddy (all four Fed.), State Senator DeWitt Clinton, Surveyor General Simeon DeWitt and Congressman Peter B. Porter (all three Dem.-Rep.) a "Commission to Explore a Route for a Canal to Lake Erie, and Report".State Senate
Districts
*The Southern District (5 seats) consisted of Brooklyn, Kings, Manhattan, New York, Queens, Staten Island, Richmond, Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk and Westchester County, New York, Westchester counties. *The Middle District (7 seats) consisted of Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess, Orange County, New York, Orange, Ulster County, New York, Ulster, Columbia County, New York, Columbia, Delaware County, New York, Delaware, Rockland County, New York, Rockland, Greene County, New York, Greene and Sullivan County, New York, Sullivan counties. *The Eastern District (8 seats) consisted of Washington County, New York, Washington, Clinton County, New York, Clinton, Rensselaer County, New York, Rensselaer, Albany County, New York, Albany, Saratoga County, New York, Saratoga, Essex County, New York, Essex, Montgomery County, New York, Montgomery, Franklin County, New York, Franklin and Schenectady County, New York, Schenectady counties. *The Western District (12 seats) consisted of Herkimer County, New York, Herkimer, Ontario County, New York, Ontario, Otsego County, New York, Otsego, Tioga County, New York, Tioga, Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga, Schoharie County, New York, Schoharie, Steuben County, New York, Steuben, Chenango County, New York, Chenango, Oneida County, New York, Oneida, Cayuga County, New York, Cayuga, Genesee County, New York, Genesee, Seneca County, New York, Seneca, Jefferson County, New York, Jefferson, Lewis County, New York, Lewis, St. Lawrence County, New York, St. Lawrence, Allegany County, New York, Allegany, Broome County, New York, Broome, Madison County, New York, Madison, Niagara County, New York, Niagara and Cortland County, New York, Cortland counties. Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York (state), 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.Employees
*Clerk: Sebastian VisscherState Assembly
Districts
*Albany County, New York, Albany County (4 seats) *Allegany County, New York, Allegany and Steuben County, New York, Steuben counties (1 seat) *Broome County, New York, Broome County (1 seat) *Cayuga County, New York, Cayuga County (3 seats) *Chenango County, New York, Chenango County (3 seats) *Clinton County, New York, Clinton and Franklin County, New York, Franklin counties (1 seat) *Columbia County, New York, Columbia County (4 seats) *Cortland County, New York, Cortland County (1 seat) *Delaware County, New York, Delaware County (2 seats) *Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess County (6 seats) *Essex County, New York, Essex County (1 seat) *Genesee County, New York, Genesee County (1 seat) *Greene County, New York, Greene County (2 seats) *Herkimer County, New York, Herkimer County (3 seats) *Jefferson County, New York, Jefferson County (2 seats) *Brooklyn, Kings County (1 seat) *Lewis County, New York, Lewis County (1 seat) *Madison County, New York, Madison County (3 seats) *Montgomery County, New York, Montgomery County (5 seats) *The City and County of Manhattan, New York (11 seats) *Niagara County, New York, Niagara County (1 seat) *Oneida County, New York, Oneida County (5 seats) *Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County (2 seats) *Ontario County, New York, Ontario County (5 seats) *Orange County, New York, Orange County (4 seats) *Otsego County, New York, Otsego County (4 seats) *Queens, Queens County (3 seats) *Rensselaer County, New York, Rensselaer County (4 seats) *Staten Island, Richmond County (1 seat) *Rockland County, New York, Rockland County (1 seat) *St. Lawrence County, New York, St. Lawrence County (1 seat) *Saratoga County, New York, Saratoga County (4 seats) *Schenectady County, New York, Schenectady County (2 seats) *Schoharie County, New York, Schoharie County (2 seats) *Seneca County, New York, Seneca County (1 seat) *Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County (3 seats) *Sullivan County, New York, Sullivan and Ulster County, New York, Ulster counties (4 seats) *Tioga County, New York, Tioga County (1 seat) *Washington County, New York, Washington County (5 seats) *Westchester County, New York, Westchester County (3 seats) Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York (state), 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. Nathaniel Locke changed from the Senate to the Assembly.Employees
*Clerk: James Van Ingen *Sergeant-at-Arms: Thomas Donnelly (sergeant-at-arms), Thomas Donnelly *Doorkeeper: Benjamin WhippleNotes
Sources