The 1869 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 19, 1869, by the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official ...

. Incumbent Senator

Edwin D. Morgan Edwin Denison Morgan (February 8, 1811February 14, 1883) was the 21st governor of New York from 1859 to 1862 and served in the United States Senate from 1863 to 1869. He was the first and longest-serving chairman of the Republican National Comm ...

stood for a second term in office, but lost the support of the Republican legislative caucus in favor of

Reuben Fenton Reuben Eaton Fenton (July 4, 1819August 25, 1885) was an American merchant and politician from New York (state), New York. In the mid-19th Century, he served as a United States House of Representatives , U.S. Representative, a United States Sen ...

Background

Republican

had been elected in February 1863 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1869. At the State election in November 1867, 17 Republicans and 15 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1868-1869) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1868, Democrat John T. Hoffman was elected Governor, and 75 Republicans and 53 Democrats were elected for the session of 1869 to the Assembly. The

92nd New York State Legislature The 92nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to May 11, 1869, during the first year of John T. Hoffman's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provi ...

met from January 5 to May 11, 1869, at

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

Candidates

Republican caucus

The caucus of

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

State legislators met on January 16, Assemblyman John H. Selkreg presided. All 92 legislators were present. They nominated Ex-Governor

Reuben E. Fenton Reuben Eaton Fenton (July 4, 1819August 25, 1885) was an American merchant and politician from New York (state), New York. In the mid-19th Century, he served as a United States House of Representatives , U.S. Representative, a United States Sen ...

for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent U.S. Senator

was very keen on his re-election, but was voted down. Speaker Truman G. Younglove had held back the appointments to the standing Assembly committees until after the caucus, and subsequent election, of a U.S. Senator, and was accused by the Morgan men to have made a bargain to favor the Fenton men with appointments after the election was accomplished. After the caucus, comparing notes, the assemblymen discovered that some of the most important committee chairmanships had been promised to a dozen different members by Speaker Younglove. Note: On the first ballot, 93 votes were cast, one too many, and it was annulled without announcing the result. The above stated result transpired unofficially. The blank vote caused some debate if the result was really invalidated by it, but it was finally agreed to take a second ballot.

Democratic caucus

The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met on January 18. State Senator

Henry C. Murphy Henry Cruse Murphy (July 5, 1810 – December 1, 1882) was an American lawyer, politician and historian. During his political career, he served as Mayor of Brooklyn, a member of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Minister to the N ...

was again nominated, like in 1867.

Election

In the Assembly, Republicans DeWitt C. Hoyt (Saratoga Co.) and James O. Schoonmaker (Ulster Co.); and Democrats James Irving (NYC), Lawrence D. Kiernan (NYC), Harris B. Howard (Rensselaer Co.), James B. Pearsall (Queens), John Tighe (Albany Co.) and Moses Y. Tilden (Columbia Co.); did not vote. In the State Senate, Republicans Matthew Hale (16th D.) and Charles Stanford (15th D.); and Democrats Cauldwell,

Thomas J. Creamer Thomas James Creamer (May 26, 1843 – August 4, 1914) was an American lawyer and politician from New York who served two non-consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1873 to 1875, and from 1901 to 1903 Life Born near Lough ...

, Michael Norton (5th D.) and John J. Bradley (7th D.); did not vote.

Result

Reuben E. Fenton was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected. Notes: *The vote for Ex- Secretary of State Randall was cast by Henry C. Murphy. *The votes were cast on January 19, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 20 to compare nominations, and declare the result.

Aftermath

Fenton served one term, and remained in office until March 3, 1875.

Sources

Members of the 41st United States Congress
*Result state election 1867 i
''The Tribune Almanac for 1868''
compiled by

Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressm ...

of the ''

New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s through the 1860s it was the domi ...

'' *Result state election 1868 i
''The Tribune Almanac for 1869''
compiled by

of the ''

''
''ALBANY.; Caucus of the Republican Members of the Legislature; Reuben E. Fenton Nominated United States Senator''
in NYT on January 17, 1869
''ALBANY.; Election of United States Senator''
in NYT on January 20, 1869 * Result State Senate i
''Journal of the Senate'' (92nd Session)
(1869; pg. 58f) * Result Assembly i
''Journal of the Assembly'' (92nd Session)
(1869; Vol. I, pg. 75f) {{New York elections 1869

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...