The 63rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan comp ...

and the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

, 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 The Constitution of the State of New York establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. Like most state constitutions in the United States, New York's constitut ...

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 Noadiah Johnson (1795 Connecticut – April 4, 1839 Albany, New York) was an American lawyer, newspaperman, and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1833 to 1835. Life He removed to Delaware County, New York ...

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.

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 Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

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. 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 Edward Thurlow Weed (November 15, 1797 – November 22, 1882) was a printer, New York newspaper publisher, and Whig and Republican politician. He was the principal political advisor to prominent New York politician William H. Seward and was i ...

to succeed Edwin Croswell as State Printer. On February 3, Lt. Gov. Bradish did not attend the session, and

Frederick A. Tallmadge Frederick Augustus Tallmadge (August 29, 1792 – September 17, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician from New York (state), New York. Life He was born on August 29, 1792, in Litchfield, Connecticut, the son of Benjamin Tallmadge (1754–1 ...

was elected president pro tempore of the Senate. On the same day,

Jacob Haight Jacob Haight (March 4, 1775 or 1776 – c. 1860 Catskill, Greene County, New York) was an American politician. Life He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1824 to 1827. In 1828, he was among the incorporators of the Catskill and Itha ...

(W) was re-elected State Treasurer. On February 22, the Legislature elected George H. Boughton,

Simon Newton Dexter Simon Newton Dexter (May 11, 1785 Providence, Rhode Island - November 18, 1862 Whitesboro, Oneida County, New York) was an American merchant and a New York politician. Life He was the son of Andrew Dexter, the first American manufacturer of ...

, Henry Hamilton, David Hudson and

Asa Whitney Asa Whitney (1797–1872) was a highly successful dry-goods merchant and transcontinental railroad promoter. He was one of the first backers of an American transcontinental railway. A trip to China in 1842–44 impressed upon Whitney the nee ...

to succeed William Baker,

William C. Bouck William Christian Bouck (January 7, 1786 – April 19, 1859) was an American politician from New York. He was the 13th Governor of New York from 1843 to 1844. A native of Fultonham, New York, Bouck was educated in the local schools while w ...

, John Bowman, Jonas Earll, Jr. and State Senator Samuel Young as Canal Commissioners. On September 2, the Democratic state convention met at

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy * Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' * Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...

, and nominated

for Governor, and State Senator

Daniel S. Dickinson Daniel Stevens Dickinson (September 11, 1800April 12, 1866) was an American politician and lawyer, most notable as a United States senator from 1844 to 1851. Biography Born in Goshen, Connecticut, he moved with his parents to Guilford, Chenan ...

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 Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

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 * '' ...

and

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

counties. * The Second District (4 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam,

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, Rockland,

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include ...

, Sullivan,

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

and Westchester counties. * The Third District (4 seats) consisted of Albany,

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community *Greene, Iowa, a city *Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene *Greene (town), New York ** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...

, Rensselaer,

Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

and Schoharie counties. * The Fourth District (4 seats) consisted of Clinton,

Essex Essex () is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the Riv ...

, Franklin, Fulton,

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

, Herkimer, Montgomery, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

counties. * The Fifth District (4 seats) consisted of Jefferson,

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida ...

, Oswego and Otsego counties. * The Sixth District (4 seats) consisted of Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chemung, Chenango,

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American customs ...

, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins counties. * The Seventh District (4 seats) consisted of

Cayuga Cayuga often refers to: * Cayuga people, a native tribe to North America, part of the Iroquois Confederacy * Cayuga language, the language of the Cayuga Cayuga may also refer to: Places Canada * Cayuga, Ontario United States * Cayuga, Illinoi ...

, Cortland, Onondaga,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Seneca, Wayne and

Yates Yates may refer to: Places United States * Fort Yates, North Dakota *Yates Spring, a spring in Georgia, United States *Yates City, Illinois * Yates Township, Illinois *Yates Center, Kansas * Yates, Michigan * Yates Township, Michigan *Yates, Misso ...

counties. * The Eighth District (4 seats) consisted of

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua br ...

, Erie,

Genesee Genesee, derived from the Seneca word for "pleasant valley", may refer to: Geographic features Canada *Genesee, Alberta, an unincorporated community United States *Genesee, California *Genesee, Colorado *Genesee County, Michigan *Genesee Co ...

, Monroe, Niagara and Orleans counties. Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of

. 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: 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 Broome County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the county had a population of 198,683. Its county seat is Binghamton. The county was named for John Broome, the state's lieutenant governor when B ...

(1 seat) *

Cattaraugus County Cattaraugus County (locally known as Catt County) is a county in Western New York, with one side bordering Pennsylvania. As of the United States 2020 census, the population was 77,042. The county seat is Little Valley. The county was create ...

(2 seats) * Cayuga County (3 seats) * Chautauqua County (3 seats) *

Chemung County Chemung County is a county in the southern tier of the U.S. state of New York. The population was 84,148 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat is Elmira. Its name is derived from a Delaware Indian village whose name meant "big horn". Chem ...

(1 seat) * Chenango County (3 seats) *

Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York **Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, s ...

(1 seat) * Columbia County (3 seats) *

Cortland County Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population of Cortland County was 46,809. The county seat is Cortland. The county is named after Pierre Van Cortlandt, president of the convention ...

(2 seats) * Delaware County (2 seats) *

Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later or ...

(3 seats) * Erie County (3 seats) * Essex County (1 seat) * Franklin County (1 seat) * Fulton and

counties (1 seat) * Genesee County (4 seats) * Greene County (2 seats) * Herkimer County (2 seats) * Jefferson County (3 seats) *

Kings County Kings County or King's County may refer to: Places Canada *Kings County, New Brunswick *Kings County, Nova Scotia *Kings County, Prince Edward Island ** King's County (electoral district), abolished in 1892 Ireland * County Offaly, formerly calle ...

(2 seats) * Lewis County (1 seat) * Livingston County (2 seats) * Madison County (3 seats) *

Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: *Monroe County, Alabama * Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida *Monroe County, Georgia * Monroe County, Illinois * Monroe County, Indi ...

(3 seats) * Montgomery County (2 seats) * The City and County of

(13 seats) * Niagara County (2 seats) * Oneida County (4 seats) *

Onondaga County Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA. History The name ''Onondaga'' derives from ...

(4 seats) * Ontario County (3 seats) * Orange County (3 seats) * Orleans County (1 seat) *

Oswego County Oswego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 117,525. The county seat is Oswego. The county name is from a Mohawk-language word meaning "the pouring out place", referring to the point at ...

(2 seats) * Otsego County (3 seats) * Putnam County (1 seat) * Queens County (1 seat) *

Rensselaer County Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the ...

(3 seats) * Richmond County (1 seat) *

Rockland County Rockland County is the southernmost county on the west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. It is about from the Bronx at their closest points. The county's population, as of t ...

(1 seat) * St. Lawrence County (2 seats) * Saratoga County (2 seats) *

Schenectady County Schenectady County () is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,061. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk language word meaning "on the other side of the pine lands," a ter ...

(1 seat) *

Schoharie County Schoharie County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 29,714, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. The 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 Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,740. The county seat is Ithaca. The name is in honor of Daniel D. Tompkins, who served as Governor of New York and Vice Preside ...

(2 seats) * Ulster County (2 seats) * Warren County (1 seat) *

(2 seats) * Wayne County (2 seats) *

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

(2 seats) * Yates County (1 seat) Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of

. 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. Party affiliations follow the result given in The New Yorker.

Employees

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

Notes

Sources

''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) g. 109 and 441 for Senate districts; pg. 132 for senators; pg. 148f for Assembly districts; pg. 223f for assemblymen
''The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, from the Ratification of the Federal Constitution to 1840''
by

Jabez D. Hammond Jabez Delano Hammond (August 2, 1778 – August 18, 1855) was an American physician, lawyer, author and politician. Life Hammond was born in New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He practiced medicine in Reading, Vermont, but afterward stud ...

(4th ed., Vol. 2, Phinney & Co., Buffalo, 1850; pg. 517 to 528)
''The Politician's Register''
published by

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

(1840; pg. 55f)
''A Political Register for 1840''
published by E. C. Markley (Philadelphia, 1840; pg. 17f)
''The New Yorker''
(issue of November 16, 1839) {{NYLegislatures 063 1840 in New York (state) 1840 U.S. legislative sessions