The 84th 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 1 to April 16, 1861, during the third year of
Edwin D. Morgan'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 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
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
* Republican Party (Liberia)
*Republican Party ...
and the
Democratic Party. The Democrats split over the slavery issue and presidential nomination. Two State tickets were nominated, one supporting
Stephen A. Douglas for president, the other supporting
John C. Breckinridge.
Elections
The
New York state election, 1860
The 1860 New York state election was held on November 6, 1860, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, a Canal Commissioner, and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly. Besides, the question ...
was held on November 6. Gov. Edwin D. Morgan and Lt. Gov. Robert Campbell (both Rep.) were re-elected. The other two statewide elective offices were also carried by the Republicans. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor was: Republican 358,000; Douglas Democratic 294,000; and Breckinridge Democratic 19,000.
Sessions
The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in
Albany on January 1, 1861; and adjourned on April 16.
DeWitt C. Littlejohn (R) 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 90 votes against 31 for
Francis Kernan (D).
On January 16, the Legislature elected
Benjamin F. Bruce (R) as
Canal Commissioner
The Commission to Explore a Route for a Canal to Lake Erie and Report, known as the Erie Canal Commission, was a body created by the New York State Legislature in 1810 to plan the Erie Canal. In 1817 a ''Canal Fund'' led by ''Commissioners of the C ...
, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Commissioner-elect
Samuel H. Barnes (R).
On February 5,
the Legislature elected Ex-Supreme Court Justice
Ira Harris
Ira Harris (May 31, 1802December 2, 1875) was an American jurist and senator from New York. He was also a friend of Abraham Lincoln.
Life
Ira Harris was born in Charleston, New York on May 31, 1802. He grew up on a farm, and graduated from Unio ...
(R) to succeed
William H. Seward as
U.S. Senator from New York for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1861.
On February 8,
Ephraim Goss
Ephraim Goss (June 12, 1806 – July 27, 1877) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.
Life
He was the son of John Goss (c.1768–1848) and Mary (Lamont) Goss (c.1767–1844). He was born in that part of the Town of Middleburgh which ...
(R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this day."
On February 19,
Jay Gibbons (D) asked the Assembly to appoint a Select Committee to investigate allegations that he had "corruptly solicited a consideration for his official action in regard to a bill now pending before this House, to increase the salary of the assistant district attorney of the County of Albany." Speaker Littlejohn appointed assemblymen Bingham, Tuthill (both R), Hutchings, Kernan and Taber (all three D) to this committee.
Mitchell Sanford
Mitchell Sanford (February 24, 1799 in Greenville, Greene County, New York – March 29, 1861 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.
Life
On September 27, 1823, he married Sarah Wells (1804â ...
and
Theophilus C. Callicot appeared for Gibbons's defence during the proceedings.
On March 7,
Peter P. Murphy (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this day." On the same day, a Committee was appointed to "enquire and report whether it be necessary to appoint a President pro tempore, or whether the President pro tempore chosen at the previous session holds his office during the present session."
On March 12, the Committee reported that it is necessary to appoint a President pro tempore, and that the President pro tempore chosen at the previous session does not continue in office at the next session. Besides, the committee opined that a President pro tempore can only be appointed if the Lieutenant Governor is actually absent, and that the appointment ceases whenever the Lieutenant Governor returns.
On March 25,
Erastus S. Prosser (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this day." Later on the same day,
William H. Ferry (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for the balance of the Session."
[see Senate Journal; pg. 403]
On April 3, the Select Committee's resolution to expel Jay Gibbons was adopted by a vote of 99 to 8.
State Senate
Districts
* 1st District:
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
counties
* 2nd District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 11th, 13th and 19th wards of the City of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
* 3rd District: 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th wards of the City of Brooklyn; and
all towns in Kings County
* 4th District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 14th wards of New York City
* 5th District: 10th, 11th, 13th and 17th wards of New York City
* 6th District: 9th, 15th, 16th and 18th wards of New York City
* 7th District: 12th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd wards of New York City
* 8th District:
Putnam,
Rockland and
Westchester counties
* 9th District:
Orange and
Sullivan counties
* 10th District:
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 ...
and
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 ...
counties
* 11th District:
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 ...
and
Dutchess counties
* 12th District:
Rensselaer 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
* 13th District:
Albany County
* 14th District:
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 ...
,
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
* 15th District:
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 ...
,
Montgomery and
Saratoga counties
* 16th District:
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 ...
and
Warren counties
* 17th District:
Franklin and
St. Lawrence counties
* 18th District:
Jefferson and
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 ...
counties
* 19th District:
Oneida County
* 20th District:
Herkimer and
Otsego counties
* 21st District:
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 ...
* 22nd District:
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 ...
* 23rd District:
Chenango,
Cortland and
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 ...
counties
* 24th District:
Broome,
Tompkins and
Tioga counties
* 25th District:
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 ...
and
Wayne counties
* 26th District:
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 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
* 27th District:
Chemung,
Schuyler and
Steuben counties
* 28th District:
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 ...
* 29th District:
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 ...
,
Niagara and
Orleans counties
* 30th District:
Allegany,
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 ...
and
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...
counties
* 31st District:
Erie County
* 32nd District:
Cattaraugus and
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 ...
counties
Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of
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
* '' ...
. 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:
James Terwilliger
James Terwilliger (October 3, 1809September 1, 1892) was an Oregon pioneer and one of the first residents of Portland, Oregon. He is the namesake of Portland's Terwilliger Boulevard and Terwilliger School.
Early life
Terwilliger was born in 1809 ...
* Sergeant-at-Arms: James C. Clark
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: George H. Knapp
* Doorkeeper: Peter Kilmer
* First Assistant Doorkeeper: Charles Johnson
* Second Assistant Doorkeeper: John H. France
* Third Assistant Doorkeeper: Caspar Walter
State Assembly
Assemblymen
The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.
Party affiliations follow the vote for Speaker and U.S. Senator.
Employees
* Clerk:
Hanson A. Risley
* Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles D. Easton
* Doorkeeper: George C. Dennis
* First Assistant Doorkeeper: Henry Henderson
* Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Sanders Wilson
Notes
Sources
''The New York Civil List''compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner (1867; see pg. 439 for Senate districts; pg. 442 for senators; pg. 450–462 for Assembly districts; and pg. 492ff for assemblymen)
''Journal of the Senate'' (84th Session)(1861)
''Journal of the Assembly'' (84th Session)(1861)
''Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York''by William D. Murphy (1861)
{{NYLegislatures
084
1861 in New York (state)
1861 U.S. legislative sessions