| 82nd New York State Legislature | |||||
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 The Old State Capitol (1879) | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | New York State Legislature | ||||
| Jurisdiction | New York, United States | ||||
| Term | January 1 – December 31, 1859 | ||||
| Senate | |||||
| Members | 32 | ||||
| President | Lt. Gov. Robert Campbell (R) | ||||
| Temporary President | William A. Wheeler (R), from January 18 | ||||
| Party control | Republican (17-13-2) | ||||
| Assembly | |||||
| Members | 128 | ||||
| Speaker | DeWitt C. Littlejohn (R) | ||||
| Party control | Republican (91-29-8) | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
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The 82nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 19, 1859, during the first year of Edwin D. Morgan's governorship, in Albany.
Background
Under the provisions of the New York Constitution 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 Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Know Nothing movement ran in the election as the "American Party."
Elections
The 1858 New York state election was held on November 2. Republicans Edwin D. Morgan and Robert Campbell were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor. 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 248,000; Democratic 230,000; and American 61,000.
Sessions
The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1859; and adjourned on April 19.
DeWitt C. Littlejohn (R) was again elected Speaker with 90 votes against 28 for John W. Chanler (D) and 6 for Chauncey Boughton (A).
On January 18, William A. Wheeler (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate.
State Senate
Districts
- 1st District: Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties
- 2nd District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 11th, 13th and 19th wards of the City of Brooklyn
- 3rd District: 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th wards of the City of Brookland; 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 and Ulster counties
- 11th District: Columbia and Dutchess counties
- 12th District: Rensselaer and Washington counties
- 13th District: Albany County
- 14th District: Delaware, Schenectady and Schoharie counties
- 15th District: Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery and Saratoga counties
- 16th District: Clinton, Essex and Warren counties
- 17th District: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties
- 18th District: Jefferson and Lewis counties
- 19th District: Oneida County
- 20th District: Herkimer and Otsego counties
- 21st District: Oswego County
- 22nd District: Onondaga County
- 23rd District: Chenango, Cortland and Madison counties
- 24th District: Broome, Tompkins and Tioga counties
- 25th District: Cayuga and Wayne counties
- 26th District: Ontario, Seneca and Yates counties
- 27th District: Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties
- 28th District: Monroe County
- 29th District: Genesee, Niagara and Orleans counties
- 30th District: Allegany, Livingston and Wyoming counties
- 31st District: Erie County
- 32nd District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties
Members
The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.
| District | Senator | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Joshua B. Smith* | Democrat | |
| 2nd | Samuel Sloan* | Democrat | |
| 3rd | Francis B. Spinola* | Democrat | |
| 4th | John C. Mather* | Democrat | |
| 5th | Smith Ely, Jr.* | Democrat | |
| 6th | Richard Schell* | Democrat | |
| 7th | John Doherty* | Democrat | died on April 20, 1859 |
| 8th | Benjamin Brandreth* | Democrat | |
| 9th | Osmer B. Wheeler* | American | |
| 10th | George W. Pratt* | Democrat | |
| 11th | William G. Mandeville* | Democrat | contested; seat declared vacant on March 16 |
| Henry C. Wetmore | American | seated on April 5 | |
| 12th | John D. Willard* | Democrat | |
| 13th | George Y. Johnson* | American | |
| 14th | Edward I. Burhans* | Democrat | |
| 15th | George G. Scott* | Democrat | |
| 16th | Ralph A. Loveland* | Republican | |
| 17th | William A. Wheeler* | Republican | on January 18, elected president pro tempore |
| 18th | Joseph A. Willard* | Republican | |
| 19th | Alrick Hubbell* | Republican | |
| 20th | Addison H. Laflin* | Republican | |
| 21st | Cheney Ames* | Republican | |
| 22nd | James Noxon* | Republican | |
| 23rd | John J. Foote* | Republican | |
| 24th | Lyman Truman* | Republican | |
| 25th | Alexander B. Williams* | Republican | |
| 26th | Truman Boardman* | Republican | |
| 27th | Alexander S. Diven* | Republican | |
| 28th | John E. Paterson* | Republican | |
| 29th | Horatio J. Stow* | Independent | did not take his seat during this session; died on February 19, 1859 |
| George D. Lamont | Republican | elected to fill vacancy; seated on March 21 | |
| 30th | John B. Halsted* | Republican | |
| 31st | Erastus S. Prosser | Republican | elected to fill vacancy, in place of James Wadsworth |
| 32nd | John P. Darling* | Republican |
Employees
- Clerk: Samuel P. Allen
- Deputy Clerk: Henry J. Sickles
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Henry W. Dwight
- Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Simeon Dillingham
- Doorkeeper: Richard U. Owens
- First Assistant Doorkeeper: Henry W. Shipman
- Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Samuel Ten Eyck
- Third Assistant Doorkeeper: James P. Clark
- Journal Clerk: James Terwilliger
- Engrossing Clerks: A. N. Cole, Charles G. Fairman
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.
Employees
- Clerk: William Richardson
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel M. Prescott
- Doorkeeper: George C. Dennis
- First Assistant Doorkeeper:
- Second Assistant Doorkeeper:
Notes
- Mandeville had been appointed as Postmaster of Stuyvesant Falls in June 1858, had executed his oath and bond, had sent them to the U.S. Postal Department but, before his commission could have been issued, had declined to take the office. He then appeared at the beginning of the session of 1859, and took his seat. After much debate the Republican majority declared the seat vacant, holding that the mere one-time acceptance of the office forfeited the seat.
- Wetmore had been elected at the State election in November 1858, although a vacancy was claimed only unilaterally, no notice of such a special election had been given by the Secretary of State, and no candidates were nominated by the other parties. After much controversy, Wetmore was finally seated by the Republican majority, under protest by the Democrats. For the arguments for and against seating Wetmore, see Documents of the Senate (82nd Session) (1859; Vol. 2, No. 104 and 105)
- William Richardson (1822–1893), later an alderman in Brooklyn, and owner of the Atlantic Avenue Railroad; see Biography
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. 487ff for assemblymen)
- Journal of the Senate (82nd Session) (1859)
- Journal of the Assembly (82nd Session) (1859)
- Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York in 1859 by William D. Murphy
