The 26th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 25 to April 6, 1803, during the 2nd year of George Clinton's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany.
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.
At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalists and the 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 and Republican parties.
Elections The State election was held from April 27 to 29, 1802. Senators John Schenck (Southern D.) and Solomon Sutherland (Middle D.) were re-elected. Joseph Annin, Matthias B. Tallmadge, George Tiffany (all three Western D.); and Assemblymen Abraham Adriance (Middle D.), Asa Danforth and Jacob Snell (both Western D.) were also elected to the Senate. All eight were Democratic-Republicans.
Sessions The Legislature met at the Old City Hall in Albany on January 25, 1803; and adjourned on April 6.
Dem.-Rep. Thomas Storm was re-elected Speaker. Solomon Southwick (Dem.-Rep.) was elected Clerk of the Assembly with 42 votes against 31 for the incumbent James Van Ingen (Fed.).
On February 1, 1803, the Legislature elected Theodorus Bailey (Dem.-Rep.) to the U.S. Senate, to succeed Gouverneur Morris (Fed.).
On February 8, 1803, the Legislature elected Abraham G. Lansing (Dem.-Rep.) State Treasurer, to succeed Robert McClellan (Fed.).
State Senate Districts The Southern District (6 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties. The Middle District (8 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Columbia, Delaware, Rockland and Greene counties. The Eastern District (7 seats) consisted of Washington, Clinton, Rensselaer, Albany, Saratoga and Essex counties. The Western District (11 seats) consisted of Montgomery, Herkimer, Ontario, Otsego, Tioga, Onondaga, Schoharie, Steuben, Chenango, Oneida, Cayuga and Genesee counties.
Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of 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. Abraham Adriance, Asa Danforth and Jacob Snell changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
District Senators Term left Party Notes SouthernRichard Hatfield*1 year FederalistWilliam Denning*2 years Dem.-Rep.Benjamin Huntting*2 years Dem.-Rep.Ebenezer Purdy*2 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of AppointmentEzra L'Hommedieu*3 years Dem.-Rep.John Schenck*4 years Dem.-Rep. MiddleJohn Hathorn*1 year Dem.-Rep.John Suffern*1 year Dem.-Rep.John C. Hogeboom*2 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of AppointmentJames W. Wilkin*2 years Dem.-Rep.Jacobus S. Bruyn*3 years Dem.-Rep.Peter A. Van Bergen*3 years Dem.-Rep.(Solomon Sutherland*)4 years Dem.-Rep.died September 10, 1802, before the Legislature metAbraham Adriance*4 years Dem.-Rep. EasternZina Hitchcock*1 year FederalistEbenezer Russell*1 year FederalistEdward Savage*1 year Dem.-Rep.James Gordon*2 years Federalist Jacobus Van Schoonhoven*3 years Federalistelected to the Council of AppointmentAbraham Van Vechten*3 years Federalistalso Recorder of the City of Albany(Christopher Hutton*)3 years Dem.-Rep./Fed. WesternVincent Mathews*1 year FederalistMoss Kent*1 year FederalistRobert Roseboom*2 years Dem.-Rep.Jedediah Sanger*2 years Federalistalso First Judge of the Oneida County CourtLemuel Chipman*3 years FederalistIsaac Foote3 years FederalistJoseph Annin4 years Dem.-Rep.Asa Danforth*4 years Dem.-Rep.Jacob Snell*4 years Dem.-Rep.elected to the Council of AppointmentMatthias B. Tallmadge4 years Dem.-Rep.George Tiffany4 years Dem.-Rep.
Employees Clerk: Henry I. Bleecker
State Assembly Districts
Albany County (6 seats) Cayuga County (3 seats) Chenango County (4 seats) Clinton County (1 seat) Columbia County (4 seats) Delaware County (2 seats) Dutchess County (7 seats) Essex County (1 seat) Genesee and Ontario counties (3 seats) Greene County (2 seats) Herkimer County (3 seats) Kings County (1 seat) Montgomery County (5 seats) The City and County of New York (9 seats) Oneida County (4 seats) Onondaga County (2 seats) Orange County (4 seats) Otsego County (4 seats) Queens County (3 seats) Rensselaer County (5 seats) Richmond County (1 seat) Rockland County (1 seat) Saratoga County (4 seats) Schoharie County (2 seats) Steuben County (1 seat) Suffolk County (3 seats) Tioga County (1 seat) Ulster County (4 seats) Washington County (6 seats) Westchester County (4 seats)
Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of 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. Stephen Lush changed from the Senate to the Assembly.
District Assemblymen Party Notes AlbanyJohann Jost Dietz* FederalistJohn FrisbyStephen Lush* FederalistMaus SchermerhornPeter S. Schuyler* FederalistJacob Ten Eyck* Federalist CayugaSalmon Buell*Silas Halsey Dem.-Rep.Thomas Hewitt ChenangoJames GreenStephen HoxieJoel Thompson Federalistpreviously a member from Albany Co.Uri Tracy Dem.-Rep.also Chenango County ClerkClinton Peter Sailly Dem.-Rep. ColumbiaSamuel Edmonds FederalistAaron Kellogg FederalistMoncrief Livingston FederalistPeter Silvester Federalist DelawareJohn LambElias Osborn Dem.-Rep. DutchessJoseph C. Field Dem.-Rep.John Jewett Dem.-Rep.John Martin Dem.-Rep.Thomas Mitchell Dem.-Rep.Philip Spencer Jr. Dem.-Rep.Theodorus R. Van Wyck Dem.-Rep.James Winchell Dem.-Rep.EssexThomas Stower Genesee and OntarioThaddeus ChapinAugustus Porter Dem.-Rep.Polydore B. Wisner GreeneGeorge Hale FederalistMartin G. Schuneman Dem.-Rep.previously a member from Ulster Co. HerkimerStephen Miller Dem.-Rep.George Widrig* Dem.-Rep.Samuel Wright Dem.-Rep.KingsJohn Hicks Montgomery Henry KennedyJohn RoofAlexander Sheldon* Dem.-Rep.Daniel WalkerCharles Ward* Dem.-Rep. New YorkJohn BrowerJohn BurgerWilliam Few* Dem.-Rep.William W. Gilbert Dem.-Rep.Peter IrvingCornelius C. RooseveltEzekiel Robins* Dem.-Rep.Thomas Storm* Dem.-Rep.re-elected SpeakerDaniel D. Tompkins Dem.-Rep. OneidaJames Dean Sr.Abel French* FederalistJohn LayAaron Morse Onondaga John Lamb Dem.-Rep.John McWhorter Dem.-Rep. Orange James Burt* Dem.-Rep.William A. ClarkJames Finch Jr.Reuben Neely OtsegoDaniel HawksJames MooreJedediah Peck* Dem.-Rep.Luther Rich QueensStephen Carman FederalistAbraham Monfoort* Dem.-Rep.Henry O. Seaman Dem.-Rep. RensselaerJohn Green* Dem.-Rep.Jonathan Rouse Dem.-Rep.John Ryan Dem.-Rep.John Woodworth Dem.-Rep.vacantNicholas Staats (Dem.-Rep.) and Arent Van Dyck (Fed.) were tied in fifth place with 1,271 votes each, so there was "no choice".Staats claimed the seat, but was not admitted; see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1871; pg. 18f)RichmondPaul I. Micheau* FederalistRocklandPeter Denoyelles* Dem.-Rep. SaratogaSamuel Clark*Adam Comstock* Dem.-Rep.Gideon Goodrich Dem.-Rep.Othniel Looker Dem.-Rep. SchoharieHenry Becker Dem.-Rep.Lawrence Lawyer Jr.* Dem.-Rep.SteubenJames Faulkner Dem.-Rep. SuffolkIsrael Carll* Dem.-Rep.Jonathan Dayton Dem.-Rep.Josiah ReeveTiogaCaleb Hyde* Dem.-Rep. UlsterMoses Cantine Jr. Dem.-Rep.James KainCornelius Low FederalistElnathan Sears* Dem.-Rep. WashingtonDavid Austin Dem.-Rep.Kitchel Bishop* Dem.-Rep.Alexander Cowan* Dem.-Rep.Jason Kellogg* Dem.-Rep.John McLean* Dem.-Rep.Isaac Sargent* Dem.-Rep. WestchesterAbijah Gilbert* Dem.-Rep.Abraham Odell* Dem.-Rep.Thomas Thomas* Dem.-Rep.Joseph Travis* Dem.-Rep.
Employees Clerk: Solomon Southwick Sergeant-at-Arms: Ephraim Hunt Doorkeeper: Benjamin Whipple
Notes
Sources The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) [see pg. 108f for Senate districts; pg. 118 for senators; pg. 148f for Assembly districts; pg. 176 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 (4th ed., Vol. 1, H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown, 1846; pages 184ff) Election result Assembly, Columbia Co. at project "A New Nation Votes", compiled by Phil Lampi, hosted by Tufts University Digital Library Election result Assembly, Dutchess Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Greene Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Herkimer Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Queens Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Rensselaer Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Schoharie Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Steuben Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Washington Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Election result Assembly, Westchester Co. at project "A New Nation Votes" Partial election result Senate, Southern D. at project "A New Nation Votes" [gives only votes from Richmond and Westchester co.] Partial election result Senate, Middle D. at project "A New Nation Votes" [gives only votes from Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess and Greene co.] Partial election result Senate, Western D. at project "A New Nation Votes" [gives only votes from Schoharie and Steuben co.]