6th New York State Legislature

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, the State Senators were elected on general tickets in the senatorial districts, and were then divided into four classes. Six senators each drew lots for a term of 1, 2, 3 or 4 years and, beginning at the election in April 1778, every year six Senate seats came up for election to a four-year term. Assemblymen were elected countywide on general tickets to a one-year term, the whole assembly being renewed annually.

On May 8, 1777, the Constitutional Convention had appointed the senators from the Southern District, and the assemblymen from Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties—the area which was under British control—and determined that these appointees serve in the Legislature until elections could be held in those areas, presumably after the end of the American Revolutionary War. Vacancies among the appointed members in the Senate should be filled by the Assembly, and vacancies in the Assembly by the Senate.

Elections

The State elections were held from April 30 to May 2, 1782. Under the determination by the Constitutional Convention, senators Isaac Roosevelt and John Morin Scott, whose seats were up for election, continued in office, as well as the assemblymen from Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties. Jacob G. Klock and Abraham Yates Jr. (both Western D.) were re-elected. William Allison (Middle D.) was also elected to the Senate. Two members who had been expelled previously were elected again to the Senate: Ephraim Paine (Middle D., to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Levi Pawling) and Assemblyman John Williams (Eastern D.)

Sessions

The State Legislature met in Poughkeepsie, the seat of Dutchess County. The Senate met first on July 8, 1782, the Assembly on July 11; and they adjourned on July 25. On July 22, James Duane was appointed by the Assembly to fill the vacancy caused by the absence of Sir James Jay. The Legislature reconvened in Kingston, the seat of Ulster County, on January 27, 1783; and the Assembly adjourned on March 23, the Senate on March 27.

State Senate

Districts

• The Southern District (9 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties.
• The Middle District (6 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties.
• The Eastern District (3 seats) consisted of Charlotte, Cumberland and Gloucester counties.
• The Western District (6 seats) consisted of Albany and Tryon 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. In 1784, Charlotte Co. was renamed Washington Co., and Tryon Co. was renamed Montgomery Co.

Senators

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. John Williams changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Employees

• Clerk: Robert Benson

State Assembly

Districts

• The City and County of Albany (10 seats)
• Charlotte County (4 seats)
• Cumberland County (3 seats)
• Dutchess County (7 seats)
• Gloucester County (2 seats)
• Kings County (2 seats)
• The City and County of New York (9 seats)
• Orange County (4 seats)
• Queens County (4 seats)
• Richmond County (2 seats)
• Suffolk County (5 seats)
• Tryon County (6 seats)
• Ulster County (6 seats)
• Westchester County (6 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. In 1784, Charlotte Co. was renamed Washington Co., and Tryon Co. was renamed Montgomery Co.

Assemblymen

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.

Employees

• Clerk: John McKesson
• Doorkeeper: Richard Ten Eyck

Notes

Sources

• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) [see pg. 108 for Senate districts; pg. 112 for senators; pg. 148f for Assembly districts; pg. 160f for assemblymen]

References

1. Elkanah Day is not listed among the senators in any session in the ''Civil List'' of 1858, which means that he did not attend any session, but it is certain that election returns were filed with the [[Secretary of State of New York]] in 1780, since he was elected to the [[Council of Appointment]] in 1782; the [https://books.google.com/books?id=G3kFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA768 ''History of Eastern Vermont''] by Benjamin Homer Hall (Civil list appendix, page 768) lists him as a New York State Senator and stating "Commencement of Session September 10, 1781"
2. Day, although absent, was elected because Webster was ineligible (no Senator could be a member of the Council of Appointment in consecutive years), and Williams was ostracised by the Assembly because of his previous dishonorable conduct and expulsion from the Senate.
3. Cumberland and Gloucester counties seceded from the [[Province of New York]] in January 1777, and became part of the [[Vermont Republic]], while the Constitutional Convention was still debating the new Constitution. The New York Constitution was approved in April 1777, not recognizing the secession. Neither county did file any election returns with the [[Secretary of State of New York]] in 1782.