{{Short description|New York state legislative session}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox New York Legislature |number = 84th |image = Old State Capitol at Albany NY.jpg |imagename = The Old State Capitol |imagedate = 1879 |start = January 1 |end = December 31, 1861 |vp = Lt. Gov. Robert Campbell (R) |pro tem = Ephraim Goss (R), on February 8<br>Peter P. Murphy (R), on March 7<br>Erastus S. Prosser (R), on March 25<br>William H. Ferry, from March 25 |speaker = DeWitt C. Littlejohn (R) |senators = 32 |reps = 128 |s-majority = Republican (23-9) |h-majority = Republican (93-35) |sessionnumber1 = 1st |sessionstart1 = January 1 |sessionend1 = April 16, 1861 |previous = 83rd |next = 85th }}
The '''84th New York State Legislature''', consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, 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 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 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 1860 New York state election 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 with 90 votes against 31 for Francis Kernan (D).
On January 16, the Legislature elected Benjamin F. Bruce (R) as Canal Commissioner, 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 (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 (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this day."<ref>see Senate Journal; pg. 154</ref>
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 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."<ref>see Senate Journal; pg. 268</ref> 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."<ref>see Senate Journal; pg. 269</ref>
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.<ref>see Senate Journal; pg. 308</ref>
On March 25, Erastus S. Prosser (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this day."<ref>see Senate Journal; pg. 400</ref> Later on the same day, William H. Ferry (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for the balance of the Session."<ref>see Senate Journal; pg. 403</ref>
On April 3, the Select Committee's resolution to expel Jay Gibbons was adopted by a vote of 99 to 8.
==State Senate== ===Districts=== {{Div col|colwidth=32em}} * 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 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 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 {{colend}}
{{refbegin}}'''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.{{refend}}
===Members=== The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.
{| class=wikitable ! District ! Senator ! Party ! Notes |- |1st |Edward A. Lawrence* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |2nd |Thomas A. Gardiner* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |3rd |Francis B. Spinola* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |4th |John McLeod Murphy* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |5th |Bernard Kelly* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |6th |Benjamin F. Manierre* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |7th |Richard B. Connolly* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |8th |Hezekiah D. Robertson* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican |also Supervisor of Bedford |- |9th |Robert Y. Grant* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |10th |Joshua Fiero Jr.* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |11th |John H. Ketcham* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |12th |Volney Richmond* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |13th |Andrew J. Colvin* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |14th |Joseph H. Ramsey* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |15th |Isaiah Blood* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |16th |Nathan Lapham* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |17th |Charles C. Montgomery* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |18th |James A. Bell* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |19th |William H. Ferry* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican |on March 25, elected president pro tempore |- |20th |Francis M. Rotch* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |21st |Andrew S. Warner* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |22nd |Allen Munroe* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |23rd |Perrin H. McGraw* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |24th |Lyman Truman* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |25th |Alexander B. Williams* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |26th |Thomas Hillhouse* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |27th |Samuel H. Hammond* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |28th |Ephraim Goss* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican |on February 8, elected president pro tempore |- |29th |Peter P. Murphy* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican |on March 7, elected president pro tempore |- |30th |David H. Abell* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |31st |Erastus S. Prosser* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican |on March 25, elected president pro tempore |- |32nd |Walter L. Sessions* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |}
===Employees=== * Clerk: James Terwilliger * 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.
{| class=wikitable ! colspan="2" | District ! Assemblymen ! Party ! Notes |- |rowspan="4" | Albany |1st |Jay Gibbons |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat |expelled on April 3 |- |2nd |Lewis Benedict Jr. |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Henry Lansing |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |4th |William J. Wheeler |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |rowspan="2" | Allegany |1st |Wilkes Angel |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican |also Supervisor of Angelica |- |2nd |Lucius S. May |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Broome |Friend H. Burt |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Cattaraugus |1st |Nelson I. Norton |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Franklin Philbrick |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Cayuga |1st |Heman Benton |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Smith Anthony |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Chautauqua |1st |Henry A. Prendergast |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Hiram Smith 2d* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Chemung |Lucius Robinson* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican |on November 5, 1861, elected State Comptroller |- |rowspan="2" | Chenango |1st |Thomas Carter |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Samuel E. Lewis |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Clinton |Henry McFadden* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Columbia |1st |Samuel Lasher |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Norton S. Collin |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Cortland |Loammi Kinney |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Delaware |1st |Seymour E. Smith |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Daniel Waterbury |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Dutchess |1st |John B. Dutcher |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Samuel J. Farnum |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="4" | Erie |1st |Stephen V. R. Watson |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Victor M. Rice |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Benjamin H. Long |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |4th |Zebulon Ferris |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Essex |Martin Finch* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Franklin |William Andrus |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Fulton and Hamilton |James H. Burr |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Genesee |George W. Wright |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Greene |Gilbert Bedell |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |rowspan="2" | Herkimer |1st |John Markell<ref>John Markell (born 1796), son of Congressman Jacob Markell</ref> |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Josiah Shull |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="3" | Jefferson |1st |David Montague |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |David J. Wager |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Harvey Bailey |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="7" | Kings |1st |Andrew J. Provost |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |2nd |Marquis D. Moore |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Nathan Comstock |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |4th |James Darcy* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |5th |Lucius C. Andrus |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |6th |Joseph Nesbitt |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |7th |George H. Fisher* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Lewis |Edmund Baldwin |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Livingston |1st |Matthew Wiard |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |George Hyland |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Madison |1st |Orrin B. Lord |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Francis A. Hyatt |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="3" | Monroe |1st |Martin Roberts |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Lewis H. Morgan |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Benjamin R. Wells |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Montgomery |Frothingham Fish |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="17" | New York |1st |John Callahan |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |2nd |William Walsh* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |3rd |Christian B. Woodruff* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |4th |William J. C. Kenny |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat |unsuccessfully contested by Lewis Hopps<ref>see [https://books.google.com/books?id=6yMUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA313 ''A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York''] (1871; pg. 313–332)</ref> |- |5th |John J. Shaw |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |6th |Samuel T. Webster* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |7th |Daniel Young |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |8th |Andrew Craft |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |9th |Horatio N. Sherwood |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |10th |Luke F. Cozans |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |11th |John Hardy |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |12th |John Lambrecht |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |13th |Charles E. Birdsall |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |14th |Robert C. Hutchings |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |15th |George W. Varian* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |16th |Henry Arcularius* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat |unsuccessfully contested by Dennis McCabe (R)<ref>see [https://books.google.com/books?id=6yMUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA332 ''A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York''] (1871; pg. 332ff)</ref> |- |17th |Jay Jarvis Jones |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |rowspan="2" | Niagara |1st |Henry P. Smith |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Oliver P. Scovell |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="4" | Oneida |1st |Francis Kernan |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |2nd |Levi T. Marshall |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Marquis L. Kenyon |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |4th |William Lewis |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="3" | Onondaga |1st |Jeremiah Emerick* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Austin Myers* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Abner Chapman |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Ontario |1st |Perez H. Field |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Stephen H. Ainsworth |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Orange |1st |Stephen W. Fullerton Jr.<ref>Stephen W. Fullerton Jr. (born ca. 1834), son of Assemblyman Daniel Fullerton (in 1850), nephew of Assemblyman Stephen W. Fullerton (in 1838 and 1858)</ref> |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Milton Barnes |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |colspan="2" | Orleans |Gideon Randall |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="3" | Oswego |1st |DeWitt C. Littlejohn* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican |re-elected Speaker |- |2nd |Richard K. Sanford |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Mason Salisbury |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Otsego |1st |Elijah E. Ferrey |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Frederick A. Bolles |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Putnam |Charles T. Brewster |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Queens |1st |Stephen Taber* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |2nd |John D. Townsend |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |rowspan="3" | Rensselaer |1st |Charles J. Saxe |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |2nd |L. Chandler Ball |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Anson Bingham* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Richmond |N. Dane Ellingwood |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |colspan="2" | Rockland |William R. Knapp |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |rowspan="3" | St. Lawrence |1st |Charles Richardson* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Edwin A. Merritt* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Clark S. Chittenden* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Saratoga |1st |John Fulton* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |2nd |James Sumner Jr. |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Schenectady |Alonzo Macomber |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Schoharie |Joseph Buckbee |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |colspan="2" | Schuyler |Abram V. Mekeel |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Seneca |William Johnson |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |rowspan="3" | Steuben |1st |Daniel B. Bryan |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Jeffrey Smith |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Redman S. Davis |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Suffolk |1st |James H. Tuthill |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Alexander J. Bergen |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |colspan="2" | Sullivan |Stephen St. John Gardner |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |colspan="2" | Tioga |Cero F. Barber |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Tompkins |Jeremiah W. Dwight* |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="3" | Ulster |1st |Robert Loughran |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |George T. Pierce |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |3rd |Benjamin Turner Jr. |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Warren |Walter A. Faxon |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Washington |1st |Peter Hill<ref>Peter Hill (born 1803), son of Assemblyman James Hill (in 1807, 1808, 1808–09, 1812 and 1820)</ref> |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Nicholas M. Catlin |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="2" | Wayne |1st |Jabez S. L'Amoreaux |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |2nd |Joseph W. Corning |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |rowspan="3" | Westchester |1st |William J. McDermott |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |2nd |N. Holmes Odell* |{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democrat | |- |3rd |Benjamin F. Camp |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Wyoming |John J. Doolittle |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |colspan="2" | Yates |Gilbert Sherer |{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | |- |}
===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== <references/>
==Sources== * [https://books.google.com/books?id=r_xLAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA442 ''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) * [https://books.google.com/books?id=wtlKAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1 ''Journal of the Senate'' (84th Session)] (1861) * [https://books.google.com/books?id=qUktAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1 ''Journal of the Assembly'' (84th Session)] (1861) * [https://books.google.com/books?id=qc8NAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1 ''Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York''] by William D. Murphy (1861)
{{NYLegislatures}}
084 Category:1861 in New York (state) Category:1861 U.S. legislative sessions