54th New York State Legislature
← 53rd 55th →
The Old State Capitol (1879)
Overview
Legislative body	New York State Legislature
Jurisdiction	New York,United States
Term	January 1 – December 31, 1831
Senate
Members	32
President	Lt. Gov.Edward P. Livingston (J)
Party control	Jacksonian (24-8)
Assembly
Members	128
Speaker	George R. Davis (J)
Party control	Jacksonian
Sessions
1st January 4 – April 26, 1831

The54th New York State Legislature, consisting of theNew York State Senate and theNew York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 26, 1831, during the third year ofEnos T. Throop's governorship, inAlbany.

Under the provisions of theNew York Constitution of 1821, 32 senators were elected on general tickets in eight 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.

State SenatorMoses Hayden died on February 13, 1830, leaving a vacancy in the Eighth District.

At this time, there were three political parties: theJacksonians (supporting PresidentAndrew Jackson; led by U.S. Secretary of StateMartin Van Buren), theAnti-Masons, and theNational Republicans (supportingHenry Clay for the presidency).

The Anti-Masonic state convention met in August 1830 atUtica, and nominated AssemblymanFrancis Granger for governor, and Samuel Stevens, of New York City, for lieutenant governor. The National Republicans did not call a convention, and supported the Anti-Masonic ticket.

The Jacksonian state convention met on September 8, 1830, atHerkimer and nominated Gov. Throop for re-election, andEdward P. Livingston for lieutenant governor.

The State election was held from November 1 to 3, 1830. Gov. Enos T. Throop was re-elected, and Edward P. Livingston was elected lieutenant governor.

State SenatorJonathan S. Conklin (1st D.) was re-elected.David M. Westcott (2nd D.),William I. Dodge (4th D.),Henry A. Foster (5th D.),Charles W. Lynde (6th D.),William H. Seward (7th D.),Trumbull Cary (8th D.); and AssemblymenHerman I. Quackenboss (3rd D.) andPhilo C. Fuller (8th D.) were also elected to the Senate. Lynde, Seward, Cary and Fuller were Anti-Masons, the other five were Jacksonians.

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol inAlbany on January 4, 1831; and adjourned on April 26.

George R. Davis (J) was electedSpeaker with 91 votes against 30 forJohn C. Spencer (A-M).

On January 6, Cary and Fuller drew lots to decide which one of the two senators elected in the 8th District would serve the short term, and which one the full term. Fuller drew the short term, and Cary the full term.^[1]

On February 1,the Legislature elected Supreme Court JusticeWilliam L. Marcy (J) to succeedNathan Sanford as U.S. Senator for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1831.

On February 1, the Legislature re-elected State TreasurerAbraham Keyser, Jr.

On June 3, a National Republican state convention met at Albany,Peter R. Livingston was Chairman. The convention chose delegates to the National Republican national convention which would nominateHenry Clay for U.S. president, among themStephen Van Rensselaer andAmbrose Spencer.

• The First District (4 seats) consisted ofKings,New York,Queens,Richmond andSuffolk counties.
• The Second District (4 seats) consisted ofDelaware,Dutchess,Orange,Putnam,Rockland,Sullivan,Ulster andWestchester counties.
• The Third District (4 seats) consisted ofAlbany,Columbia,Greene,Rensselaer,Schenectady andSchoharie counties.
• The Fourth District (4 seats) consisted ofClinton,Essex,Franklin,Hamilton,Montgomery,St. Lawrence,Saratoga,Warren andWashington counties.
• The Fifth District (4 seats) consisted ofHerkimer,Jefferson,Lewis,Madison,Oneida andOswego counties.
• The Sixth District (4 seats) consisted ofBroome,Chenango,Cortland,Otsego,Steuben,Tioga andTompkins counties.
• The Seventh District (4 seats) consisted ofCayuga,Onondaga,Ontario,Seneca,Wayne andYates counties.
• The Eighth District (4 seats) consisted ofAllegany,Cattaraugus,Chautauqua,Erie,Genesee,Livingston,Monroe,Niagara andOrleans counties.

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Herman I. Quackenboss and Philo C. Fuller changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

• Clerk:John F. Bacon

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

The party affiliations follow the vote for U.S. Senator and state treasurer.^[4]

• Clerk:Francis Seger
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Pomeroy Jones
• Doorkeeper: Alonzo Crosby
• Assistant Doorkeeper: Oliver Scovil

• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) [pg. 109 and 441 for Senate districts; pg. 128f for senators; pg. 148f for Assembly districts; pg. 210f for assemblymen]
• The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, from the Ratification of the Federal Constitution to 1840 byJabez D. Hammond (4th ed., Vol. 2, Phinney & Co.,Buffalo, 1850; pg. 336 to 368)

• New York (state) legislative sessions
• 1831 in New York (state)
• 1831 U.S. legislative sessions

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