New York 1816 Speaker of the Assembly

Office:: Speaker of the Assembly (State)
Title:: Speaker of the Assembly
Jurisdiction:: State

Label:: New York 1816 Speaker of the Assembly
Date:: 1816
State:: New York
Type:: Legislative
Iteration:: First Ballot
Office/Role:: Speaker of the Assembly/Speaker of the Assembly
Candidates:: Daniel Cruger, Jacob R. Van Rensselaer

Candidates:	Daniel Cruger	Jacob R. Van Rensselaer
Affiliation:	Federalist	Republican
Final Result: [1][2]	61	60
Assembly	61	60

Notes:

[1]"THE LEGISLATURE of our state on Tuesday and Wednesday, exhibited a spectacle unprecedented in the history of legislation. We will detail the proceedings with all the accuracy in our power and leave our readers to supply the comment. On Tuesday, at eleven o'clock, the usual hour to meeting, the senate convened, organized and were ready for business. About the same time, the members of the other house were called by counties in the Assembly chamber, fifty-six only appeared, and were qualified - they were all republicans. This number not constituting a quorum, after waiting about three house, and finding the federal members did not intend to appear, those who had met in their places dispersed and the Senate adjourned to Wednesday. In the mean time, the federal members of Assembly, to the number, we understand of fifty-eight, were assembled in an upper room of the capitol, in caucus, where they continued their mystical sitting till about two o'clock, and until the house had adjourned. Thus ended the first day, at the expense of abut one thousand dollars to the good people of this state. On Wednesday, all the members of Assembly appeared in their seats, except Mr. McCleary (dead) and Mr. Ogden and Mr. Fish (sick) and the house proceeded to ballot for Speaker." The Albany Argus (Albany, NY). February 2, 1816.

[2]"From the Alb. Gazette of Thursday. Tuesday last being the day appointed by law for the meeting of the Legislature, the Senate formed a quorum at the usual hour - but in the House of Assembly a quorum not appearing, the members present adjourned to Wednesday at 11 o'clock. The reasons assigned for the non-attendance of a quorum in the house, are given in the following paragraph, from the Daily Advertiser of yesterday. We understand that the circumstances which prevented the house from forming, are the following: The exact state of parties in that body, at the time of the election, was 63 and 63 - In Ontario county, however, the certificate of election, which in the opinion of the federalist, belonged to one of their party, was improperly given, by the returning officer, to a democrat. This nominally changed the number to 64 and 62. One democrat member has deceased and one has been obliged to go abroad for his health. This reduces the party also to 62 including the Ontario member. Upon the gentleman's assembling, it was found that two federal members were not present. Had the house been formed under these circumstances, the democrats having the Ontario member with them, would have had a majority. The federalist, therefore, thought it their duty not to form the house; and the members qualified, adjourned at half past 1 o'clock. One of the absent federal members (Mr. Hall, of Madison county) arrived shortly after the adjournment took place." Orange County Patriot; or, the Spirit of Seventy-Six (Goshen, NY). February 6, 1816.

References:

The Albany Argus (Albany, NY). February 2, 1816.

The Albany Register (Albany, NY). February 2, 1816.

Orange County Patriot; or, the Spirit of Seventy-Six (Goshen, NY). February 6, 1816.

Troy Post (Troy, NY). February 6, 1816.

Saratoga Journal (Ballston Spa, NY). February 7, 1816.

Page Images

handwritten notes — Phil's original notebook pages that were used to compile this election. These notes are considered a draft of the electronic version. Therefore, the numbers may not match. To verify numbers you will need to check the original sources cited. Some original source material is available at the American Antiquarian Society).

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