48th New York State Legislature

Under the provisions of the New 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.

The previous session had been dominated by the controversy about the presidential succession, and the question how to choose presidential electors. Party lines broke down when Martin Van Buren tried to have the "Bucktails" faction of the Democratic-Republican Party^[1] support William H. Crawford for U.S. president. A large part of the Bucktails favored John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun as possible presidential candidates, and proposed to have the presidential electors elected by the people in districts, similar to the congressional elections. The Anti-Crawford factions became known as the "People's Party", and they joined forces with the "Clintonians" (supporters of DeWitt Clinton, opposed to the Bucktails). The rump Bucktail faction (which followed Van Buren) was called the "Regency Party" by their opponents, a reference to the Albany Regency.

On April 3, a caucus of Bucktail legislators, consisting of the Regency men and a minority of People's men, nominated Canal Commissioner Samuel Young^[2] for Governor; and Lt. Gov. Erastus Root for re-election.

On September 22, a State convention "in favor of a new electoral law", consisting of about 30 People's men and about 90 Clintonians, nominated Ex-Gov. DeWitt Clinton^[3] for Governor, and Assemblyman James Tallmadge, Jr. (PP) for Lieutenant Governor.

The State election was held from November 1 to 3, 1824. DeWitt Clinton and James Tallmadge Jr. were elected in a landslide.

Cadwallader D. Colden (1st D.), Wells Lake (2nd D.), Richard McMichael (3rd D.), George Brayton (5th D.), Stukely Ellsworth (6th D.), John C. Spencer (7th D.); and Assemblymen John Crary (4th D.) and Samuel Wilkeson (8th D.) were elected to the Senate. Lake and Ellsworth were Bucktails, the other six were Clintonians.

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1825, and adjourned on April 21.

Clarkson Crolius (PP) was elected Speaker with 109 votes out of 122.

In his message to the Legislature, Gov. Clinton recommended to enact that presidential electors be chosen by the people, by general ticket and a plurality of votes.

On February 1, the Legislature failed to elect a successor to U.S. Senator Rufus King, and the seat became vacant on March 4, 1825.

On February 16, the Legislature elected Gamaliel H. Barstow (Clint.) to succeed Abraham Keyser, Jr. (Buckt.) as New York State Treasurer.

• The First District (4 seats) consisted of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties.
• The Second District (4 seats) consisted of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties.
• The Third District (4 seats) consisted of Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie counties.
• The Fourth District (4 seats) consisted of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Montgomery, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties.
• The Fifth District (4 seats) consisted of Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida and Oswego counties.
• The Sixth District (4 seats) consisted of Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga and Tompkins counties.
• The Seventh District (4 seats) consisted of Cayuga, Onondaga, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties.
• The Eighth District (4 seats) consisted of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara and Steuben counties.

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

The party affiliations follow the vote for a U.S. senator on February 1 which showed that there was no majority; and that Clintonians and People's men, although having combined for the election against the Bucktails, were opposed to each other.

• Clerk: John F. Bacon