Benjamin Franklin Bruce was an American politician from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

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Life

He was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1846. He was Inspector-General of the New York State Militia from 1851 to 1852, and from 1855 to 1858. He was a member of the New York Republican State Committee

New York Republican State Committee

The New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...

 in 1858.

In January 1861, he was elected Canal Commissioner by the New York State Legislature to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Samuel H. Barnes

Samuel H. Barnes

Samuel Howe Barnes was an American politician from New York.-Life:He married Harriet Pellet and they had six children....

 who had been elected in November 1860, but died soon after. In 1861

New York state election, 1861

The 1861 New York state election was held on November 5, 1861, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, a Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, two Canal Commissioners and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all...

 he ran for re-election on the Republican ticket, but was defeated by Democrat William W. Wright

William W. Wright

William Westwood Wright was an American politician from New York.-Life:He married Mary L...

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In 1863

New York state election, 1863

The 1863 New York state election was held on November 3, 1863, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, a Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, a Canal Commissioner and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all...

, he was elected again a Canal Commissioner

Erie Canal Commission

The New York State Legislature appointed in 1810 a Commission to Explore a Route for a Canal to Lake Erie, and Report which became known as the Erie Canal Commission...

, this time on the Union ticket, and was in office from 1864 to 1866.

He was a member from Madison County of the New York State Assembly

New York State Assembly

The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...

 in 1867.

His daughter was married to Canal Commissioner Reuben W. Stroud

Reuben W. Stroud

Reuben W. Stroud was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:He began his engineering career as assistant to John B...

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Sources

• The Rep. state committee in http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9901E0D7153CEE34BC4153DFB1668383649FDE NYT on July 9, 1858
• The Union State Convention in NYT on September 3, 1863
• Journal of the New York State Senate 1861 (pages 68ff)
• http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nymadiso/proceed.htm Madison County Civil List, at RootsWeb
• http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bruce.html Political Graveyard
• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner (1867; pages 400, 406 and 505)
• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (page 59; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)