United States Senate election in New York, 1867
Encyclopedia
The 1867 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 15, 1867, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 3) to represent the State of New York
in the United States Senate
.
had been elected in February 1861 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1867.
At the State election in November 1865
, 27 Republicans and 5 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1866-1867) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1866, 82 Republicans and 46 Democrats were elected for the session of 1867 to the Assembly. The 90th State Legislature met from January 1 to April 20, 1867, at Albany, New York
.
presided. State Senator Thomas Parsons (28th D.) was absent, but had his vote cast by proxy. They nominated Congressman Roscoe Conkling
for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent Senator Ira Harris
was voted down.
Notes:
was nominated on the first ballot with 25 votes against 21 for Ex-D.A. of New York
A. Oakey Hall.
Notes:
factions of the Republican party arose when the leader of the New Yorker Half-Breeds William H. Robertson
was appointed Collector of the Port of New York
, a position Conkling wanted to give to one of his Stalwart friends.
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...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Background
Republican Ira HarrisIra Harris
Ira Harris was an American jurist and senator from New York. He was also a friend of Abraham Lincoln's.-Life:Harris grew up on a farm, and graduated from Union College in 1824. Then he studied law in Albany, and in 1828 was admitted to the bar.He was a Whig member from Albany County of the New...
had been elected in February 1861 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1867.
At the State election in November 1865
New York state election, 1865
The 1865 New York state election was held on November 7, 1865, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, two Judges of the New York Court of Appeals, a Canal Commissioners, an Inspector of State Prisons and the Clerk of...
, 27 Republicans and 5 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1866-1867) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1866, 82 Republicans and 46 Democrats were elected for the session of 1867 to the Assembly. The 90th State Legislature met from January 1 to April 20, 1867, at Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
Republican caucus
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 10, State Senator Charles J. FolgerCharles J. Folger
Charles James Folger was an American lawyer and politician. He was U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1881 until his death.-Early life:...
presided. State Senator Thomas Parsons (28th D.) was absent, but had his vote cast by proxy. They nominated Congressman Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had...
for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent Senator Ira Harris
Ira Harris
Ira Harris was an American jurist and senator from New York. He was also a friend of Abraham Lincoln's.-Life:Harris grew up on a farm, and graduated from Union College in 1824. Then he studied law in Albany, and in 1828 was admitted to the bar.He was a Whig member from Albany County of the New...
was voted down.
| Office | Candidate | Informal ballot |
First ballot |
Second ballot |
Third ballot |
Fourth ballot |
Fifth ballot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had... |
33 | 39 | 45 | 53 | 59 | |
| Noah Davis Noah Davis Noah Davis was an American lawyer and politician from New York-Life:... |
30 | 41 | 44 | 50 | 49 | ||
| Ira Harris Ira Harris Ira Harris was an American jurist and senator from New York. He was also a friend of Abraham Lincoln's.-Life:Harris grew up on a farm, and graduated from Union College in 1824. Then he studied law in Albany, and in 1828 was admitted to the bar.He was a Whig member from Albany County of the New... |
32 | 24 | 18 | 6 | |||
| Ransom Balcom | 7 | 4 | 2 | wd | |||
| Horace Greeley Horace Greeley Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery... |
6 | wd | |||||
| Charles J. Folger Charles J. Folger Charles James Folger was an American lawyer and politician. He was U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1881 until his death.-Early life:... |
1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Notes:
- On the fourth ballot, 110 votes were cast, one too many, and it was annulled.
- "wd" = name withdrawn
Democratic caucus
The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met also on January 10. State Senator Henry C. MurphyHenry Cruse Murphy
Henry Cruse Murphy was an American politician and historian, born in Brooklyn, N. Y. He graduated at Columbia College in 1830, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in Brooklyn, where he became city attorney and, in 1842, mayor. The next year he became a member of Congress...
was nominated on the first ballot with 25 votes against 21 for Ex-D.A. of New York
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....
A. Oakey Hall.
Result
Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.| Office | House | Republican | Democrat | Democrat | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | State Senate New York State Senate The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve... (32 members) |
Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had... |
24 | Henry C. Murphy Henry Cruse Murphy Henry Cruse Murphy was an American politician and historian, born in Brooklyn, N. Y. He graduated at Columbia College in 1830, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in Brooklyn, where he became city attorney and, in 1842, mayor. The next year he became a member of Congress... |
2 | George F. Comstock George F. Comstock George Franklin Comstock was an American lawyer and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1860 to 1861.-Life:He graduated from Union College in 1834... |
1 |
| 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... (128 members) |
Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had... |
78 | Henry C. Murphy Henry Cruse Murphy Henry Cruse Murphy was an American politician and historian, born in Brooklyn, N. Y. He graduated at Columbia College in 1830, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in Brooklyn, where he became city attorney and, in 1842, mayor. The next year he became a member of Congress... |
42 | |||
Notes:
- The vote for Ex-Chief JudgeChief Judge of the New York Court of AppealsChief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals refers to the position of chief judge on the New York Court of Appeals.The chief judge supervises the seven-judge Court of Appeals...
Comstock was cast by Henry C. Murphy. - The votes were cast on January 15, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 16 to compare nominations, and declare the result.
Aftermath
Conkling was re-elected in 1873 and 1879, and remained in office until May 17, 1881, when he resigned in protest against the distribution of federal patronage in New York by President James A. Garfield without being consulted. The crisis between the Stalwart and the Half-BreedHalf-Breed (politics)
The "Half-Breeds" were a political faction of the United States Republican Party that existed in the late 19th century. The Half-Breeds were a moderate-wing group, and they were the opponents of the Stalwarts, the other main faction of the Republican Party. The main issue that separated the...
factions of the Republican party arose when the leader of the New Yorker Half-Breeds William H. Robertson
William H. Robertson
William Henry Robertson was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was a United States Representative from 1867 to 1869, and President pro tempore of the New York State Senate.-Life:He was the son of Henry Robertson...
was appointed Collector of the Port of New York
Collector of the Port of New York
The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, sometimes also as Collector of Customs for the Port of New York or Collector of Customs for the District of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import...
, a position Conkling wanted to give to one of his Stalwart friends.
Sources
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner, 1867 (see pg. 568 for U. S. Senators; pg. 444 for State Senators 1867; pg. 505f for Members of Assembly 1867)
- Members of the 40th United States Congress
- Result state election 1865 in The Tribune Almanac for 1866 compiled by Horace GreeleyHorace GreeleyHorace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
of the New York TribuneNew York TribuneThe New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States... - Result state election 1866 in The Tribune Almanac for 1867 compiled by Horace GreeleyHorace GreeleyHorace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
of the New York TribuneNew York TribuneThe New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States... - ...THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS; Hon. Roscoe Conkling, of Oneida County, Nominated for United States Senator; ...DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS; Hon. Henry C. Murphy, of Kings County, Nominated for United States Senator in NYT on January 11, 1867
- Journal of the New York State Assembly (1867; pages 98f and 103)
- Journal of the New York State Senate (1867; pages 58f and 62)