The second 1798 United States Senate special election in New York was held on August 17, 1798, by the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an officia ...

to elect a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

(Class 1) to represent the State of New York in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

Background

Federalist

John Sloss Hobart John Sloss Hobart (May 6, 1738 – February 4, 1805) was a United States senator from New York and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New York. Education and career Born on May 6, 1738, in ...

had been elected in January 1798 for the remainder of

Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 18, 1804) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler. Born in Alb ...

's term (1797–1803) but had resigned on April 16 after his appointment to the

United States District Court for the District of New York The following are former United States district courts, which ceased to exist because they were subdivided into smaller units. With the exception of California, each of these courts initially covered an entire U.S. state, and was subdivided as the ...

. Federalist

William North William North (1755January 3, 1836) was an American soldier and politician. Early life William North was born in Pemaquid, Maine, to John North and Elizabeth Pitson in 1755. John was an Irish immigrant and Elizabeth a native of Boston. He had ...

was appointed by Governor

John Jay John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the f ...

to fill the vacancy temporarily, and took his seat on May 21,

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

being in session until July 16, 1798. At the State election in April 1798, Federalist majorities were elected to both houses of the

22nd New York State Legislature The 22nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from August 9, 1798, to April 3, 1799, during the fourth year of John Jay's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provi ...

which met from August 9 to 17, 1798; and from January 2 to April 3, 1799, at

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...

Candidates

Ex-

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

James Watson, a State Senator until the previous session, was the candidate of the Federalist Party. First Judge of the Albany County Court John Tayler was the candidate of the

Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the earl ...

Result

Watson was the choice of both the State Senate and the State Assembly, and was declared elected.

Aftermath

Watson took his seat on December 11, 1798, but resigned on March 19, 1800, after his appointment as Naval Officer of the Port of New York. The State Legislature held a special election in April 1800, and elected

Gouverneur Morris Gouverneur Morris ( ; January 31, 1752 – November 6, 1816) was an American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. He wrote the Preamble to th ...

to fill the vacancy.

References

''The New York Civil List''
compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 117 for State Senators 1798-99; page 172 for Members of Assembly 1798-99)
Members of the Fifth United States CongressMembers of the Sixth United States Congress''History of Political Parties in the State of New-York''
by

Jabez Delano Hammond Jabez Delano Hammond (August 2, 1778 – August 18, 1855) was an American physician, lawyer, author and politician. Life Hammond was born in New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He practiced medicine in Reading, Vermont, but afterward stu ...

(pages 121f)
Election result
at

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...

Library project "A New Nation Votes" (omits part of the text, it should read: "...James Watson f New York City, 30 votes; John Tayler,esq. of Albany 9 - Maj. 21") {{DEFAULTSORT:1798 08 United States Senate special election in New York New York 1798 08 New York 1798 08 1798 08 Special New York Special 08 United States Senate Special 08 United States Senate 1798 08

Background

Candidates

Result

Aftermath

See also

References