cient antimasons of the West, during the prevalence of the excitement against masonry, and was elected, we believe, more than once, a member of congress by antimasonic votes. We had no personal acquaintance with Mr. Cooke, but have every reason to believe he was a sound-minded and estimable man.

The election in November resulted in the complete and unexpected triumph of the democratic party. We say unexpected, because, although calculating men on both sides anticipated the election of a democratic majority of the members of the assembly, the senate being a permanent body, and the whig majority in that house in 1841 being quite large, few men before the election. entertained the opinion that there would be a change of political power in that branch of the legislature so early as the year 1842.

This great change may have been produced from some or all of the following causes :-A considerable number of the more reflecting portion of the community viewed with apprehension and alarm the rapid accumulation of the state debt, occasioned by the expenditure of four millions of dollars a year in enlarging the Erie and in constructing the Genesee Valley and Black River canals. It was true this expenditure had been authorized in 1838, as well by a democratic senate as a whig assembly; yet it was well known that Col. Young in the senate, and Mr. Flagg and other leading democrats, not members of the legislature, were warmly opposed to those measures; and previous to the election of 1841, the democratic newspapers with great unanimity denounced the policy of increasing the public debt, and loudly demanded a retrenchment of expendi

tures.

Although Gov. Seward was popular among the mass of his party, there was a considerable number of whigs, possessing much influence in consequence of their wealth and standing in society, who thought the governor too radical in some of his political notions; and the under-current these individuals put in motion personally against Mr. Seward, interrupted and checked the vigorous action of the whig party, even in the choice of members of the legislature.

The defection, or, as it was called, treachery of Mr. Tyler, wrested from the whig party in the state of New York the control of the national patronage. They had gained the battle, but the fruits of the conquest were snatched from them in the moment of victory. This prostration of their hopes and expectations discouraged and disheartened many whigs, who lately had been active and zealous, and paralyzed their efforts, while the same events induced their opponents to act with renewed vigor and energy.

CHAPTER XI.

Levi S. Chatfield chosen Speaker of the Assembly-Unusual number of men of talents this year elected Members of that House-Isaac R. Elwood chosen Clerk of the Senate-Gov. Seward's Message-Comptroller's Report-Dispute between the Governor and Senate on the Bill for the Repeal of the Law in relation to the Receivers of Insolvent Banks -Caucus for nominating State Officers-A. C. Flagg, Comptroller, S. Young, Secretary of State, George P. Barker, Attorney-general, Thomas Farrington, Treasurer, Nathaniel Jones, Surveyor-general-Canal Commissioners-Debates in the Senate and Assembly on the Finances -Mr. Hoffman's Speech-Mr. Flagg's Report-Mr. Hoffman's Financial Bill of 1842-It passes the Assembly-Proceedings in the Senate thereon-Mr. Dickinson's Substitute, and Messrs. Foster's and Faulkener's Amendments-The People's Resolutions-Indications of Dissensions in the Democratic and Whig Parties-Virginia Controversy again discussed--Bill for removing the State Printer-Vetoed by the Governor -Proceedings in Congress-Mr. Wright's Speech on the Loan BillHis Speech on the Bill for dividing the States into single Congressional Districts-New Tariff Bill-Mr. Wright's Speech on this Bill-Democratic State Convention-William C. Bouck nominated for GovernorHe is elected-D. S. Dickinson elected Lieutenant-governor.

THERE was an unusual number of men of talents elected to the assembly at the annual election in 1841. From the city of New York, O'Sullivan and Townsend, and Messrs. M'Clay, Grout, Jones, M'Murray, &c., added much to the strength of the representation from that city. Horatio Seymour, from Utica; John A. Dix, late secretary of state, now United States senator, from Albany; Lemuel Stetson, from Clinton county; that learned and able lawyer, George A. Simmons, from Essex; John W. Tamlin, from Jefferson; John A. Lott, from Kings;

Levi S. Chatfield, from Otsego; George R. Davis, from Rensselaer; the benevolent friend of popular education and of man, Calvin T. Hulburt, from St. Lawrence; the active and energetic Halsey Rogers and John Cramer, from Saratoga; Ziba A. Leland, from Steuben; Charles Humphrey, former speaker, and now clerk of the Supreme Court, from Tompkins; and Michael Hoffman and Arphaxad Loomis, from the county of Herkimer, were all men of distinguished ability.

As usual, a separate caucus was held by the two houses the evening preceding the meeting of the legislature, which was on Monday, the 3d of January. The democratic senators nominated Isaac R. Elwood, of Rochester, clerk, in place of Samuel G. Andrews, then the incumbent. We believe Mr. Andrews had discharged his duties faithfully, and to the satisfaction of the senate and the public. The objections to him were purely political. The appointment of Mr. Elwood, however, was well received. He is a man of highly cultivated mind, and extensive and varied literary attainments.

At the assembly caucus, Levi S. Chatfield on the first ballot received eighty votes, and was declared nominated. There was some difficulty in selecting a candidate for clerk, but after two or three ballotings, John O. Cole of Albany, formerly an energetic police justice of that city, was declared duly nominated. The election of these gentlemen was of course made the next day.

The election of Mr. Chatfield, notwithstanding there were other democratic members of great talent and merit, then belonging to the assembly, was in our judgment an act of appropriate political justice. That he possessed talents of a high order was admitted by all

but what gave him peculiar claims was, he had come into the assembly two or three years before, when the democratic party was in a small minority; had stood in the front ranks of the opposition to the whig majority; had defended with zeal and ability the views of his political friends, and had been several times their candidate for speaker when it was known he could not be elected. These circumstances had frequently subjected him to severe attacks from his political opponents. Mr. Hoffman was probably the strongest man among the democratic members; but Mr. H. was contending for things rather than names-for moral rather than official power. He himself was in favor of Mr. Chatfield.

Though Gov. Seward always writes and speaks with ability, his message on this occasion was, in our opinion, both in style and spirit, superior to his former communications. He probably felt that he was addressing a body of men a majority of whom were in principle opposed to some of his favorite doctrines, and whose opposition to his policy was sharpened by coming fresh from the field of a fierce contest at the polls of the election.

After the usual introductory congratulations and remarks on matters of minor importance, the governor alludes to the Virginia controversy in the following decorous and conciliatory manner :

"I lay before you a law of Virginia calculated to embarrass our commerce. The effect of the act is postponed until May next, and the governor is authorized further to suspend it whenever the executive authority of this state shall surrender three persons heretofore demanded by the lieutenant-governor of that commonwealth as fugitives from justice, and the legislature shall repeal the law extending the trial by jury. I have re