Stephen Clark (politician)

Stephen Clark ( February 22, 1792 , † after 1857) was an American businessman and politician ( Democratic Party ). He was New York Treasurer of State from 1856 to 1857 .

Career

Nothing is known about Stephen Clark's youth. He lived in Albany, New York. On February 4, 1818 he married Pamelia Fay (1801–1842). The couple had five children. He worked as a businessman. In this context, he participated in the reconstruction of the Long Bridge over the Potomac River , which opened in 1835, and the construction of the High Bridge in New York City , which opened in 1848.

Clark held the post of sewer commissioner from 1842 to 1844 and from 1845 to 1847. His first election came on February 8, 1842, by the New York State Legislature , when the Democratic majority replaced the Whig Party commissioners . Clark and James Hooker , both non-acting commissioners, were removed from office on May 6, 1844. For further explanation, the following should be mentioned: a non-acting commissioner received no annual salary, whereas an acting commissioner received $ 2,000  per year. Clark was re-elected to a four-year term in November 1844. He took up his post on February 3, 1845. Both of his terms in office were overshadowed by the economic crisis of 1837 . As a result of the new constitution of New York from 1846, he had to vacate his post again in the following period. His term of office ended at the end of 1847. The following years were overshadowed by the Mexican-American War .

At that time he joined the American Party . In November 1855 he was elected Treasurer of State of New York. In doing so, he defeated both the Republican and the Democratic candidate. Clark took up his post on January 1, 1856. At that time, the New York governor served a two-year term, elected every even year, and cabinet members a two-year term, elected every odd year. As a result, Governor Myron H. Clark , who was elected as a Whig and now a Republican, faced a hostile majority in the Erie Canal Commission . At that time the political situation was very unstable and party support increased rapidly. In June 1856, the majority of the canal authorities, including Treasurer Clark, decided to replace two resident engineers who were working on the canal. As a result, members of the Canal Authority, including the Treasurer, were charged with an unlawful act by Lieutenant Governor of New York Henry J. Raymond and State Engineer Silas Seymour of interfering with the exclusive jurisdiction of the State Engineer. On June 23, 1856, Treasurer Clark was suspended by Governor Clark, as the state constitution allowed a possible suspension of the treasurer, but no other state official. Soon after, the treasurer wrote a letter to the governor arguing that the canal authority had the authority to suspend the state engineer and that the treasurer could not be suspended for acts ex officio as a member of any federal agency, but only for his actions as treasurer of public funds. As a result, his suspension was revoked.

He was buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, New York.

literature

• American Ratification Meeting in the Park , The New York Times, October 18, 1855
• The State Treasurer , The New York Times, June 23, 1856
• Suspension of the State Treasurer , The New York Times, June 24, 1856
• The State Treasurer , The New York Times, July 11, 1856
• The New York civil list , Weed, Parsons and Company, 1858, p. 36
• Orlin Prentice Fay: Fay Genealogy , Higginson Book Company, 1898, p. 90

Web links

• Stephen Clark on The Political Graveyard website