Argus

1821 · réf. 22710 — Albany NY: Albany Argus 1821. First printing. Good condition. An historic New York state newspaper supplement "Extra" or hand bill that has not been bound rejecting the objections of the Council of Revisions to a bill entitled "An act recommending a convention of the people of this state" and recommending the passage of the bill calling for the convention. Dated Friday January 12 1821 the handbill concerns the power struggle taking place between Governor DeWitt Clinton and the Bucktails faction of the Democratic Republican Party which was controlled by Martin van Buren. The call for a constitutional convention which would ultimately take power away from the governor and transfer it to the state legislature was made by the Bucktail members of the legislature who had suffered dismissals from state office by DeWitt Clinton as soon as he became governor in 1817. The issue did indeed go before the people of New York and in April 1821 they voted in favor of the convention. Some major changes to the power structure of New York politics that came out of the convention include the shortening of the gubernatorial term to two years; the abolishment of the Council of Revision with Its power to veto new legislation transferred to the governor; and the abolishment of the Council of Appointment with the majority of formerly appointed offices now being made elective. The Governor's right to dismiss the legislature at will was also abolished and Black males gained limited suffrage. Folio 4pp. Newspaper size format with 2 column printing makes this a very large pamphlet hence the use of hand bill 11 1/4 x 18". As these 4 pages have never been bound there is some aging to the paper along with a central fold. OCLC records no copies with the only Argus Extra broadside entry for 1821 being Liberty Emancipation Free Suffrage and Equal Representation dated April 20th 1821. OCLC 58786003. Albany Argus unknown