The old merchants of New York City / by Walter Barrett.

OF.N'E W YORK CITY.

233

that of Mr. Jefferson, on which was placed the name
of George Clinton, General Horatio Gates, Henry Rutgers, John Broome, and other distinguished Republicans,
who, by their votes for Presidential Electors, gave the
ascendancy to the Democratic party by the choice of
Jefferson and Burr to the first offices in the Union. In
1801 Mr. Broome was appointed one of the Commissioners in Bankruptcy under the Act of 1798. In 1803 he
was elected a State Senator, and placed in the Council
of Appointment in February, 1804. That year he was
chosen Lieutenant-Governor.
He then writes the following letter:
NEW YORK, Jze 12th, 1804.
HoN. JOHN WOODWORTH - Sir: Having received
official information of my election to the office qf
Lieutenant Governor, I request your opinion, as the law
officer of the State, on the following question:
Will it be consistent with the Constitution and laws
of the State to retain my seat in the Council of Appointment, and act as a member of that body, from and after
the 1st day of July next? I am respectfully, sir,
Your obedient servant, JOHN BROOME.
It is a singular coincidence that I have before me the
following letter:
NEW YORK, Oct. 24th, 1806.
WILLIAM HAWLEY, EsQ: Your letter of Sept. 20th
last, introducing Seth P. Beers, Esq., of Litchfield,
Conn., was duly received, to which I shall pay due
attention when any business occurs in the part of the
country in which he lives. Your obedient servant,
JOHN BROOME.
Although years have elapsed, nearly sixty, yet when