The New International Encyclopædia/Lansing, John

LANSING, John (1754-1829). An American jurist, born at Albany, N. Y. He was privately educated and studied law with Robert Yates (q.v.) in his native city, and with James Duane in New York, where he was established in practice at the outbreak of the Revolution. During the war he served for some time as military secretary to Gen. Philip Schuyler. He was elected to Congress in 1784, and while retaining this office, was elected also to the lower branch of the Legislature, of which in 1786 he was chosen Speaker. In the same year he was named by the council of appointment Mayor of Albany, and succeeded John Jay as a member of the Massachusetts-New York boundary commission. In March, 1787, while still a member of Congress, he was appointed, with Yates and Hamilton, to represent New York in the Constitutional Convention, but left it with the first-named, after two months' participation, on the grounds that they had not been delegated to form a new Constitution, but only to amend the Articles of Confederation. In June, 1788, with George Clinton and Melancthon Smith (q.v.), he led the opposition to the ratification of the Constitution by New York at the Poughkeepsie convention. After serving on the New York-Vermont boundary commission, he was, in September, 1790, named a judge of the New York Supreme Court. He succeeded Yates as Chief Justice in 1798, and in 1801 succeeded Robert R. Livingston (q.v.) as Chancellor, which position he retained until 1814, when he in turn was succeeded by James Kent (q.v.). He declined the Anti-Federalist nomination for Governor of New York in 1804.