George William Palmer (New York politician)

George William Palmer (January 13, 1818 – March 12, 1916) was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Hoosick, he attended the common schools, the Schodack Academy and Yale College. He studied law, was admitted to the bar about 1840 and commenced practice in Plattsburgh. He was surrogate of Clinton County, New York.

George William Palmer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 16th district
In office March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861
Preceded by	George A. Simmons
Succeeded by	William A. Wheeler
Member of the New York State Assembly from the Clinton County district
In office January 1, 1885 – December 31, 1886
Preceded by	William E. Smith
Succeeded by	George S. Weed
Personal details
Born	(1818-01-13)January 13, 1818 Hoosick, New York
Died	March 13, 1916(1916-03-13) (aged 98) Plattsburgh, New York
Alma mater	Schodack Academy, Yale College
Profession	lawyer

Palmer was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861); while in Congress he was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Thirty-sixth Congress). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1860, and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention at Baltimore in 1864. He was appointed United States Consul to Crete by President Abraham Lincoln and was United States judge on the International Court for Suppression of Slave Trade on the West Coast of Africa from 1866 to 1870, when he resigned. He was a member of the New York State Assembly (Clinton Co.) in 1885 and 1886. He engaged in iron manufacturing at Clinton, New York. He died in Plattsburgh in 1916; interment was in Riverside Cemetery.

George William Palmer was a nephew of John Palmer, a U.S. Representative from New York, and a cousin of William Elisha Haynes, a U.S. Representative from Ohio.