In the fall of 1822, Mr. Lee was elected a member of assembly, in the New York legislature, where he distinguished himself by his close application to the business of the house, being seldom out of his place while it was in session. In 1833, he was elected by the common council of New York, mayor of that city, having previously served several years in the capacity of alderman. While discharging the duties of the mayoralty, he withdrew entirely from active participation in managing the business of his mercantile house, and devoted all his time and abilities to the public service. It was a maxim with him, that “whatever was worth doing at all was worth doing well.” In his communications to the common council, he never failed on suitable occasions to call their attention to the subject of public education;--it was a theme on which he never tired. In 1834, an alteration in the charter, made the office of mayor of New York elective by the people. A nomination was offered to Mr. Lee, but he declined a re-election, finding it necessary to return to his mercantile business. From this period, he contemplated retiring from commercial pursuits, and accordingly commenced winding up the affairs of his long-established concern in Ferry street. It was not, however, until the fall of 1836, that he felt himself in a situation to retire from its management. He then again entered for a short period into public life, and represented the city of New York in the twenty-fourth congress, where he was distinguished for his business habits, for his close attention to the interests of his constituents, and, we might also say, for making short speeches. Disdaining the arts of the demagogue, he made no efforts to acquire an ephemeral popularity in the usual modes, and was consequently not re-elected to congress. His political life may be said to have ended with the termination of the session of congress, in March, 1837, with an exception. He was in 1840, chosen a member of the electoral college of New York, for choosing the president and vice-president of the United States. In politics Mr. Lee was a democratic republican, and supported the administrations of Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Jackson. Disapproving, however, of the measures of Mr. Van Buren’s administration, he became what was called a “conservative,” acting with the whigs after the year 1837, and was chosen by that party one of the electoral college, which gave the vote of the state to General Harrison, as president of the United States.