115th New York State Legislature

Last updated

115th New York State Legislature
114th 116th
NewYorkStateCapitol1892.jpg
Overview
Legislative body New York State Legislature
Jurisdiction New York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1892
Senate
Members32
President Lt. Gov. William F. Sheehan (D)
Temporary President Jacob A. Cantor (D)
Party controlDemocratic (17-14-1)
Assembly
Members128
Speaker Robert P. Bush (D)
Party controlDemocratic (66-61-1)
Sessions
1stJanuary 5 – April 25, 1892
2ndApril 25 – 26, 1892

The 115th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to April 26, 1892, during the first year of Roswell P. Flower's governorship, in Albany.

Contents

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1846, 32 Senators and 128 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts were made up of entire counties, except New York County (seven districts) and Kings County (three districts). The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards, [1] forming a contiguous area, all within the same county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. In New York City, the Democrats were split into three factions: Tammany Hall, the "County Democracy" and the "New York Democracy". The Prohibition Party and the Socialist Labor Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The New York state election, 1891 was held on November 3. Roswell P. Flower was elected Governor; and Speaker William F. Sheehan was elected Lieutenant Governor, both Democrats. The other five statewide elective offices up for election were also carried by the Democrats. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democratic 585,000; Republican 535,000; Prohibition 30,000; and Socialist Labor 15,000.

This was the first time that seats in the Legislature were contested in the courts. Previously, since Independence in 1777, seats could be contested only in the Legislature, after the beginning of the session, and it took usually a long time to come to a conclusion. Most contestants whose claims were found to be correct, were seated only a few days before the end of the session. Now it became possible to take the contest to the courts, swiftly being decided by New York Court of Appeals, before the session began. At this time, the Court of Appeals was composed of five Democrats and two Republicans, and ruled in favor of Democrats Edward B. Osborne, John A. Nichols and Charles E. Walker who were referred to in the press as "usurpers", holding their seats by fraud. Seven more seats were then contested in the Legislature.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 5, 1892; and adjourned on April 25.

Robert P. Bush (D) was elected Speaker with 65 votes against 55 for James W. Husted (R).

Jacob A. Cantor (D) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate with 15 votes against 14 for George Z. Erwin (R).

On January 13, the Democratic senators met in caucus to discuss the scheme of unseating Republicans John H. Derby and Harvey J. Donaldson. Senator William L. Brown refused to go along with the scheme. [2]

On January 14, Senators George Z. Erwin, Edmund O'Connor and Charles T. Saxton (all three Rep.) refused to vote on a substitute Enumeration Bill, and were declared in contempt by the Democratic majority. [3]

On January 20, the Enumeration Bill was finally passed. [4] It had been due in 1885, but Republicans and Democrats could not agree on the terms. The Census Bill passed by Republican majorities in the Legislature of 1885 was vetoed by Gov. David B. Hill. In 1892, for the first time since 1885 the majorities in both Houses of the Legislature and the Governor were of the same party, and the enumeration bill was rushed through. The enumeration was needed as a basis for the re-apportionment of the Senate and Assembly districts.

On February 10, the Legislature elected James F. Crooker (Dem.) as Superintendent of Public Instruction, with 81 votes against 71 for Andrew S. Draper (Rep.), to succeed Draper on April 7 for a term of three years. [5]

The Legislature met for a special session on April 25, at 8.30 p.m., to consider the re-apportionment of the Senate districts and the number of assemblymen per county. [6]

On April 26, the Re-Apportionment Bill was passed by a vote of 17 to 1 (the 14 Republicans refused to vote) in the Senate; and by a vote of 67 to 58 in the Assembly. [7] Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Jefferson, Niagara, Oneida, Oswego, Otsego, Saratoga, Ulster, Washington and Wayne counties lost one seat each; St. Lawrence County lost two seats; Erie and Queens counties gained one seat each; and Kings and New York counties gained six seats each.

On August 5, Monroe County Judge Rumsey declared the Re-Apportionment Bill as unconstitutional and void. [8]

On September 23, Supreme Court Justice Stephen L. Mayham declared the Re-Apportionment Bill as constitutional. [9]

On October 13, the Court of Appeals upheld the Re-Apportionment Bill by a party vote of 5 to 2. [10]

State Senate

Districts

Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York. The counties which are not mentioned in this list had not yet been established, or sufficiently organized, the area being included in one or more of the abovementioned counties.

Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Joseph Aspinall, Martin T. McMahon, Charles P. McClelland, Edward B. Osborne, Cornelius R. Parsons and Matthias Endres changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1st Edward Floyd-Jones DemocratChairman of Game Laws
2nd John McCarty DemocratChairman of State Prisons; and of Public Buildings
3rd Joseph Aspinall*Republican
4th Patrick H. McCarren*DemocratChairman of Commerce and Navigation; and of Public Expenditures
5th William L. Brown*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Affairs of Cities; and of Grievances
6th John F. Ahearn*DemocratChairman of Banks; and of Public Printing
7th George F. Roesch*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Judiciary
8th Martin T. McMahon*Tammany Dem.Chairman of General Laws; and of Militia
9th Edward P. Hagan Tammany Dem.Chairman of Claims
10th Jacob A. Cantor*Tammany Dem.elected President pro tempore; Chairman of Finance; and of Rules
11th George W. Plunkitt Tammany Dem.Chairman of Miscellaneous Corporations; and of Engrossed Bills
12th Charles P. McClelland*DemocratChairman of Insurance; and of Joint Library
13th William P. Richardson*Republicancontested by C. Frederick Lamont (D)
14th Clarence E. Bloodgood DemocratChairman of Roads and Bridges; and of Poor Laws
15th Edward B. Osborne*Democratcontested in the courts by Gilbert A. Deane (R); [11] Chairman of
Affairs of Villages; and of Erection and Division of Towns and Counties
16th John H. Derby Republicancontested by Michael F. Collins (D)
17th Amasa J. Parker Jr. DemocratChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment; and of Public Health
18th Harvey J. Donaldson*Republicancontested by Edward H. Hoyt (D)
19th Louis W. Emerson*Republican
20th George Z. Erwin*RepublicanMinority Leader
21st Joseph Mullin Republican
22nd Henry J. Coggeshall*Republican
23rd John E. Smith Republican
24th Edmund O'Connor*Republican
25th John A. Nichols Democratcontested in the courts by Rufus T. Peck (R); [12]
Chairman of Salt; and of Agriculture
26th Thomas Hunter*Republican
27th Charles E. Walker Democratseated in place of Franklin D. Sherwood (R); [13]
Chairman of Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties; and of Manufactures
28th Charles T. Saxton*Republican
29th Cornelius R. Parsons*Republican
30th Greenleaf S. Van Gorder*Republicancontested by Harvey Arnold (D) [14]
31st Matthias Endres*DemocratChairman of Canals; and of Indian Affairs
32nd James T. Edwards Ind. Rep./Dem.Chairman of Railroads; and of Public Education

Employees

State Assembly

Assemblymen

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
Albany 1st Artcher La Grange Democrat
2nd Walter E. Ward*Republican
3rd Galen R. Hitt*DemocratChairman of Railroads
4th John T. Gorman*DemocratChairman of Banks
Allegany Marcus M. Congdon Republican
Broome Israel T. Deyo*Republican
Cattaraugus 1st William E. Wheeler Republican
2nd Solon S. Laing Democrat
Cayuga 1st Charles Clinton Adams Republican
2nd William Leslie Noyes*Republican
Chautauqua 1st Walter C. Gifford*Republican
2nd Egburt E. Woodbury*Republican
Chemung Robert P. Bush*Democratelected Speaker; Chairman of Rules
Chenango Charles H. Stanton Republican
Clinton Edward Hall Democrat
Columbia Henry L. Warner Democrat
Cortland James H. Tripp Republican
Delaware James R. Cowan Republican
Dutchess 1st Obed Wheeler Republicancontested by James H. Russell (D)
2nd James A. Vanderwater Democrat
Erie 1st John J. Clahan Democrat
2nd Jacob Goldberg Democrat
3rd Edward Gallagher*Republican
4th Henry H. Guenther*DemocratChairman of General Laws
5th Myron H. Clark Republican
Essex Walter D. Palmer*Republican
Franklin Allen S. Matthews Republican
Fulton and Hamilton Horace S. Judson Democrat
Genesee Charles N. Reed Republican
Greene Edward M. Cole DemocratChairman of Public Printing
Herkimer Henry H. Green*Republican
Jefferson 1st Harrison Fuller Republican
2nd Martin L. Willard Democrat
Kings 1st Joseph J. Cahill*DemocratChairman of Unfinished Business
2nd William J. Plant Democrat
3rd John Cooney*DemocratChairman of Privileges and Elections
4th John J. O'Connor*DemocratChairman of Fisheries and Game
5th John Kelly*DemocratChairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills
6th William E. Shields*DemocratChairman of Codes
7th Louis C. Ott Democrat
8th James F. Quigley*DemocratChairman of Revision
9th Lawrence E. Malone Republican
10th Thomas F. Byrnes*DemocratChairman of Federal Relations
11th George L. Weed Republican
12th Charles A. Conrady Republican
Lewis G. Henry P. Gould*DemocratChairman of Canals
Livingston Jesse Roberts Republican
Madison Clarence W. Dexter Republican
Monroe 1st Frank M. Jones*Republican
2nd Richard J. Curran Republicancontested by John A. Bernhard (D) [15]
3rd William H. Denniston*Republican
Montgomery George J. Gove Democrat
New York 1st Patrick H. Duffy*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Public Health
2nd Timothy D. Sullivan*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Commerce and Navigation
3rd Percival Farquhar*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Military Affairs
4th Patrick H. Roche*Tammany Dem.
5th Dominick F. Mullaney*Tammany Dem.
6th Samuel J. Foley*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Excise
7th Alfred R. Conkling [16] Republican
8th Philip Wissig DemocratChairman of Soldiers' Home
9th William H. Walker Tammany Dem.
10th William Sohmer*DemocratChairman of Public Institutions
11th William N. Hoag Republican
12th Moses Dinkelspiel*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Trade and Manufactures
13th James H. Southworth*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Public Education
14th William Sulzer*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Judiciary
15th Louis Drypolcher*Tammany Dem.
16th Walter G. Byrne*Tammany Dem.
17th Thomas J. McManus New York Dem.Chairman of Claims
18th Daniel F. Martin*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Electricity, Gas and Water Supply
19th John Connelly*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Insurance
20th Myer J. Stein* [17] Tammany Dem.Chairman of Public Lands and Forestry
21st Louis H. Hahlo Tammany Dem.Chairman of Charitable and Religious Societies
22nd William J. O'Dair Independent
23rd George P. Webster*Tammany Dem.Chairman of Affairs of Cities
24th James L. Wells Republican
Niagara 1st Garwood L. Judd*DemocratChairman of Indian Affairs
2nd Levi Parsons Gillette*DemocratChairman of Agriculture
Oneida 1st Cornelius Haley*Dem./LaborChairman of Labor and Industries
2nd Harry S. Patten Democrat
3rd Chester W. Porter Republican
Onondaga 1st Patrick J. Ryan Democrat
2nd William Kennedy*Republican
3rd Adam C. Listman Republican
Ontario Frank O. Chamberlain*Republican
Orange 1st Howard Thornton Republican
2nd William E. McCormick Democrat
Orleans Adelbert J. McCormick Republican
Oswego 1st Nevada N. Stranahan*Republican
2nd Wilbur H. Selleck*Republican
Otsego 1st Charles Goodell Democrat
2nd Walter L. Brown*Republican
Putnam William H. Ladue Democrat
Queens 1st Solomon S. Townsend*DemocratChairman of Internal Affairs
2nd George L. Weeks Republicancontested by James A. McKenna (D)
Rensselaer 1st James M. Riley*Democrat
2nd Levi E. Worden*Republican
3rd John J. Cassin Democrat
Richmond Hubbard R. Yetman DemocratChairman of Affairs of Villages
Rockland Thomas Finegan Democrat
St. Lawrence 1st George R. Malby*Republican
2nd John C. Keeler*Republican
3rd Lewis C. Lang Republican
Saratoga 1st Frank L. Smith [18] Republican
2nd Lewis Varney*Republican
Schenectady Alvin J. Quackenbush*Democrat
Schoharie William T. Lamont Democrat
Schuyler William H. Wait Republican
Seneca William H. Kinne Democrat
Steuben 1st Gordon M. Patchin Republican
2nd Herman E. Buck Republican
Suffolk James H. Pierson*Republican
Sullivan George M. Beakes*Democrat
Tioga Edward G. Tracy Republican
Tompkins Albert H. Pierson Republican
Ulster 1st George M. Brink*Republican
2nd Jacob Rice*DemocratChairman of State Prisons
3rd George H. Bush*DemocratMajority Leader; Chairman of Ways and Means
Warren Howard Conkling Republican
Washington 1st William D. Stevenson*Republican
2nd William Reid Republican
Wayne 1st George W. Brinkerhoff Republican
2nd Flynn Whitcomb Republican
Westchester 1st Thomas K. Fraser Democrat
2nd William Ryan*DemocratChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment;
on November 8, 1892, elected to the 53rd U.S. Congress
3rd James W. Husted*RepublicanMinority Leader; died on September 25, 1892
Wyoming Milo H. Olin Republican
Yates Everett Brown*Republican

Employees

Notes

  1. Except New York City where the wards were apportioned into election districts, and then some whole wards and some election districts of other wards were gerrymandered together into Assembly districts.
  2. see SENATOR BROWN SAID NO AND SHEEHAN'S BOLD GAME WAS BLOCKED in NYT on January 14, 1892
  3. SENATORS "IN CONTEMPT" in NYT on January 15, 1892
  4. see ENUMERATION BILL PASSED in NYT on January 21, 1892
  5. MR. DRAPER'S SUCCESSOR in The New York Times on February 11, 1892
  6. THE NEW APPORTIONMENT in NYT on April 26, 1892
  7. WALKER'S FIRMNESS WINS in NYT on April 27, 1892
  8. APPORTIONMENT ACT VOID in NYT on August 6, 1892
  9. JUDGE MAYHAM'S REASONS in NYT on September 24, 1892
  10. APPORTIONMENT TO STAND in NYT on October 14, 1892
  11. Deane had received more votes than Osborne, but the county canvassers did not allow 31 votes which had ink marks on the edge (which could have been made by printers' quads), and declared Osborne elected. Deane died on November 20, 1891, but the Republican Party continued his contest in the courts. On December 5, Judge Barnard ordered the votes to be counted, and instructed the County Clerk to inform the corrected result to the state canvassers. Judge Fursman ordered a stay of Barnard's decision. On December 19, Supreme Court Justice Edgar M. Cullen vacated Fursman's stay, and in the evening of December 21, Dutchess County Clerk Emans mailed the corrected result to Albany. On the same day however, Justice Ingraham had stayed Cullen's decision and Emans was accused of contempt of court. Emans traveled to Albany himself, and appeared at Deputy Attorney General Isaac H. Maynard's home at half past 8 a.m. next morning demanding to have the corrected result returned to him. Maynard and Emans went to the State Comptroller's office, and Maynard subtracted the letter from the incoming-mail pile and handed it over to Emans, explaining to the office employees that the letter had been misdirected. Subsequently, the original result was counted by the state canvassers, and Osborne was declared elected.
  12. The Court of Appeals upheld the decision by the county canvassers of Onondaga County to throw out 1,252 ballots for Peck on a technicality, thus giving Nichols a majority.
  13. Sherwood was at the time of election a Park Commissioner of the City of Hornellsville, and for this reason declared ineligible by the Court of Appeals. The state canvassers refused to declare any candidate elected, but Walker was seated at the beginning of the session by a vote of the Senate.
  14. see SENATOR VAN GORDER'S SEAT in NYT on January 6, 1892
  15. THE ASSEMBLY CONTESTS in NYT on January 10, 1892
  16. Alfred Ronald Conkling (born 1850), son of Congressman Frederick A. Conkling
  17. Myer J. Stein, brother of assemblyman Joseph I. Stein (in 1877)
  18. Frank L. Smith , grandson of assemblyman Thomas Hewitt (in 1803 and 1804)

Sources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">91st New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 91st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to May 6, 1868, during the fourth year of Reuben E. Fenton's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">95th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 95th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to May 14, 1872, during the fourth year of John T. Hoffman's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">97th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 97th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to April 30, 1874, during the second year of John A. Dix's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">98th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 98th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to May 22, 1875, during the first year of Samuel J. Tilden's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">99th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 99th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to May 3, 1876, during the second year of Samuel J. Tilden's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">101st New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 101st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to May 15, 1878, during the second year of Lucius Robinson's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">102nd New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 102nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to May 22, 1879, during the third year of Lucius Robinson's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">103rd New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 103rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to May 27, 1880, during the 1st year of Alonzo B. Cornell's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">104th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 104th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to July 23, 1881, during the second year of Alonzo B. Cornell's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">105th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 105th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to June 2, 1882, during the third year of Alonzo B. Cornell's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">106th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 106th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met in Albany from January 2 to May 4, 1883, during the first year of administration of Grover Cleveland

<span class="mw-page-title-main">107th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 107th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to May 16, 1884, during the second year of Grover Cleveland's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">108th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 108th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to May 22, 1885, during the first year of David B. Hill's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">111th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 111th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to July 20, 1888, during the fourth year of David B. Hill's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">112th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 112th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to May 16, 1889, during the fifth year of David B. Hill's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">113th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 113th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to May 9, 1890, during the sixth year of David B. Hill's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">114th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 114th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to April 30, 1891, during the seventh year of David B. Hill's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">116th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 116th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to April 20, 1893, during the second year of Roswell P. Flower's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">117th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 117th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to April 27, 1894, during the third year of Roswell P. Flower's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">130th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 130th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to July 26, 1907, during the first year of Charles Evans Hughes's governorship, in Albany.