102nd New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 102nd NewYorkStateCapitol1879.jpg 1879 January 1 December 31, 1879 Lt. Gov. William Dorsheimer (D) William H. Robertson (R) Thomas G. Alvord (R) 32 128 Republican (20-12) Republican (98-27-3) 1st January 7 May 22, 1879 101st 103rd 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. 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 (five districts) and Kings County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards,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. forming a contiguous area, all within the same county. At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Prohibition Party and the Greenback Party also nominated tickets. Elections The 1878 New York state election was held on November 5. The only statewide elective office up for election was carried by a Republican. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Judge of the Court of Appeals, was: Republican 391,000; Democratic 356,000; Greenback 75,000;The large Greenback vote was polled by Ex-Secretary of State Gideon J. Tucker, a Tammany Hall man who ran as a "spoiler candidate" to defeat the regular Democratic nominee. This was orchestrated by Tammany Boss John Kelly who engaged in a fierce struggle against the Democratic majority led by Samuel J. Tilden and Lucius Robinson. The split led to the defeat of Gov. Robinson who ran for re-election the next year, being opposed by Republican Alonzo B. Cornell and Kelly himself who ran as a spoiler candidate. and Prohibition 4,000. Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1879; and adjourned on May 22. On January 7, senators and assemblymen met at the Old Capitol and then marched together to the New Capitol, taking officially possession of the new accommodations. The New Capitol was then still under construction, being finished only in 1899; and the Senate met for the time being in the Court of Appeals chamber. Due to heavy snowfall, many members had not arrived yet from the Western parts of the State, and the Legislature adjourned. On January 9, Thomas G. Alvord (R) was again elected Speaker, with 94 votes against 24 for Erastus Brooks (D). On January 21, the Legislature re-elected U.S. Senator Roscoe Conkling (R) to a third six-year term, beginning on March 4, 1879.CONKLING WINS THE SENATORSHIP in NYT on January 22, 1879 On April 23, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate districts; and the Assembly seats per county. Columbia, Delaware, Madison, Oneida, Ontario and Oswego counties lost one seat each; Kings and New York counties gained three seats each.THE APPORTIONMENT BILL in NYT on April 21, 1879 State Senate Districts 1st District: Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties 2nd District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 19th and 20th wards of the City of Brooklyn 3rd District: 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th wards of the City of Brooklyn; and all towns in Kings County 4th District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 13th and 14th wards of New York City 5th District: 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th wards of New York City 6th District: 10th, 11th and 17th wards of New York City 7th District: 18th, 20th and 21st wards of New York City 8th District: 12th, 19th and 22nd wards of New York City 9th District: Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties 10th District: Orange and Sullivan counties 11th District: Columbia and Dutchess counties 12th District: Rensselaer and Washington counties 13th District: Albany County 14th District: Greene and Ulster counties 15th District: Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga and Schenectady counties 16th District: Clinton, Essex and Warren counties 17th District: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties 18th District: Jefferson and Lewis counties 19th District: Oneida County 20th District: Herkimer and Otsego counties 21st District: Madison and Oswego counties 22nd District: Onondaga and Cortland counties 23rd District: Chenango, Delaware and Schoharie counties 24th District: Broome, Tompkins and Tioga counties 25th District: Cayuga and Wayne counties 26th District: Ontario, Seneca and Yates counties 27th District: Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties 28th District: Monroe County 29th District: Genesee, Niagara and Orleans counties 30th District: Allegany, Livingston and Wyoming counties 31st District: Erie County 32nd District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties 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. District Senator Party Notes1stJames M. Oakley* Democrat2ndJames F. Pierce* Democrat3rdJohn C. Jacobs* Democrat4thEdward Hogan* Democrat5thAlfred Wagstaff Jr.* Democrat6thLouis S. Goebel* Republican 7thThomas Murphy Republicanelected to fill vacancy, in place of John Morrissey8thThomas C. E. Ecclesine* Democrat9thWilliam H. Robertson* RepublicanPresident pro tempore10thDaniel B. St. John* Democrat11thStephen H. Wendover* Republican12thCharles Hughes* Democrat13thHamilton Harris* Republican14thAddison P. Jones* Democrat15thWebster Wagner* Republican16thWilliam W. Rockwell* Republican17thDolphus S. Lynde* Republican18thHenry E. Turner* Republican19thAlexander T. Goodwin* Democrat20thSamuel S. Edick* Republican21stJohn W. Lippitt* Republican22ndDennis McCarthy* Republican23rdNathaniel C. Marvin* Republican 24thPeter W. Hopkins* Republicandied on February 7, 1879Edwin G. Halbert Republicanelected to fill vacancy, seated on April 225thTheodore M. Pomeroy* Republican26thEdwin Hicks* Republican27thIra Davenport* Republican28thGeorge Raines* Democrat29thLewis S. Payne* Democrat30thJames H. Loomis* Republican31stRay V. Pierce* Republicanon November 5, 1878, elected to the 46th U.S. Congress32ndLoren B. Sessions* Republicanalso Supervisor of the Town of Harmony Employees Clerk: John W. Vrooman Sergeant-at-Arms: Weidman Dominick Doorkeeper: James G. Caw Stenographer: Hudson C. Tanner State Assembly Assemblymen The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature. District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stHiram Griggs* Republican2ndCharles R. Knowles Republican3rdThomas H. Greer Republican4thWaters W. Braman Republican AlleganyHiram H. Wakely* Republican BroomeHenry Marean Republican Cattaraugus1stWilliam F. Wheeler Republican2ndSimeon V. Pool* Republican Cayuga1stWilliam A. Halsey Republican2ndWilliam Leslie Noyes* Republican Chautauqua1stCharles P. Ingersoll Republican2ndJames PrendergastJames Prendergast (born 1848), grandson of James Prendergast, the namesake of Jamestown; great-nephew of state senators John J. Prendergast and Jediah Prendergast Republican ChemungJohn Bandfield Greenback ChenangoOscar H. Curtis Republican ClintonWilliam P. Mooers* Republican Columbia1stJacob W. Hoysradt Republican2ndPerkins F. Cady Republican CortlandGeorge H. Arnold Greenback Delaware1stAlbert E. Sullard Republican2ndJohn S. McNaught Republican Dutchess1stObed Wheeler* Republican2ndCornelius Pitcher Republican Erie1stBernard F. Gentsch Republican2ndSimon P. Swift Republican3rdJames A. Roberts Republican4thHarvey J. Hurd* Republican5thWilliam Alfred Johnson Republican EssexWarren French Weston Republican FranklinWilliam D. Brennan Republican Fulton and HamiltonJohn W. Peek* Republican GeneseeJohn Sanders Republican GreeneGeorge S. Stevens Democrat HerkimerTitus Sheard* Republican Jefferson1stCharles R. Skinner* Republican2ndGeorge D. McAllaster Republican Kings1stJohn M. Clancy* Democrat2ndJonathan Ogden Republican3rdThomas J. Sheridan Democrat4thCharles T. Trowbridge Republicanunsuccessfully contested by James G. Tighe (D)see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1899; pg. 586–589)5thWilliam W. Stephenson Republican6thLewis R. Stegman Republican7thMaurice B. Flynn* Democrat8thJohn H. Douglass* Democrat9thDaniel W. Tallmadge Republican LewisCharles A. Chickering Republican LivingstonJames W. Wadsworth* Republicanon November 4, 1879, elected New York State Comptroller Madison1stAugustus L. Saunders Republican2ndGeorge Berry Democrat Monroe1stSamuel Beckwith Republican2ndCharles S. Baker Republican3rdHenry W. Davis Democrat MontgomeryJohn Warner Republican New York1stJames H. Madigan Democrat2ndThomas F. Grady* Democrat3rdWilliam H. McIntyre Democrat4thJohn Galvin* Democrat5thThomas Bogan Democrat6thJacob Seebacher* Democrat7thIsaac Israel Hayes* Republican8thDaniel Patterson* Democratunsuccessfully contested by John E. Brodsky (R)see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1899; pg. 580–586)9thGeorge B. Deane, Sr. Republican10thFerdinand Eidman Republican11thJames M. Varnum Republican12thMaurice F. Holahan* Democrat13thRobert H. Strahan Republican14thP. Henry Dugro Democrat15thMichael J. Dougherty Democrat16thEdward P. Hagan Democrat17thStephen N. Simonson Republican18thJoseph P. McDonough* Democrat19thAnthony Feehan Democrat20thWalter H. Ackerman Republican21stJ. C. Julius Langbein Republican Niagara1stThomas N. Van Valkenburgh Republican2ndJames Low Republican Oneida1stBenjamin Allen Republican2ndFrank Sang Republican3rdThomas D. Penfield Democrat4thH. Dwight Grant Republican Onondaga1stThomas G. Alvord* Republicanelected Speaker2ndSamuel Willis* Republican3rdHenry L. Duguid Republican Ontario1stJohn Robson Republican2ndCharles R. Case Republican Orange1stMorgan Shuit Republican2ndFranklin R. Brodhead Democrat OrleansHenry A. Glidden Republican Oswego1stGeorge B. Sloan Republican2ndGeorge E. Williams Greenback3rdWilliam H. Steele Republican Otsego1stAzro Chase* Republican2ndNathan Bridges Republican PutnamHamilton Fish II* Republican Queens1stWilliam J. Youngs Republican2ndWilliam E. Pearse Democrat Rensselaer1stFrancis N. Mann Jr. Republican2ndEli Perry Republican3rdThomas B. Simmons Republican RichmondErastus Brooks* Democrat RocklandJames W. Husted* Republicanpreviously a member from Westchester County St. Lawrence1stDaniel Peck Republican2ndA. Barton Hepburn* Republican3rdRufus S. Palmer* Republican Saratoga1stEdward StewartEdward Stewart (born 1834), son of John Stewart who was assemblyman in 1839 and 1840 Republican2ndDaniel H. Deyoe* Republican SchenectadyDaniel P. McQueen Republican SchoharieDuryea Beekman Democrat SchuylerAbram V. Mekeel* Republican SenecaDavid H. Evans Republican Steuben1stAzariah C. Brundage* Republican2ndGeorge R. Sutherland* Republican SuffolkCharles T. Duryea Democratcontested; seat vacatedGeorge F. Carman Republicanseated on February 6see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1899; pg. 568–580) SullivanRoderick Morison Democrat TiogaJohn Theodore Sawyer* Republican TompkinsCharles M. Titus Republican Ulster1stGeorge H. Sharpe Republican2ndTheodore Millspaugh Republican3rdLeonard Davis Democrat WarrenBarclay Thomas Republican Washington1stAbram Reynolds* Republican2ndGeorge L. Terry* Republican Wayne1stJohn A. Munson Republican2ndJefferson Sherman Republican Westchester1stJames L. Wells Republican2ndDavid Ogden BradleyDavid Ogden Bradley (born 1827), son of Henry Bradley, the Liberty Party candidate for Governor at the New York state election, 1846 Republican3rdDavid W. Travis Republican WyomingOrange L. Tozier Republican YatesJoel M. Clark* Republican Employees Clerk: Edward M. Johnson Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles A. Orr Doorkeeper: Henry Wheeler First Assistant Doorkeeper: Harrison Clark Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Michael Maher Assistant Doorkeeper: John Christie Stenographer: Worden E. Payne Notes Sources Civil List and Constitutional History of the Colony and State of New York compiled by Edgar Albert Werner (1884; see pg. 276 for Senate districts; pg. 291 for senators; pg. 298–304 for Assembly districts; and pg. 378 for assemblymen) The State Government for 1879 by Charles G. Shanks (Weed, Parsons & Co, Albany, 1879) THE CANVASS FOR SPEAKER in NYT on January 6, 1879 THE STRUGGLE AT ALBANY in NYT on January 7, 1879 THE CONTEST FOR SPEAKER in NYT on January 8, 1879 ALVORD CHOSEN SPEAKER in NYT on January 9, 1879 WORK BEGUN AT ALBANY in NYT on January 10, 1879 102 Category:1879 in New York (state) Category:1879 U.S. legislative sessions