126th New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 126th New York State Capitol in 1900.jpg 1900 January 1 December 31, 1903 Lt. Gov. Frank W. Higgins (R) John Raines (R) S. Frederick Nixon (R) 50 150 Republican (28-22) Republican (89-61) 1st January 7 April 23, 1903 125th 127th The 126th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to April 23, 1903, during the third year of Benjamin B. Odell Jr.'s governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, 50 Senators and 150 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 (twelve districts), Kings County (seven districts), Erie County (three districts) and Monroe County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county. At this time, there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Social Democratic Party, the Prohibition Party, the Socialist Labor Party, and a "Liberal Democratic" faction also nominated tickets. Elections The 1902 New York state election, was held on November 4. Gov. Benjamin B. Odell Jr. was re-elected; and State Senator Frank W. Higgins was elected Lieutenant Governor; both Republicans. Of the other six statewide elective offices up for election, four were carried by the Republicans and two by the Democrats. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republicans 665,000; Democrats 656,000; Social Democrats 23,000; Prohibition 20,000; Socialist Labor 16,000; and Liberal Democrats 2,000. Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1903; and adjourned on April 23. S. Frederick Nixon (R) was re-elected Speaker. John Raines (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate with 25 votes for and 24 against him. Republican senators Edgar T. Brackett, Walter L. Brown and Nathaniel A. Elsberg voted against Raines.The president pro tempore was elected by resolution. When the Democrats offered a substitute resolution in favor of Minority Leader Thomas F. Grady, Brackett, Brown and Elsberg voted against Grady; when the original resolution was up, they voted with the Democrats against Raines. Raines was elected only because one seat was vacant due to the death of Democrat Patrick F. Trainor. In a full Senate, there would have been a tied vote of 25 to 25, and Raines could not have been elected. On January 20, the Legislature re-elected Thomas C. Platt (R) to a second term as U.S. Senator from New York, for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1903.MR. PLATT ELECTED AFTER DENUNCIATION in NYT on January 21, 1903 State Senate Districts 30em 1st District: Richmond and Suffolk counties 2nd District: Queens and Nassau counties 3rd District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Ward of Brooklyn, as constituted in 1894 4th District: 7th, 13th, 19th and 21st Ward of Brooklyn, as constituted in 1894 5th District: 8th, 10th, 12th and 30th Ward of Brooklyn, and the annexed former Town of Gravesend, as constituted in 1894 6th District: 9th, 11th, 20th and 22nd Ward of Brooklyn, as constituted in 1894 7th District: 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th Ward of Brooklyn, as constituted in 1894 8th District: 23rd, 24th, 25th and 29th Ward of Brooklyn; and the annexed former Town of Flatlands, as constituted in 1894 9th District: 18th, 26th, 27th and 28th Ward of Brooklyn, as constituted in 1894 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st District: Parts of the City of New York, defined geographically by their bordering streets, regardless of Wards or Assembly districts 22nd District: Westchester County 23rd District: Orange and Rockland counties 24th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam and counties 25th District: Greene and Ulster counties 26th District: Chenango, Delaware and Sullivan counties 27th District: Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties 28th District: Saratoga, Schenectady and Washington counties 29th District: Albany County 30th District: Rensselaer County 31st District: Clinton, Essex and Warren counties 32nd District: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties 33rd District: Otsego and Herkimer counties 34th District: Oneida County 35th District: Jefferson and Lewis counties 36th District: Onondaga County 37th District: Oswego and Madison counties 38th District: Broome, Cortland and Tioga counties 39th District: Cayuga and Seneca counties 40th District: Chemung, Schuyler and Tompkins counties 41st District: Steuben and Yates counties 42nd District: Ontario and Wayne counties 43rd District: 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th Ward of Rochester; and the towns of Brighton, Henrietta, Irondequoit, Menden, Penfield, Perinton, Pittsford, Rush and Webster, in Monroe County 44th District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 19th and 20th Ward of Rochester; and the towns of Chili, Clarkson, Gates, Greece, Hamlin, Ogden, Parma, Riga, Sweden and Wheatland, in Monroe County 45th District: Genesee, Niagara and Orleans counties 46th District: Allegany, Livingston and Wyoming counties 47th District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 15th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th Ward of Buffalo 48th District: 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 16th Ward of Buffalo 49th District: 17th, 18th and 25th Ward of the City of Buffalo; and all area in Erie County outside Buffalo 50th District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties Note: In 1897, New York County (the boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx), Kings County (the borough of Brooklyn), Richmond County (the borough of Staten Island) and the Western part of Queens County (the borough of Queens) were consolidated into the present-day City of New York. The Eastern part of Queens County (the non-consolidated part) was separated in 1899 as Nassau County. Parts of the 1st and 2nd Assembly districts of Westchester County were annexed by New York City in 1895, and became part of the Borough of the Bronx in 1898. Members The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Luke A. Keenan, Jotham P. Allds and Albert T. Fancher changed from the Assembly to the Senate. Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Senator Party Notes1stEdwin Bailey Jr. Democrat2ndLuke A. Keenan* Democrat3rdThomas H. Cullen* Democrat4thThomas C. Whitlock Democrat5thJames H. McCabe* Democrat6thWalter C. Burton Democrat7thPatrick H. McCarren* Democrat8thHenry Marshall* RepublicanChairman of Insurance9thJoseph Wagner* Democrat10thDaniel J. Riordan Democrat11thJohn C. Fitzgerald Democrat12thSamuel J. Foley* Democrat13thBernard F. Martin* Democrat14thThomas F. Grady* DemocratMinority Leader15thNathaniel A. Elsberg* RepublicanChairman of Codes 16thvacantSenator-elect Patrick F. Trainor (D) died on December 25, 1902Peter J. Dooling Democratelected on January 27, 1903, to fill vacancysee DOOLING ELECTED SENATOR in NYT on January 28, 190317thGeorge W. Plunkitt* Democrat18thVictor J. Dowling* Democrat19thJohn W. Russell Democrat20thJames J. Frawley Democrat21stJohn A. Hawkins Democrat22ndCharles P. McClelland Democratseat vacated on August 21, upon appointment to the Board of General Appraisers23rdLouis F. Goodsell* RepublicanChairman of Miscellaneous Corporations24thHenry S. Ambler* RepublicanChairman of Agriculture25thFrank J. Lefevre RepublicanChairman of Revision26thJotham P. Allds* Republican27thSpencer K. Warnick RepublicanChairman of Privileges and Elections28thEdgar T. Brackett* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary29thJames B. McEwan* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages30thWilliam D. Barnes* RepublicanChairman of Penal Institutions31stSpencer G. Prime* RepublicanChairman of Banks32ndGeorge R. Malby* RepublicanChairman of Finance33rdWalter L. Brown RepublicanChairman of Engrossed Bills34thWilliam Townsend Democrat35thElon R. Brown* RepublicanChairman of Forest, Fish and Game36thHorace White* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities37thFrancis H. Gates RepublicanChairman of Military Affairs38thGeorge E. Green* RepublicanChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment39thBenjamin M. Wilcox* RepublicanChairman of Railroads40thEdwin C. Stewart* RepublicanChairman of Public Health41stFranklin D. Sherwood* RepublicanChairman of Public Printing42ndJohn Raines* Republicanelected President pro tempore; Chairman of Rules43rdMerton E. Lewis* RepublicanChairman of Public Education44thWilliam W. Armstrong* RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs45thIrving L'Hommedieu RepublicanChairman of Trades and Manufactures46thFrederick C. Stevens RepublicanChairman of Roads and Bridges47thHenry W. Hill* RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation48thSamuel J. Ramsperger* Democrat49thGeorge Allen Davis* RepublicanChairman of Canals50thAlbert T. Fancher* RepublicanChairman of Indian Affairs Employees Clerk: James S. Whipple Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles R. Hotaling Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: William W. Adams Doorkeeper: John E. Gorss Assistant Doorkeeper: Charles H. Bernard Stenographer: A. B. Sackett Assistant Clerk: Lafayette B. Gleason Journal Clerk: Ernest A. Fay Index Clerk: A. Miner Wellman State Assembly Assemblymen Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stCharles W. Mead Republican2ndAbram S. Coon* RepublicanChairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills3rdWilliam V. Cooke Democrat4thWilliam J. Grattan Republican AlleganyJesse S. Phillips* RepublicanChairman of Codes Broome1stJames T. Rogers* RepublicanMajority Leader; Chairman of Ways and Means2ndFred E. Allen* Republican Cattaraugus1stTheodore Hayden Republican2ndJames C. Sheldon Republican Cayuga1stErnest G. Treat* RepublicanChairman of State Prisons2ndCharles J. Hewitt* Republican Chautauqua1stJ. Samuel Fowler* RepublicanChairman of General Laws2ndS. Frederick Nixon* Republicanre-elected Speaker; Chairman of Rules ChemungSherman Moreland Republican ChenangoEdgar A. Pearsall Republican ClintonH. Wallace Knapp Republican ColumbiaEdward W. Scovill Republican CortlandHenry A. Dickinson* RepublicanChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment DelawareJames R. Cowan* Republican Dutchess1stJohn T. Smith* RepublicanChairman of Banks2ndFrancis G. Landon* RepublicanChairman of Public Education Erie1stJohn H. Bradley* Democrat2ndRobert L. Cox Republican3rdAnthony F. Burke* Democrat4thCharles V. Lynch Democrat5thCharles W. Hinson Democrat6thGeorge Ruehl* Republican7thJohn K. Patton* RepublicanChairman of Canals8thElijah Cook* RepublicanChairman of Privileges and Elections EssexJames M. Graeff* RepublicanChairman of Agriculture FranklinHalbert D. Stevens* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages Fulton and HamiltonClarence W. Smith* Republican GeneseeS. Percy Hooker* RepublicanChairman of Indian Affairs GreeneCharles E. Nichols Republican HerkimerSamuel M. Allston* RepublicanChairman of Fisheries and Game Jefferson1stWilliam A. Denison Republican2ndJames A. Outterson* Republican Kings1stJohn Hill Morgan* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary2ndJohn McKeown* Democrat3rdJames J. McInerney* Democrat4thJohn E. Bullwinkel Democrat5thFortescue C. Metcalfe Democrat6thFrank J. Ulrich Democrat7thWilliam Keegan Democrat8thJohn C. L. Daly* Democrat9thJames J. Kehoe Democrat10thFrancis J. Byrne Democrat11thWilliam S. Shanahan Democrat12thJohn F. Kearney Democrat13thThomas F. Mathews Democrat14thJohn B. Ferre* Democrat15thHarry H. Dale* Democrat16thGustavus C. Weber* Republican17thEdward C. Dowling Republican18thJacob D. Remsen* RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation19thJohn Wolf* Democrat20thLouis J. Zettler Democrat21stEdward A. Miller Democrat LewisLewis H. Stiles* Republican LivingstonWilliam Y. Robinson Republican MadisonAvery M. Hoadley* RepublicanChairman of Public Institutions Monroe1stMartin Davis* RepublicanChairman of Federal Relations2ndGeorge H. Smith* Republican3rdEugene J. Dwyer Republican4thJohn Pallace Jr. Democrat MontgomeryJohn W. Candee* Republican New York1stAndrew J. Doyle Democrat2ndJoseph P. Bourke* Democrat3rdDominick F. Mullaney Democrat4thWilliam H. Burns* Democrat5thEdward R. Finch* Republican6thHarry E. Oxford* Democrat7thPeter P. Sherry Democrat8thIsidor Cohn Democrat9thRichard J. Butler Democrat10thJohn F. McCullough* Democrat11thHugh Dolan Democrat12thEdward Rosenstein Democrat13thJohn C. Hackett Democrat14thHenry W. Doll* Democrat15thThomas J. McManus Democrat16thSamuel Prince* Democrat17thJohn F. Curry Democrat18thGeorge P. Richter* Democrat19thCharles F. Bostwick Republican20thJohn H. Fitzpatrick* Democrat21stFrederick E. Wood Republican22ndWilliam H. Hornidge Democrat23rdEugene J. McCarthy Democrat24thLeo P. Ulmann* Democrat25thHoward Conkling Republicanpreviously a member from Warren Co.26thMyron Sulzberger* Democrat27thGeorge B. Agnew Republican28thJohn T. Dooling* Democrat29thGeorge B. Clark Republican30thGotthardt A. Litthauer* Democrat31stLewis A. Abrams Democrat32ndMatthew F. Neville* Democrat33rdJames O. Farrell Democrat34thWilliam J. Ellis Democrat35thPeter J. Everett Democrat Niagara1stJoseph M. Hoffman Democrat2ndJohn H. Leggett* RepublicanChairman of Claims Oneida1stThomas A. Mortimer Democrat2ndFred J. Brill* Republican3rdJohn C. Evans Republican Onondaga1stJames F. Williams* Republican2ndFrederick D. Traub* RepublicanChairman of Public Printing3rdMartin L. Cadin* Republican4thFred W. Hammond* RepublicanChairman of Revision OntarioJean L. Burnett* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities Orange1stJohn Orr* RepublicanChairman of Unfinished Business2ndLouis Bedell* RepublicanChairman of Railroads OrleansCharles S. Bridgeman Republican Oswego1stThomas D. Lewis* RepublicanChairman of Insurance2ndThomas M. Costello* RepublicanChairman of labor and Industries OtsegoJohn B. Conkling* Republican PutnamJohn R. Yale* Republican Queens1stJoseph Sullivan Democrat2ndFrancis X. Duer* Democrat Queens and NassauGeorge W. Doughty* RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs Rensselaer1stJohn M. Chambers* RepublicanChairman of Charitable and Religious Societies2ndJohn J. McCarthy Democrat3rdCharles W. Reynolds* RepublicanChairman of Trades and Manufactures RichmondCharles J. McCormack Democrat RocklandThomas Finegan Democrat St. Lawrence1stCharles S. Plank* RepublicanChairman of Excise2ndEdwin A. Merritt Jr.* Republican SaratogaGeorge H. Whitney Republican SchenectadyWilliam W. Wemple Republican SchoharieGeorge M. Palmer* DemocratMinority Leader SchuylerOlin T. Nye* RepublicanChairman of Public Health SenecaDaniel W. Moran* Republican Steuben1stFrank C. Platt* RepublicanChairman of Soldiers' Home2ndGordon M. Patchin* Republican Suffolk1stWillis A. Reeve* Republican2ndOrlando Hubbs Republican SullivanJohn F. Simpson Republican TiogaEdwin S. Hanford* RepublicanChairman of Public Lands and Forestry TompkinsGeorge E. Monroe* Republican Ulster1stCharles T. Coutant Republican2ndSolomon P. Thorn Republican WarrenLoyal L. Davis Republican WashingtonWilliam H. Hughes* RepublicanChairman of Military Affairs WayneAddison P. Smith Republican Westchester1stJohn J. Sloane* Democrat2ndJ. Mayhew Wainwright* Republican3rdJames K. Apgar* RepublicanChairman of Electricity, Gas and Water Supply WyomingHenry J. McNair* Republican YatesCyrus C. Harvey Republican Employees Clerk: Archie E. Baxter Sergeant-at-Arms: Frank W. Johnston Doorkeeper: Benjamin J. Sanger First Assistant Doorkeeper: Andrew Kehn Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Daniel Cameron Easton Stenographer: Henry C. Lammert Assistant Clerk: Ray B. Smith Notes Sources Official New York from Cleveland to Hughes by Charles Elliott Fitch (Hurd Publishing Co., New York and Buffalo, 1911, Vol. IV; see pg. 346ff for assemblymen; and 365 for senators) The New York Red Book by Edgar L. Murlin (1903; see pg. 63–103 for senators' bios; between pg. 64 and 65 for senators' portraits; pg. 104–192 for assemblymen's bios; between pg. 128 and 129 for assemblymen's portraits; pg. 326 for senators; and pg. 451 for assemblymen) REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LEGISLATURE in NYT on November 5, 1902 S. FRED NIXON FOR SPEAKER in NYT on January 7, 1903 NEW YORK LEGISLATURE in NYT on January 8, 1903 126 Category:1903 in New York (state) Category:1903 U.S. legislative sessions