118th New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 118th January 1 December 31, 1895 Lt. Gov. Charles T. Saxton (R) Edmund O'Connor (R) Hamilton Fish II (R) 32 128 Republican (19-13) Republican (105-23) 1st January 2 May 16, 1895 117th 119th The 118th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to May 16, 1895, during the first year of Levi P. Morton'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 (nine districts), Kings County (five districts) and Erie County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards,Except New York City where the 19th and the 22nd Ward were divided into several districts. forming a contiguous area, all within the same county. A Constitutional Convention met at the State Capitol in Albany from May 8 to September 29, 1894. The new Constitution was submitted to the electorate for ratification at the state election on November 6. At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Two Democratic anti-machine factions (the "Democratic Reform Organization" in Brooklyn, and the "Empire State Democracy" in New York City11 Oct 1896 GOLD MEN MAY BE SHUT OUT https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84024350/1896-10-11/ed-1/?q=Bimetallism&sp=2&st=text&r=0.208,0.369,0.329,0.369,0 24 Dec 2024 New York Journal 2), the Prohibition Party, the Socialist Labor Party and the People's Party also nominated tickets. Elections The 1894 New York state election was held on November 6. Ex-U.S. Vice President Levi P. Morton was elected Governor; and President pro tempore of the State Senate Charles T. Saxton was elected Lieutenant Governor (both Rep.). The only other statewide elective offices up for election was also carried by a Republican. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republican 674,000; Democratic/Empire State 518,000; Democratic Reform 27,000; Prohibition 24,000; Socialist Labor 16,000; and People's Party 11,000. Besides, the new Constitution was adopted by the voters, and took effect on January 1, 1895. The new Constitution moved the day for the first meeting of the Legislature from the first Tuesday in January to the first Wednesday, and the 118th Legislature convened on Wednesday, January 2, 1895. Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 2, 1895; and adjourned on May 16. Hamilton Fish II (Rep.) was elected Speaker against Samuel J. Foley (Dem.). Edmund O'Connor (Rep.) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate. On February 13, the Legislature elected Charles R. Skinner (Rep.) as Superintendent of Public Instruction, to succeed James F. Crooker for a term of three years.NEW EDUCATIONAL OFFICERS in The New York Times on February 14, 1895 On May 14, Assemblyman Eugene F. Vacheron was indicted for asking for a bribe (a misdemeanor), and for accepting a bribe (a felony). He was accused of having received $3,000 to kill the "Hudson River Ice Bill" in the Assembly Committee on Internal Affairs.ACCUSED OF BRIBERY in NYT on May 15, 1895 After many postponements the case was tried in December 1896ON TRIAL FOR BRIBERY in NYT on December 3, 1896 and Vacheron was acquitted.Vacheron pleaded not guilty, and did not resign his seat; see: EUGENE VACHERON SURRENDERS in NYT on May 17, 1895. The trial occurred a year and a half after the session ended, and Vacheron had not been re-elected to the session of 1896. When he was convicted of grand larceny in 1912, The New York Times published a mistaken reminder of the case here: EX-ASSEMBLYMAN CONVICTED in The New York Times on February 29, 1912 State Senate Districts 30em 1st District: Queens and Suffolk counties 2nd District: 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th and 22nd Ward of Brooklyn 3rd District: 13th, 19th, 21st, 23rd and 25th Ward of Brooklyn 4th District: 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 27th Ward of Brooklyn 5th District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 11th and 20th Ward of Brooklyn 6th District: 8th, 24th, 26th and 28th Ward of the City of Brooklyn; all towns in Kings County; and Richmond County 7th District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th and 16th Ward of NYC 8th District: 4th, 6th, 7th, 11th and 13th Ward of NYC 9th District: 10th, 14th, 15th and 17th Ward of New York City 10th District: 18th, 20th and 21st Ward of NYC 11th District: Southern parts of the 19th and 22nd Ward of NYC 12th District: Middle parts of the 19th and 22nd Ward of NYC 13th District: Northern parts of the 19th and 22nd; and 23rd Ward of NYC 14th District: Northeastern part of the 19th Ward of NYC 15th District: 24th Ward of NYC; and Putnam and Westchester counties 16th District: Dutchess, Orange and Rockland counties 17th District: Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties 18th District: Columbia and Rensselaer counties 19th District: Albany County 20th District: Herkimer, Montgomery, Saratoga and Schenectady counties 21st District: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Warren and Washington counties 22nd District: Jefferson, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties 23rd District: Lewis, Oneida County and Otsego counties 24th District: Madison and Onondaga counties 25th District: Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware and Tioga counties 26th District: Cayuga, Ontario, Tompkins, Wayne and Yates counties 27th District: Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca and Steuben counties 28th District: Monroe County 29th District: Genesee, Livingston, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties 30th District: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 19th and 20th Ward of the City of Buffalo 31st District: 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th Ward of Buffalo; and the remaining area of Erie County 32nd District: Allegany, 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 Notes1stJohn Lewis Childs* Republican2ndMichael J. Coffey* Democrat3rdWilliam H. Reynolds* Republican4thGeorge A. Owens* Republican5thDaniel Bradley* Ind. Dem.6thHenry Wolfert*Henry Wolfert (1826–1898), see DEATH LIST OF A DAY; Henry Wolfert in NYT on December 18, 1898 Republican7thMartin T. McMahon* Democrat8thJohn F. Ahearn* Democrat9thTimothy D. Sullivan* Democrat10thFrank A. O'Donnel* Democrat11thJoseph C. Wolff* Democrat12thThomas C. O'Sullivan* Democrat13thCharles L. Guy* Democrat14thJacob A. Cantor* DemocratMinority Leader15thGeorge W. Robertson* Republican16thClarence Lexow* Republican17thJacob Rice* Democrat18thMichael F. Collins* Democrat19thAmasa J. Parker Jr.* Democrat20thHarvey J. Donaldson* Republican21stFrederick D. Kilburn* Republican22ndJoseph Mullin* Republican23rdHenry J. Coggeshall* Republican24thCharles W. Stapleton* Republican25thEdmund O'Connor* Republicanelected President pro tempore26thJohn Raines Republicanelected to fill vacancy, in place of Charles T. Saxton27thBaxter T. Smelzer* Republican28thCornelius R. Parsons* Republican29thCuthbert W. Pound* Republican30thCharles Lamy* Republican31stHenry H. Persons* Republican32ndFrank W. Higgins* Republican Employees Clerk: John S. Kenyon Assistant Clerk: Charles A. Ball Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles V. Schram Doorkeeper: Edward Dowling Stenographer: Lucius A. Waldo Journal Clerk: Lafayette B. Gleason Postmaster: Stephen C. Green State Assembly Assemblymen The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature. District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stFrank Bloomingdale Republican2ndJames Keenholts Republican3rdJacob L. Ten Eyck Democrat4thAmos J. Ablett Republican AlleganyFred A. Robbins* Republican BroomeJoseph H. Brownell* Republican CattaraugusCharles W. Terry* Republican CayugaBenjamin M. Wilcox* Republican ChautauquaS. Frederick Nixon* Republican ChemungJohn B. Stanchfield Democrat ChenangoDavid Sherwood* Republican ClintonWillis T. Honsinger Republican ColumbiaAaron B. Gardenier Republican CortlandWilber Holmes Republican DelawareRobert Cartwright Republican Dutchess1stEdward H. Thompson* Republican2ndAugustus B. Gray* Republican Erie1stCornelius Coughlin* Democrat2ndSimon Seibert* Republican3rdCharles Braun* Republican4thJoseph L. Whittet* Republican5thPhilip Gerst* Republican6thCharles F. Schoepflin* Republican EssexAlbert Weed Republican FranklinThomas A. Sears Republican Fulton and HamiltonPhilip Keck* Republican GeneseeThomas B. Tuttle* Republican GreeneDaniel G. Greene Republican HerkimerE. LaGrange Smith Republican JeffersonHarrison Fuller* Republican Kings1stJohn McKeown Democrat2ndJohn A. Hennessey* Democrat3rdJohn F. Houghton* Republican4thFrank Gallagher Democrat5thJohn H. Read Republican6thEdward M. Clarkson Republican7thGeorge W. Brush Republican8thJohn J. Cain* Democrat9thThomas H. Rockwell Republican10thFrank F. Schulz* Republican11thHarry Schulz* Republican12thJohn H. Campbell Republican13thArthur J. Audett Republican14thHenry E. Abell Republican15thAlbert A. Wray* Republican16thWilliam H. Friday*William H. Friday (died 1915), see WILLIAM H. FRIDAY DIES in NYT on November 5, 1915 Republican17thJames Scanlon* Republican18thJulius L. Wieman* Republican LewisMelville W. Van Amber* Republican LivingstonOtto Kelsey* Republican MadisonLambert B. Kern* Republican Monroe1stCharles J. Smith Republican2ndJames M. E. O'Grady* Republican3rdWilliam W. Armstrong Republican MontgomeryE. Watson Gardiner* Republican New York1stDaniel E. Finn Democrat2ndThomas J. Barry Democrat3rdCharles S. Adler Republican4thJames A. Donnelly Democrat5thSamuel J. Foley* DemocratMinority Leader6thBenjamin Hoffman Democrat7thHenry William Hoops Jr. Republican8thAlfred R. Conkling Republican9thJohn F. McDermott* Democrat10thJacob Kunzenman Democrat11thFrank D. Pavey Republican12thEdward B. La Fetra* Democrat13thWilliam Halpin Republican14thJohn P. Corrigan* Democrat15thSeth Wilks Republican16thCharles Steinberg Republican17thRobert Miller Republican18thDaniel J. Gleason* Democrat19thWelton C. Percy Republican20thJohn B. Fitzgerald Democrat21stHoward Payson Wilds Republican22ndMichael F. Tobin* Democrat23rdJudson Lawson* Republican24thLouis H. Bold Republican25thStephen S. Blake Democrat26thHarvey T. Andrews Republican27thPhilip W. Reinhard Jr. Republican28thGeorge W. Hamilton Republican29thAlonzo Bell Republican30thWilliam White Niles Republican NiagaraJohn H. Clark* Republican Oneida1stHenry P. Hoefler* Republican2ndWilliam Cary Sanger Republican Onondaga1stCharles R. Rogers Republican2ndCharles C. Cole Republican3rdLevi S. Chapman Republican OntarioWalter A. Clark Republican Orange1stLouis F. Goodsell Republican2ndJoseph Dean* Republican OrleansGeorge Bullard Republican OswegoDanforth E. Ainsworth* RepublicanMajority Floor Leader OtsegoJohn J. Rider* Republican PutnamHamilton Fish II* Republicanelected Speaker Queens1stJohn P. Madden Democrat2ndJames S. Fairbrother* Republican3rdEugene F. Vacheron* Republican Rensselaer1stJohn T. Norton Democrat2ndJohn M. Chambers* Republican3rdJohn P. Cole Republican RichmondMichael Conklin* Republican RocklandOtis H. Cutler* Republican St. LawrenceGeorge R. Malby* Republican SaratogaCharles H. McNaughton Republican SchenectadyThomas W. Winne Republican SchoharieHenry J. Staley Democrat SchuylerGeorge A. Snyder* Republican SenecaHarry M. Glen* Republican Steuben1stWilloughby W. Babcock* Republican2ndMerritt F. Smith* Republican SuffolkRichard Higbie* Republican SullivanHenry Krenrich Republican TiogaEpenetus Howe* Republican TompkinsEdwin C. Stewart* Republican Ulster1stWilliam S. Van Keuren Republican2ndJames Lounsbery* Republican WarrenTaylor J. Eldredge* Republican WashingtonWilliam D. Stevenson Republican WayneGeorge S. Horton* Republican Westchester1stJ. Irving Burns Republican2ndJohn N. Stewart Republican3rdJames W. Husted Republican WyomingReuben J. Tilton* Republican YatesEverett Brown Republican Employees Clerk: Archie E. Baxter Assistant Clerk: Haines D. Cunningham Financial Clerk: William C. Stevens Sergeant-at-Arms: Garret J. Benson Doorkeeper: Joseph Bauer Stenographer: Robert C. Chapin Journal Clerk: Edward M. Johnson Notes Sources The New York Red Book compiled by Edgar L. Murlin (published by James B. Lyon, Albany NY, 1897; see pg. 385 for senate districts; pg. 404 for senators; pg. 410–417 for Assembly districts; and pg. 511f for assemblymen) Sketches of the members of the Legislature in The Evening Journal Almanac (1895; pg. 48–64) HAMILTON FISH SPEAKER in NYT on January 2, 1895 NEW STATE LEGISLATURE in NYT on January 3, 1895 118 Category:1895 in New York (state) Category:1895 U.S. legislative sessions