101st New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 101st Old State Capitol at Albany NY.jpg The Old State Capitol 1879 January 1 December 31, 1878 Lt. Gov. William Dorsheimer (D) William H. Robertson (R) James W. Husted (R) 32 128 Republican (19-13) Republican (65-57-6) 1st January 1 May 15, 1878 100th 102nd 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. 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. The growing agitation in favor of bettering the conditions of the working class led to the first nomination of labor tickets, by the "Working Men Party", the "Social Democratic Party" and the "Bread-Winners League". Elections The 1877 New York state election was held on November 6. All five statewide elective offices up for election were carried by the Democrats. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Secretary of State, was: Democratic 383,000; Republican 372,000; Working Men 20,000; Prohibition 7,000; Social Democratic 1,800; and Greenback 800. Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1878; and adjourned on May 15. James W. Husted (R) was again elected Speaker with 64 votes against 55 for Erastus Brooks (D). 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. Senators The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Thomas C. E. Ecclesine changed from the Assembly to the Senate. Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Senator Party Notes1stJames M. Oakley Democrat2ndJames F. Pierce Democrat3rdJohn C. Jacobs* Democrat4thEdward Hogan Democrat5thAlfred Wagstaff Jr.* Democratre-elected6thLouis S. Goebel Republican Chairman of Claims, and of Public Expenditures7thJohn Morrissey* Anti-Tam. Dem.died on May 1, 18788thThomas C. E. Ecclesine* Democrat9thWilliam H. Robertson* Republicanre-elected President pro tempore; Chairman of Judiciary10thDaniel B. St. John* Democrat11thStephen H. Wendover RepublicanChairman of Banks12thCharles Hughes Democrat13thHamilton Harris* RepublicanChairman of Finance; of Public Buildings, and of Apportionment14thAddison P. Jones Democrat15thWebster Wagner* RepublicanChairman of Railroads16thWilliam W. Rockwell RepublicanChairman of Insurance, and of Erection and Division of Towns and Counties17thDolphus S. Lynde RepublicanChairman of Manufactures, of Agriculture, and of Salt18thHenry E. Turner RepublicanChairman of Privileges and Elections, and of Militia19thAlexander T. Goodwin Democrat20thSamuel S. Edick RepublicanChairman of Villages, and of Joint Library21stJohn W. Lippitt RepublicanChairman of Roads and Bridges22ndDennis McCarthy* RepublicanChairman of Canals23rdNathaniel C. Marvin RepublicanChairman of Miscellaneous Corporations, and of Poor Laws24thPeter W. Hopkins RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties, and of Retrenchment25thTheodore M. Pomeroy RepublicanChairman of Cities, and of Rules26thEdwin Hicks RepublicanChairman of Literature27thIra Davenport RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation28thGeorge Raines Democrat29thLewis S. Payne Democrat30thJames H. Loomis RepublicanChairman of Printing, of Indian Affairs, and of Grievances31stRay V. Pierce RepublicanChairman of Public Health; on November 5, 1878, elected to the 46th U.S. Congress32ndLoren B. Sessions Republicanalso Supervisor of the Town of Harmony; Chairman of State Prisons, and of Engrossed Bills 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 Republican2ndJohn N. Foster Republican3rdJames T. Story Republican4thEdward Curran Democrat AlleganyHiram H. Wakely Republican BroomeAlexander E. Andrews Republican Cattaraugus1stThomas J. King* Republican2ndSimeon V. Pool Republican Cayuga1stHowell B. Converse Democrat2ndWilliam Leslie Noyes Republican Chautauqua1stSherman Williams* Republican2ndTemple A. Parker Republican ChemungGeorge M. Baird GreenbackSTATE POLITICAL NOTES; ...A Greenback, Labor, and Reform convention...nominated...George M. Baird for the Assembly in The New York Times on October 22, 1877voted for Elias Mapes as Speaker ChenangoB. Gage Berry Republican ClintonWilliam P. Mooers Republican Columbia1stJacob H. Proper* Democrat2ndSamuel Wilbor Republican CortlandOrris U. Kellogg Democrat Delaware1stAlbert H. Sewell Republican2ndRobert P. Cormack Democrat Dutchess1stObed Wheeler Republican2ndPeter Hulme Republican Erie1stJohn L. Crowley* Democrat2ndJohn G. Langner* Democrat3rdDavid F. Day Democrat4thHarvey J. Hurd Republican5thHenry F. Allen Democrat EssexBenjamin D. Clapp* Republican FranklinJohn I. Gilbert* Republican Fulton and HamiltonJohn W. Peek Republican GeneseeEli Taylor* Republican GreeneCicero C. Peck Democrat HerkimerTitus Sheard Republican Jefferson1stCharles R. Skinner* Republican2ndWilliam M. Thomson Democrat Kings1stJohn M. Clancy Democratcontested by Daniel Bradley (Ind. D)2ndJohn B. Meyenborg Democrat3rdJohn Shanley* Democrat4thCharles J. Henry Democrat5thWilliam H. Waring Republican6thJacob Worth Republican7thMaurice B. Flynn Democrat8thJohn H. Douglass Democrat9thJohn H. Bergen Democrat LewisCyrus L. Sheldon Republican LivingstonJames W. Wadsworth Republican Madison1stLambert B. Kern Republican2ndWillard A. Crandall Republican Monroe1stAlbert C. Hobbie Republican2ndElias Mapes Working MenMapes's party affiliation is stated in several different ways. In one place it says "United Working Men Party", see The Albany Evening Journal Almanac (1878; pg. 121); in another place it says "Greenback and Labor Reform", see Albany Evening Journal Almanac (1879; pg. 132)voted for George M. Baird as Speaker3rdJames Chappell Republican MontgomeryEdward Wemple* Democrat New York1stJohn F. Berrigan* Democratcontested by John or Thomas Foley (Anti-Tam. D)2ndThomas F. Grady* Democrat3rdJames Hayes Ind. Dem.voted for James Daly as Speaker4thJohn Galvin* Democrat5thPeter A. Crawford Democrat6thJacob Seebacher Democrat7thIsaac Israel Hayes* Republican8thDaniel Patterson Democrat9thJohn W. Browning Democrat10thJoseph P. Strack Ind. Dem.voted for James Daly as Speaker11thWilliam W. Astor Republican12thMaurice F. Holahan* Democrat 13thJohn Clark Democratcontested; seat vacated on April 2Charles H. Duell Republicanseated on April 2THE STATE LEGISLATURE; THE CLARK-DUELL CONTESTED CASE in NYT on April 3, 187814thJames Daly Ind. Dem.voted for Samuel D. Halliday as Speaker15thChristopher Bathe Democrat16thJames Fitzgerald Democrat17thJames T. Taylor Democratvoted for Sherburne B. Piper as Speaker18thJoseph P. McDonough Democrat19thDavid L. Baker Democrat20thMarks L. Frank Democrat21stAlexander Thain Democrat Niagara1stJoseph D. Loveland Democrat2ndSherburne B. Piper* Democrat Oneida1stWilliam Jones Republican2ndA. DeVerney Townsley Democrat3rdCyrus D. Prescott Republicanon November 5, 1878, elected to the 46th U.S. Congress4thRobert H. Roberts Democrat Onondaga1stThomas G. Alvord* Republican2ndSamuel Willis Republican3rdJosiah G. Holbrook Republican Ontario1stDavid Cosad Jr. Democrat2ndAmasa T. Winch* Republican Orange1stJames G. Graham* Republican2ndJames W. Hoyt Republican OrleansCharles H. Mattison Republican Oswego1stCharles North Republican2ndGeorge M. Case* Republican3rdDeWitt C. Peck* Republican Otsego1stAzro Chase Republican2ndDaniel F. Pattengill Democrat PutnamHamilton Fish II* Republican Queens1stElbert Floyd-Jones* Democrat2ndJohn Keegan Democratpreviously a member from New York County Rensselaer1stJohn H. Burns* Dem./Work. Mendid not vote for Speaker2ndSolomon V. R. Miller Republican3rdWilliam H. Sliter* Democrat RichmondErastus Brooks Democratvoted for Sherburne B. Piper as Speaker RocklandJames M. Nelson Democrat St. Lawrence1stGeorge F. Rowland Republican2ndA. Barton Hepburn* Republican3rdRufus S. Palmer Republican Saratoga1stGeorge W. Neilson* Democrat2ndDaniel H. Deyoe Republican SchenectadyArthur D. Mead Democrat SchoharieCharles Bouck Democrat SchuylerAbram V. Mekeel Republican SenecaDiedrich Willers Jr. Democrat Steuben1stAzariah C. Brundage Republican2ndGeorge R. Sutherland Republican SuffolkCharles S. Havens Democrat SullivanThornton A. Niven* Democrat TiogaJohn Theodore Sawyer Republican TompkinsSamuel D. Halliday Democrat Ulster1stSeaman G. Searing Democrat2ndNathan Keator* Republican3rdIsaac Hamilton Democrat WarrenAlson B. Abbott Republican Washington1stAbram Reynolds Republican2ndGeorge L. Terry Republican Wayne1stJackson Valentine* Republican2ndJames H. Miller Republican Westchester1stAmbrose H. Purdy* Democratcontested by Fordham Morris2ndWilliam F. Moller* Democrat3rdJames W. Husted* Republicanelected Speaker WyomingJohn E. Lowing Republican YatesJoel M. Clark Republican Employees Clerk: Edward M. Johnson Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles A. Orr Doorkeeper: Henry Wheeler First Assistant Doorkeeper: Sandford Reynolds Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Michael Maher 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. 377f for assemblymen) The Albany Evening Journal Almanac (1878; see pg. 64–68 for election results; pg. 111–116 for senators' bios; pg. 116–131 for assemblymen's bios; pg. 131f for Senate and Assembly committees) THE ASSEMBLY in NYT on October 29, 1877 (gives nominations by all parties) The Legislature; Senators Probably ElectedNovember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes in the Plattsburgh Sentinel on November 9, 1877 THE STATE LEGISLATURE; MR. SPEAKER HUSTED in NYT on January 1, 1878 THE STATE LEGISLATURE; ORGANIZATION OF BOTH HOUSES in NYT on January 2, 1878 101 Category:1878 in New York (state) Category:1878 U.S. legislative sessions