131st New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 131st January 1 December 31, 1908 Lt. Gov. Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler (D) John Raines (R) James Wolcott Wadsworth Jr. (R) 51 150 Republican (32-19) Republican (96-54) 1st January 1 April 23, 1908 2nd May 11 June 11, 1908 130th 132nd The 131st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to June 11, 1908, during the second year of Charles Evans Hughes's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1906 and 1907, 51 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 (eight districts), Erie County (three districts) and Monroe County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county. On April 27, 1906, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate districts, increasing the number to 51.see APPORTIONMENT PLAN MADE; ODELL BEATEN in NYT on April 27, 1906 The apportionment was then contested in the courts. The Legislature also re-apportioned the number of assemblymen per county. Nassau County was separated from the remainder of Queens County; Albany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oswego and Rensselaer counties lost one seat each; Erie, Monroe and Westchester gained one each; and Kings and Queens counties gained two each. On April 3, 1907, the new Senate and Assembly apportionment was declared unconstitutional by the New York Court of Appeals.OLD APPORTIONMENT IS DECLARED VOID in NYT on April 4, 1907 On July 26, 1907, the Legislature again re-apportioned the Senate districts, and re-enacted the 1906 Assembly apportionment.see HUGHES WINS ON APPORTIONMENT in NYT on July 24, 1907 At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Independence League, the Socialist Party and the Prohibition Party also nominated tickets. Elections The 1907 New York state election, was held on November 5. The only two statewide elective offices up for election were two judgeships on the New York Court of Appeals which were carried by a Republican and a Democrat both of which had been endorsed by the other major party. Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1908; and adjourned on April 23. James Wolcott Wadsworth Jr. (R) was re-elected Speaker. The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on May 11, 1908; and adjourned on June 11. This session was called to consider enacting reform legislation which had been recommended by the governor at the beginning of the session, but was ignored by the Legislature. Among the measures advocated by the governor were an anti-horse-race-track-gambling bill (enacted as the Hart–Agnew Law), a plan to extend the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission to the telephone and telegraph companies, and a ballot reform. State Senate Districts Note: The senators had been elected to a two-year term in November 1906 under the 1906 apportionment, as stated below. Although the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate districts in 1907, the first senatorial election under the new apportionment occurred in November 1908. 30em 1st District: Nassau and Suffolk counties 2nd District: Queens and Richmond counties 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx 23rd District: Westchester County 24th District: Orange and Rockland counties 25th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam and counties 26th District: Greene and Ulster counties 27th District: Chenango, Delaware and Sullivan counties 28th District: Albany County 29th District: Rensselaer County 30th District: Clinton, Essex and Washington counties 31st District: Saratoga and Schenectady counties 32nd District: Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery and Warren counties 33rd District: Herkimer, Otsego and Schoharie counties 34th District: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties 35th District: Jefferson and Lewis counties 36th District: Oneida County 37th District: Oswego and Madison counties 38th District: Onondaga County 39th District: Broome, Cortland and Tioga counties 40th District: Chemung, Schuyler and Tompkins counties 41st District: Cayuga, Seneca and Yates counties 42nd District: Ontario and Wayne counties 43rd District: Steuben and Allegany counties 44th District: Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties 45th and 46th District: Monroe County 47th District: Niagara and Orleans counties 48th, 49th and 50th District: Erie County 51st District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties Members The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. District Senator Party Notes1stCarll S. Burr Jr.* Republican2ndDennis J. Harte* Democrat3rdThomas H. Cullen* Democrat4thOtto G. Foelker* Republicanon November 3, 1908, elected to the 60th U.S. Congress5thJames A. Thompson* Democrat6thEugene M. Travis* Republican7thPatrick H. McCarren* Democrat8thCharles H. Fuller* Dem./Ind. L.9thConrad Hasenflug* Democrat10thAlfred J. Gilchrist* Republican11thDominick F. Mullaney* Dem./Ind. L.12thWilliam Sohmer* Dem./Ind. L.13thChristopher D. Sullivan* Dem./Ind. L.14thThomas F. Grady* Dem./Ind. L.Minority Leader15thThomas J. McManus* Dem./Ind. L.16thJohn T. McCall* Dem./Ind. L.17thGeorge B. Agnew* Republican18thMartin Saxe* Republican19thAlfred R. Page* Republican20thJames J. Frawley* Dem./Ind. L.21stJames Owens*James Owens, five-term NYC alderman, died March 7, 1911 Democrat22ndJohn P. Cohalan* Dem./Ind. L.on November 3, 1908, elected Surrogate of New York Co.23rdFrancis M. Carpenter* Republican24thJohn C. R. Taylor* Democrat25thSanford W. Smith* Republican26thJohn N. Cordts* Republican27thJotham P. Allds* Republican28thWilliam J. Grattan* Republican29thFrank M. Boyce* Democrat30thH. Wallace Knapp* Republican31stWilliam W. Wemple* Republican32ndJames A. Emerson* Republican33rdSeth G. Heacock* Republican34thWilliam T. O'Neil* Republican35thGeorge H. Cobb* Republican36thJoseph Ackroyd* Democrat37thFrancis H. Gates* Ind. Rep.38thHorace White* Republicanon November 3, 1908, elected Lieutenant Governor39thHarvey D. Hinman* Republican40thOwen Cassidy* Republican41stBenjamin M. Wilcox* Republican42ndJohn Raines* RepublicanPresident pro tempore43rdWilliam J. Tully* Republican44thS. Percy Hooker* Republican45thThomas B. Dunn* Republicanon November 3, 1908, elected New York State Treasurer46thWilliam W. Armstrong* Republican 47thStanislaus P. Franchot* Republicandied on March 24, 1908SENATOR FRANCHOT DEAD in The New York Times on March 25, 1908William C. WallaceWilliam C. Wallace (died 1928), of Niagara Falls, see EX-SENATOR W. C. WALLACE in The New York Times on July 8, 1928 (subscription required) Republicanelected on May 12 to fill vacancyHUGHES MAN WINS SENATE ELECTION in The New York Times on May 13, 190848thHenry W. Hill* Republican49thSamuel J. Ramsperger* Democrat50thGeorge Allen Davis* Republican51stAlbert T. Fancher* Republican Employees Clerk: Lafayette B. Gleason State Assembly Note: For brevity, the chairmanships mentioned omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." Assemblymen District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stEllis J. Staley Republican2ndWilliam E. Nolan Republican3rdRobert B. Waters* Republican AlleganyJesse S. Phillips* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary BroomeHarry C. Perkins Republican CattaraugusJohn J. Volk* Republican CayugaFrederick A. Dudley* RepublicanChairman of Soldiers' Home Chautauqua1stAugustus F. Allen* RepublicanChairman of Federal Relations2ndCharles Mann Hamilton* RepublicanChairman of Military Affairs ChemungDavid C. RobinsonDavid C. Robinson (c.1853–1912), son of Gov. Lucius Robinson, see FATALLY STRICKEN ON TRAIN in NYT on September 22, 1912 Dem./Ind. L. ChenangoJulien C. Scott Republican ClintonAlonson T. Dominy* Republican ColumbiaLester J. Bashford Democrat CortlandCharles F. Brown Republican DelawareHenry J. Williams Republican Dutchess1stMyron Smith* Republican2ndFrederick Northrup* Democrat Erie1stOrson J. Weimert* RepublicanChairman of Indian Affairs2ndJohn Lord O'Brian* Republican3rdGeorge J. Arnold Republican4thWilliam Jordan Democrat5thEdward P. Costello Democrat6thFrank S. Burzynski* Democrat7thGeorge W. Walters* Democrat8thClarence MacGregor Republican9thFrank B. Thorn Republican EssexJames Shea Republican FranklinHarry H. Hawley Republican Fulton and HamiltonWilliam Ellison Mills* RepublicanChairman of Fisheries and Game GeneseeFred B. Parker* Republican GreeneWilliam C. Brady* RepublicanChairman of Villages HerkimerThomas D. Ferguson* Republican Jefferson1stAlfred D. Lowe* RepublicanChairman of Public Lands and Forestry2ndGary H. Wood* Republican Kings1stEdmund R. Terry Democrat2ndJames Jacobs Democrat3rdArthur L. Hurley Rep./Ind. L.4thAndrew C. Troy Democrat5thCharles J. Weber* Republican6thThomas J. Surpless* Republican7thThomas J. Geoghegan* Democrat8thJohn McBride Rep./Ind. L.9thGeorge A. Voss* Rep./Ind. L.10thCharles F. Murphy* RepublicanChairman of Codes11thWilliam W. Colne* RepublicanChairman of Canals12thGeorge A. Green* RepublicanChairman of General Laws13thJohn H. Donnelly* Democrat14thJames E. Fay Democrat15thJohn J. Schutta Democrat16thMichael J. Grady Democrat17thJohn R. Farrar Republican18thWarren I. Lee* Rep./Ind. L.19thJohn Holbrook Rep./Ind. L.20thHarrison C. Glore* Republican21stSamuel A. Gluck* Democrat22ndEmil Rose Dem./Ind. L.23rdIsaac Sargent Republican LewisC. Fred Boshart* RepublicanChairman of Agriculture LivingstonJames Wolcott Wadsworth Jr.* Republicanre-elected Speaker; Chairman of Rules MadisonOrlando W. Burhyte* Republican Monroe1stGeorge F. Harris* Republican2ndJames L. Whitley* Republican3rdGeorge L. Meade Republican4thBernard J. Haggarty Republican5thHenry Morgan* Republican MontgomeryT. Romeyn Staley* Republican NassauWilliam G. Miller* RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation New York1stThomas B. Caughlan Democrat2ndAl Smith* Democrat3rdJames Oliver* Democrat4thAaron J. Levy Democrat5thJohn T. Eagleton* Democrat6thAdolph Stern* Democrat7thJoseph W. Keller* Democrat8thMoritz Graubard Democrat9thJohn C. Hackett* Democrat10thAnthony M. McCabe Ind. L./Rep.11thFrank K. Johnston Ind. L./Rep.12thJames A. Foley* Democrat13thJames J. Hoey* Democrat14thJohn J. Herrick Democrat15thWilliam M. Bennett Rep./Ind. L.16thMartin G. McCue* Democrat17thFrederick R. Toombs Republican18thMark Goldberg* Democrat19thWilliam B. Donihee Democrat20thPatrick J. McGrath Democrat21stRobert S. Conklin* Republican22ndRobert F. Wagner* Democrat23rdJames A. Francis* RepublicanChairman of Banks24thWalter Spriggins Democrat25thArtemas Ward Jr. Republican26thSolomon Strauss Rep./Ind. L.27thBeverley R. Robinson* Rep./Ind. L.28thEdward W. Buckley* Democrat29thWalter H. Liebmann Democrat30thLouis A. Cuvillier* Democrat31stAbraham Greenberg Democratcontested by Philip ReeceBEATEN CANDIDATE CONTESTS in The New York Times on December 27, 190732ndJesse Silbermann Democrat33rdPhillip J. Schmidt* Democrat34thGeorge M. S. Schulz* Democrat35thJohn V. Sheridan* Democrat Niagara1stCharles F. Foley* Democrat2ndW. Levell Draper* RepublicanChairman of Privileges and Elections Oneida1stMerwin K. Hart* Republican2ndLadd J. Lewis Jr.* Republican3rdArthur G. Blue* Republican Onondaga1stJohn C. McLaughlin Republican2ndFred W. Hammond* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities3rdJ. Henry Walters Republican OntarioGeorge B. Hemenway Republican Orange1stHenry Seacord Republican2ndCharles E. Mance* Republican OrleansMyron E. Eggleston* Dem./Ind. L.Eggleston was a Republican assemblyman in 1907, but was voted down at the Republican county convention. He then ran on the Democratic and Independence League tickets, and defeated the regular Republican candidate. OswegoFred G. Whitney* RepublicanChairman of Excise OtsegoCharles Smith* Republican PutnamJohn R. Yale* RepublicanChairman of Electricity, Gas and Water Supply Queens1stThomas H. Todd* Democrat2ndWilliam Klein Democrat3rdConrad Garbe* Democrat4thWilliam A. De Groot* RepublicanChairman of Claims Rensselaer1stFrederick C. Filley* RepublicanChairman of Public Education2ndBradford R. Lansing* RepublicanChairman of Charitable and Religious Societies RichmondWilliam A. Shortt Democrat RocklandFrank DeNoyelles Democrat St. Lawrence1stFred J. Gray* RepublicanChairman of Revision2ndEdwin A. Merritt Jr.* RepublicanMajority Leader; Chairman of Ways and Means SaratogaGeorge H. Whitney* RepublicanChairman of Public Health SchenectadyMiles R. Frisbie* Republican SchoharieGeorge M. Palmer DemocratMinority Leader SchuylerCharles A. Cole* Republican SenecaWilliam B. Harper* Democrat Steuben1stWilliam H. Chamberlain* RepublicanChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment2ndCharles K. Marlatt* RepublicanChairman of Unfinished Business Suffolk1stJohn M. Lupton* RepublicanChairman of Public Institutions2ndOrlando Hubbs* RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs SullivanGeorge W. Murphy* RepublicanChairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills TiogaFrank L. Howard Republican TompkinsWilliam R. Gunderman* RepublicanChairman of Trade and Manufactures Ulster1stJoseph M. Fowler* RepublicanChairman of Public Printing2ndWilliam E. E. Little Democrat WarrenWilliam R. Waddell* RepublicanChairman of State Prisons WashingtonJames S. Parker RepublicanChairman of Labor and Industries WayneEdson W. Hamn* RepublicanChairman of Insurance Westchester1stHarry W. Haines* Republican2ndMarmaduke B. Wright Democrat3rdIsaac H. Smith Republican4thJ. Mayhew Wainwright* RepublicanChairman of Railroads WyomingRobert M. McFarlane Republican YatesLeonidas D. West* Republican Employees Clerk: Ray B. Smith Sergeant-at-Arms: Frank W. Johnston Stenographer: Henry C. Lammert Postoffice Messenger: James H. UnderwoodMurlin Edgar L. https://books.google.com/books?id=tws3AQAAMAAJ The New York Red Book J. B. Lyon Company 1908 Albany, N.Y. 603 Google Books 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. 355f for assemblymen; and 366 for senators) DEMOCRATS GAIN SIX ASSEMBLYMEN in NYT on November 6, 1907 REVISED LIST OF ASSEMBLYMEN in Johnstown Republican on November 14, 1907 ASSEMBLY MACHINE RIDES OVER BAXTER in NYT on January 1, 1908 WADSWORTH NAMES HIS COMMITTEES in NYT on January 7, 1908 GOVERNOR HISSED, CALLS EXTRA SESSION in NYT on April 24, 1908 131 Category:1908 in New York (state) Category:1908 U.S. legislative sessions