108th New York State Legislature

The 108th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to May 22, 1885, during the first year of David B. Hill's governorship, in Albany.

108th New York State Legislature
←107th 109th→
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1885
Senate
Members32
Presidentvacant
Temporary PresidentDennis McCarthy (R)
Party controlRepublican (19-13)
Assembly
Members128
SpeakerGeorge Z. Erwin (R)
Party controlRepublican (73-55)
Sessions
1stJanuary 6 – May 15, 1885
2ndMay 15 – 22, 1885

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 (seven districts) and Kings County (three districts). The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards,[1] forming a contiguous area, all within the same county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. In New York City the Democrats were split into three factions: Tammany Hall, "Irving Hall" and the "County Democrats". The Prohibition Party; and a fusion of the Greenback Party, the Anti-Monopoly Party and the "People's Party", also nominated tickets.

Elections

The New York state election, 1884 was held on November 4. Governor Grover Cleveland was elected U.S. President. The only two statewide elective offices up for election were two judgeships on the New York Court of Appeals, which were carried by the two cross-endorsed incumbents, one Democrats and one Republican.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1885; and adjourned on May 15.

On January 6, Gov. Grover Cleveland resigned, and Lt. Gov. David B. Hill succeeded to the office.

George Z. Erwin (R) was elected Speaker with 72 votes against 51 for William Caryl Ely (D).[2]

On January 20, the Legislature elected William M. Evarts (R) to succeed Elbridge G. Lapham (R) as U.S. Senator from New York, for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1885.[3]

On May 15, the Legislature adjourned. While the members were exchanging farewells, copies of Gov. Hill's proclamation for a special session, to convene on the same day at 4 p.m., were delivered to the clerks of the Senate and the Assembly. The special session was called to consider again — Hill had vetoed a census bill during the regular session — action to be taken concerning the decennial enumeration which, under the Constitution, was due in 1885. In his message to the Legislature, Hill stated that the Constitution required an "enumeration", but not a "census".[4] No enumeration or census bill was passed until 1891.

State Senate

Districts

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 Notes
1st James Otis* Republican
2nd John J. Kiernan* Democrat
3rd Albert Daggett* Republican
4th John C. Jacobs* Democrat
5th Michael C. Murphy* County/Irv. H. Dem.
6th Timothy J. Campbell* County/Irv. H. Dem. on November 3, 1885, elected to the 49th U.S. Congress
7th James Daly* County Dem.
8th Frederick S. Gibbs* Republican
9th John J. Cullen* Tammany Dem.
10th J. Hampden Robb* Democrat
11th George W. Plunkitt* Tammany Dem.
12th Henry C. Nelson* Democrat
13th Henry R. Low* Republican
14th John Van Schaick* Democrat
15th Thomas Newbold* Democrat
16th Albert C. Comstock* Republican
17th John B. Thacher* Democrat
18th James Arkell* Republican
19th Shepard P. Bowen* Republican
20th John I. Gilbert* Republican
21st Frederick Lansing* Republican
22nd Henry J. Coggeshall* Republican
23rd Andrew Davidson* Republican
24th Edward B. Thomas* Republican
25th Dennis McCarthy* Republican President pro tempore
26th Edward S. Esty* Republican
27th J. Sloat Fassett* Republican
28th Thomas Robinson* Republican
29th Charles S. Baker* Republican on November 4, 1884, elected to the 49th U.S. Congress
30th Timothy E. Ellsworth* Republican
31st Robert C. Titus* Democrat
32nd Commodore P. Vedder* Republican

Employees
  • Clerk: John W. Vrooman
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: George A. Goss
  • Doorkeeper: David W. Bogert
  • Stenographer: Hudson C. Tanner
  • Postmaster: A. E. Darrow
  • Janitor: A. L. Neidick
  • Chaplain: S. V. Leech

State Assembly

Assemblymen

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st Stephen H. Niles Democrat
2nd Lansing Hotaling Republican
3rd Patrick Murray Democrat
4th Terence I. Hardin Democrat
Allegany William R. McEwen Republican
Broome William H. Olin* Republican
Cattaraugus 1st Frederick W. Kruse* Republican
2nd Eugene A. Nash* Republican
Cayuga 1st Willoughby B. Priddy* Republican
2nd Michael B. Van Buskirk Republican
Chautauqua 1st Dana P. Horton* Republican
2nd Julien T. Williams Republican
Chemung Jonas S. Van Duzer* Republican
Chenango George B. Whitmore[5] Republican
Clinton George W. Palmer Republican
Columbia John C. Hogeboom[6] Republican
Cortland Harlan P. Andrews Republican
Delaware Silas S. Cartwright* Republican
Dutchess 1st Joseph H. Storm Republican
2nd Edward B. Osborne* Democrat
Erie 1st William F. Sheehan Democrat
2nd Frank M. Giese Democrat
3rd William M. Hawkins Republican
4th Timothy W. Jackson* Democrat
5th Amos H. Baker Republican
Essex Wesley Barnes Republican
Franklin William T. O'Neil* Republican
Fulton and Hamilton Alden W. Berry Republican
Genesee Lucien R. Bailey* Republican
Greene Stephen T. Hopkins Republican
Herkimer John M. Budlong Republican
Jefferson 1st Allen E. Kilby Republican
2nd Eli J. Seeber* Republican
Kings 1st Moses J. Wafer Democrat
2nd Richard Nagle* Democrat
3rd Peter K. McCann Democrat
4th Henry F. Haggerty Democrat
5th Michael J. Coffey* Democrat
6th Thomas F. Farrell* Democrat
7th George H. Lindsay* Democrat
8th Robert E. Connelly Democrat
9th Lewis A. Myers Republican
10th James Taylor* Republican
11th Henry Heath* Republican
12th Mortimer C. Earl* Democrat
Lewis G. Henry P. Gould Democrat
Livingston Kidder M. Scott* Republican
Madison Edward F. Haskell* Republican
Monroe 1st Walter S. Hubbell* Republican
2nd James P. Tumilty Democrat unsuccessfully contested by Charles W. Voshall (R)[7]
3rd Philip Garbutt* Republican
Montgomery Thomas Liddle Republican
New York 1st Daniel E. Finn Irving H. Dem.
2nd James Oliver* Democrat
3rd Charles Eiseman Tammany Dem.
4th Patrick H. Roche* Democrat
5th Michael Brennan County/Irv. H. Dem.
6th Edward F. Reilly Tammany Dem.
7th Lucas L. Van Allen* Republican
8th Charles Smith* Republican
9th John P. Rockefeller Republican
10th George F. Roesch County/Irv. H. Dem.
11th Walter Howe* Republican
12th Solomon D. Rosenthal* County/Irv. H. Dem.
13th John P. Windolph Republican
14th Jacob Kunzenman County Dem.
15th John B. McGoldrick Tammany Dem.
16th Edward P. Hagan County Dem.
17th John H. O'Hara Democrat
18th John F. Kenny County/Irv. H. Dem.
19th Eugene S. Ives Democrat
20th James Haggerty* Tammany Dem.
21st Henry A. Barnum Republican
22nd Joseph L. Gerety County/Irv. H. Dem.
23rd Jacob A. Cantor Tammany Dem.
24th John B. Shea County/Irv. H. Dem.
Niagara 1st Jacob A. Driess* Democrat
2nd Walter P. Horne Democrat
Oneida 1st Henry A. Steber Labor Reform/Rep.
2nd Lewis B. Sherman Dem./Labor Reform
3rd T. James Owens* Republican
Onondaga 1st Wallace Tappan Republican
2nd Francis Hendricks* Republican
3rd Conrad Shoemaker* Republican
Ontario John Raines Republican
Orange 1st Samuel L. Carlisle Republican
2nd George W. Greene Democrat
Orleans J. Marshall Dibble* Republican
Oswego 1st Henry C. Howe Republican
2nd Gouverneur M. Sweet* Republican
Otsego 1st William Caryl Ely* Democrat Minority Leader
2nd Frank B. Arnold Republican
Putnam Robert A. Livingston Republican
Queens 1st Louis K. Church* Democrat
2nd Thomas Allen Smith Republican
Rensselaer 1st James P. Hooley* Dem./Labor Reform
2nd Eugene L. Demers Republican
3rd Charles C. Lodewick Democrat
Richmond Michael S. Tynan Republican
Rockland John W. Felter* Democrat
St. Lawrence 1st N. Martin Curtis* Republican
2nd Andrew Tuck Rep./Proh.
3rd George Z. Erwin* Republican elected Speaker
Saratoga 1st Daniel C. Briggs* Republican
2nd Bartlett B. Grippin Republican
Schenectady Edward D. Cutler Democrat
Schoharie Addison H. Bartley Democrat
Schuyler Fremont Cole Republican
Seneca William B. Clark Democrat
Steuben 1st George E. Whiteman* Democrat
2nd Charles D. Baker Republican
Suffolk Simeon S. Hawkins* Republican
Sullivan James D. Decker Democrat
Tioga Charles F. Barager* Republican
Tompkins Hiland K. Clark Republican
Ulster 1st Robert A. Snyder Republican
2nd Gilbert D. B. Hasbrouck* Republican
3rd Cornelius A. J. Hardenbergh Democrat
Warren Frank Bryne Democrat
Washington 1st George Scott Republican
2nd Charles K. Baker* Republican
Wayne 1st Ammon S. Farnum* Republican
2nd Edwin K. Burnham Democrat
Westchester 1st Charles P. McClelland Democrat
2nd Samuel W. Johnson* Democrat
3rd James W. Husted* Republican
Wyoming John E. Lowing Republican
Yates Clark E. Smith Republican

Employees
  • Clerk: Charles A. Chickering
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Edward H. Talbott
  • Doorkeeper: Michael Maher
  • Assistant Doorkeeper: Herman K. Fox
  • Stenographer: Emory P. Close

Notes
  1. 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.
  2. TO-DAY'S NEWS; The Assembly in The Yonkers Statesman on January 6, 1885
  3. EVARTS ELECTED SENATOR in NYT on January 22, 1885
  4. AN EXTRA SESSION CALLED in NYT on May 16, 1885
  5. George B. Whitmore (born 1835), brother of assemblyman Daniel E. Whitmore (in 1875)
  6. John C. Hogeboom (born 1857), grandson of state senator John C. Hogeboom (1801–05)
  7. see A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1899; pg. 684)

Sources
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