105th New York State Legislature

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, 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 Greenback Party and the Prohibition Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The 1881 New York state election was held on November 8. Of the statewide elective offices up for election, five were carried by the Republicans and one by a Democrat. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Secretary of State, was: Republican 417,000; Democratic 404,000; Greenback 16,000; and Prohibition 4,500.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1882; and adjourned on June 2.

The Senate had 15 Republicans, 14 Democrats and 3 Tammany men; the Assembly had 61 Republicans, 59 Democrats and 8 Tammany men. In both Houses, the Tammany men were in a balance of power position, and deadlock ensued. Tammany Boss John Kelly objected to the election of John C. Jacobs as president pro tempore of the State Senate, and the office remained vacant throughout the session.

On February 2, Charles E. Patterson (D) was elected Speaker with 59 votes against 51 for Thomas G. Alvord (R).

On February 20, John W. Vrooman (R) was re-elected Clerk of the State Senate with the votes of the Tammany men; and the right to appoint the standing committees was transferred to Lt. Gov. George G. Hoskins (R).

State Senate

Districts

• 1st District: Queens and Suffolk counties
• 2nd District: 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th and 22nd Ward of the City of Brooklyn, and the towns of Flatbush, Gravesend and New Utrecht in Kings County
• 3rd District: 3rd, 4th, 7th, 11th, 13th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 23rd Ward of the City of Brooklyn
• 4th District: 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th Ward of the City of Brooklyn, and the towns of New Lots and Flatlands in Kings County
• 5th District: Richmond County and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 14th and parts of the 4th and 9th Ward of New York City
• 6th District: 7th, 11th, 13th and part of the 4th Ward of NYC
• 7th District: 10th, 17th and part of the 15th, 18th and 21st Ward of NYC
• 8th District: 16th and part of the 9th, 15th, 18th, 20th and 21st Ward of NYC
• 9th District: Part of the 18th, 19th and 21st Ward of NYC
• 10th District: Part of the 12th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd Ward of NYC
• 11th District: 23rd and 24th, and part of the 12th, 20th and 22nd Ward of NYC
• 12th District: Rockland and Westchester counties
• 13th District: Orange and Sullivan counties
• 14th District: Greene, Schoharie and Ulster counties
• 15th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties
• 16th District: Rensselaer and Washington counties
• 17th District: Albany County
• 18th District: Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga and Schenectady counties
• 19th District: Clinton, Essex and Warren counties
• 20th District: Franklin, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties
• 21st District: Oswego and Jefferson counties
• 22nd District: Oneida County
• 23rd District: Herkimer, Madison and Otsego counties
• 24th District: Chenango, Delaware and Broome counties
• 25th District: Onondaga and Cortland counties
• 26th District: Cayuga, Seneca, Tompkins and Tioga counties
• 27th District: Allegany, Chemung and Steuben counties
• 28th District: Ontario, Schuyler, Wayne and Yates counties
• 29th District: Monroe and Orleans counties
• 30th District: Genesee, Livingston, Niagara 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.

Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Charles H. Russell, John W. Browning and Shepard P. Bowen changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Employees

• Clerk: John W. Vrooman
• Sergeant-at-Arms: John W. Corning
• Doorkeeper: Charles F. Brady
• Stenographer: Hudson C. Tanner

State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

Employees

• Clerk: Edward M. Johnson, from February 15
• Sergeant-at-Arms: vacant
• Doorkeeper: Henry Wheeler
• Stenographer: James M. Ruso

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. 380f for assemblymen)
• Sketches of the Members of the Legislature in The Evening Journal Almanac (1882)
• THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES in The New York Times on February 15, 1882

References

1. At first there were 15 Republicans, 14 regular Democrats and 3 Tammany men. Republican Webster Wagner died on January 13, and there remained 14 Republicans, 14 regular Democrats and 3 Tammany man. The Senate was organized on February 20 without a President pro tempore, and the Republican Clerk was elected with the votes of the Tammany men. Democrat Alexander B. Baucus was elected to fill the vacancy on February 28, and seated in March, so that there were then 15 regular Democrats, 14 Republicans and 3 Tammany men.
2. 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.
3. [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1882/02/03/98580674.pdf ''YIELDING TO TAMMANY''] in NYT on February 3, 1882
4. [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1882/02/21/96857485.pdf ''TAMMANY IN THE SENATE; HELPING TO ELECT THE CLERK''] in NYT on February 21, 1882
5. [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1882/02/22/96857658.pdf ''TAMMANY MEN EXULTANT; GIVEN IMPORTANT PLACES IN THE SENATE COMMITTEES''] in NYT on February 22, 1882
6. Elisha Martin Johnson (born 1844), nephew of assemblymen [[James G. Johnson (Cattaraugus County, NY). James G. Johnson]] (in 1848), [[Marcus H. Johnson]] (in 1844 and 1848) and [[Elisha A. Martin]] (in 1848)
7. Capt. John C. Niglutsch (died 1887), see [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1887/11/08/106186217.pdf ''JOHN C. NIGLUTSCH'S SUICIDE''] in NYT on November 8, 1887
8. J. Stanley Browne, see [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilbiog/winnebago/jsbrowne.htm Bio until 1892]