98th 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 (five districts) and Kings County (two 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 Prohibition Party appeared at this time, nominating Ex-Governor Myron H. Clark — who had urged the Legislature to enact Prohibition in New York in 1853, but the law was declared unconstitutional by the New York Court of Appeals — for Governor.

Elections

The 1874 New York state election was held on November 3. Democrats Samuel J. Tilden and William Dorsheimer were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor, defeating the incumbent Republicans John A. Dix and John C. Robinson. The other three statewide elective offices up for election were also carried by the Democrats. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democratic 416,000; Republican 366,000; and Prohibition 12,000.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 5, 1875; and adjourned on May 22.

Jeremiah McGuire (D) was elected Speaker.

On January 20, the Legislature elected Francis Kernan (D) to succeed U.S. Senator Reuben E. Fenton (R) for a six-year term, beginning on March 4, 1875.

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.

Members

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

Employees

• Clerk: Henry A. Glidden
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel K. Schram
• Doorkeeper: Frederick M. Burton

State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

Employees

• Clerk: Hiram Calkins
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Edward A. Brown
• Doorkeeper: George W. Irish
• Stenographer: Spencer C. Rodgers

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. 290 for senators; pg. 298–304 for Assembly districts; and pg. 375 for assemblymen)
• Assemblymen Elected in Albany Evening Times on November 6, 1874
• Life Sketches of Government Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York in 1875 by W. H. McElroy and Alexander McBride [e-book]

References

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. [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1875/01/21/82750630.pdf ''ALBANY.; ELECTION OF KERNAN TO THE SENATE''] in NYT on January 21, 1875
3. Newton H. Green, son of [[Andrew H. Green (assemblyman). Andrew H. Green]] who was assemblyman in 1838 and 1839; and brother of [[Loren Green]] who was assemblyman in 1863 and 1864
4. Tunis Van Pelt Talmage, son of Mayor of Brooklyn [[Thomas G. Talmage]]
5. see [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1874/12/11/82745279.pdf ''OBITUARY; STEPHEN J. COLAHAN''] in NYT on December 11, 1874
6. A special election was held on December 31, 1874; see [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1874/12/18/82415050.pdf ''A SPECIAL ELECTION IN KINGS COUNTY''] in NYT on December 18, 1874
7. Thomas Cooper Campbell, grandson of longtime Deputy Secretary of State [[Archibald Campbell (New York). Archibald Campbell]]
8. George Barrow (born 1839 NYC), brother of [[Edmund P. Barrow]] (c.1829–1857) who was assemblyman in 1854
9. Charles Tremain, grandson of [[Augustus Tremain]] who was assemblyman in 1811, 1814–15 and 1822
10. see [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1875/03/23/90530430.pdf ''ALBANY; THE HOUSE ADJOURNS IN RESPECT TO THE MEMORY OF A DECEASED MEMBER''] in NYT on March 23, 1875
11. Jonah Sanford (born 1821), son of Congressman [[Jonah Sanford]]
12. William H. Clark, son of [[William Clark (Wayne County, NY). William Clark]] who was state senator 1854–55