One Hundred Fifteenth and Sixteenth 10 Frank A. O'Donnel. 22 Joseph Mullin. Sessions. 1892-January 5 to April 26. 1898 January 3 to April 20. President pro tem.- Jacob A. Cantor. Sergeant-at-Arms — Adeibert E. Tallmadge. 1 Edward F. Jones. 2 John McCarty. 8 James Aspinall. 4 Pat'k H. McCarron. 17 Amasa J. Parker. 5 William. Brown, 21 Joseph Mullin. 8 Martin T. McMahon. 24 Edmund O'Connor. One Hundred Seventeenth and Eighteenth Sessions. 11 Joseph C. Wolff. 12 T. C. O'Sullivan. 13 Charles L. Guy. 14 Jacob A. Cantor. 15 Geo. W. Robertson. 16 Clarence Lexow. 17 Jacob Rice. 18 Michael F. Collins. 19 Amasa J. Parker. 20 H. J. Donaldson. 21 Fred'k D. Kilburn. 23 H. J. Coggeshall. 24 Chas. W. Stapleton. 25 Edmund O'Connor. 26 Charles T. Saxton. 26 John Raines. 27 Baxter T. Smelser. 28 C. R. Parsons. 29 Cuthbert W. Pound. 80 Charles Lamy. 31 Henry H. Persons. 82 Frank W. Higgins. One Hundred and Nineteenth and Twentieth Sessions. Presiding Officer - Lieut.-Governor Woodruff. Sergeant-at-Arms - Garret J. Benson. Stenographer - Edward Shaughnessy. 2 Theodore Koehler. 27 Hobart Krum. 8 Frank Gallagher. 28 Edgar. Brackett. 4 George W. Brush. 29 Myer Nussbaum. 5 Michael J. Coffey. 30 Le Grand C. Tibbits. 6 Peter H McNulty. 31 George Chahoon. 7 Pat'k B. McCarren. 32 George R. Malby. 8 Albert A. Wray. 83 Walter L. Brown. 9 Julius L. Wieman. 34 Henry J. Coggeshall. 10 John F. Ahearn. 35 Joseph Mullin. 11 Tim'thy D. Sullivan. 36 Horace White. 12 Samuel J. Foley. 37 Nevada N Stranahan 13 Bernard F. Martin. 33 Wm. Elting Johnson 14 Thos. Francis Grady.39 Benj. M. Wilcox. 15 Frank D. Pavey. 40 Edwin C. Stewart. 16 Louis Munzinger. 41 John S. Sheppard. 17 Charles B. Page. 42 John Raines. 18 Maur. Featherson. 43 Cornelius R Parsons. 19 John Ford. 44 Henry Harrison. 45 Tim'y E. Ellsworth. 46 Lester H. Humphrey 47 Charles Lamy. 48 8imon Seibert. 49 George A. Davis. 50 Frank W. Higgins. 20 Jacob A. Cantor. 21 Charles Lewis Guy. 22 Jas. Irving Burns. 23 Clarence Lexow. 24 William C. Daley. 25 Charles Davis. THE STATE ASSEMBLY. The right to representation in General Assembly was finally secured, by the people residing in the province of New York, after the revolution in England which placed William and Mary on the throne. On the 19th of March, 1691, Governor Sloughter arrived, with instructions to re-establish the Assembly and to reinstate the people in their rights. It met on the 9th of April, 1691, and consisted of 17 members, which number was increased, subsequently, to 27. The compilers of the laws were directed to commence with the General Assembly of 1691. After an existence of about 92 years, the Colonial Assembly adjourned April 8, 1775, and never again convened. each Assembly to seven years, if not previously dissolved. In 1774, the House was composed of 31 members. They were elected on writs issued by order of the Governor, who had the power, by and with the advice of the Council, to convene, prorogue or dissolve the Assembly at pleasure. In case of vacancy during the session of the Legislature, the writ was issued on a warrant signed by the Speaker. None were eligible for representatives except freeholders, resident in the district from which they were elected. Members were paid by their constituents, those of New York, Westchester, Queens, Kings, Ulster, Richmond, Dutchess, Orange, and the Manor of Cortland, receiving six shillings (75 cents) a day; of Albany, Schenectady, Borough of Westchester, Manors of Livingston and Rensselaerswyck, 10 shillings ($1.25), and those of Suffolk, nine shillings ($1.124) a day, for the time of their attendance, which was duly certified by the Speaker, and the same per diem, for the time, which was fixed by law, for their journey to and from New York. Previous to 1716, new Assemblies were elected about every two years, though sometimes but a few months would intervene between the elections. The Assembly elected in 1716 continued over 10 years - from June 5, 1716, to August 10, 1726. Four Assemblies succeeded during the next 10 years, the last expiring May 3, 1737. A new Assembly convened June 15, 1737, which passed an act providing for triennial elections. The bill passed the Council and received the sanction of On the day appointed for the meetLieutenant-Governor Clarke, but was ing of a new Legislature, the Members repealed by the King, November 30, elect convened at the Assembly Cham1738, on the recommendation of the ber, in the city of New York, and if Lords of Trade, notwithstanding the they were above 13 in number, sent the Lieutenant-Governor sent a written Clerk of the House to inform the Govappeal in favor of it. The next As- ernor of their attendance. Commissembly convened March, 1739, and sioners, generally the Judges of the continued until September, 1743, when Supreme Court, were sent to the Asit was dissolved. On the 8th of Novem-sembly Chamber to qualify them, after ber following, another House met, and, which their presence was required bein December, passed an act limiting fore his Excellency, who requested them to return to their chamber and elect a Speaker. For that purpose they again retired, and having made a choice, conducted the person elected to the chair, which was placed at the upper end of the long table. He subsequently presented himself, accompanied by the Members, to the Governor, for his approval, which was of course. The Speaker thereupon ad. dressed the Governor, and, in behalf of the House, prayed "that their words and actions may have a favorable construction; that the Members may have free access to him, and they and their servants be privileged with freedom from arrests." The Governor, having granted this request, opened the session by reading his speech to both Houses, a copy whereof was delivered to the Speaker of the Assembly. Messages to the Council were conveyed by one of the Members of the House, who was met at the bar of the Council by the Speaker of that body, into whose hands the message was delivered. All money bills originated in the Assembly, which, according to the practice of the House of Commons, allowed no amendment to be made thereto by the Council. Both Houses were present in the Council Chamber when the Governor passed the bills sent to him, on which occasion the custom was for his Excellency to ask the advice of his Council with respect to every bill. If approved, he signed them after these words: "I assent to this bill, enacting the same, and order it to be enrolled." The acts were thereupon published in the open street, near the City Hall, New York, in the presence of the Governor and both branches of the Legislature. All laws passed were subject, subsequently, to an absolute veto of the King. If disallowed, an order in Council to that effect was transmitted to the Governor and recorded in the minutes of the Council, and notice of the fact was given by proclamation. The General Assembly was succeeded by the Provincial Congress. The First Provincial Congress assembled on the 22d of May, 1775. Some of the members were elected for one year, others for six months. A majority of the counties represented constituted a quorum for the dispatch of business. The vote was taken by, counties, each of which generally designated in its returns the number of its delegation that might cast the vote to which it was entitled. At first, New York had four; Albany three, and each of the remaining counties two votes, except Gloucester (now in Vermont), which had one vote; but the ratio was changed in 1776, and in the Third Provincial Congress and the State Convention, New York was allowed eight; Albany six; Dutchess five; Ulster, Westchester, Queens and Suffolk each four; Orange three; Kings, Richmond, Tryon, Charlotte and Cumberland, each two votes, and Gloucester one vote. But any member was at liberty to have his name and dissent from the vote of his county entered on the minutes. The proceedings were with closed doors, and none but members, all of whom were pledged to secrecy, were permitted to take copies of the minutes. Provision was made with a view to the ultimate publication, at the close of the session, of the proceedings of the Congress, except such part as the unanimous voice of the counties should declare to be of a secret or unimportant nature, leaving to the body power to publish from time to time such extracts as it may deem fit. These rules governed succeeding Congresses, but the Journal was not printed until 1842. The First Provincial Congress held three sessions, viz.: From the 22d May to the 8th July, when it adjourned until the 26th of the same month, having appointed a Committee of the 27th of July, when it adjourned to Safety to sit during the recess. It reassembled on the 26th of July, and sat until the 2d of September, when it adjourned until the 2d of October, the Committee of Safety sitting in the interval. It assembled for the third time on the 4th of the latter month, and finally dissolved on the 4th of November, having previously provided for an election of a new Provincial Congress. The Second Provincial Congress was to be elected on the 7th, and to have met on the 14th of November, but a sufficient number of deputies did not attend until the 6th of December, 1775. Like its predecessor, it sat in the city of New York. It held three meetings, or sessions, viz.: From the 6th to the 22d December, 1775; from the 12th February to 16th March, and from the 8th to the 13th May, 1776. Queens county was not represented in this Congress. The Committee of Safety superintended public affairs during the adjournment. meet at Harlem on the 29th, where it The Third Provincial Congress was elected in April, 1776, to meet at New York on the 14th of May, but a sufficient number of members not attending, it adjourned from day to day until the 18th, when, a quorum being present, it proceeded to business, and continued in session until the 30th of June, on which day it adjourned, an whereupon they adjourned. This attack on the city being anticipated. Legislative Convention assembled 7, 1778, and having adopted sundry measures, was dissolved by the meeting of the Legislature, on the 15th of the same month. The Fourth Provincial Congress afterward at Poughkeepsie, January assembled at the courthouse in the town of Whiteplains, in the county of Westchester, on the 9th of July, 1776; and the Declaration of Independence having been read and unanimously The Assembly, under the State Conagreed to, the title of the body was stitution, has always been chosen changed, on the 10th of July, from annually. It consisted at first of that of the Provincial Congress of the 70 members, with the power to inColony of New York, to that of The crease one with every seventieth Convention of the Representatives of increase of the number of electors the State of New York. This body until it contained 300 members. When continued to sit at Whiteplains until the Constitution was amended in 1801, the number had reached 108, when it cept in the city and county of New was reduced to 100, with a provision York, where the apportionment is that it should be increased after made by the Board of Aldermen. The each census, at the rate of two Boards of Supervisors of the several annually, until the number reached counties were required to meet on the 150. This increase was 12 in 1808, first Tuesday of January succeeding and 14 in 1815. The Constitution of the adoption of the Constitution, and 1821 fixed the number permanently divide the counties into districts, of at 128. Members were placed on a the number apportioned to them, of general ticket. Under the Constitution convenient and contiguous territory, of 1894 members of Assembly are and as nearly equal population as elected by single districts. possible. After each State census, the Legislature is required to reapportion the members and to direct the time when the Supervisors shall meet for the purpose of redistricting. Pursuant to this provision the boards met in June, 1857, 1866 and 1879. Fulton and Hamilton counties together elect one member, and every other county one or more. Acts reapportioning the State reached the order of third reading of bills each session since the census of 1875 was taken, but failed of final passage, in consequence of differences of opinion with regard to the proper ratio of representation. An act was finally passed April 23, 1879 (Laws 1879, chap. 208), which led to a A reapportion. No change can be made in the representation of counties between the period fixed by the Constitution for the appointment based upon the census taken in years ending in five. Counties erected from parts of other counties, or embracing parts of different election districts, between these periods, can not have a separate representation until the next apportionment. In such cases the elections are held and the votes canvassed in the original counties, as if no division had been made until the arrival of the period for a new apportionment. The Legislature apportions to each county its relative number of members, and the Boards of Supervisors divide the reapportionment. towns and wards in their respective ment was also made in 1892 and counties into Assembly districts, ex- 1894. ASSEMBLY APPORTIONMENTS. First Apportionment. April 20, 1777-Albany, 10; Cumberland, 8; Dutchess, 7; Gloucester, 2; Kings, 2; Montgomery, 6; New York, 9; Orange, 4; Queens, 4; Richmond, 2; Suffolk, 5; Ulster, 6; Washington, 4; Westchester, 6.- Total, 70. April 14, 1786.- Columbia with three members organized from Albany, leaving it seven members. Second Apportionment. folk, 4; Ulster, 5; Washington and Clinton, 4; Westchester, 5.-Total, 70. February, 16, 1791 - Herkimer, Otsego and Tioga counties formed from Montgomery and given one member each, leaving the latter 4. Third Apportionment. March 4, 1796.-Albany, 8; Clinton, 1; Columbia, 6; Dutchess, 10; Herkimer, 7; Kings, 1; Montgomery, 6; New York, 13; Onondaga, Ontario, 2; Orange, 8; Otsego, 5; Queens, 4; Rensselaer, 6; Richmond, 1; Saratoga, 5; Schoharie, 1; Suffolk, 4: Tioga, 2; Ulster, 8; Washington, 6; Westchester, B.-Total, 108. February 7, 1791.-Albany, 7; Columbia, 6; |