101st New York State Legislature

The 101st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to May 15, 1878, during the second year of Lucius Robinson's governorship, in Albany.

101st New York State Legislature
← 100th 102nd →
The Old State Capitol (1879)
Overview
Legislative body	New York State Legislature
Jurisdiction	New York, United States
Term	January 1 – December 31, 1878
Senate
Members	32
President	Lt. Gov. William Dorsheimer (D)
Temporary President	William H. Robertson (R)
Party control	Republican (19-13)
Assembly
Members	128
Speaker	James W. Husted (R)
Party control	Republican (65-57-6)
Sessions
1st January 1 – May 15, 1878

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,^[1] 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 and the Greenback Party also nominated tickets. The growing agitation in favor of bettering the conditions of the working class led to the first nomination of labor tickets, by the "Working Men Party", the "Social Democratic Party" and the "Bread-Winners League".

Elections

The New York state election, 1877 was held on November 6. All five statewide elective offices up for election were carried by the Democrats. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Secretary of State, was: Democratic 383,000; Republican 372,000; Working Men 20,000; Prohibition 7,000; Social Democratic 1,800; and Greenback 800.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1878; and adjourned on May 15.

James W. Husted (R) was again elected Speaker with 64 votes against 55 for Erastus Brooks (D).

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.

Senators

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Thomas C. E. Ecclesine changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District	Senator	Party	Notes
1st	James M. Oakley	Democrat
2nd	James F. Pierce	Democrat
3rd	John C. Jacobs*	Democrat
4th	Edward Hogan	Democrat
5th	Alfred Wagstaff Jr.*	Democrat	re-elected
6th	Louis S. Goebel	Republican	Chairman of Claims, and of Public Expenditures
7th	John Morrissey*	Anti-Tam. Dem.	died on May 1, 1878
8th	Thomas C. E. Ecclesine*	Democrat
9th	William H. Robertson*	Republican	re-elected President pro tempore; Chairman of Judiciary
10th	Daniel B. St. John*	Democrat
11th	Stephen H. Wendover	Republican	Chairman of Banks
12th	Charles Hughes	Democrat
13th	Hamilton Harris*	Republican	Chairman of Finance; of Public Buildings, and of Apportionment
14th	Addison P. Jones	Democrat
15th	Webster Wagner*	Republican	Chairman of Railroads
16th	William W. Rockwell	Republican	Chairman of Insurance, and of Erection and Division of Towns and Counties
17th	Dolphus S. Lynde	Republican	Chairman of Manufactures, of Agriculture, and of Salt
18th	Henry E. Turner	Republican	Chairman of Privileges and Elections, and of Militia
19th	Alexander T. Goodwin	Democrat
20th	Samuel S. Edick	Republican	Chairman of Villages, and of Joint Library
21st	John W. Lippitt	Republican	Chairman of Roads and Bridges
22nd	Dennis McCarthy*	Republican	Chairman of Canals
23rd	Nathaniel C. Marvin	Republican	Chairman of Miscellaneous Corporations, and of Poor Laws
24th	Peter W. Hopkins	Republican	Chairman of Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties, and of Retrenchment
25th	Theodore M. Pomeroy	Republican	Chairman of Cities, and of Rules
26th	Edwin Hicks	Republican	Chairman of Literature
27th	Ira Davenport	Republican	Chairman of Commerce and Navigation
28th	George Raines	Democrat
29th	Lewis S. Payne	Democrat
30th	James H. Loomis	Republican	Chairman of Printing, of Indian Affairs, and of Grievances
31st	Ray V. Pierce	Republican	Chairman of Public Health; on November 5, 1878, elected to the 46th U.S. Congress
32nd	Loren B. Sessions	Republican	also Supervisor of the Town of Harmony; Chairman of State Prisons, and of Engrossed Bills

Employees

• Clerk: John W. Vrooman
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Weidman Dominick
• Doorkeeper: James G. Caw
• Stenographer: Hudson C. Tanner

State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

District		Assemblymen	Party	Notes
Albany	1st	Hiram Griggs	Republican
	2nd	John N. Foster	Republican
	3rd	James T. Story	Republican
	4th	Edward Curran	Democrat
Allegany		Hiram H. Wakely	Republican
Broome		Alexander E. Andrews	Republican
Cattaraugus	1st	Thomas J. King*	Republican
	2nd	Simeon V. Pool	Republican
Cayuga	1st	Howell B. Converse	Democrat
	2nd	William Leslie Noyes	Republican
Chautauqua	1st	Sherman Williams*	Republican
	2nd	Temple A. Parker	Republican
Chemung		George M. Baird	Greenback^[2]	voted for Elias Mapes as Speaker
Chenango		B. Gage Berry	Republican
Clinton		William P. Mooers	Republican
Columbia	1st	Jacob H. Proper*	Democrat
	2nd	Samuel Wilbor	Republican
Cortland		Orris U. Kellogg	Democrat
Delaware	1st	Albert H. Sewell	Republican
	2nd	Robert P. Cormack	Democrat
Dutchess	1st	Obed Wheeler	Republican
	2nd	Peter Hulme	Republican
Erie	1st	John L. Crowley*	Democrat
	2nd	John G. Langner*	Democrat
	3rd	David F. Day	Democrat
	4th	Harvey J. Hurd	Republican
	5th	Henry F. Allen	Democrat
Essex		Benjamin D. Clapp*	Republican
Franklin		John I. Gilbert*	Republican
Fulton and Hamilton		John W. Peek	Republican
Genesee		Eli Taylor*	Republican
Greene		Cicero C. Peck	Democrat
Herkimer		Titus Sheard	Republican
Jefferson	1st	Charles R. Skinner*	Republican
	2nd	William M. Thomson	Democrat
Kings	1st	John M. Clancy	Democrat	contested by Daniel Bradley (Ind. D)
	2nd	John B. Meyenborg	Democrat
	3rd	John Shanley*	Democrat
	4th	Charles J. Henry	Democrat
	5th	William H. Waring	Republican
	6th	Jacob Worth	Republican
	7th	Maurice B. Flynn	Democrat
	8th	John H. Douglass	Democrat
	9th	John H. Bergen	Democrat
Lewis		Cyrus L. Sheldon	Republican
Livingston		James W. Wadsworth	Republican
Madison	1st	Lambert B. Kern	Republican
	2nd	Willard A. Crandall	Republican
Monroe	1st	Albert C. Hobbie	Republican
	2nd	Elias Mapes	Working Men^[3]	voted for George M. Baird as Speaker
	3rd	James Chappell	Republican
Montgomery		Edward Wemple*	Democrat
New York	1st	John F. Berrigan*	Democrat	contested by John or Thomas Foley (Anti-Tam. D)
	2nd	Thomas F. Grady*	Democrat
	3rd	James Hayes	Ind. Dem.	voted for James Daly as Speaker
	4th	John Galvin*	Democrat
	5th	Peter A. Crawford	Democrat
	6th	Jacob Seebacher	Democrat
	7th	Isaac Israel Hayes*	Republican
	8th	Daniel Patterson	Democrat
	9th	John W. Browning	Democrat
	10th	Joseph P. Strack	Ind. Dem.	voted for James Daly as Speaker
	11th	William W. Astor	Republican
	12th	Maurice F. Holahan*	Democrat
	13th	John Clark	Democrat	contested; seat vacated on April 2
		Charles H. Duell	Republican	seated on April 2^[4]
	14th	James Daly	Ind. Dem.	voted for Samuel D. Halliday as Speaker
	15th	Christopher Bathe	Democrat
	16th	James Fitzgerald	Democrat
	17th	James T. Taylor	Democrat	voted for Sherburne B. Piper as Speaker
	18th	Joseph P. McDonough	Democrat
	19th	David L. Baker	Democrat
	20th	Marks L. Frank	Democrat
	21st	Alexander Thain	Democrat
Niagara	1st	Joseph D. Loveland	Democrat
	2nd	Sherburne B. Piper*	Democrat
Oneida	1st	William Jones	Republican
	2nd	A. DeVerney Townsley	Democrat
	3rd	Cyrus D. Prescott	Republican	on November 5, 1878, elected to the 46th U.S. Congress
	4th	Robert H. Roberts	Democrat
Onondaga	1st	Thomas G. Alvord*	Republican
	2nd	Samuel Willis	Republican
	3rd	Josiah G. Holbrook	Republican
Ontario	1st	David Cosad Jr.	Democrat
	2nd	Amasa T. Winch*	Republican
Orange	1st	James G. Graham*	Republican
	2nd	James W. Hoyt	Republican
Orleans		Charles H. Mattison	Republican
Oswego	1st	Charles North	Republican
	2nd	George M. Case*	Republican
	3rd	DeWitt C. Peck*	Republican
Otsego	1st	Azro Chase	Republican
	2nd	Daniel F. Pattengill	Democrat
Putnam		Hamilton Fish II*	Republican
Queens	1st	Elbert Floyd-Jones*	Democrat
	2nd	John Keegan	Democrat	previously a member from New York County
Rensselaer	1st	John H. Burns*	Dem./Work. Men	did not vote for Speaker
	2nd	Solomon V. R. Miller	Republican
	3rd	William H. Sliter*	Democrat
Richmond		Erastus Brooks	Democrat	voted for Sherburne B. Piper as Speaker
Rockland		James M. Nelson	Democrat
St. Lawrence	1st	George F. Rowland	Republican
	2nd	A. Barton Hepburn*	Republican
	3rd	Rufus S. Palmer	Republican
Saratoga	1st	George W. Neilson*	Democrat
	2nd	Daniel H. Deyoe	Republican
Schenectady		Arthur D. Mead	Democrat
Schoharie		Charles Bouck	Democrat
Schuyler		Abram V. Mekeel	Republican
Seneca		Diedrich Willers Jr.	Democrat
Steuben	1st	Azariah C. Brundage	Republican
	2nd	George R. Sutherland	Republican
Suffolk		Charles S. Havens	Democrat
Sullivan		Thornton A. Niven*	Democrat
Tioga		John Theodore Sawyer	Republican
Tompkins		Samuel D. Halliday	Democrat
Ulster	1st	Seaman G. Searing	Democrat
	2nd	Nathan Keator*	Republican
	3rd	Isaac Hamilton	Democrat
Warren		Alson B. Abbott	Republican
Washington	1st	Abram Reynolds	Republican
	2nd	George L. Terry	Republican
Wayne	1st	Jackson Valentine*	Republican
	2nd	James H. Miller	Republican
Westchester	1st	Ambrose H. Purdy*	Democrat	contested by Fordham Morris
	2nd	William F. Moller*	Democrat
	3rd	James W. Husted*	Republican	elected Speaker
Wyoming		John E. Lowing	Republican
Yates		Joel M. Clark	Republican

Employees

• Clerk: Edward M. Johnson
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles A. Orr
• Doorkeeper: Henry Wheeler
• First Assistant Doorkeeper: Sandford Reynolds
• Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Michael Maher
• Stenographer: Worden E. Payne

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. STATE POLITICAL NOTES; ...A Greenback, Labor, and Reform convention...nominated...George M. Baird for the Assembly in The New York Times on October 22, 1877
3. Mapes's party affiliation is stated in several different ways. In one place it says "United Working Men Party", see The Albany Evening Journal Almanac (1878; pg. 121); in another place it says "Greenback and Labor Reform", see Albany Evening Journal Almanac (1879; pg. 132)
4. THE STATE LEGISLATURE; THE CLARK-DUELL CONTESTED CASE in NYT on April 3, 1878

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. 377f for assemblymen)
• The Albany Evening Journal Almanac (1878; see pg. 64–68 for election results; pg. 111–116 for senators' bios; pg. 116–131 for assemblymen's bios; pg. 131f for Senate and Assembly committees)
• THE ASSEMBLY in NYT on October 29, 1877 (gives nominations by all parties)
• The Legislature; Senators Probably Elected^{[permanent dead link]} in the Plattsburgh Sentinel on November 9, 1877
• THE STATE LEGISLATURE; MR. SPEAKER HUSTED in NYT on January 1, 1878
• THE STATE LEGISLATURE; ORGANIZATION OF BOTH HOUSES in NYT on January 2, 1878