92nd 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.

According to the Constitution of 1846, twenty years after its elaboration the electorate was asked if they wanted a Constitutional Convention to be held, which was answered at the 1866 New York state election, in the affirmative. On April 23, 1867, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were elected, resulting in a Republican majority. On June 4, the Constitutional Convention met at Albany; adjourned on September 23; and met again on November 12. On February 28, 1868, the Constitutional Convention adjourned sine die. How to put the proposed amendments before the electorate was then debated throughout the 91st and the 92nd Legislature, and all amendments, except the re-organization of the judicial system, were eventually rejected by the voters at the 1869 New York state election.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.

Elections

The 1868 New York state election was held on November 3. Mayor of New York City John T. Hoffman and Allen C. Beach (both Democrats) were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor. 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: Democrats 439,000 and Republicans 411,000.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 5, 1869; and adjourned on May 11.

Truman G. Younglove (R) was elected Speaker with 71 votes against 52 for William Hitchman (D).

On January 19, the Legislature elected Ex-Governor Reuben E. Fenton (R) to succeed Edwin D. Morgan as U.S. Senator from New York for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1869.

On February 4, Charles J. Folger (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this session."

On February 24, Richard Crowley (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate "for this day."

On April 29, the Legislature elected Henry Smith (R) as a Metropolitan Police Commissioner, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Thomas C. Acton.

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: James Terwilliger
• Sergeant-at-Arms: John H. Kemper
• Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: George H. Knapp
• Doorkeeper: Charles V. Schram
• Assistant Doorkeeper: Nathaniel Saxton
• Assistant Doorkeeper: David L. Shields
• Assistant Doorkeeper: Elisha T. Burdick

State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

Party affiliations follow the vote for Speaker.

Employees

• Clerk: Edward F. Underhill
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Samuel C. Pierce
• Doorkeeper: John Hancock
• First Assistant Doorkeeper: Franklin Hutchinson
• Second Assistant Doorkeeper: James Tanner
• Stenographer: Hudson C. Tanner

Notes

Sources

• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner (1870; see pg. 439 for Senate districts; pg. 444 for senators; pg. 450–463 for Assembly districts; pg. 510f for assemblymen)
• Journal of the Senate (92nd Session) (1869)
• Journal of the Assembly (92nd Session) (1869; Vol. I)
• Journal of the Assembly (92nd Session) (1869; Vol. II)

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. see [https://books.google.com/books?id=6yMUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA434 ''A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York''] (1871; pg. 434–438)
3. see [https://books.google.com/books?id=6yMUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA439 ''A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York''] (1871; pg. 439–448)
4. see [https://books.google.com/books?id=6yMUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA430 ''A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York''] (1871; pg. 430–434)
5. see [https://books.google.com/books?id=6yMUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA448 ''A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York''] (1871; pg. 448–456)
6. https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=eda18681209-01.1.1&srpos=3&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22Willett+N.+Hawkins%22--------- ''Elmira Daily Advertiser, 9 December 1868''