The 109th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to May 20, 1886, during the second year of David B. Hill's governorship, in Albany.
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,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. forming a contiguous area, all within the same county.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. In New York City the Democrats were split into three factions: Tammany Hall, "Irving Hall" and the "County Democrats". The Prohibition Party and the Greenback Party also nominated tickets.
Elections The 1885 New York state election was held on November 3. Governor David B. Hill was re-elected; and Edward F. Jones was elected lieutenant governor. The other five 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 501,000; Republicans 490,000; Prohibition 31,000; and Greenback 2,000.
Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 5, 1886; and adjourned on May 20.
James W. Husted (R) was again elected Speaker, against William F. Sheehan (D).
Edmund L. Pitts (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate.
State Senate Districts
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. Edward F. Reilly, Francis Hendricks, Charles F. Barager and John Raines changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
District Senator Party Notes1stEdward F. Fagan Democrat2ndJames F. Pierce Democrat3rdStephen M. Griswold Republican4thJacob Worth Republican5thMichael C. Murphy* County Dem.re-elected6thEdward F. Reilly* Tammany Dem.7thJames Daly* Democratre-elected8thThomas C. Dunham Democrat9thJohn J. Cullen* Tam./Irv. H. Dem.re-elected10thWilliam C. Traphagen Democrat11thGeorge W. Plunkitt* Tammany Dem.re-elected12thHenry C. Nelson* Democratre-elected13thHenry R. Low* Republicanre-elected14thHenry C. Connelly Republican15thJacob W. Hoysradt Republican16thAlbert C. Comstock* Republicanre-elected17thAmasa J. Parker Jr. Democrat18thEdward Wemple Democrat19thRowland C. Kellogg Republican20thCharles L. Knapp Republican21stGeorge B. Sloan Republican22ndHenry J. Coggeshall* Republicanre-elected23rdJohn E. Smith Republican24thMatthew W. Marvin Republican25thFrancis Hendricks* Republican26thCharles F. Barager* Republican27thJ. Sloat Fassett* Republicanre-elected28thJohn Raines* Republican29thEdmund L. Pitts Republicanelected President pro tempore30thEdward C. Walker Republican31stDaniel H. McMillan Republican32ndCommodore P. Vedder* Republicanre-elected
Employees Clerk: John W. Vrooman Sergeant-at-Arms: James C. Murray Doorkeeper: John H. Houck Stenographer: Harris A. Corell
State Assembly Assemblymen The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.
District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stJohn Bowe Democrat2ndSmith O'Brien Republican3rdNorton Chase Democrat4thTerence I. Hardin* Democrat AlleganyWilliam R. McEwen* Republican BroomeIsaac C. Edson Republican Cattaraugus1stFrederick W. Kruse* Republican2ndErastus S. Ingersoll Republican Cayuga1stFrank M. Parsons Republican2ndMichael B. Van Buskirk* Republican Chautauqua1stJerome Babcock Republican2ndNewell Cheney Republican ChemungRobert P. Bush Democrat ChenangoTruman I. Matterson Republican ClintonGeorge W. Palmer* Republican ColumbiaJohn C. Hogeboom*John Clinton Hogeboom (born 1857), grandson of state senator John C. Hogeboom (1801–05) Republican CortlandMilfred M. Brown Republican DelawareCharles J. Knapp Republican Dutchess1stJoseph H. Storm* Republican2ndJohn I. Platt Republican Erie1stWilliam F. Sheehan* DemocratMinority Leader2ndFrank M. Giese* Democrat3rdEdward Gallagher Republican4thJohn Kraus Republican5thAmos H. Baker* Republican EssexWesley Barnes* Republican FranklinFloyd J. Hadley Republican Fulton and HamiltonAlden W. Berry* Republican GeneseeCharles A. Seaver Republican GreeneStephen T. Hopkins* Republicanon November 2, 1886, elected to the 50th U.S. Congress HerkimerJohn M. Budlong* Republican Jefferson1stAllen E. Kilby* Republican2ndEdward B. Bulkley Republican Kings1stMoses J. Wafer* Democrat2ndWilliam H. McLaughlin Democrat3rdPeter K. McCann* Democrat4thHenry F. Haggerty* Democrat5thJames A. McMahon Democrat6thThomas F. Farrell* Democrat7thGeorge H. Lindsay* Democrat8thRobert E. Connelly* Democrat9thJames A. Brown Republican10thJohn B. Longley Democrat11thHenry D. Hotchkiss Democrat12thRichard V. B. Newton Democrat LewisRutson Rea Republican LivingstonWilliam Y. Robinson Republican MadisonWilliam S. Leete Republican Monroe1stFrank Gardner Republican2ndCharles R. Pratt Republican3rdGeorge W. Sime Republican MontgomeryThomas Liddle* Republican New York1stDaniel E. Finn* County/Irv. H. Dem.2ndThomas Maher Tammany Dem.3rdJames E. Power County Dem.4thJeremiah Hayes Tam./Irv. H. Dem.5thMichael Brennan* County Dem.6thPhilip Kiernan Ind./Tam./Irv. H. Dem.Assemblyman-elect William Hall died November 30, 1885;Kiernan elected to fill vacancy on December 29, 18857thLucas L. Van Allen* Republican8thCharles Smith* Republican9thJohn D. Naugle Tam./County Dem.10thCharles A. Binder Republican11thRobert Ray Hamilton Republican12thMoses Dinkelspiel County Dem.13thJohn P. Windolph* Republican14thLewis J. Conlan Tam./Irv. H. Dem.15thWerner Bruns Tammany Dem.16thEdward P. Hagan* County Dem.17thWilliam Dalton Democrat18thWilliam J. Hill Tammany Dem.19thJohn McManus Ind. Dem.20thJames Haggerty* Ind. Dem.21stGeorge W. Lyon Republican22ndEdward J. Shelley Tam./Irv. H. Dem.23rdJacob A. Cantor* Tammany Dem.24thJohn B. Shea* County/Irv. H. Dem.unsuccessfully contestedsee A Compilation of Cases of Contested Elections to Seats in the Assembly of the State of New York (1899; pg. 684) Niagara1stLewis P. Gordon Democrat2ndPeter A. Porter Republican Oneida1stBenjamin Hall Republican2ndRobert W. Evans Republican3rdIsrael J. White Republican Onondaga1stWallace Tappan* Republican2ndAlfred E. Stacey Republican3rdThomas McCarthyThomas McCarthy (born 1848), son of Dennis McCarthy Republican OntarioEdward P. Babcock Republican Orange1stRobert H. Smith Republican2ndGeorge W. Greene* Democrat OrleansSamuel A. Bates Republican Oswego1stHenry C. Howe* Republican2ndDanforth E. Ainsworth Republican Otsego1stLowell S. Henry Democrat2ndFrank B. Arnold* Republican PutnamHenry Mabie Republican Queens1stJoseph Fitch Democrat2ndJames S. Allen Republican Rensselaer1stMichael F. Collins Democrat2ndEugene L. Demers* Republican3rdThomas Dickson Republican RichmondEdward P. Doyle Democrat RocklandGeorge Dickey Democrat St. Lawrence1stN. Martin Curtis* Ind. Rep.2ndAndrew Tuck* Republican3rdGeorge Z. Erwin* Republican Saratoga1stWilliam M. Donald Republican2ndGeorge S. Batcheller Republican SchenectadyEdward D. Cutler* Democrat SchoharieCharles Brewster Democrat SchuylerFremont Cole* Republican SenecaStephen Duncan Leverich Democrat Steuben1stFranz S. Wolf Democrat2ndCharles D. Baker* Republican SuffolkHenry E. Huntting Republican SullivanJames D. Decker* Democrat TiogaAdolphus G. Allen Republican TompkinsCharles M. Titus Republican Ulster1stBenjamin M. Freligh Republican2ndHerman Craft Republican3rdCornelius A. J. Hardenbergh* Democrat WarrenJohn Peart Jr. Republican Washington1stDaniel M. Westfall Republican2ndJames H. Manville Republican Wayne1stWilliam Wood Democrat2ndBarnet H. Davis Republican Westchester1stCharles P. McClelland* Democrat2ndNorman A. Lawlor Democrat3rdJames W. Husted* Republicanelected Speaker WyomingEdward A. Pierce Republican YatesClark E. Smith* Republican
Employees Clerk: Charles A. Chickering Sergeant-at-Arms: Edward H. Talbott Doorkeeper: Michael Maher Stenographer: Emory P. Close
Notes
Sources The New York Red Book compiled by Edgar L. Murlin (published by James B. Lyon, Albany NY, 1897; see pg. 384f for senate districts; pg. 403 for senators; pg. 410–417 for Assembly districts; and pg. 504f for assemblymen) Biographical sketches of the members of the Legislature in The Evening Journal Almanac (1886)