The 120th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to April 24, 1897, during the first year of Frank S. Black's governorship, in Albany.

Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, 50 Senators and 150 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 (twelve districts), Kings County (seven districts), Erie County (three districts) and Monroe County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county.

At the 1895 New York state election, the state officers and state senators were elected to an exceptional three-year term (for the sessions of 1896, 1897 and 1898), so that the election of these officers would be held, beginning in 1898, in even-numbered years, at the same time as the gubernatorial election.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democrats were split into two factions as a result of the 1896 United States presidential election: the majority supported Free silver and William Jennings Bryan for U.S. president; a minority supported the Gold standard and John M. Palmer for U.S. president. The Socialist Labor Party, the Prohibition Party, and the People's Party also nominated tickets.

Elections The 1896 New York state election was held on November 3. Congressman Frank S. Black was elected Governor; and Timothy L. Woodruff was elected Lieutenant Governor; both Republicans.

The only other statewide elective office up for election was also carried by a Republican. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republican 788,000; Silver Democrats 570,000; Gold Democrats 27,000; Socialist Labor 18,000; Prohibition 17,000; and People's Party 5,000.

Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1897; and adjourned on April 24.

James M. E. O'Grady (R) was elected Speaker with 112 votes against 34 for Daniel E. Finn (D).O'GRADY WANTS FEWER BILLS in NYT on January 7, 1897

On January 19, the Legislature elected Thomas C. Platt (R) to succeed David B. Hill (D) as U.S. Senator from New York, for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1897.

New York 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.

Senators

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

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

District Senator Party Notes1stRichard Higbie* RepublicanChairman of Agriculture2ndTheodore Koehler* Democrat3rdFrank Gallagher* Democrat4thGeorge W. Brush* RepublicanChairman of Public Health5thMichael J. Coffey* Democrat6thPeter H. McNulty* Democrat7thPatrick H. McCarren* Democrat8thAlbert A. Wray* RepublicanChairman of Public Education9thJulius L. Wieman* Republican10thJohn F. Ahearn* Democrat11thTimothy D. Sullivan* Democrat12thSamuel J. Foley* Democrat13thBernard F. Martin* Democrat14thThomas F. Grady* Democrat15thFrank D. Pavey* RepublicanChairman of Revision16thLouis Munzinger* Democrat17thCharles B. Page* Republican18thMaurice Featherson* Democrat19thJohn Ford* Republican20thJacob A. Cantor* DemocratMinority Leader21stCharles L. Guy* Democrat22ndJ. Irving Burns* RepublicanChairman of Insurance23rdClarence Lexow* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary24thWilliam C. Daley* Republican25thCharles Davis* Republican26thJohn Grant Republicanelected to fill vacancy, in place of James Ballantine; Chairman of Public Printing27thHobart Krum* RepublicanChairman of Forest, Fish and Game Laws28thEdgar T. Brackett* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages29thMyer Nussbaum* RepublicanChairman of Privileges and Elections30thLeGrand C. Tibbits* Republican31stGeorge Chahoon* RepublicanChairman of Trades and Manufactures32ndGeorge R. Malby* RepublicanChairman of Codes33rdWalter L. Brown* RepublicanChairman of Miscellaneous Corporations34thHenry J. Coggeshall* Ind. Rep.35thJoseph Mullin* RepublicanChairman of Finance; died on September 1, 189736thHorace White* RepublicanChairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills37thNevada N. Stranahan* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities38thWilliam Elting Johnson* RepublicanChairman of Military Affairs39thBenjamin M. Wilcox* RepublicanChairman of Penal Institutions40thEdwin C. Stewart* RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties41stJohn S. Sheppard* RepublicanChairman of Roads and Bridges42ndJohn Raines* RepublicanChairman of Railroads43rdCornelius R. Parsons* RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation44thHenry Harrison* Republican45thTimothy E. Ellsworth* RepublicanPresident pro tempore; Chairman of Rules46thLester H. Humphrey* RepublicanChairman of Banks47thCharles Lamy* RepublicanChairman of Canals48thSimon Seibert* Republican49thGeorge Allen Davis* RepublicanChairman of Indian Affairs50thFrank W. Higgins* RepublicanChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment

Employees Clerk: John S. Kenyon Sergeant-at-Arms: Garret J. Benson Doorkeeper: Nathan Lewis Stenographer: Edward Shaughnessy Journal Clerk: Lafayette B. Gleason Index Clerk: Ernest A. Fay

New York State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stRobert G. Scherer* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary2ndJames B. McEwan Republican3rdGeorge T. Kelly* Democrat4thJacob D. Leversee Republican AlleganyFred A. Robbins* Republican Broome1stCharles E. Fuller Republican2ndCharles F. Tupper* Republican Cattaraugus1stCharles H. Miller* Republican2ndGirvease A. Matteson* Republican Cayuga1stW. Clarence Sheldon* Republican2ndEugene B. Rounds* Republican Chautauqua1stFrederick R. Peterson Republican2ndS. Frederick Nixon* RepublicanMajority Leader; Chairman of Ways and Means ChemungJohn H. Holbert Republican ChenangoJotham P. Allds* RepublicanChairman of Excise ClintonEverett C. Baker RepublicanChairman of State Prisons ColumbiaRobert Hoes Republican CortlandFranklin P. Saunders* RepublicanChairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills DelawareDelos H. Mackey* Republican Dutchess1stJohn A. Hanna* Republican2ndAugustus B. Gray* RepublicanChairman of Banks Erie1stCornelius Coughlin* Democrat2ndHenry W. Hill* RepublicanChairman of Revision3rdWilliam Maloney Democrat4thWilliam Schneider Republican5thCharles Braun* RepublicanChairman of Charitable and Religious Societies6thNicholas J. Miller Republican7thHenry L. Steiner* RepublicanChairman of Privileges and Elections8thHeman M. Blasdell* Republican EssexJames H. Pierce Republicanpreviously a member from Franklin Co. FranklinThomas A. Sears* RepublicanChairman of Claims Fulton and HamiltonByron D. Brown* Republican GeneseeArchie D. Sanders* RepublicanChairman of Labor and Industries GreeneNewton Sweet* Republican HerkimerOliver H. Springer* Republican Jefferson1stWalter Zimmerman* RepublicanChairman of Unfinished Business2ndCornelius J. Clark* Republican Kings1stThomas H. Wagstaff* Republican2ndJohn McKeown* Democrat3rdThomas H. Cullen* Democrat4thGeorge W. Wilson* RepublicanChairman of Trades and Manufactures5thJohn C. Knaup Republican6thEdward H. M. Roehr Republican7thGeorge H. Parshall Republican8thJames Lennon Jr.* Democrat9thJohn J. Cain* Democrat10thWilliam L. Perkins* Republican11thLucien S. Bayliss Republican12thHenry E. Abell Republican13thOrrion L. Forrester* Republican14thJohn M. Zurn* Democrat15thJoseph Murray Republican16thEdward C. Brennan* Republican17thHenry Marshall* Republican18thGeorge J. Soper Republican19thFrederick Schmid* Democrat20thFrederick G. Hughes* Republican21stHenry S. French Democrat LewisJohn S. Koster* RepublicanChairman of Military Affairs LivingstonOtto Kelsey* Republican MadisonRobert J. Fish Republican Monroe1stMerton E. Lewis Republican2ndJames M. E. O'Grady* Republicanelected Speaker; Chairman of Rules3rdWilliam W. Armstrong* RepublicanChairman of Codes4thFrederick E. Gott Republican MontgomeryEdward L. Schmidt* Republican New York1stDaniel E. Finn* DemocratMinority Leader2ndThomas J. Barry* Democrat3rdWilliam H. Leonard* Democrat4thPatrick H. Roche Democrat5thRichard Van Cott Republican6thTimothy P. Sullivan Democrat7thEdward W. Hart* Democrat8thCharles S. Adler* Republican9thJames F. Maccabe* Democrat10thJeremiah J. Sullivan Republican11thWilliam H. Gledhill* Democrat12thJoseph Schulum* Democrat13thPatrick F. Trainor* Democrat14thJacob Fritz* Democrat15thThomas F. Myers* Democrat16thBenjamin Hoffman* Democrat17thJohn A. Dempsey Democrat18thJohn F. Daly Democrat19thRobert Mazet Republican20thJohn P. Corrigan* Democrat21stGeorge C. Austin* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities22ndDaniel D. Tooher Democrat23rdRichard Gilleland Democrat24thJohn B. Fitzgerald* Democrat25thPatrick H. Murphy* RepublicanChairman of Public Health26thPatrick J. Andrews* Democrat27thFrancis E. Laimbeer* Republican28thJoseph I. Green* Democrat29thLawrence E. Brown Republican30thGeorge W. Meyer Jr.* Democrat31stHarvey T. Andrews* Republican32ndThomas F. Donnelly* Democrat33rdJames P. Degnan Republican34thPhilip W. Reinhard Jr. Republican35thDouglas Mathewson Republican Niagara1stHenry E. Warner* Republican2ndFrank A. Dudley* RepublicanChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment Oneida1stGeorge E. Philo Republican2ndWilliam Cary Sanger* RepublicanChairman of Public Education3rdWilliam B. Graves* RepublicanChairman of Indian Affairs Onondaga1stWilliam J. Bellen Republican2ndEdward G. Ten Eyck Republican3rdJoseph Bondy* RepublicanChairman of Canals4thEdwin M. Wells* Republican OntarioMurray Benham Republican Orange1stLouis F. Goodsell* RepublicanChairman of Electricity, Gas and Water Supply2ndLouis Bedell* RepublicanChairman of Trust Investigation OrleansFred L. Downs* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages Oswego1stLouis P. Taylor* RepublicanChairman of Federal Relations2ndThomas M. Costello* Republican OtsegoCharles B. Gorham* RepublicanChairman of Public Lands and Forestry PutnamEmerson W. Addis Republican Queens1stThomas F. Kennedy Democrat2ndHarvey Stewart McKnight Republican3rdMorton Cromwell* Republican Rensselaer1stEdward McGraw* RepublicanChairman of Public Institutions2ndWilliam Hutton Jr. Democrat3rdGeorge Anderson* Republican RichmondGeorge Garby Republican RocklandFrederick L. Whritner Republican St. Lawrence1stIra C. Miles* Republican2ndMartin V. B. Ives* RepublicanChairman of Agriculture SaratogaGeorge W. Kavanaugh Republican SchenectadyThomas W. Winne* Republican SchoharieGeorge M. Palmer Democrat SchuylerOliver H. Budd* Republican SenecaHarry M. Glen RepublicanChairman of Public Printing Steuben1stJames S. Harrison* RepublicanChairman of Soldiers' Home2ndJoel Clark* Republican Suffolk1stErastus F. Post* Republican2ndCarll S. Burr Jr.* Republican SullivanGeorge McLaughlin Republican TiogaDaniel P. Witter* RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs TompkinsFrederick E. Bates* Republican Ulster1stWilliam S. Van Keuren* RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation2ndHarcourt J. Pratt Republican WarrenTaylor J. Eldridge* RepublicanChairman of Railroads WashingtonWilliam R. Hobbie* RepublicanChairman of Fisheries and Game WayneGeorge S. Horton* RepublicanChairman of General Laws Westchester1stAlfred E. Smith Republican2ndRichard S. Emmet Jr. Republicandied on February 7, 18973rdJames W. Husted* RepublicanChairman of Insurance WyomingMortimer N. Cole* Republican YatesMiles W. Raplee Republican

Employees Clerk: Archie E. Baxter Financial Clerk: William C. Stevens Sergeant-at-Arms: James C. Crawford Doorkeeper: Joseph Bauer Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Eugene L. Demers