88th New York State Legislature

The 88th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to April 28, 1865, during the first year of Reuben E. Fenton's governorship, in Albany.

88th New York State Legislature
87th 89th
The Old State Capitol (1879)
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1865
Senate
Members32
PresidentLt. Gov. Thomas G. Alvord (R)
Temporary PresidentCharles J. Folger (R), from March 9
Party controlRepublican (21-11)
Assembly
Members128
SpeakerGeorge G. Hoskins (R)
Party controlRepublican (76-52)
Sessions
1stJanuary 3 – April 28, 1865

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 (four 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.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democrats split over the civil war issue. The "War Democrats" and the Republicans formed a coalition known as the "Republican Union," and supported President Abraham Lincoln and the Union Army's war effort; the rump Democratic Party opposed the war, favoring a compromise with the South, and became known as "Peace Democrats" or "Copperheads."

Elections

The New York state election, 1864 was held on November 8. All four statewide elective offices up for election were carried by the Republican Union. Congressman Reuben E. Fenton and Speaker Thomas G. Alvord defeated the incumbent Gov. Horatio Seymour and Lt. David R. Floyd-Jones. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republican Union 369,000 and Democrats 361,000.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1865; and adjourned on April 28.

George G. Hoskins (R) was elected Speaker with 72 votes against 50 for Abram B. Weaver (D).

On March 9, Charles J. Folger (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate.

On April 4, the Legislature re-elected Victor M. Rice (R) as Superintendent of Public Instruction.

State Senate

Districts

Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York. What is now Bronx County was then part of Westchester County, while what is now Nassau County was part of Queens County.

Members

Partisan composition of the Senate after January 17. Humphrey's seat was vacated after he was elected to the U.S. Congress.

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

District Senator Party Notes
1st Robert Christie Jr.* Democrat
2nd Demas Strong* Democrat
3rd Henry C. Murphy* Democrat
4th Christian B. Woodruff* Democrat also a New York City Tax Commissioner
5th Luke F. Cozans* Democrat
6th William Laimbeer Jr.* Republican
7th Thomas C. Fields* Democrat also a Central Park Commissioner
8th Saxton Smith* Democrat
9th Archibald C. Niven* Democrat contested
Henry R. Low Republican seated on January 17, 1865
10th George Beach* Democrat
11th John B. Dutcher* Republican
12th Frederick H. Hastings* Republican
13th Ira Shafer* Democrat
14th Orson M. Allaben* Democrat
15th James M. Cook* Republican
16th Palmer E. Havens* Republican
17th Albert Hobbs* Republican
18th James A. Bell* Republican
19th Alexander H. Bailey* Republican
20th George H. Andrews* Republican
21st Cheney Ames* Republican
22nd Andrew D. White* Republican
23rd Frederick Juliand* Republican
24th Ezra Cornell* Republican
25th Stephen K. Williams* Republican
26th Charles J. Folger* Republican on March 9, elected president pro tempore
27th Stephen T. Hayt* Republican
28th George G. Munger* Republican
29th Dan H. Cole* Republican
30th Wilkes Angel* Republican
31st James M. Humphrey* Democrat on November 8, 1864, elected to the 39th U.S. Congress
32nd Norman M. Allen* Republican

Employees

  • Clerk: James Terwilliger
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Azel B. Hull
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Sanders Wilson
  • Doorkeeper: Lawrence Van Duzen
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper: Casper Walter
  • Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Edmund Traver
  • Third Assistant Doorkeeper: Anson W. Johnson

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.

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st Harman H. Vanderzee Democrat
2nd Oliver M. Hungerford Democrat contested; seat vacated on April 12[1]
Joseph Shook Republican seated on April 13
3rd Alexander Robertson Democrat
4th Michael A. Nolan Democrat
Allegany 1st Charles M. Crandall* Republican
2nd Albon A. Lewis Republican
Broome Edward C. Mersereau Republican
Cattaraugus 1st William P. Angel Republican
2nd E. Curtis Topliff Republican
Cayuga 1st Benjamin M. Close* Republican
2nd John L. Parker Republican
Chautauqua 1st Sextus H. Hungerford Republican
2nd Martin Crowell Republican
Chemung William T. Post* Republican
Chenango 1st George W. Sumner* Republican
2nd Samuel S. Stafford Republican
Clinton Smith M. Weed Democrat
Columbia 1st Walter Shults Democrat
2nd Samuel W. Carpenter Republican
Cortland Dan C. Squires Republican
Delaware 1st Ira E. Sherman Republican took his seat on February 3
2nd James Oliver Republican
Dutchess 1st James Howard* Republican
2nd Mark D. Wilber Republican
Erie 1st Walter W. Stanard* Democrat
2nd Harmon S. Cutting Democrat
3rd John G. Langner Democrat
4th Edwin W. Godfrey Republican
Essex William H. Richardson* Republican
Franklin James W. Kimball Republican
Fulton and Hamilton Walter N. Clark Democrat
Genesee John W. Brown Republican
Greene Prentiss W. Hallenbeck Democrat
Herkimer 1st Henry Tillinghast Republican
2nd E. Bradley Lee Republican
Jefferson 1st James G. Kellogg Republican
2nd Lewis Palmer* Republican
3rd Russell B. Biddlecom Republican
Kings 1st Jarvis Whitman Democrat
2nd William D. Veeder Democrat
3rd Stephen Haynes Democrat
4th Patrick Burns Democrat
5th John C. Perry* Republican
6th Henry C. Boswell Democrat
7th Jacob Worth* Republican
Lewis Nathan Clark Republican
Livingston 1st Hugh D. McCall Republican
2nd Jonathan B. Morey* Republican
Madison 1st Alfred A. Brown Republican
2nd Alvin Strong Republican
Monroe 1st Fairchild Andrus* Republican
2nd John McConvill* Democrat
3rd William Rankin* Republican
Montgomery Simeon Sammons Democrat
New York 1st Jacob L. Smith* Democrat
2nd Bryan Gaughan Democrat
3rd George L. Loutrel Democrat
4th James B. Murray* Democrat
5th Charles Blauvelt Democrat
6th Edward S. Maloy Democrat
7th Thomas E. Stewart Republican
8th Jacob Seebacher Democrat
9th Samuel C. Reed* Republican
10th Thomas J. Creamer Democrat
11th John McDonald Democrat
12th Joseph A. Lyons* Democrat
13th Alexander Ward Democrat
14th Michael N. Salmon* Democrat
15th Thomas B. Van Buren Republican
16th John Keegan Democrat
17th Sidney P. Ingraham Jr.* Democrat
Niagara 1st Albert H. Pickard Republican took his seat on January 4
2nd Guy C. Humphrey Republican
Oneida 1st Abram B. Weaver* Democrat
2nd Lorenzo Rouse Republican
3rd Thomas D. Penfield Democrat
4th George W. Cole Republican
Onondaga 1st Albert L. Green* Republican
2nd Daniel P. Wood Republican
3rd Harvey P. Tolman Republican
Ontario 1st Volney Edgerton Republican
2nd Edward Brunson Republican
Orange 1st Ananias B. Hulse Republican
2nd Theodore H. Cooper Democrat
Orleans Edmund L. Pitts* Republican
Oswego 1st Elias Root Republican
2nd Richard K. Sanford Republican
3rd Avery W. Severance Republican also Supervisor of New Haven
Otsego 1st Luther I. Burditt Democrat
2nd George M. Hollis* Republican
Putnam Jeremiah Sherwood* Democrat
Queens 1st William Turner Democrat
2nd Charles McNeill* Democrat
Rensselaer 1st George C. Burdett Democrat took his seat on April 15
2nd Robert M. Hasbrouck Republican
3rd Matthew V. A. Fonda Democrat
Richmond James Ridgway Democrat
Rockland Prince W. Nickerson Democrat
St. Lawrence 1st George Parker* Republican
2nd James Redington* Republican
3rd Daniel Shaw Republican
Saratoga 1st George W. Chapman Democrat
2nd Edward Edwards* Republican
Schenectady Charles Stanford* Republican
Schoharie Edward Eldredge Democrat
Schuyler Lorenzo Webber* Republican
Seneca George B. Daniels Democrat
Steuben 1st William E. Bonham* Republican
2nd Alexander Olcott* Republican
3rd Horace Bemis Republican
Suffolk 1st William H. Gleason* Republican
2nd Henry C. Platt* Democrat
Sullivan James Matthews* Democrat
Tioga William W. Shepard Republican
Tompkins Henry B. Lord* Republican
Ulster 1st Jesse F. Bookstaver* Democrat
2nd Jacob LeFever* Republican
3rd Andrew S. Weller Democrat
Warren Jerome Lapham Republican
Washington 1st Alexander Barkley Republican
2nd Sylvester E. Spoor Republican
Wayne 1st Thaddeus W. Collins* Republican
2nd William H. Rogers Republican
Westchester 1st Pierre C. Talman Democrat
2nd Alsop H. Lockwood* Democrat
3rd George A. Brandreth* Republican
Wyoming George G. Hoskins Republican elected Speaker;
also Postmaster of Bennington
Yates Eben S. Smith Republican

Employees

  • Clerk: Joseph B. Cushman
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles E. Young
  • Doorkeeper: Henry A. Rogers
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper: Richard S. Stout
  • Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Alexander Frier

Notes

Sources

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