The 112th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to May 16, 1889, during the fifth 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. The "United Labor" organization endorsed the Republican nominee for governor Warner Miller, but nominated own candidates for the other offices. The Prohibition Party and the Socialist Labor Party also nominated state tickets.

Elections The 1888 New York state election was held on November 6. Gov. David B. Hill and Lt. Gov. Edward F. Jones (both Dem.) were re-elected. The only other statewide elective office up for election was also carried by a Democrat. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for governor, was: Democrats 650,000; Republicans/United Labor 631,000; Prohibition 30,000; and Socialist Labor 3,500.

Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1889; and adjourned on May 16.

Fremont Cole (R) was re-elected Speaker with 76 votes against 47 for William F. Sheehan (D).

Jacob Sloat Fassett (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate.

On January 18, a grand jury in Albany refused to indict Assemblyman Charles Smith for perjury. The New York City Reform Club had accused Smith of having obtained his election by buying votes.JUSTICE FAILS ONCE MORE in NYT on January 19, 1889

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.

District Senator Party Notes1stSimeon S. Hawkins* Republican2ndJames F. Pierce* Democrat3rdEugene F. O'Connor* Republican4thJacob Worth* Republican5thMichael C. Murphy* Democrat6thThomas F. Grady Democratelected on December 28, 1888, to fill vacancy, in place of Edward F. ReillyHILL'S MAN ELECTED in NYT on December 29, 18887thGeorge F. Langbein* Democrat8thCornelius Van Cott* Republicanseat vacated on May 1, upon taking office as Postmaster of New York City9thCharles A. Stadler* Democrat10thJacob A. Cantor* DemocratMinority Leader11thEugene S. Ives* Democrat12thWilliam H. Robertson* Republican 13thvacantHenry R. Low (R) died on December 1, 1888Peter Ward Democratelected on January 29, 1889, to fill vacancySENATOR LOW'S SUCCESSOR in NYT on January 30, 188914thJohn J. Linson* Democrat15thGilbert A. Deane* Republican16thMichael F. Collins* Democrat17thHenry Russell* Republican18thJohn Foley* Democrat19thRowland C. Kellogg* Republican20thGeorge Z. Erwin* Republican21stGeorge B. Sloan* Republican22ndHenry J. Coggeshall* Republican23rdFrank B. Arnold* Republican24thWilliam Lewis* Republican25thFrancis Hendricks* Republican26thWilliam L. Sweet* Republican27thJ. Sloat Fassett* Republicanelected President pro tempore28thJohn Raines* Republican29thDonald McNaughton* Democrat30thEdward C. Walker* Republican31stJohn Laughlin* Republican32ndCommodore P. Vedder* Republican

Employees Clerk: John S. Kenyon Sergeant-at-Arms: John W. Corning Doorkeeper: Charles V. Schram Assistant Doorkeeper: Hiram Van Tassel 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 Albany1stJervis L. Miller Democrat2ndVreeland H. Youngman* Republican3rdGalen R. Hitt Democrat4thWilliam Burton LeRoy Republican AlleganyAlbert B. Cottrell* Republican BroomeAlonzo D. Lewis* Republican Cattaraugus1stGeorge N. West Republican2ndJames S. Whipple* Republican Cayuga1stJohn E. Savery* Republican2ndLeander Fitts Republican Chautauqua1stS. Frederick Nixon* Republican2ndGeorge E. Towne Republican ChemungRobert P. Bush* Democrat ChenangoEdgar A. Pearsall Republican ClintonStephen Moffitt Republican ColumbiaWilliam Dinehart* Republican CortlandRufus T. Peck Republican DelawareGeorge O. Mead Republican Dutchess1stWillard H. Mase* Republican2ndJohnston de Peyster Republican Erie1stWilliam F. Sheehan* DemocratMinority Leader2ndMatthias Endres* Democrat3rdLeroy Andrus Republican4thHenry H. Guenther* Democrat5thAmos H. Baker Republican EssexThomas J. Treadway Republican FranklinWilliam C. Stevens Republican Fulton and HamiltonLewis Brownell* Republican GeneseeJohn M. McKenzie* Republican GreeneFrancis G. Walters Republican HerkimerDeWitt J. Mesick Republican Jefferson1stHenry J. Lane Republican2ndAndrew C. Comstock* Republican Kings1stRobert H. Miley Democrat2ndWilliam H. McLaughlin* Democrat3rdPeter K. McCann* Democrat4thHenry F. Haggerty* Democrat5thJohn Kelly Democrat6thPatrick H. McCarren Democrat7thAdam Schaaff Democrat8thWilliam Blanchfield Democrat9thFrank Sperry Republican10thJohn B. Longley* Democrat11thJoseph Aspinall* Republican12thJames P. Graham Democrat LewisHugh Hughes* Republican LivingstonJotham Clark* Republican MadisonCharles E. Maynard* Republican Monroe1stJudson F. Sheldon Republican2ndJoseph Bauer Republican3rdEdwin A. Loder Republican MontgomeryW. Barlow Dunlap Republican New York1stPatrick H. Duffy Democrat2ndTimothy D. Sullivan* Democrat3rdThomas Smith Jr.* Democrat4thJeremiah Hayes* Democrat5thDominick F. Mullaney Democrat6thCharles P. Blake Democrat7thFrancis V. King Republican8thCharles Smith Republican9thJohn Martin* Democrat10thGeorge F. Roesch* Democrat11thRobert Ray Hamilton* Republican12thMoses Dinkelspiel Democrat13thFrederick S. Gibbs Republican14thThomas J. Creamer Democrat15thFrederick Haffner Democrat16thEdward P. Hagan* Democrat17thJohn Kerrigan Democrat18thWilliam H. Newschafer Democrat19thJohn Connelly* Democrat20thWilliam H. Hornidge* Democrat21stErnest H. Crosby* Republican22ndJoseph Blumenthal* Democrat23rdAugustus Strassburg Democrat24thChristopher C. Clarke Democrat Niagara1stJohn F. Little Republican2ndJ. Marville Harwood Democrat Oneida1stJoseph Harry Kent* Democrat2ndGeorge G. McAdam* Republican3rdAbisha B. Baker Republican Onondaga1stJames W. Upson Republican2ndWilliam H. Gallup* Republican3rdWalter W. Cheney* Republican OntarioRobert Moody* Republican Orange1stJohn C. Adams* Republican2ndGeorge W. Greene* Democrat OrleansIra Edwards* Republican Oswego1stS. Mortimer Coon* Republican2ndDanforth E. Ainsworth* Republican Otsego1stWilliam E. Dante Republican2ndWalter L. Brown* Republican PutnamHamilton Fish II Republican Queens1stSolomon S. Townsend Democrat2ndPhilip T. Cronin Democrat Rensselaer1stGeorge O'Neil* Democrat2ndJoseph S. Saunders Republican3rdJames Ryan Jr.* Democrat RichmondHubbard R. Yetman Democrat RocklandFrank P. Demarest* Democrat St. Lawrence1stN. Martin Curtis* Republican2ndWilliam H. Kimball* Republican3rdMichael H. Flaherty* Republican Saratoga1stHarvey J. Donaldson* Republican2ndGeorge S. Batcheller Republicanseat vacated on April 1, upon appointment as Assistant U.S. Secretary of the Treasury SchenectadyAustin A. Yates*Austin Andrew Yates (born 1836), nephew of Gov. Joseph C. Yates Republican SchoharieJ. Edward Young Democrat SchuylerFremont Cole* Republicanre-elected Speaker SenecaWilliam Harrison Dunham Democrat Steuben1stCharles H. McMaster Republican2ndMilo M. Acker* Republican SuffolkHenry E. Huntting* Republican SullivanMartin A. Smith* Republican TiogaAbram I. Decker Republican TompkinsFrank J. Enz* Republican Ulster1stGeorge A. Davidson Republican2ndJacob Rice Democrat3rdGeorge H. Bush Democrat WarrenScott Barton Republican Washington1stCharles W. Larmon Republican2ndWilliam H. Tefft Republican Wayne1stCharles T. Saxton* Republican2ndRichard P. Groat Republican Westchester1stWilliam Murray Democrat2ndBradford Rhodes* Republican3rdJames W. Husted* Republican WyomingGreenleaf S. Van Gorder* Republican YatesWilliam A. Carson Republican

Employees Clerk: Charles A. Chickering Sergeant-at-Arms: Owel H. Willard Doorkeeper: Homer B. Webb First Assistant Doorkeeper: John R. Harlow Second Assistant Doorkeeper: W. B. Clark Stenographer: George H. Thornton

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. 507 for assemblymen) THE STATE LEGISLATURE in NYT on January 2, 1889 THE EXCISE BILL PASSED in the New York Press on April 4, 1889