The 117th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to April 27, 1894, during the third year of Roswell P. Flower'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. On April 26, 1892, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate Districts and the number of assemblymen per county.WALKER'S FIRMNESS WINS in NYT on April 27, 1892 The senatorial districts were made up of entire counties, except New York County (nine districts), Kings County (five districts) and Erie County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards,Except New York City where the 19th and the 22nd Ward were divided into several districts. forming a contiguous area, all within the same county.

On January 27, 1893, the Legislature passed "An Act to amend chapter 398, of the Laws of 1892, entitled 'An Act to provide for a convention to revise and amend the Constitution'", calling a Constitutional Convention to meet in 1894.Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the State of New York 1894 (Albany, 1895; pg. 1)

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Prohibition Party, the Socialist Labor Party and a "People's Party" also nominated tickets.

Elections The 1893 New York state election was held on November 7. All six statewide elective offices up for election were carried by the Republicans. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Secretary of State, was: Republican 545,000; Democratic 521,000; Prohibition 34,000; Socialist Labor 20,000; and People's Party 17,000.

Also elected were 175 delegates to the Constitutional Convention; five delegates in each senatorial district, and 15 delegates-at-large elected statewide.

This was the only election of State Senators under the apportionment of 1892.

Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 2, 1894; and adjourned on April 27.

George R. Malby (R) was elected Speaker.

Charles T. Saxton (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate.

The Constitutional Convention met at the State Capitol in Albany on May 8; and adjourned on September 29. Joseph H. Choate (R) was elected president; and Thomas G. Alvord (R) First Vice President.

The new Constitution increased the number of state senators from 32 to 50, and the number of assemblymen from 128 to 150; and re-apportioned the Senate districts, and the number of assemblymen per county. Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Suffolk counties gained one seat each; Erie County gained two; Kings County three; and New York County five. The new Constitution also shortened the governor's and lieutenant governor's term to two years; and moved the election of state officers and state senators from odd-numbered to even-numbered years.

The new Constitution was submitted to the voters at the New York state election, 1894, and was adopted.

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. Timothy D. Sullivan, Frank A. O'Donnel, Joseph C. Wolff, Thomas C. O'Sullivan and Jacob Rice changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

District Senator Party Notes1stJohn Lewis Childs Republican2ndMichael J. Coffey Democratunsuccessfully contested by William H. Quinn (R)3rdWilliam H. Reynolds Republican4thGeorge A. Owens Republican5thDaniel Bradley Ind. Dem. 6thJohn McCarty* Democratre-elected; contested; seat vacatedHenry WolfertHenry Wolfert (1826–1898), see DEATH LIST OF A DAY; Henry Wolfert in NYT on December 18, 1898 Republicanseated in February7thMartin T. McMahon* Democratre-elected8thJohn F. Ahearn* Democratre-elected9thTimothy D. Sullivan* Democrat10thFrank A. O'Donnel* Democrat11thJoseph C. Wolff* Democrat12thThomas C. O'Sullivan* Democrat13thCharles L. Guy Democrat14thJacob A. Cantor* Democratre-elected; Minority Leader15thGeorge W. Robertson Republican16thClarence Lexow Republican17thJacob Rice* Democrat18thMichael F. Collins Democratunsuccessfully contested by Sheppard Tappan (R)19thAmasa J. Parker Jr.* Democratre-elected20thHarvey J. Donaldson* Republicanre-elected21stFrederick D. Kilburn Republican22ndJoseph Mullin* Republicanre-elected23rdHenry J. Coggeshall* Republicanre-elected24thCharles W. Stapleton Republican25thEdmund O'Connor* Republicanre-elected26thCharles T. Saxton* Republicanre-elected; elected president pro tempore; on November 6, 1894, elected Lieutenant Governor of New York27thBaxter T. Smelzer Republican28thCornelius R. Parsons* Republicanre-elected29thCuthbert W. Pound Republican30thCharles Lamy Republican31stHenry H. Persons Republican32ndFrank W. Higgins Republican

Employees Clerk: John S. Kenyon Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles V. Schram Doorkeeper: Edward Dowling Stenographer: Lucius A. Waldo

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

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