The 126th New York State Legislature, consisting of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan comp ...

and the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

, met from January 7 to April 23, 1903, during the third year of

Benjamin B. Odell, Jr. Benjamin Barker Odell Jr. (January 14, 1854May 9, 1926) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 34th Governor of New York from 1901 to 1904. Early life Born in Newburgh, New York, in 1854, Odell's father, Benjamin B. Odell ...

governorship A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the

New York Constitution The Constitution of the State of New York establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. Like most state constitutions in the United States, New York's constitut ...

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 this time there were two major political parties: the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

and the Democratic Party. The

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

, the

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movement. It is the oldest existing third party ...

, the

Socialist Labor Party The Socialist Labor Party (SLP)"The name of this organization shall be Socialist Labor Party". Art. I, Sec. 1 of thadopted at the Eleventh National Convention (New York, July 1904; amended at the National Conventions 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924 ...

, and a "Liberal Democratic" faction also nominated tickets.

Elections

The

New York state election, 1902 The 1902 New York state election was held on November 4, 1902, to elect the Governor of New York, governor, the Lieutenant Governor of New York, lieutenant governor, the Secretary of State of New York, Secretary of State, the New York State Compt ...

, was held on November 4. Gov.

was re-elected; and State Senator Frank W. Higgins was elected Lieutenant Governor; both Republicans. Of the other six statewide elective offices up for election, four were carried by the Republicans and two by the Democrats. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republicans 665,000; Democrats 656,000; Social Democrats 23,000; Prohibition 20,000; Socialist Labor 16,000; and Liberal Democrats 2,000.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1903; and adjourned on April 23. S. Frederick Nixon (R) was re-elected

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

John Raines John Raines (May 6, 1840 in Geneva, Ontario County, New York – December 16, 1909 in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He authored the 1896 Raines Law, which prohibited liquor sales on ...

(R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate with 25 votes for and 24 against him. Republican senators Edgar T. Brackett, Walter L. Brown and Nathaniel A. Elsberg voted against Raines. On January 20, the Legislature re-elected

Thomas C. Platt Thomas Collier Platt (July 15, 1833 – March 6, 1910), also known as Tom Platt

(R) to a second term as U.S. Senator from New York, for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1903.''MR. PLATT ELECTED AFTER DENUNCIATION''
in NYT on January 21, 1903

State Senate

Districts

Note: In 1897, New York County (the boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx), Kings County (the borough of Brooklyn), Richmond County (the borough of Staten Island) and the Western part of Queens County (the borough of Queens) were consolidated into the present-day City of New York. The Eastern part of Queens County (the non-consolidated part) was separated in 1899 as Nassau County. Parts of the 1st and 2nd Assembly districts of Westchester County were annexed by New York City in 1895, and became part of the Borough of the Bronx in 1898.

Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Luke A. Keenan, Jotham P. Allds and Albert T. Fancher changed from the Assembly to the Senate. Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

Employees

* Clerk:

James S. Whipple James Spencer Whipple (October 1, 1852 – April 1, 1941) was an American lawyer, politician, and public official in New York State. Life Whipple was born on October 1, 1852 in Steamburg, New York, the son of Henry and Martha Whipple. During the ...

* Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles R. Hotaling * Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: William W. Adams * Doorkeeper: John E. Gorss * Assistant Doorkeeper: Charles H. Bernard * Stenographer: A. B. Sackett * Assistant Clerk: Lafayette B. Gleason * Journal Clerk: Ernest A. Fay * Index Clerk: A. Miner Wellman

State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

Employees

* Clerk: Archie E. Baxter * Sergeant-at-Arms: Frank W. Johnston * Doorkeeper: Benjamin J. Sanger * First Assistant Doorkeeper: Andrew Kehn * Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Daniel Cameron Easton * Stenographer: Henry C. Lammert * Assistant Clerk:

Ray B. Smith Ray Burdick Smith (December 7, 1867 – December 28, 1939) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Life Smith was born on December 7, 1867 in Cuyler, New York. He was the son of farmer Willis Smith and Emily Burdick. When he was a ...

Notes

Sources

''Official New York from Cleveland to Hughes''
by Charles Elliott Fitch (Hurd Publishing Co., New York and Buffalo, 1911, Vol. IV; see pg. 346ff for assemblymen; and 365 for senators)
''The New York Red Book''
by Edgar L. Murlin (1903; see pg. 63–103 for senators' bios; between pg. 64 and 65 for senators' portraits; pg. 104–192 for assemblymen's bios; between pg. 128 and 129 for assemblymen's portraits; pg. 326 for senators; and pg. 451 for assemblymen)
''REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LEGISLATURE''
in NYT on November 5, 1902
''S. FRED NIXON FOR SPEAKER''
in NYT on January 7, 1903
''NEW YORK LEGISLATURE''
in NYT on January 8, 1903 {{NYLegislatures 126 1903 in New York (state) 1903 U.S. legislative sessions