140th New York State Legislature


The 140th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to October 2, 1917, during the third year of Charles S. Whitman's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1906 and 1907, 51 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, Kings County, Erie County and Monroe County. 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 and the Democratic Party. The Socialist Party, the Prohibition Party, the Progressive Party, the Independence League, the Socialist Labor Party and the American Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The New York state election, 1916, was held on November 7. Charles S. Whitman and Edward Schoeneck were re-elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor; both Republicans. The other eight statewide elective offices were also carried by Republicans. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republicans 836,000; Democrats 687,000; Socialists 63,000; Prohibition 22,000; Progressives 7,000; Independence League 5,000; Socialist Labor 4,000; and American 2,000.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1917; and adjourned on May 10.
Thaddeus C. Sweet was re-elected Speaker.
Elon R. Brown was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.
The Legislature redistricted the Senate seats, and re-apportioned the number of assemblymen per county. Bronx County—which had been part of New York County at the time of the previous apportionment and occupied roughly the area of four Assembly districts—was properly separated, and was apportioned eight seats. New York County lost eight seats; and Erie, Jefferson and Ulster counties lost one seat each. Queens County gained two seats; and Broome, Nassau, Richmond, Schenectady and Westchester counties gained one seat each.
The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on July 31, 1917. This session was called to enact food control legislation, which would regulate the seizure and shipping of food to the Allies in Europe, helping them with their war effort against Germany during World War I.
On August 24, the Food Control Bill was passed by the Legislature. The bill established a three-member Food Control Commission. The Legislature took a recess until September 6.
On September 7, the State Senate rejected the nomination of George Walbridge Perkins as Chairman of the Food Control Commission, and took a recess until September 25.
On October 2, the State Senate rejected again the nomination of Perkins; and then confirmed the appointment of John Mitchell, Jacob Gould Schurman and Charles A. Wieting to the Food Control Commission. The Legislature then adjourned sine die.

State Senate

Districts

Members

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Salvatore A. Cotillo, John Knight, Ross Graves and Leonard W. H. Gibbs changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."
DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1stGeorge L. Thompson*Republicanre-elected
2ndPeter M. DalyDemocratresigned on October 11
3rdThomas H. Cullen*Democratre-elected
4thCharles C. Lockwood*Republicanre-elected
5thWilliam J. Heffernan*Democratre-elected
6thCharles F. MurphyRepublican
7thDaniel J. Carroll*Democratre-elected
8thAlvah W. Burlingame, Jr.*Republicanre-elected
9thRobert R. Lawson*Republicanre-elected
10thAlfred J. Gilchrist*Republicanre-elected
11thBernard DowningDemocrat
12thJacob KoenigDemocrat
13thJimmy Walker*Democratre-elected
14thJames A. Foley*Democratre-elected
15thJohn J. Boylan*Democratre-elected
16thRobert F. Wagner*Democratre-elected; Minority Leader
17thOgden L. Mills*Republicanre-elected; resigned on July 31, 1917
Chairman of Affairs of the City of New York
18thAlbert OttingerRepublican
19thEdward J. DowlingDemocrat
20thSalvatore A. Cotillo*Democrat
21stJohn J. Dunnigan*Democratre-elected
22ndJohn V. SheridanDemocrat
23rdGeorge Cromwell*Republicanre-elected
24thGeorge A. Slater*Republicanre-elected
25thJohn D. Stivers*Republicanre-elected
26thJames E. Towner*Republicanre-elected
27thCharles W. Walton*Republicanre-elected
28thHenry M. Sage*Republicanre-elected
29thGeorge B. Wellington*Republicanre-elected
30thGeorge H. Whitney*Republicanre-elected
31stJames W. YelvertonRepublican
32ndTheodore Douglas RobinsonRepublican
33rdJames A. Emerson*Republicanre-elected
34thN. Monroe Marshall*Republicanre-elected
35thElon R. Brown*Republicanre-elected; re-elected Temporary President
36thCharles W. Wicks*Republicanre-elected
37thAdon P. BrownRepublican
38thJ. Henry Walters*Republicanre-elected
39thWilliam H. Hill*Republicanre-elected
40thCharles J. Hewitt*Republicanre-elected
41stMorris S. Halliday*Republicanre-elected
42ndWilliam A. CarsonRepublican
43rdCharles D. Newton*Republicanre-elected
44thJohn Knight*Republican
45thGeorge F. Argetsinger*Republicanre-elected
46thJohn B. Mullan*Republicanre-elected
47thGeorge F. Thompson*Republicanre-elected
48thRoss Graves*Republican
49thSamuel J. Ramsperger*Democratre-elected
50thLeonard W. H. Gibbs*Republican
51st*Republicanre-elected; did not attend the session
and died on January 25, 1917

Employees

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

Assemblymen

Employees