THE ASSEMBLY. XIX. Clinton, Essex, and Warren. XX. St. Lawrence, Franklin, and Lewis. XXII. Oneida. XXIII. Madison, Otsego, and Herkimer. XXIV. Delaware, Chenango, and Broome. XXVI. Cayuga, Tompkins, Seneca, and Tioga. XXIX. Monroe, and Orleans. 53 XXX. Wyoming, Genesee, Livingston, and Niagara. XXXI. Erie. XXXII. Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua. THE ASSEMBLY. Allegany, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton and Hamilton, Genesee, Greene, Herkimer, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Ontario, Orleans, Putnam, Richmond, Rockland, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Warren, Wyoming, Yates, have each 1 district, except Fulton and Hamilton which are united in one district. Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Dutchess, Jefferson, Niagara, Orange, Oswego, Otsego, Queens, Saratoga, Steuben, Wayne, Washington, have each 2 districts. Monroe, Oneida, Onondaga, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Ulster, and Westchester have each 3 districts. Albany has 4 districts. Erie has 5 districts. Kings has 12 districts. New York has 24 districts, or nearly one-fifth of the entire Assembly. In all there are 128 assembly districts, each electing one member of the Assembly. What must be done in those counties that are entitled to two or more members? The "boards of supervisors" of such counties, except the city and county of New York, must divide their respective counties into Assembly districts; the number of districts being equal to the number of members heretofore apportioned by the Legislature to these several counties; the territory must be contiguous, and no town may be divided in the formation of districts. By whom is the city and county of New York divided into Districts? By the "board of aldermen "; they meet for that purpose at such time as the Legislature shall designate. ELIGIBILITY. Who are Eligible to the Legislature? The requirements are these: years of age. II. He must not be at the time of election, nor have been within 100 days previous thereto, a member of Congress, a civil or military officer under the United States, or any officer under any city government. III. Should any person after his election to the Legislature be elected or appointed to any of the offices just named, his acceptance thereof will vacate his seat in the Legislature. DUTIES. What are some of the duties of the members of the Assembly? ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSEMBLY. I. To take the oath of office. Art. XII, Sec. I, Const., page 201. 55 II. To organize by electing their presiding officer, who is called the Speaker, and who must be one of their number. III. To elect also the other officers, viz: a Clerk, Sergeant-at-Arms, Door-Keeper, and two assistant DoorKeepers; persons not members of their body. IV. To have co-ordinate jurisdiction with the Senate in the enactment of laws. V. To prefer charges against officers for misconduct in office, which is called Impeachment. ORGANIZATION. Who calls the Assembly to order for the purpose of Organization? The Clerk of the last Assembly. Who furnishes the Clerk with an official list of the members elect? The Secretary of State. By whom is the Oath of Office administered? Usually by the Secretary of State. The oath may, however, be taken previously, before any Justice of the Supreme Court, the Attorney-General, the LieutenantGovernor, any Judge of a County Court, the Mayor or Recorder of any city, or the Clerk of any county or Court of Record. The oath whenever taken must be duly subscribed, certified, and filed in the office of the Secretary of State. Members who are absent at the organization, may be sworn by the Speaker, if they have not previously taken the oath. By whom are the other officers Appointed? By the Speaker, except those in the department of the Clerk, he having power to appoint his own deputies. THE SENATE. Who is the Presiding Officer in the Senate? The Lieutenant-Governor; he is called the President of the Senate. DUTIES. What are some of the Duties of the State Senate? I. To elect the remaining officers, whose names and duties are about the same as in the Assembly. II. To have co-ordinate jurisdiction with the Assembly in enacting laws. III. To act as a court for the trial of impeachments, associated with the judges of the Court of Appeals, and the President of the Senate. IV. To confirm or reject appointments made by the Governor. V. To elect a temporary president when the Lieutenant-Governor shall not attend as president, or shall be called to act as Governor. How many members must be present in each house to do business? A majority, which is called a Quorum. Where may bills Originate? BILLS. Any bill may originate in either house of the Legislature. What is the Difference in this respect between the Legislature of this State and Congress? In Congress all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House of Representatives. HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW. 57 What may either house do with bills originating in the other house? Amend them; but both houses must agree to the amendment or amendments, before they become a law. What is required in order that a bill may become a Law? I. The assent of a majority of all the members elected to each branch of the Legislature, together with the approval of the Governor. II. Or if he disapproves of it, it must be returned to the house in which it originated, with his objections; and, after reconsideration, if two-thirds of all the members elected to that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent to the other house, by which it shall likewise be re-considered, and if two-thirds of all its members approve of it, it shall become a law notwithstanding the objections of the Governor. III. If any bill shall not be returned by the Governor within 10 days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, it shall become a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Legislature, by adjourning, shall prevent its returning; in which case it shall not become & law without the signature of the Governor. IV. No bill shall become a law after the final adjournment of the Legislature, unless approved by the Governor within 30 days after such adjournment. IMPEACHMENT. What class of persons can be tried in the Court of Impeachment? Public officers that have had charges preferred against them by the Assembly. |