Civil Government for Common Schools | Page 9

Greene,
Herkimer, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Ontario, Orleans,
Putnam, Richmond, Rockland, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler,
Seneca, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Warren, Wyoming, Yates,
have each one 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 two districts.
Monroe, Oneida, Onondaga, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Ulster, and
Westchester have each three districts.
Albany has four districts.
Erie has five districts.
Kings has twelve districts.
New York has twenty-four districts, or nearly one-fifth of the entire
Assembly.
In all, there are one hundred and twenty-eight assembly districts, each
electing one member of the assembly.
Q. What must be done in those counties that are entitled to two or more
members?
A. 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 can be divided
in the formation of districts.
Q. By whom is the city and county of New York divided into districts?
A. By the "board of aldermen"; they meet for that purpose at such time
as the Legislature shall designate.
ELIGIBILITY.
Q. Who are eligible to the Legislature?

A. The requirements are these.
I. The candidate must be twenty-one years of age.
II. He must not at the time of election, nor within one-hundred days
previous thereto, have been 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.
Q. What are some of the duties of the members of the assembly?
I. To take the oath of office. Art. XII., Sec. I Const.
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 Door-Keepers; 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.
Q. Who calls the Assembly to order for the purpose of organization?
A. The Clerk of the last Assembly.
Q. Who furnishes the Clerk with an official list of the members elect?
A. The Secretary of State
Q. By whom is the oath of office administered?
A Usually by the Secretary of State. The oath may, however, be taken
previously, before any Justice of the Supreme Court, Attorney-General,
the Lieutenant Governor, 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.
Q. By whom are the other officers appointed?
A. By the Speaker, except those in the department of the Clerk; he

having power to appoint his own deputies.
THE SENATE.
Q. Who is the presiding officer in the Senate?
A. The Lieutenant-Governor, and he is called the President of the
Senate.
DUTIES.
Q. 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.
Q. How many members must be present in each house to do business?
A. A majority, which is called a quorum.
BILLS.
Q. Where may bills originate?
A. Any bill may originate in either house of the Legislature.
Q. What is the difference between the Legislature of this state and
Congress in this respect?
A. In Congress all bills for raising revenues MUST originate in the
House of Representatives.
Q. What may either house do with bills originating in the other house?
A. Amend them; but both houses must agree to the amendment or
amendments, before they can become a law.
Q. What is required in order that a bill may become a