New York (State). Governor - Social Networks and Archival Context

Articles I and IV of the State Constitution authorize the governor to grant executive clemency to convicted criminials (Executive Law, Sections 15-19). Among the types of clemency offered is restoration of citizensip rights, by which the governor restores civil rights lost as a result of a conviction (e.g. right to vote, right to hold public office).

From the description of Restoration of citizenship rights application ledgers, 1857-1902. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 79057200

Member of the old 74th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard, from 1898 to 1906. He enlisted at the close of the Spanish-American War, rose to captain, and was discharged honorably in 1906. He later established the H.I. Sackett Company and the Sackett Electrical Construction Company in Buffalo. Sackett was killed in an automobile-train accident on January 2, 1939.

From the description of Military commissions and discharge of Herbert Irving Sackett, 1899-1906. (Buffalo History Museum). WorldCat record id: 52263097

Legislation of 1912 (Chapter 541) created a Panama-Pacific Exposition Commission to organize and promote exhibits of "commercial, educational, industrial, artistic, military, naval and other interests" of New York State. The exhibits were to be displayed at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco to "celebrate the completion and commercial use of the Panama canal." The commission was comprised of 15 members: five appointed by the governor, five appointed by the lieutenant governor, and five members of the Assembly appointed by the speaker of the Assembly.

From the description of Minutes of the Panama-Pacific Exposition Commission, 1912-1914. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 80089390

Article 18 of the 1777 State Constitution authorized the governor to grant pardons and reprieves. This power was continued in the constitutions of 1821 and 1846 and expanded to include commutations by Article 5 of the Constitution of 1894.

From the description of Executive clemency and pardon application ledgers and correspondence, 1849-1903. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 78312136

Article 18 of the 1777 State Constitution authorized the Governor to grant pardons and reprieves. This power was continued in the constitutions of 1821 and 1846 and was expanded to include commutations by Article 5 of the Constitution of 1894.

From the description of Executive clemency and pardon case files, [ca. 1860-1926] (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 80892832

Legislation of 1862 (Chapter 417) and 1874 (Chapter 451, as amended in 1879 by Chapter 373) allowed prison inmates to earn commutation of part of their sentence for good conduct or labor performed. Sentences were to be reduced by specified amounts of time for each year served (e.g. two months for the first year). Legislation of 1886 (Chapter 21) expanded upon the reporting requirements of the 1862 legislation, directing prison wardens or superintendents to report to the governor each month the convicts eligible for discharge by commutation the following month and to indicate the reasons for witholding commutation from any convict if so recommended by prison officials. The governor would then use these reports to determine which convicts would be discharged by commutation.

From the description of Registers of discharges of convicts by commutation of sentences, 1883-1916. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 82410279

Article 18 of the 1777 State Constitution authorized the governor to grnt pardons and reprieves. This power was continued in the constitutions of 1821 and 1846 and expanded to include commutations by Article 5 of the Constitution of 1894.

From the description of Executive clemency application status ledgers, 1883-1899. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 82287657

Legislation of 1862 (Chapter 417) allowed convicts in state prisons and penitentiaries to earn commutation of part of their sentence for good conduct or labor performed. A specified number of days were to be deducted from the sentence for each month served. The prison warden or superintendent was to report deductions monthly to the Governor, who at his discretion would direct the deductions to be made.

From the description of Reports of deductions of sentences by prison agents, wardens, and superintendents, 1863-1883. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 80242387

The 1896 Insanity Law (Chapter 545) and State Charities Law (Chapter 546), as amended in 1902 (Chapter 26), 1903 (Chapter 473), 1905 (Chapter 490), 1906 (Chapter 685), and 1907 (Chapter 283), required boards of managers of state institutions under the jurisdiction of either the State Commission in Lunacy or the State Board of Charities to visit, inspect, and make written reports concerning their institutions at least once a month. Managers of institutions under the Commission in Lunacy were to send copies of these reports and copies of minutes of their monthly meetings to the governor as well as to the commission. State Board of Charities institution managers were to send copies of their reports and minutes to the governor and the Fiscal Supervisor of State Charities as well as to the State Board of Charities.

From the description of Monthly reports and minutes of meetings of boards of managers of state institutions, 1902-1914. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 80197217

The Governor is required by the State Constitution to address the Legislature annually concerning conditions in the state. He also frequently addresses other organizations to communicate, publicize, and gain support for his policies in support of his function to ensure that the state's laws are executed and its policies carried out.

From the description of Addresses, 1975-1994. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 78580155

Henry W. Hill was a prominent Buffalo attorney and civic leader who served as a state senator and as president of the Buffalo Historical Society.

From the description of Invitation and appointment of Henry W. Hill, 1915, 1922. (Buffalo History Museum). WorldCat record id: 34436787

Articles I and IV of the State Constitution authorize the governor to grant executive clemency to convicted criminals (Executive Law, Section 15-19). Among the types of clemency offered is restoration of citizenship rights, by which the governor restores civil rights lost as a result of a conviction (e.g. right to vote, right to hold public office).

From the description of Restoration of citizenship rights application case files, 1910-1923. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 83094557

The governor's authority to investigate the conduct of public officers and to remove them from office is outlined in the state constitution and in numerous statutes.

In 1813, the governor was authorized to remove the state treasurer from office for violating the duties of the office (Revised Laws, Chapter VI, Paragraph III). In 1823 (Chapter 70), the governor was authorized to recommend to the senate removal of judicial officers.

The 1821 and 1846 state constitutions provided for the removal of specified public officers by the governor, the legislature, or the senate upon the governor's recommendation. Article 10, Section 7 of the 1846 state constitution stated that "provision shall be made for the removal for misconduct" of government officers (except for legislative or judicial officers). Revised Statutes of 1846 and 1852 (Part I, Chapter 5, Title 6, various sections) provided for the removal by the governor of officers appointed by the governor as well as specified local officers.

Statutes of 1866 (Chapter 629), 1875 (Chapter 397), and 1876 (Chapter 133) detailed the governor's responsibilities to serve various public officers with a copy of the charges against them; to investigate the charges or appoint the attorney general or another person or persons to investigate the charges; to examine witnesses; to give the officers an opportunity to defend themselves; and to remove the officers when deemed appropriate. These and other related provisions were incorporated into the Public Officers Law (Article II, Sections 22-25) in 1892 (Chapter 681). In 1909 (Chapter 51), these provisions and later statutory amendments were reworked as Article III, Sections 32-36 of the Public Officers Law (Consolidated Laws, Chapter 47).

The Executive Law (Laws of 1892, Chapter 683) was amended in 1907 (Chapter 539) by the addition of Section 7 authorizing the governor or persons appointed by him "to examine and investigate the management and affairs of any department, board, bureau, or commission of the state." Known as the Moreland Act, this provision was reworked in 1909 (Chapter 23) as Section 8 of the Executive Law (Consolidated Laws, Chapter 18). It became Section 6 of the Executive Law in 1951 (Chapter 800).

From the description of Investigation case files of charges and complaints against public officials and agencies, 1857-1919 (bulk 1872-1919). (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 83906912

CURRENT FUNCTIONS. The governor, as chief executive officer of the State, is responsible for ensuring that the laws of the State are carried out. The governor exercises executive power and authority over the administrative machinery of the State, including all departments, offices, bureaus, and commissions established by constitutional provision or by statute. The governor's office exercises direct supervision over the offices of the Executive Department, which serves as the administrative department of the governor's office.

The governor acts as commander-in-chief of the State's military and naval forces; directs to the legislature an annual message concerning the condition of the State; recommends action to the legislature and approves or vetoes actions proposed by the legislature; convenes extraordinary sessions of the legislature, or of the senate only, when necessary; appoints, and may remove, heads of most State departments; prepares annually for the legislature a comprehensive State budget; and may grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons to persons convicted of crimes (other than in treason or impeachment cases).

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY. New York State's first constitution in 1777, and subsequent constitutions of 1821, 1846, and 1894, vested supreme executive power and authority in a governor. Colonial precedents for a governor as executive officer were the director general, who administered New Netherland under the Dutch from 1624 to 1664; and the royal governor, who administered the colony under the British until 1776. In April 1777, the Convention of Representatives of the State of New York (renamed the Fourth Provincial Congress) adopted the first State constitution, and two months later George Clinton was elected first governor of New York State.

New York's constitution of 1777 created the office of governor "to take care that the laws are faithfully executed" and "to transact all necessary business with the officers of government." The governor was required to report on the condition of the State at each legislative session, could convene the legislature in special session, prorogue it, and recommend matters for legislative consideration. The governor was designated commander-in-chief of the armed forces and could grant reprieves and pardons to persons convicted of crimes other than treason or murder. The constitution provided for the election of the governor by freeholders for a three-year term, with no limit placed on the number of terms an individual might serve.

Executive power was restricted by means of a systems of checks and balances, including the legislature, a Council of Appointment, and a Council of Revision. The Council of Appointment, consisting of the governor and four senators selected annually by the assembly, selected nonelective public officials except those otherwise provided for in the constitution. The Council of Revision, made up of the governor, the chancellor of the State's equity courts, and the justices of the supreme court, exercised a veto power over bills passed by the legislature, but a two-thirds vote of both houses of the legislature could override a veto.

Both councils were abolished by the second State constitution of 1821. The legislature assumed the power of electing major government officials (the comptroller, attorney general, secretary of state, state engineer, and treasurer), but the governor retained the power to appoint other state officials with the consent of the senate. Veto power was now vested in the governor alone. The governor could no longer prorogue the legislature, and his term of office was reduced from three to two years. The power to grant pardons and reprieves was amended to exclude only treason and impeachment cases. The other powers and duties were retained as they were described in the first constitution.

The third (1846) State constitution continued the governor's powers and duties as defined in the second constitution. Constitutional amendments in 1874 increased the term of office to three years, allowed the governor to veto individual items in appropriation bills, and provided that extraordinary sessions of the legislature could consider only matters recommended by the governor.

The fourth State constitution was approved by the voters in 1894 and remains today as the basic legal document of New York State government. It continued previous constitutional definitions of the governor's office but reduced his term of office to two years.

By the early twentieth century the executive branch of State government had grown to include nearly 200 administrative departments, boards, and commissions. Constitutional amendments in 1925 and 1927 significantly consolidated these administrative offices and expanded the power of the executive office. A 1925 amendment reduced the number of elective officials to four--governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller, and attorney general (the latter two first made elective posts by the 1846 constitution)--and provided for the consolidation of all administrative agencies into not more than twenty State departments.

Two laws (1926, Chapter 546, and 1928, Chapter 676) defined the organization and duties of the Executive Department. It serves as the administrative department of the governor, and through it the governor supervises the activities of all other constitutional departments. The governor was authorized to establish, consolidate, or abolish additional executive department divisions and bureaus, and many such offices have been created or eliminated by executive order or statute since 1928.

In 1927 a constitutional amendment specified that the heads of all departments other than Audit and Control, Law, Education, and Agricultureand Markets be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate, and that they may be removed by the governor as prescribed by law. Another amendment in 1927 required all departments to submit annually to the governor itemized estimates of necessary appropriations and required the governor then to submit to the legislature an executive budget containing a complete plan of proposed expenditures and estimated revenues. In 1937 a constitutional amendment increased the governor's term of office to four years.

The governor and immediate executive office staff, consisting of the secretary to the governor, counsel to the governor, press secretary, appointments officer, and other administrative advisors and assistants, have been generally referred to (both before and after reorganization) as the executive chamber.

From the description of Governor Agency History Record. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 80667936

The Port of New York Authority was established in 1921 (Chapter 154) by means of a compact between the states of New York and New Jersey to provide and maintain transportation, terminal, and other facilities within the Port of New York district. A 1927 law (Chapter 700) stipulated that no action taken at any Port Authority meeting by any commissioner appointed from New York State could take effect until the governor had the opportunity to approve or veto such action. The authority was required to send copies of minutes of meetings to the governor for review of all such actions. The authority was renamed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey by legislation of 1972 (Chapter 154).

A law of 1962 (Chapter 210) amending the Public Authorities Law established the New York State Atomic and Space Development Authority to encourage the maximum development and use of atomic energy for peaceful and productive purposes within the state. New section 1853 of the Public Authorities Law gave the governor approval or veto power over all actions taken at meetings of the authority, which was required to send the governor minutes of meetings for review. In 1975 (Chapter 864) the authority was restructured and renamed the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, with its primary purpose being the development of new energy technologies and the promotion of energy conservation.

The Power Authority of the State of New York was created in 1931 (Chapter 772) to develop hydroelectric power along the St. Lawrence River. In 1951 the Power Authority was authorized to develop additional power resources of the Niagara River and to preserve and enhance the scenic beauty of Niagara Falls. The Federal Power Commission licensed the Power Authority to construct, maintain, and operate the St. Lawrence River Power Project in 1953 and the Niagara Power Project in 1958.

From the description of Transcripts of minutes and public hearings of public authorities, 1951-1974. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 83731560

New York State's first constitution in 1777, and subsequent constitutions of 1821, 1846, and 1894, vested supreme executive power and authority in a governor. Colonial precedents for a governor as executive officer were the director general, who administered New Netherland under the Dutch from 1624 to 1664; and the royal governor, who administered the colony under the British until 1776. In April 1777, the Convention of Representatives of the State of New York (renamed the Fourth Provincial Congress) adopted the first State constitution, and two months later George Clinton was elected first governor of New York State.

From the New York State Archives, Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY. Agency record NYSV87-A1515

New York (State). Governor - Social Networks and Archival Context (original) (raw)