BLOOD OR DESCENT OF THE MEMBERS. 239 



affairs than tlie mere weight of their numbers would 

 justify or imply. As with us, the county members are 

 slow, and difficult to move, though, when they once take 

 a thing fairly up, they are sure by their numbers to 

 carry it. 



I have adverted to the fact of Albany, like New York 

 city, being founded by the Dutch, and of the existence 

 of much Dutch blood still among the population. It is 

 interesting, however, on inquiry, to ascertain how largely 

 the English blood predominates among the influential 

 parties in the State. Of the 128 members of the Assembly 

 of 1850, the descent on the father s and mother s side 

 was as follows : 



By the By the 



Father s side. Mother s side. 



From England, 77 72 



... Wales, 10 5 



... Scotland, . . 10 11 



... Ireland, . . 8 9 



... Holland, 11 9 



France, 7 7 



Germany, . . 4 10 



So that five-sixths of the whole were from the British 

 islands by the father s side, and about two-thirds of the 

 whole from England. In these numbers it is singular 

 to observe how very few of German descent are sent to 

 the Legislature, notwithstanding the large number of 

 this people which is to be found, especially in the 

 western part of the State, and the very long time they 

 have been settled along the Mohawk Valley. It is not 

 less striking that so few of Irish descent should yet 

 have attained, even in this new world, to a position 

 entitling them to aspire to the office of a legislator, 

 or at least have sufficiently obtained the confidence of 

 the electors to secure their appointment. 



Of the same 128 members of Assembly, 96 were 

 born iii the State of New York the remaining 32 



