Forty-seventh_United_States_Congress

47th United States Congress

47th United States Congress

1881-1883 U.S. Congress

The 47th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1881, to March 4, 1883, during the six months of James Garfield's presidency, and the first year and a half of Chester Arthur's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1870 United States census. The House had a Republican majority; the Senate was evenly divided for the first time ever, with no vice president to break ties for most of this term.[1]

Quick Facts March 4, 1881 – March 4, 1883, Members ...

Party summary

The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Senate

More information Party (Shading indicates party control), Total ...

House of Representatives

More information Party (Shading indicates party control), Total ...

Leadership

Senate

President of the Senate
Chester A. Arthur (R)

House of Representatives

More information House seats by party holding plurality in state ...

Major events

Main articles: 1881 in the United States, 1882 in the United States, and 1883 in the United States

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation in the 47th Congress

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

Senate

Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election.

House of Representatives

Members' names are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.

Senate

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate
  • Deaths: 2
  • Resignations: 8
  • Interim appointments: 1
  • Total replacements: 8
  • Total seats with changes: 10
More information State (class), Vacated by ...

House of Representatives

See also: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
  • Deaths: 6
  • Resignations: 9
  • Contested elections: 8
  • Total replacements: 14
  • Total seats with changes: 22
More information District, Vacated by ...

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. On the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Caucuses

Employees

Legislative branch agency directors

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

Notes

  1. In Maine: James G. Blaine (R) resigned to become Secretary of State.
  2. In Iowa: Samuel J. Kirkwood (R) resigned to become Secretary of the Interior. In Minnesota: William Windom (R) resigned to become Secretary of the Treasury.
  3. In Iowa: James W. McDill (R) was appointed to finish Samuel J. Kirkwood's term.
  4. In Minnesota: Alonzo J. Edgerton (R) was appointed to finish William Windom's term.
  5. In Wisconsin: Angus Cameron (R) was elected to finish the term of Matthew H. Carpenter (R), who had died the previous month.
  6. In Maine: William P. Frye (R) was elected to finish James G. Blaine's term.
  7. William Mahone caucused with Republicans beginning on March 14, 1881. Vice President Chester A. Arthur (R) held the tie-breaking vote.
  8. In New York: Roscoe Conkling (R) and Thomas C. Platt (R) resigned as a protest against federal patronage appointments made in New York.
  9. In New York: Warner Miller (R) was elected to finish the term of Thomas C. Platt (R).
  10. In New York: Elbridge G. Lapham (R) was elected to finish the term of Roscoe Conkling (R).
  11. In Rhode Island: Ambrose Burnside (R) died.
  12. In Rhode Island: Nelson W. Aldrich (R) was elected to finish Ambrose Burnside's term. With Arthur having assumed the Presidency after James A. Garfield's assassination, there was no tie-breaking vote. Independent David Davis was elected president pro tempore and both parties agreed to perpetuate the organizational status quo. Leadership of the Senate committees remained in Republican hands, while the Democrats continued to control the offices of Secretary and Sergeant at Arms.
  13. Independent David Davis did not caucus with the Republicans, but was elected president pro tempore in a compromise that allowed Republican control of the committees.
  14. In Minnesota: William Windom (R) was elected to succeed interim appointee Alonzo J. Edgerton (R).
  15. In Colorado: Henry M. Teller (R) resigned to become Secretary of the Interior. His successor, George M. Chilcott (R), was seated the same day.
  16. In Georgia: Benjamin Harvey Hill (D) died.
  17. In Georgia: Middleton P. Barrow (D) was elected to finish the term of Benjamin Harvey Hill (D).
  18. In Colorado: Horace Tabor (R) was elected to succeed interim appointee George M. Chilcott (R).
  19. In Maine's 2nd district: William P. Frye (R) resigned when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
  20. In New York's 11th district: Levi P. Morton (R) resigned when he was appointed U.S. Minister to France.
  21. In Michigan's 7th district: John Treadway Rich (R) was elected to replace Omar D. Conger (R). Conger had been reelected in 1880 but did not take his seat because he had been elected to the U.S. Senate.
  22. In South Carolina's 2nd district: Michael P. O'Connor (D) died. He had been seated at the opening of Congress, but his election was still being contested when he died.
  23. In South Carolina's 2nd district: Samuel Dibble (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created by the death of Michael P. O'Connor (D). The seat was the subject of an election contest, which was eventually resolved in favor of the Republican, Edmund W. M. Mackey, meaning that this vacancy never properly existed.
  24. In New York's 22nd district: Warner Miller (R) resigned when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
  25. In New York's 27th district: Elbridge G. Lapham (R) resigned when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
  26. In Maine's 2nd district: Samuel Dibble (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when William P. Frye (R) resigned to enter the U.S. Senate.
  27. In Rhode Island's 1st district: Nelson W. Aldrich (R) resigned when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
  28. In New York's 11th district: Roswell P. Flower (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Levi P. Morton (R) resigned to become U.S. Minister to France. In New York's 22nd district: Charles R. Skinner (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Warner Miller (R) resigned to enter the U.S. Senate. In New York's 27th district: James Wolcott Wadsworth (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Elbridge G. Lapham (R) resigned to enter the U.S. Senate.
  29. In New York's 9th district: John Hardy (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Fernando Wood (D) died before Congress convened. In Rhode Island's 1st district: Charles R. Skinner (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Nelson W. Aldrich (R) resigned to enter the U.S. Senate.
  30. In Missouri's 2nd district: Thomas Allen (D) died.
  31. In Mississippi's 6th district: James Ronald Chalmers (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, John R. Lynch (R).
  32. In South Carolina's 2nd district: Samuel Dibble (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, Edmund W. M. Mackey (IR).
  33. In Florida's 2nd district: Jesse J. Finley (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, Horatio Bisbee Jr. (R).
  34. In Alabama's 8th district: Joseph Wheeler (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, William M. Lowe (G).
  35. In Illinois's 5th district: Robert M. A. Hawk (R) died.
  36. In South Carolina's 5th district: George D. Tillman (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, Robert Smalls (R).
  37. In South Carolina's 5th district: Charles M. Shelley (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now declared vacant and called for a new election.
  38. In Alabama's 8th district: William M. Lowe (G) died.
  39. In Georgia's 8th district: Alexander H. Stephens (D) resigned when he was elected Governor of Georgia.
  40. In Illinois's 5th district: Robert R. Hitt (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Robert M. A. Hawk (R) died. In South Carolina's 5th district: Charles M. Shelley (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when the house voided his previous election.
  41. In Ohio's 16th district: Jonathan T. Updegraff (R) died.
  42. In Georgia's 8th district: Seaborn Reese (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Alexander H. Stephens (D) was elected Governor of Georgia.
  43. In Missouri's 2nd district: James Henry McLean (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Thomas Allen (D) died.
  44. In Indiana's 9th district: Godlove Stein Orth (R) died.
  45. In Ohio's 16th district: Joseph D. Taylor (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Jonathan T. Updegraff (R) died.
  46. In Alabama's 8th district: Joseph Wheeler (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when William M. Lowe (G) died.
  47. In Indiana's 9th district: Charles T. Doxey (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Godlove Stein Orth (R) died.
  48. In North Carolina's 3rd district: John Williams Shackelford (D) died.
  49. In Missouri's 3rd district: Richard Graham Frost (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, Gustavus Sessinghaus] (R).
  50. In Iowa's 6th district: Marsena E. Cutts (R) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, John C. Cook] (D).
  51. When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

  1. [1]
    "The Great Senate Deadlock of 1881". Senate.gov. US Senate. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
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