42nd United States Congress

1871-1873 U.S. Congress
42nd United States Congress
41st ←
→ 43rd
United States Capitol (1877)

March 4, 1871 – March 4, 1873
Members74 senators
243 representatives
10 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityRepublican
Senate PresidentSchuyler Colfax (R)
House majorityRepublican
House SpeakerJames G. Blaine (R)
Sessions
1st: March 4, 1871 – April 20, 1871
2nd: December 4, 1871 – June 10, 1872
3rd: December 2, 1872 – March 4, 1873

The 42nd 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, 1871, to March 4, 1873, during the third and fourth years of Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1860 United States census. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

Major events

Major legislation

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

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Liberal
Republican
(LR)
Republican
(R)
End of previous congress 12 0 62 74 0
Begin 14 1 55 70 4
End 17 54 722
Final voting share 23.6% 1.4% 75.0%
Beginning of next congress 19 3 50 72 2

House of Representatives

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Independent
Republican
(IR)
Liberal
Republican
(LR)
Republican
(R)
Other
End of previous congress 67 0 0 169 5[a] 241 2
Begin 102 1 3 135 0 241 2
End 106 4 130
Final voting share 44.0% 0.4% 1.7% 53.9% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 91 0 4 189 6[b] 290 2

Leadership

President of the Senate Schuyler Colfax

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, 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. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1874; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1876; and Class 3 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1872.

Alabama

2. George Goldthwaite (D)
3. George E. Spencer (R)

Arkansas

2. Powell Clayton (R)
3. Benjamin F. Rice (R)

California

1. Eugene Casserly (D)
3. Cornelius Cole (R)

Connecticut

1. William A. Buckingham (R)
3. Orris S. Ferry (R)

Delaware

1. Thomas F. Bayard Sr. (D)
2. Eli Saulsbury (D)

Florida

1. Abijah Gilbert (R)
3. Thomas W. Osborn (R)

Georgia

2. Thomas M. Norwood (D), from November 14, 1871
3. Joshua Hill (R)

Illinois

2. John A. Logan (R)
3. Lyman Trumbull (LR)

Indiana

1. Daniel D. Pratt (R)
3. Oliver H. P. T. Morton (R)

Iowa

2. George G. Wright (R)
3. James Harlan (R)

Kansas

2. Alexander Caldwell (R)
3. Samuel C. Pomeroy (R)

Kentucky

2. John W. Stevenson (D)
3. Garrett Davis (D), until September 22, 1872
Willis B. Machen (D), from September 27, 1872

Louisiana

2. J. Rodman West (R)
3. William P. Kellogg (R), until November 1, 1872

Maine

1. Hannibal Hamlin (R)
2. Lot M. Morrill (R)

Maryland

1. William T. Hamilton (D)
3. George Vickers (D)

Massachusetts

1. Charles Sumner (R)
2. Henry Wilson (R), until March 3, 1873

Michigan

1. Zachariah Chandler (R)
2. Thomas W. Ferry (R)

Minnesota

1. Alexander Ramsey (R)
2. William Windom (R)

Mississippi

1. Adelbert Ames (R)
2. James L. Alcorn (R), from December 1, 1871

Missouri

1. Carl Schurz (R)
3. Francis P. Blair Jr. (D)

Nebraska

1. Thomas Tipton (R)
2. Phineas Hitchcock (R)

Nevada

1. William M. Stewart (R)
3. James W. Nye (R)

New Hampshire

2. Aaron H. Cragin (R)
3. James W. Patterson (R)

New Jersey

1. John P. Stockton (D)
2. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (R)

New York

1. Reuben E. Fenton (R)
3. Roscoe Conkling (R)

North Carolina

2. Matt W. Ransom (D), from January 30, 1872
3. John Pool (R)

Ohio

1. Allen G. Thurman (D)
3. John Sherman (R)

Oregon

2. James K. Kelly (D)
3. Henry W. Corbett (R)

Pennsylvania

1. John Scott (R)
3. Simon Cameron (R)

Rhode Island

1. William Sprague IV (R)
2. Henry B. Anthony (R)

South Carolina

2. Thomas J. Robertson (R)
3. Frederick A. Sawyer (R)

Tennessee

1. William G. Brownlow (R)
2. Henry Cooper (D)

Texas

1. James W. Flanagan (R)
2. Morgan C. Hamilton (R)

Vermont

1. George F. Edmunds (R)
3. Justin S. Morrill (R)

Virginia

1. John F. Lewis (R)
2. John W. Johnston (D), from March 15, 1871

West Virginia

1. Arthur I. Boreman (R)
2. Henry G. Davis (D)

Wisconsin

1. Matthew H. Carpenter (R)
3. Timothy O. Howe (R)
Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 42nd Congress in March 1871. The green stripes in Illinois represent Liberal Republican Lyman Trumbull.
  2 Democrats
  1 Democrat and 1 Republican
  2 Republicans
  Territories
Senate President pro tempore Henry B. Anthony

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Alabama

1. Benjamin S. Turner (R)
2. Charles W. Buckley (R)
3. William A. Handley (D)
4. Charles Hays (R)
5. Peter M. Dox (D)
6. Joseph H. Sloss (D)

Arkansas

1. James M. Hanks (D)
2. Oliver P. Snyder (R)
3. John Edwards (LR), until February 9, 1872
Thomas Boles (R), from February 9, 1872

California

1. Sherman O. Houghton (R)
2. Aaron A. Sargent (R)
3. John M. Coghlan (R)

Connecticut

1. Julius L. Strong (R), until September 7, 1872
Joseph R. Hawley (R), from December 2, 1872
2. Stephen W. Kellogg (R)
3. Henry H. Starkweather (R)
4. William H. Barnum (D)

Delaware

At-large. Benjamin T. Biggs (D)

Florida

At-large. Josiah T. Walls (R), until January 29, 1873
Silas L. Niblack (D), from January 29, 1873

Georgia

1. Archibald T. MacIntyre (D)
2. Richard H. Whiteley (R)
3. John S. Bigby (R)
4. Thomas J. Speer (R), until August 18, 1872
Erasmus W. Beck (D), from December 2, 1872
5. Dudley M. Du Bose (D)
6. William P. Price (D)
7. Pierce M. B. Young (D)

Illinois

1. Charles B. Farwell (R)
2. John F. Farnsworth (R)
3. Horatio C. Burchard (R)
4. John B. Hawley (R)
5. Bradford N. Stevens (D)
6. Burton C. Cook (R), until August 26, 1871
Henry Snapp (R), from December 4, 1871
7. Jesse H. Moore (R)
8. James C. Robinson (D)
9. Thompson W. McNeely (D)
10. Edward Y. Rice (D)
11. Samuel S. Marshall (D)
12. John B. Hay (R)
13. John M. Crebs (D)
At-large. John L. Beveridge (R), November 7, 1871 – January 4, 1873

Indiana

1. William E. Niblack (D)
2. Michael C. Kerr (D)
3. William S. Holman (D)
4. Jeremiah M. Wilson (R)
5. John Coburn (R)
6. Daniel W. Voorhees (D)
7. Mahlon D. Manson (D)
8. James N. Tyner (R)
9. John P. C. Shanks (R)
10. William Williams (R)
11. Jasper Packard (R)

Iowa

1. George W. McCrary (R)
2. Aylett R. Cotton (R)
3. William G. Donnan (R)
4. Madison M. Walden (R)
5. Francis W. Palmer (R)
6. Jackson Orr (R)

Kansas

At-large. David P. Lowe (R)

Kentucky

1. Edward Crossland (D)
2. Henry D. McHenry (D)
3. Joseph H. Lewis (D)
4. William B. Read (D)
5. Boyd Winchester (D)
6. William E. Arthur (D)
7. James B. Beck (D)
8. George M. Adams (D)
9. John M. Rice (D)

Louisiana

1. J. Hale Sypher (R)
2. Lionel A. Sheldon (R)
3. Chester B. Darrall (R)
4. James McCleery (R), until November 5, 1871
Alexander Boarman (LR), from December 3, 1872
5. Frank Morey (R)

Maine

1. John Lynch (R)
2. William P. Frye (R)
3. James G. Blaine (R)
4. John A. Peters (R)
5. Eugene Hale (R)

Maryland

1. Samuel Hambleton (D)
2. Stevenson Archer (D)
3. Thomas Swann (D)
4. John Ritchie (D)
5. William M. Merrick (D)

Massachusetts

1. James Buffington (R)
2. Oakes Ames (R)
3. Ginery Twichell (R)
4. Samuel Hooper (R)
5. Benjamin F. Butler (R)
6. Nathaniel P. Banks (R) then (LR)
7. George M. Brooks (R), until May 13, 1872
Constantine C. Esty (R), from December 2, 1872
8. George F. Hoar (R)
9. William B. Washburn (R), until December 5, 1871
Alvah Crocker (R), from January 2, 1872
10. Henry L. Dawes (R)

Michigan

1. Henry Waldron (R)
2. William L. Stoughton (R)
3. Austin Blair (R)
4. Wilder D. Foster (R), from December 4, 1871
5. Omar D. Conger (R)
6. Jabez G. Sutherland (D)

Minnesota

1. Mark H. Dunnell (R)
2. John T. Averill (R)

Mississippi

1. George E. Harris (R)
2. Joseph L. Morphis (R)
3. Henry W. Barry (R)
4. George C. McKee (R)
5. Legrand W. Perce (R)

Missouri

1. Erastus Wells (D)
2. Gustavus A. Finkelnburg (LR)
3. James R. McCormick (D)
4. Harrison E. Havens (R)
5. Samuel S. Burdett (R)
6. Abram Comingo (D)
7. Isaac C. Parker (R)
8. James G. Blair (LR)
9. Andrew King (D)

Nebraska

At-large. John Taffe (R)

Nevada

At-large. Charles W. Kendall (D)

New Hampshire

1. Ellery A. Hibbard (D)
2. Samuel N. Bell (D)
3. Hosea W. Parker (D)

New Jersey

1. John W. Hazelton (R)
2. Samuel C. Forker (D)
3. John T. Bird (D)
4. John Hill (R)
5. George A. Halsey (R)

New York

1. Dwight Townsend (D)
2. Thomas Kinsella (D)
3. Henry W. Slocum (D)
4. Robert Roosevelt (D)
5. William R. Roberts (D)
6. Samuel S. Cox (D)
7. Smith Ely Jr. (D)
8. James Brooks (D)
9. Fernando Wood (D)
10. Clarkson N. Potter (D)
11. Charles St. John (R)
12. John H. Ketcham (R)
13. Joseph H. Tuthill (D)
14. Eli Perry (D)
15. Joseph M. Warren (D)
16. John Rogers (D)
17. William A. Wheeler (R)
18. John M. Carroll (D)
19. Elizur H. Prindle (R)
20. Clinton L. Merriam (R)
21. Ellis H. Roberts (R)
22. William E. Lansing (R)
23. R. Holland Duell (R)
24. John E. Seeley (R)
25. William H. Lamport (R)
26. Milo Goodrich (R)
27. H. Boardman Smith (R)
28. Freeman Clarke (R)
29. Seth Wakeman (R)
30. William Williams (D)
31. Walter L. Sessions (R)

North Carolina

1. Clinton L. Cobb (R)
2. Charles R. Thomas (R)
3. Alfred M. Waddell (D)
4. Sion H. Rogers (D)
5. James M. Leach (D)
6. Francis E. Shober (D)
7. James C. Harper (D)

Ohio

1. Aaron F. Perry (R), until July 14, 1872
Ozro J. Dodds (D), from October 9, 1872
2. Job E. Stevenson (R)
3. Lewis D. Campbell (D)
4. John F. McKinney (D)
5. Charles N. Lamison (D)
6. John A. Smith (R)
7. Samuel Shellabarger (R)
8. John Beatty (R)
9. Charles Foster (R)
10. Erasmus D. Peck (R)
11. John T. Wilson (R)
12. Philadelph Van Trump (D)
13. George W. Morgan (D)
14. James Monroe (R)
15. William P. Sprague (R)
16. John Bingham (R)
17. Jacob A. Ambler (R)
18. William H. Upson (R)
19. James A. Garfield (R)

Oregon

At-large. James H. Slater (D)

Pennsylvania

1. Samuel J. Randall (D)
2. John V. Creely (IR)
3. Leonard Myers (R)
4. William D. Kelley (R)
5. Alfred C. Harmer (R)
6. Ephraim L. Acker (D)
7. Washington Townsend (R)
8. J. Lawrence Getz (D)
9. Oliver J. Dickey (R)
10. John W. Killinger (R)
11. John B. Storm (D)
12. Lazarus D. Shoemaker (R)
13. Ulysses Mercur (R), until December 2, 1872
Frank C. Bunnell (R), from December 24, 1872
14. John B. Packer (R)
15. Richard J. Haldeman (D)
16. Benjamin F. Meyers (D)
17. R. Milton Speer (D)
18. Henry Sherwood (D)
19. Glenni W. Scofield (R)
20. Samuel Griffith (D)
21. Henry D. Foster (D)
22. James S. Negley (R)
23. Ebenezer McJunkin (R)
24. William McClelland (D)

Rhode Island

1. Benjamin T. Eames (R)
2. James M. Pendleton (R)

South Carolina

1. Joseph Rainey (R)
2. Robert C. De Large (R), until January 24, 1873; vacant thereafter
3. Robert B. Elliott (R)
4. Alexander S. Wallace (R)

Tennessee

1. Roderick R. Butler (R)
2. Horace Maynard (R)
3. Abraham E. Garrett (D)
4. John M. Bright (D)
5. Edward I. Golladay (D)
6. Washington C. Whitthorne (D)
7. Robert P. Caldwell (D)
8. William W. Vaughan (D)

Texas

1. William S. Herndon (D)
2. John C. Conner (D)
3. William T. Clark (R), until May 13, 1872
Dewitt C. Giddings (D), from May 13, 1872
4. John Hancock (D)

Vermont

1. Charles W. Willard (R)
2. Luke P. Poland (R)
3. Worthington C. Smith (R)

Virginia

1. John Critcher (D)
2. James H. Platt Jr. (R)
3. Charles H. Porter (R)
4. William H. H. Stowell (R)
5. Richard T. W. Duke (D)
6. John T. Harris (D)
7. Elliott M. Braxton (D)
8. William Terry (D)

West Virginia

1. John J. Davis (D)
2. James C. McGrew (R)
3. Frank Hereford (D)

Wisconsin

1. Alexander Mitchell (D)
2. Gerry W. Hazelton (R)
3. J. Allen Barber (R)
4. Charles A. Eldredge (D)
5. Philetus Sawyer (R)
6. Jeremiah M. Rusk (R)

Non-voting members

Arizona Territory. Richard C. McCormick (D)
Colorado Territory. Jerome B. Chaffee (R)
Dakota Territory. Moses K. Armstrong (D)
District of Columbia. Norton P. Chipman (R), from April 21, 1871
Idaho Territory. Samuel A. Merritt (D)
Montana Territory. William H. Clagett (R)
New Mexico Territory. José Manuel Gallegos (D)
Utah Territory. William H. Hooper (D)
Washington Territory. Selucius Garfielde (R)
Wyoming Territory. William T. Jones (R)
House seats by party holding plurality in state
  80+% to 100% Democratic
  80+% to 100% Republican
  60+% to 80% Democratic
  60+% to 80% Republican
  Up to 60% Democratic
  Up to 60% Republican
Speaker of the House James G. Blaine

Changes in membership

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

Senate

  • Replacements: 0
    • Democratic: no net change
    • Republican: no net change
  • Deaths: 0
  • Resignations: 2
  • Contested elections: 0
  • Total seats with changes: 4
Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[c]
Virginia (2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.
Previous incumbent re-elected March 15, 1871.
John W. Johnston (D) March 15, 1871
Georgia (2) Vacant Foster Blodgett presented credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected.
Successor elected November 14, 1871.
Thomas M. Norwood (D) November 14, 1871
Mississippi (2) Vacant Delayed taking seat in order to serve as Governor of Mississippi James L. Alcorn (R) December 1, 1871
North Carolina (2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.
Successor elected January 30, 1872.
Matt W. Ransom (D) January 30, 1872
Kentucky (3) Garrett Davis (D) Died September 22, 1872.
Successor appointed September 27, 1872.
Appointee was later elected January 21, 1873, to finish the term.[1]
Willis B. Machen (D) September 27, 1872
Louisiana (3) William P. Kellogg (R) Resigned November 1, 1872, after being elected Governor of Louisiana Vacant Not filled this Congress
Massachusetts (2) Henry Wilson (R) Resigned March 3, 1873, after being elected U.S. Vice President Vacant Not filled this Congress

House of Representatives

  • Replacements: 11
    • Democratic: 4 seat net gain
    • Republican: 5 seat net loss
    • Liberal Republican: 1 seat net gain
  • Deaths: 3
  • Resignations: 6
  • Contested election: 4
  • Total seats with changes: 16
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[c]
District of Columbia At-large New seat District of Columbia's At-large district created March 4, 1871, and remained vacant until April 21, 1871 Norton P. Chipman (R) April 21, 1871
Illinois At-large Vacant Rep. John A. Logan resigned at the end of the previous congress after being elected to the US Senate John L. Beveridge (R) November 7, 1871
Michigan 4th Vacant Rep. Thomas W. Ferry resigned at the end of the previous congress after being elected to the US Senate Wilder D. Foster (R) December 4, 1871
Illinois 6th Burton C. Cook (R) Resigned August 26, 1871 Henry Snapp (R) December 4, 1871
Louisiana 4th James McCleery (R) Died November 5, 1871 Alexander Boarman (LR) December 3, 1872
Massachusetts 9th William B. Washburn (R) Resigned December 5, 1871, after being elected Governor of Massachusetts Alvah Crocker (R) January 2, 1872
Arkansas 3rd John Edwards (LR) Lost contested election February 9, 1872 Thomas Boles (R) February 9, 1872
Massachusetts 7th George M. Brooks (R) Resigned May 13, 1872, after becoming judge of probate for Middlesex County Constantine C. Esty (R) December 2, 1872
Texas 3rd William T. Clark (R) Lost contested election May 13, 1872 Dewitt C. Giddings (D) December 13, 1872
Ohio 1st Aaron F. Perry (R) Resigned July 14, 1872 Ozro J. Dodds (D) October 9, 1872
Georgia 4th Thomas J. Speer (R) Died August 18, 1872 Erasmus W. Beck (D) December 2, 1872
Connecticut 1st Julius L. Strong (R) Died September 7, 1872 Joseph R. Hawley (R) December 2, 1872
Pennsylvania 13th Ulysses Mercur (R) Resigned December 2, 1872, after becoming an assoc. justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Frank C. Bunnell (R) December 24, 1872
Illinois At-large John L. Beveridge (R) Resigned January 4, 1873, after being elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Vacant Not filled this term
South Carolina 2nd Robert C. De Large (R) Seat declared vacant January 24, 1873, after election was contested by Christopher C. Bowen Vacant Not filled this term
Florida At-large Josiah T. Walls (R) Lost contested election January 29, 1873 Silas L. Niblack (D) January 29, 1873

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. ^ Conservative
  2. ^ Independent Democratic
  3. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

  1. ^ Byrd & Wolff, p. 112.
  • Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
  • 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.

External links

  • Statutes at Large, 1789-1875
  • Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
  • House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
  • Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
  • U.S. House of Representatives: House History
  • U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
  • Congressional Directory for the 42nd Congress, 1st Session.
  • Congressional Directory for the 42nd Congress, 2nd Session.
  • Congressional Directory for the 42nd Congress, 2nd Session (Revision).
  • Congressional Directory for the 42nd Congress, 3rd Session.
  • Congressional Directory for the 42nd Congress, 3rd Session (Revision).
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United States congresses (and year convened)