46th United States Congress

1879-1881 U.S. Congress
46th United States Congress
45th ←
→ 47th
United States Capitol (1877)

March 4, 1879 – March 4, 1881
Members76 senators
293 representatives
8 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityDemocratic
Senate PresidentWilliam A. Wheeler (R)
House majorityDemocratic
House SpeakerSamuel J. Randall (D)
Sessions
1st: March 18, 1879 – July 1, 1879
2nd: December 1, 1879 – June 16, 1880
3rd: December 6, 1880 – March 3, 1881

The 46th 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, 1879, to March 4, 1881, during the last two years of Rutherford Hayes's presidency.

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1870 United States census. The Senate had a Democratic majority, while the House of Representatives had a Democratic plurality. The Democrats were still able to control the House, however, with the help of the Independent politicians who caucused with them.

Party summary

Senate

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Anti-
Monopoly
(AM)
Democratic
(D)
Republican
(R)
Independent
(I)
Other
End of previous congress 1 36 38 1 0 76 0
Begin 1 42 31 1 0 75 1
End
Final voting share 1.3% 56.0% 41.3% 1.3% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 0 37 36 1 1[a] 75 1

House of Representatives

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Independent
Democratic
(ID)
Independent
(I)
Greenback
(GB)
Republican
(R)
End of previous congress 154 1 0 0 136 291 2
Begin 141 6 0 13 131 291 2
End 143 129
Final voting share 49.1% 2.1% 0.0% 4.5% 44.3%
Beginning of next congress 128 1 1 10 151 291 0

Leadership

President of the Senate
William A. Wheeler
Senate President pro tempore Allen G. Thurman
House Speaker Samuel J. Randall

Senate

House of Representatives

Major events

  • Depression of 1873–79
  • March 18, 1879: Samuel J. Randall was elected in one of the most tightly fought contests for the speakership after the Civil War. Randall, who favored the protective tariff and "hard money," drew his greatest strength from northern cities and greatest opposition from the west and south. The midterm elections of 1878 had gone badly for the Democrats, with the Greenback Party making inroads in key districts. This emboldened Randall's opponents, who rallied to the support of Joseph Blackburn from Kentucky. In the end, Randall prevailed in the Democratic caucus to receive the nomination, with 75 votes to Blackburn's 57 and a scattering of 9 votes to three other candidates. Blackburn, in moving to make Randall's nomination unanimous, steered his supporters away from the nomination of Hendrick B. Wright, a Democrat from Pennsylvania who was nominated by the Greenbacks. In the eventual vote in the House to elect the Speaker, Randall prevailed with 144 votes, to 125 for James Garfield (Republican from Ohio), 13 for Wright, and one for William "Pig Iron" Kelley (Pennsylvania).
  • November 2, 1880: U.S. presidential election, 1880: James Garfield (R) defeated Winfield S. Hancock (D)
  • February 19, 1881: Kansas became the first state to prohibit alcohol.

Major legislation

  • [data missing]

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

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 ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1880; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1882; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1884.

Alabama

2. John T. Morgan (D)
3. George S. Houston (D), until December 31, 1879
Luke Pryor (D), January 7, 1880 - November 23, 1880
James L. Pugh (D), from November 24, 1880

Arkansas

2. Augustus Garland (D)
3. James D. Walker (D)

California

1. Newton Booth (AM)
3. James T. Farley (D)

Colorado

2. Henry M. Teller (R)
3. Nathaniel P. Hill (R)

Connecticut

1. William W. Eaton (D)
3. Orville H. Platt (R)

Delaware

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

Florida

1. Charles W. Jones (D)
3. Wilkinson Call (D)

Georgia

2. Benjamin Hill (D)
3. John B. Gordon (D), until May 26, 1880
Joseph E. Brown (D), from May 26, 1880

Illinois

2. David Davis (I)
3. John A. Logan (R)

Indiana

1. Joseph E. McDonald (D)
3. Daniel W. Voorhees (D)

Iowa

2. Samuel J. Kirkwood (R)
3. William B. Allison (R)

Kansas

2. Preston B. Plumb (R)
3. John J. Ingalls (R)

Kentucky

2. James B. Beck (D)
3. John S. Williams (D)

Louisiana

2. William Pitt Kellogg (R)
3. Benjamin F. Jonas (D)

Maine

1. Hannibal Hamlin (R)
2. James G. Blaine (R)

Maryland

1. William Pinkney Whyte (D)
3. James B. Groome (D)

Massachusetts

1. Henry L. Dawes (R)
2. George F. Hoar (R)

Michigan

1. Zachariah Chandler (R), until November 1, 1879
Henry P. Baldwin (R), from November 17, 1879
2. Thomas W. Ferry (R)

Minnesota

1. Samuel J. R. McMillan (R)
2. William Windom (R)


Mississippi

1. Blanche Bruce (R)
2. Lucius Q. C. Lamar (D)

Missouri

1. Francis Cockrell (D)
3. George G. Vest (D)

Nebraska

1. Algernon Paddock (R)
2. Alvin Saunders (R)

Nevada

1. William Sharon (R)
3. John P. Jones (R)

New Hampshire

2. Edward H. Rollins (R)
3. Charles Bell (R), March 13, 1879 - June 18, 1879
Henry W. Blair (R), from June 18, 1879

New Jersey

1. Theodore Randolph (D)
2. John R. McPherson (D)

New York

1. Francis Kernan (D)
3. Roscoe Conkling (R)

North Carolina

2. Matt W. Ransom (D)
3. Zebulon B. Vance (D)

Ohio

1. Allen G. Thurman (D)
3. George H. Pendleton (D)

Oregon

2. La Fayette Grover (D)
3. James H. Slater (D)

Pennsylvania

1. William A. Wallace (D)
3. J. Donald Cameron (R)

Rhode Island

1. Ambrose Burnside (R)
2. Henry B. Anthony (R)

South Carolina

2. Matthew C. Butler (D)
3. Wade Hampton III (D)

Tennessee

1. James E. Bailey (D)
2. Isham G. Harris (D)

Texas

1. Samuel B. Maxey (D)
2. Richard Coke (D)

Vermont

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

Virginia

1. Robert E. Withers (D)
2. John W. Johnston (D)

West Virginia

1. Frank Hereford (D)
2. Henry G. Davis (D)

Wisconsin

1. Angus Cameron (R)
3. Matthew H. Carpenter (R), until February 24, 1881
Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 46th Congress in March 1879. The green stripes in California represent Newton Booth of the Anti-Monopoly Party, while the gray stripes in Illinois represent independent David Davis.
  2 Democrats
  1 Democrat and 1 Republican
  2 Republicans
  Territories

House of Representatives

The names of members are preceded by their district numbers.

Alabama

1. Thomas H. Herndon (D)
2. Hilary A. Herbert (D)
3. William J. Samford (D)
4. Charles M. Shelley (D)
5. Thomas Williams (D)
6. Burwell Lewis (D), until October 1, 1880
Newton N. Clements (D), from December 8, 1880
7. William H. Forney (D)
8. William M. Lowe (GB)

Arkansas

1. Poindexter Dunn (D)
2. William F. Slemons (D)
3. Jordan E. Cravens (D)
4. Thomas M. Gunter (D)

California

1. Horace Davis (R)
2. Horace F. Page (R)
3. Campbell P. Berry (D)
4. Romualdo Pacheco (R)

Colorado

At-large. James B. Belford (R)

Connecticut

1. Joseph R. Hawley (R)
2. James Phelps (D)
3. John T. Wait (R)
4. Frederick Miles (R)

Delaware

At-large. Edward L. Martin (D)

Florida

1. Robert H. M. Davidson (D)
2. Noble A. Hull (D), until January 22, 1881
Horatio Bisbee Jr. (R), from January 22, 1881

Georgia

1. John C. Nicholls (D)
2. William E. Smith (D)
3. Philip Cook (D)
4. Henry Persons (ID)
5. Nathaniel J. Hammond (D)
6. James Blount (D)
7. William Felton (D)
8. Alexander H. Stephens (D)
9. Emory Speer (ID)

Illinois

1. William Aldrich (R)
2. George R. Davis (R)
3. Hiram Barber Jr. (R)
4. John C. Sherwin (R)
5. Robert M. A. Hawk (R)
6. Thomas J. Henderson (R)
7. Philip C. Hayes (R)
8. Greenbury L. Fort (R)
9. Thomas A. Boyd (R)
10. Benjamin F. Marsh (R)
11. James W. Singleton (D)
12. William M. Springer (D)
13. Adlai E. Stevenson (D)
14. Joseph G. Cannon (R)
15. Albert P. Forsythe (GB)
16. William A. J. Sparks (D)
17. William R. Morrison (D)
18. John R. Thomas (R)
19. Richard W. Townshend (D)

Indiana

1. William Heilman (R)
2. Thomas R. Cobb (D)
3. George A. Bicknell (D)
4. Jeptha D. New (D)
5. Thomas M. Browne (R)
6. William R. Myers (D)
7. Gilbert De La Matyr (GB)
8. Abraham J. Hostetler (D)
9. Godlove S. Orth (R)
10. William H. Calkins (R)
11. Calvin Cowgill (R)
12. Walpole G. Colerick (D)
13. John Baker (R)

Iowa

1. Moses A. McCoid (R)
2. Hiram Price (R)
3. Thomas Updegraff (R)
4. Nathaniel C. Deering (R)
5. Rush Clark (R), until April 29, 1879
William G. Thompson (R), from December 1, 1879
6. James B. Weaver (GB)
7. Edward H. Gillette (GB)
8. William F. Sapp (R)
9. Cyrus C. Carpenter (R)

Kansas

1. John A. Anderson (R)
2. Dudley C. Haskell (R)
3. Thomas Ryan (R)

Kentucky

1. Oscar Turner (ID)
2. James A. McKenzie (D)
3. John William Caldwell (D)
4. J. Proctor Knott (D)
5. Albert S. Willis (D)
6. John G. Carlisle (D)
7. Joseph C. S. Blackburn (D)
8. Philip B. Thompson Jr. (D)
9. Thomas Turner (D)
10. Elijah C. Phister (D)

Louisiana

1. Randall L. Gibson (D)
2. E. John Ellis (D)
3. Joseph H. Acklen (D)
4. Joseph B. Elam (D)
5. J. Floyd King (D)
6. Edward W. Robertson (D)

Maine

1. Thomas B. Reed (R)
2. William P. Frye (R)
3. Stephen D. Lindsey (R)
4. George W. Ladd (GB)
5. Thompson H. Murch (GB)

Maryland

1. Daniel M. Henry (D)
2. J. Frederick C. Talbott (D)
3. William Kimmel (D)
4. Robert M. McLane (D)
5. Eli J. Henkle (D)
6. Milton G. Urner (R)

Massachusetts

1. William W. Crapo (R)
2. Benjamin W. Harris (R)
3. Walbridge A. Field (R)
4. Leopold Morse (D)
5. Selwyn Z. Bowman (R)
6. George B. Loring (R)
7. William A. Russell (R)
8. William Claflin (R)
9. William W. Rice (R)
10. Amasa Norcross (R)
11. George D. Robinson (R)

Michigan

1. John Newberry (R)
2. Edwin Willits (R)
3. Jonas H. McGowan (R)
4. Julius C. Burrows (R)
5. John W. Stone (R)
6. Mark S. Brewer (R)
7. Omar D. Conger (R), until March 3, 1881
8. Roswell G. Horr (R)
9. Jay Hubbell (R)

Minnesota

1. Mark H. Dunnell (R)
2. Henry Poehler (D)
3. William D. Washburn (R)

Mississippi

1. Henry L. Muldrow (D)
2. Vannoy Manning (D)
3. Hernando Money (D)
4. Otho R. Singleton (D)
5. Charles E. Hooker (D)
6. James Chalmers (D)

Missouri

1. Martin L. Clardy (D)
2. Erastus Wells (D)
3. Richard G. Frost (D)
4. Lowndes H. Davis (D)
5. Richard P. Bland (D)
6. James R. Waddill (D)
7. Alfred M. Lay (D), until December 8, 1879
John F. Philips (D), from January 10, 1880
8. Samuel L. Sawyer (ID)
9. Nicholas Ford (GB)
10. Gideon F. Rothwell (D)
11. John B. Clark Jr. (D)
12. William H. Hatch (D)
13. Aylett H. Buckner (D)


Nebraska

At-large. Edward K. Valentine (R)

Nevada

At-large. Rollin M. Daggett (R)

New Hampshire

1. Joshua G. Hall (R)
2. James F. Briggs (R)
3. Evarts Farr (R), until November 30, 1880
Ossian Ray (R), from January 8, 1881

New Jersey

1. George M. Robeson (R)
2. Hezekiah Smith (D)
3. Miles Ross (D)
4. Alvah A. Clark (D)
5. Charles H. Voorhis (R)
6. John L. Blake (R)
7. Lewis A. Brigham (R)

New York

1. James W. Covert (D)
2. Daniel O'Reilly (ID)
3. Simeon B. Chittenden (R)
4. Archibald M. Bliss (D)
5. Nicholas Muller (D)
6. Samuel S. Cox (D)
7. Edwin Einstein (R)
8. Anson G. McCook (R)
9. Fernando Wood (D), until February 14, 1881
10. James O'Brien (ID)
11. Levi P. Morton (R)
12. Waldo Hutchins (D), from November 4, 1879
13. John H. Ketcham (R)
14. John W. Ferdon (R)
15. William Lounsbery (D)
16. John M. Bailey (R)
17. Walter A. Wood (R)
18. John Hammond (R)
19. Amaziah B. James (R)
20. John H. Starin (R)
21. David Wilber (R)
22. Warner Miller (R)
23. Cyrus D. Prescott (R)
24. Joseph Mason (R)
25. Frank Hiscock (R)
26. John H. Camp (R)
27. Elbridge G. Lapham (R)
28. Jeremiah W. Dwight (R)
29. David P. Richardson (R)
30. John Van Voorhis (R)
31. Richard Crowley (R)
32. Ray V. Pierce (R), until September 18, 1880
Jonathan Scoville (D), from November 12, 1880
33. Henry H. Van Aernam (R)

North Carolina

1. Joseph Martin (R), until January 29, 1881
Jesse J. Yeates (D), from January 29, 1881
2. William H. Kitchin (D)
3. Daniel Russell (GB)
4. Joseph J. Davis (D)
5. Alfred M. Scales (D)
6. Walter L. Steele (D)
7. Robert F. Armfield (D)
8. Robert B. Vance (D)

Ohio

1. Benjamin Butterworth (R)
2. Thomas L. Young (R)
3. John A. McMahon (D)
4. J. Warren Keifer (R)
5. Benjamin Le Fevre (D)
6. William D. Hill (D)
7. Frank H. Hurd (D)
8. Ebenezer B. Finley (D)
9. George L. Converse (D)
10. Thomas Ewing Jr. (D)
11. Henry L. Dickey (D)
12. Henry S. Neal (R)
13. Adoniram J. Warner (D)
14. Gibson Atherton (D)
15. George W. Geddes (D)
16. William McKinley (R)
17. James Monroe (R)
18. Jonathan T. Updegraff (R)
19. James A. Garfield (R), until November 8, 1880
Ezra B. Taylor (R), from December 13, 1880
20. Amos Townsend (R)

Oregon

At-large. John Whiteaker (D)

Pennsylvania

1. Henry H. Bingham (R)
2. Charles O'Neill (R)
3. Samuel J. Randall (D)
4. William D. Kelley (R)
5. Alfred C. Harmer (R)
6. William Ward (R)
7. William Godshalk (R)
8. Hiester Clymer (D)
9. A. Herr Smith (R)
10. Reuben Bachman (D)
11. Robert Klotz (D)
12. Hendrick B. Wright (GB)
13. John Ryon (D)
14. John W. Killinger (R)
15. Edward Overton Jr. (R)
16. John I. Mitchell (R)
17. Alexander H. Coffroth (D)
18. Horatio G. Fisher (R)
19. Frank E. Beltzhoover (D)
20. Seth Yocum (GB)
21. Morgan R. Wise (D)
22. Russell Errett (R)
23. Thomas M. Bayne (R)
24. William S. Shallenberger (R)
25. Harry White (R)
26. Samuel Dick (R)
27. James H. Osmer (R)

Rhode Island

1. Nelson W. Aldrich (R)
2. Latimer W. Ballou (R)

South Carolina

1. John S. Richardson (D)
2. Michael P. O'Connor (D)
3. D. Wyatt Aiken (D)
4. John H. Evins (D)
5. George D. Tillman (D)

Tennessee

1. Robert L. Taylor (D)
2. Leonidas C. Houk (R)
3. George G. Dibrell (D)
4. Benton McMillin (D)
5. John M. Bright (D)
6. John F. House (D)
7. Washington C. Whitthorne (D)
8. John D. C. Atkins (D)
9. Charles B. Simonton (D)
10. H. Casey Young (D)

Texas

1. John H. Reagan (D)
2. David B. Culberson (D)
3. Olin Wellborn (D)
4. Roger Q. Mills (D)
5. George W. Jones (GB)
6. Christopher C. Upson (D), from April 15, 1879

Vermont

1. Charles H. Joyce (R)
2. James M. Tyler (R)
3. Bradley Barlow (GB)

Virginia

1. Richard Lee T. Beale (D)
2. John Goode Jr. (D)
3. Joseph E. Johnston (D)
4. Joseph Jorgensen (R)
5. George Cabell (D)
6. John R. Tucker (D)
7. John T. Harris (D)
8. Eppa Hutton II (D)
9. James Richmond (D)

West Virginia

1. Benjamin Wilson (D)
2. Benjamin F. Martin (D)
3. John E. Kenna (D)

Wisconsin

1. Charles G. Williams (R)
2. Lucien B. Caswell (R)
3. George Hazelton (R)
4. Peter V. Deuster (D)
5. Edward S. Bragg (D)
6. Gabriel Bouck (D)
7. Herman L. Humphrey (R)
8. Thaddeus C. Pound (R)

Non-voting delegates

Arizona Territory. John G. Campbell (D)
Dakota Territory. Granville G. Bennett (R)
Idaho Territory. George Ainslie (D)
Montana Territory. Martin Maginnis (D)
New Mexico Territory. Mariano S. Otero (R)
Utah Territory. George Q. Cannon (R)
Washington Territory. Thomas H. Brents (R)
Wyoming Territory. Stephen Downey (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

Changes in membership

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

Senate

  • Replacements: 4
    • Democratic: no net change
    • Republican: no net change
  • Deaths: 3
  • Resignations: 1
  • Interim appointments: 2
  • Total seats with changes: 5
Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
New Hampshire (3) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.
An interim successor was appointed March 13, 1879.
Charles H. Bell (R) March 13, 1879
New Hampshire (3) Charles H. Bell (R) Successor elected June 18, 1879, but did not begin service until June 20, 1879, for unknown reasons. Henry W. Blair (R) June 20, 1879
Michigan (1) Zachariah Chandler (R) Died November 1, 1879.
Successor appointed November 17, 1879, to continue the term.
Appointee was elected January 19, 1881, to finish the term.
Henry P. Baldwin (R) November 17, 1879
Alabama (3) George S. Houston (D) Died December 31, 1879.
Successor appointed January 7, 1880, to continue the term.
Luke Pryor (D) January 7, 1880
Georgia (3) John B. Gordon (D) Resigned May 26, 1880, to promote building of the Georgia Pacific Railway.
Successor elected May 26, 1880.
Joseph E. Brown (D) May 26, 1880
Alabama (3) Luke Pryor (D) Successor elected November 23, 1880. James L. Pugh (D) November 24, 1880
Wisconsin (3) Matthew H. Carpenter (R) Died February 24, 1881. Vacant Not filled this term

House of Representatives

  • Replacements: 8
    • Democratic: 1 seat net gain
    • Republican: 1 seat net loss
  • Deaths: 4
  • Resignations: 3
  • Contested election: 2
  • Total seats with changes: 11
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
Texas 6 Vacant Rep. Gustav Schleicher died during previous congress Christopher C. Upson (D) April 15, 1879
New York 12 Vacant Rep.-elect Alexander Smith died during previous congress Waldo Hutchins (D) November 4, 1879
Iowa 5 Rush Clark (R) Died April 29, 1879 William G. Thompson (R) October 14, 1879
Missouri 7 Alfred M. Lay (D) Died December 8, 1879 John F. Philips (D) January 10, 1880
New York 32 Ray V. Pierce (R) Resigned September 18, 1880 Jonathan Scoville (D) November 12, 1880
Alabama 6 Burwell B. Lewis (D) Resigned October 1, 1880, to accept presidency of the University of Alabama Newton N. Clements (D) December 8, 1880
Ohio 19 James A. Garfield (R) Resigned November 8, 1880 Ezra B. Taylor (R) December 13, 1880
New Hampshire 3 Evarts W. Farr (R) Died November 30, 1880.
Successor elected December 28, 1880.
Ossian Ray (R) January 8, 1881
Florida 2 Noble A. Hull (D) Lost contested election January 22, 1881 Horatio Bisbee Jr. (R) January 22, 1881
North Carolina 1 Joseph J. Martin (R) Lost contested election January 29, 1881 Jesse J. Yeates (D) January 29, 1881
New York 9 Fernando Wood (D) Died February 14, 1881 Vacant Not filled this term
Michigan 7 Omar D. Conger (R) Resigned March 3, 1881, after being elected to the US Senate Vacant Not filled this term

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. ^ Readjuster
  2. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

  • 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

  • Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
  • U.S. House of Representatives: House History
  • U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
  • Congressional Directory for the 46th Congress, 1st Session.
  • Congressional Directory for the 46th Congress, 2nd Session.
  • Congressional Directory for the 46th Congress, 2nd Session (1st Revision).
  • Congressional Directory for the 46th Congress, 2nd Session (2nd Revision).
  • Congress, United States (1880). Congressional Directory for the 46th Congress, 3rd Session.
  • Congressional Directory for the 46th Congress, 3rd Session (Revision).
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