40th United States Congress

40th United States Congress

United States Capitol (1869)

Duration: March 4, 1867 – March 4, 1869

Senate President:

Vacant

Senate Pres. pro tem:

Benjamin Wade

House Speaker:

Schuyler Colfax
Theodore M. Pomeroy

Members:

68 Senators
226 Representatives
8 Non-voting members

Senate Majority:

Republican

House Majority:

Republican

Sessions

Special: April 1, 1867 – April 20, 1867
1st: March 4, 1867 – December 1, 1867
2nd: December 2, 1867 – November 10, 1868
3rd: December 7, 1868 – March 4, 1869

<39th

41st>

The Fortieth 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, 1867 to March 4, 1869, during the third and fourth years of Andrew Johnson's U.S. Presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Eighth Census of the United States in 1860. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

1 Major events
2 Major legislation
3 Constitutional amendment
4 Treaty
5 Territories organized
6 Party summary
- 6.1 Senate
- 6.2 House of Representatives
7 Leadership
- 7.1 Senate
- 7.2 House of Representatives
8 Members
- 8.1 Senate
- 8.2 House of Representatives
9 Changes in membership
- 9.1 Senate
- 9.2 House of Representatives
10 Employees
- 10.1 Senate
- 10.2 House of Representatives
11 References
12 External links

Major events

Main articles: 1867 in the United States, 1868 in the United States, and 1869 in the United States

March 30, 1867: Alaska Purchase
February 24, 1868: Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
May 16, 1868: President Johnson acquitted
May 26, 1868: President Johnson acquitted again
November 3, 1868: 1868 presidential election: Ulysses S. Grant (R) defeated Horatio Seymour (D)
December 25, 1868: President Johnson granted unconditional pardons to all Civil War rebels
January 20, 1869: Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the first woman to testify before Congress

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation#40th United States Congress

Reconstruction Acts, continued:
- March 23, 1867, ch. 6, 15 Stat. 2
- July 19, 1867, ch. 30, 15 Stat. 14
- March 11, 1868, ch. 25, 15 Stat. 41

Constitutional amendment

July 28, 1868: Fourteenth Amendment ratified
February 26, 1869: Fifteenth Amendment passed Congress and sent to the states for ratification

Treaty

April 29, 1868: Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), 15 Stat. 635, signed
February 16, 1868: Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) ratified

Territories organized

July 25, 1868: Wyoming Territory organized

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.

During this Congress, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana, and South Carolina were readmitted to representation in both the Senate and the House. Georgia was readmitted with representation in the House only.

Senate

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total

	Democratic (D)	Republican (R)	Other		Vacant
End of previous Congress	9	41	(Unionist & Unconditional Unionist) 6	56	18

Begin	8	45	0	53	21
End	9	55	0	64	10
Final voting share	14.1%	85.9%	0.0%

Beginning of the next Congress	9	57	0	66	8

House of Representatives

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority/plurality caucus)						Total

	Democratic (D)	Republican (R)	Independent Republican (IR)	Conservative Republican (CR)	Conservative (C)	Other		Vacant
End of previous Congress	41	134	1	0	0	(Unionist & Unconditional Unionist) 17	193	49

Begin	45	140	1	1	1	0	188	55
End	45	170	2	1	2	0	220	23
Final voting share	20.5%	78.6%			0.9%	0.0%

Beginning of the next Congress	65	150	0	0	0	0	215	28

Leadership

Senate

President: Vacant
President pro tempore: Benjamin Wade (R)

House of Representatives

Speaker: Schuyler Colfax (R), until March 3, 1869
- Theodore M. Pomeroy (R), elected March 3, 1869. Served for 1 day.

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.

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 ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1868; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1870; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1872.

Alabama

2. Willard Warner (R), from July 13, 1868
3. George E. Spencer (R), from July 13, 1868

Arkansas

2. Alexander McDonald (R), from June 22, 1868
3. Benjamin F. Rice (R), from June 23, 1868

California

1. John Conness (R)
3. Cornelius Cole (R)

Connecticut

1. James Dixon (R)
3. Orris S. Ferry (R)

Delaware

1. George R. Riddle (D), until March 29, 1867
- James A. Bayard, Jr. (D), from April 5, 1867
2. Willard Saulsbury, Sr. (D)

Florida

3. Thomas W. Osborn (R), from June 25, 1868
1. Adonijah Welch (R), from July 17, 1868

Georgia

2. Vacant
3. Vacant

Kentucky

3. Garrett Davis (D)
2. James Guthrie (D), until February 7, 1868
- Thomas C. McCreery (D), from February 19, 1868

Louisiana

2. John S. Harris (R), from July 8, 1868
3. William Pitt Kellogg (R), from July 9, 1868

Maine

1. Lot M. Morrill (R)
2. William Pitt Fessenden (R)

Maryland

1. Reverdy Johnson (D), until July 10, 1868
- William Pinkney Whyte (D), from July 13, 1868
3. George Vickers (D), from March 7, 1868

Massachusetts

1. Charles Sumner (R)
2. Henry Wilson (R)

Michigan

1. Zachariah Chandler (R)
2. Jacob M. Howard (R)

Minnesota

1. Alexander Ramsey (R)
2. Daniel S. Norton (R)

Mississippi

1. Vacant
2. Vacant

Missouri

1. John B. Henderson (R)
3. Charles D. Drake (R)

Nebraska

2. John M. Thayer (R)
1. Thomas Tipton (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

2. Alexander G. Cattell (R)
1. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (R)

New York

1. Edwin D. Morgan (R)
3. Roscoe Conkling (R)

North Carolina

2. Joseph C. Abbott (R), from July 14, 1868
3. John Pool (R), from July 14, 1868

Ohio

1. Benjamin Wade (R)
3. John Sherman (R)

Oregon

2. George H. Williams (R)
3. Henry W. Corbett (R)

Pennsylvania

1. Charles R. Buckalew (D)
3. Simon Cameron (R)

Rhode Island

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

South Carolina

2. Thomas J. Robertson (R), from July 15, 1868
3. Frederick A. Sawyer (R), from July 16, 1868

Tennessee

2. Joseph S. Fowler (R)
1. David T. Patterson (D)

Texas

1. Vacant
2. Vacant

Vermont

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

Virginia

1. Vacant
2. Vacant

West Virginia

1. Peter G. Van Winkle (R)
2. Waitman T. Willey (R)

Wisconsin

1. James R. Doolittle (R)
3. Timothy O. Howe (R)

House of Representatives

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

Alabama

1. Francis W. Kellogg (R), from July 22, 1868
2. Charles W. Buckley (R), from July 21, 1868
3. Benjamin W. Norris (R), from July 21, 1868
4. Charles W. Pierce (R), from July 21, 1868
5. John B. Callis (R), from July 21, 1868
6. Thomas Haughey (R), from July 21, 1868

Arkansas

1. Logan H. Roots (R), from June 22, 1868
2. James M. Hinds (R), June 22, 1868 – October 22, 1868
- James T. Elliott (R), from January 13, 1869
3. Thomas Boles (R), from June 22, 1868

At-large. John A. Nicholson (D)

Florida

At-large. Charles M. Hamilton (R), from July 1, 1868

Georgia

1. Joseph W. Clift (R), from July 25, 1868
2. Nelson Tift (D), from July 25, 1868
3. William P. Edwards (R), from July 25, 1868
4. Samuel F. Gove (R), from July 25, 1868
5. Charles H. Prince (R), from July 25, 1868
6. Vacant
7. Pierce M. B. Young (D), from July 25, 1868

At-large. Sidney Clarke (R)

Kentucky

1. Lawrence S. Trimble (D)
2. Vacant
3. Elijah Hise (D), until May 8, 1867
- Jacob Golladay (D), from December 5, 1867
4. J. Proctor Knott (D)
5. Asa Grover (D)
6. Thomas L. Jones (D)
7. James B. Beck (D)
8. George M. Adams (D)
9. Samuel McKee (R), from June 22, 1868

Louisiana

1. J. Hale Sypher (R), from July 18, 1868
2. James Mann (D), July 18, 1868 – August 26, 1868
3. Joseph P. Newsham (R), from July 18, 1868
4. Michel Vidal (R), from July 18, 1868
5. W. Jasper Blackburn (R), from July 18, 1868

1. William Windom (R)
2. Ignatius L. Donnelly (R)

Mississippi

1. Vacant
2. Vacant
3. Vacant
4. Vacant
5. Vacant

Missouri

1. William A. Pile (R)
2. Carman A. Newcomb (R)
3. Thomas E. Noell (D), until October 3, 1867
- James R. McCormick (D), from December 17, 1867
4. Joseph J. Gravely (R)
5. Joseph W. McClurg (R), until ????, 1868
- John H. Stover (R), from December 7, 1868
6. Robert T. Van Horn (R)
7. Benjamin F. Loan (R)
8. John F. Benjamin (R)
9. George W. Anderson (R)

Nebraska

At-large. John Taffe (R)

Nevada

At-large. Delos R. Ashley (R)

1. Stephen Taber (D)
2. Demas Barnes (D)
3. William E. Robinson (D)
4. John Fox (D)
5. John Morrissey (D)
6. Thomas E. Stewart (CR)
7. John W. Chanler (D)
8. James Brooks (D)
9. Fernando Wood (D)
10. William H. Robertson (R)
11. Charles H. Van Wyck (R)
12. John H. Ketcham (R)
13. Thomas Cornell (R)
14. John V. L. Pruyn (D)
15. John A. Griswold (R)
16. Orange Ferriss (R)
17. Calvin T. Hulburd (R)
18. James M. Marvin (R)
19. William C. Fields (R)
20. Addison H. Laflin (R)
21. Roscoe Conkling (R), until March 4, 1867
- Alexander H. Bailey (R), from November 30, 1867
22. John C. Churchill (R)
23. Dennis McCarthy (R)
24. Theodore M. Pomeroy (R)
25. William H. Kelsey (R)
26. William S. Lincoln (R)
27. Hamilton Ward, Sr. (R)
28. Lewis Selye (IR)
29. Burt Van Horn (R)
30. James M. Humphrey (D)
31. Henry H. Van Aernam (R)

North Carolina

1. John R. French (R), from July 15, 1868
2. David Heaton (R), from July 25, 1868
3. Oliver H. Dockery (R), from July 13, 1868
4. John T. Deweese (R), from July 6, 1868
5. Israel G. Lash (R), from July 20, 1868
6. Nathaniel Boyden (C), from July 13, 1868
7. Alexander H. Jones (R), from July 6, 1868

Ohio

1. Benjamin Eggleston (R)
2. Rutherford B. Hayes (R), until July 20, 1867
- Samuel F. Cary (IR), from November 21, 1867
3. Robert C. Schenck (R)
4. William Lawrence (R)
5. William Mungen (D)
6. Reader W. Clarke (R)
7. Samuel Shellabarger (R)
8. Cornelius S. Hamilton (R), until December 22, 1867
- John Beatty (R), from February 5, 1868
9. Ralph P. Buckland (R)
10. James M. Ashley (R)
11. John T. Wilson (R)
12. Philadelph Van Trump (D)
13. George W. Morgan (D), until June 3, 1868
- Columbus Delano (R), from June 3, 1868
14. Martin Welker (R)
15. Tobias A. Plants (R)
16. John Bingham (R)
17. Ephraim R. Eckley (R)
18. Rufus P. Spalding (R)
19. James A. Garfield (R)

Oregon

At-large. Rufus Mallory (R)

Pennsylvania

1. Samuel J. Randall (D)
2. Charles O'Neill (R)
3. Leonard Myers (R)
4. William D. Kelley (R)
5. Caleb N. Taylor (R)
6. Benjamin M. Boyer (D)
7. John M. Broomall (R)
8. J. Lawrence Getz (D)
9. Thaddeus Stevens (R), until August 11, 1868
- Oliver J. Dickey (R), from December 7, 1868
10. Henry L. Cake (R)
11. Daniel M. Van Auken (D)
12. Charles Denison (D), until June 27, 1867
- George W. Woodward (D), from November 21, 1867
13. Ulysses Mercur (R)
14. George F. Miller (R)
15. Adam J. Glossbrenner (D)
16. William H. Koontz (R)
17. Daniel J. Morrell (R)
18. Stephen F. Wilson (R)
19. Glenni W. Scofield (R)
20. Darwin A. Finney (R), until August 25, 1868
- S. Newton Pettis (R), from December 7, 1868
21. John Covode (R)
22. James K. Moorhead (R)
23. Thomas Williams (R)
24. George V. Lawrence (R)

Rhode Island

1. Thomas Jenckes (R)
2. Nathan F. Dixon, Jr. (R)

South Carolina

1. B. Frank Whittemore (R), from July 18, 1868
2. Christopher C. Bowen (R), from July 18, 1868
3. M. Simeon Corley (R), from July 25, 1868
4. James H. Goss (R), from July 18, 1868

Tennessee

Texas

1. Vacant
2. Vacant
3. Vacant
4. Vacant

Vermont

Virginia

1. Vacant
2. Vacant
3. Vacant
4. Vacant
5. Vacant
6. Vacant
7. Vacant
8. Vacant

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Non-voting members

Arizona Territory. Coles Bashford (I)
Colorado Territory. George M. Chilcott (R)
Dakota Territory. Walter A. Burleigh (R)
Idaho Territory. Edward D. Holbrook (D)
Montana Territory. James M. Cavanaugh (D)
New Mexico Territory. Charles P. Clever (D), from September 2, 1867 - February 20, 1869
- J. Francisco Chaves (R), from February 20, 1869
Utah Territory. William H. Hooper (D)
Washington Territory. Alvan Flanders (R)

Changes in membership

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

Senate

replacements: 3
- Democratic: 0 seat net loss
- Republican: 0 seat net gain
deaths: 1
resignations: 2
interim appointments: 1
seats from newly re-admitted states: 12
Total seats with changes: 16

State (class)	Former senator	Reason for change	Successor	Date of successor's installation
Delaware (1)	George R. Riddle (D)	Died March 29, 1867	James A. Bayard, Jr. (D)	April 5, 1867
Kentucky (2)	James Guthrie (D)	Resigned February 7, 1868 because of failing health	Thomas C. McCreery (D)	February 19, 1868
Maryland (3)	Vacant	Filled vacancy caused by action of the Senate in declining to permit Philip F. Thomas to qualify	George Vickers (D)	March 7, 1868
Arkansas (2)	Vacant	Arkansas re-admitted to the Union	Alexander McDonald (R)	June 22, 1868
Arkansas (3)	Vacant	Arkansas re-admitted to the Union	Benjamin F. Rice (R)	June 23, 1868
Florida (3)	Vacant	Florida re-admitted to the Union	Thomas W. Osborn (R)	June 25, 1868
Louisiana (2)	Vacant	Louisiana re-admitted to the Union	John S. Harris (R)	July 8, 1868
Louisiana (3)	Vacant	Louisiana re-admitted to the Union	William P. Kellogg (R)	July 9, 1868
Alabama (2)	Vacant	Alabama re-admitted to the Union	Willard Warner (R)	July 13, 1868
Alabama (3)	Vacant	Alabama re-admitted to the Union	George E. Spencer (R)
Maryland (1)	Reverdy Johnson (D)	Resigned July 10, 1868	William P. Whyte (D)
North Carolina (2)	Vacant	North Carolina re-admitted to the Union	Joseph C. Abbott (R)	July 14, 1868
North Carolina (3)	Vacant	North Carolina re-admitted to the Union	John Pool (R)	July 14, 1868
South Carolina (2)	Vacant	South Carolina re-admitted to the Union	Thomas J. Robertson (R)	July 15, 1868
South Carolina (3)	Vacant	South Carolina re-admitted to the Union	Frederick A. Sawyer (R)	July 16, 1868
Florida (1)	Vacant	Florida re-admitted to the Union	Adonijah Welch (R)	July 17, 1868

House of Representatives

replacements: 10
- Democratic: 2 seat net loss
- Republican: 0 seat net gain
- Independent Republican: 1 seat net gain
- Conservative: 0 seat net gain
deaths: 8
resignations: 3
contested election: 3
seats from re-admitted states: 32
Total seats with changes: 44

District	Vacator	Reason for change	Successor	Date of successor's installation
New Mexico Territory At-large	Vacant	Vacancy in term	Charles P. Clever (D)	September 2, 1867
Arkansas 1st	Vacant	Arkansas re-admitted into the Union	Logan H. Roots (R)	June 22, 1868
Arkansas 2nd			James M. Hinds (R)
Arkansas 3rd			Thomas Boles (R)
Kentucky 9th	Vacant	John D. Young presented credentials but failed to qualify. Election was contested by McKee.	Samuel McKee (R)	June 22, 1868
Florida At-large	Vacant	Florida re-admitted into the Union	Charles M. Hamilton (R)	July 1, 1868
North Carolina 4th	Vacant	North Carolina re-admitted into the Union	John T. Deweese (R)	July 6, 1868
North Carolina 7th			Alexander H. Jones (R)	July 6, 1868
North Carolina 3rd			Oliver H. Dockery (R)	July 13, 1868
North Carolina 6th			Nathaniel Boyden (C)	July 13, 1868
North Carolina 1st			John R. French (R)	July 15, 1868
Louisiana 1st	Vacant	Louisiana re-admitted into the Union	J. Hale Sypher (R)	July 18, 1868
Louisiana 2nd			James Mann (D)
Louisiana 3rd			Joseph P. Newsham (R)
Louisiana 4th			Michel Vidal (R)
Louisiana 5th			W. Jasper Blackburn (R)
South Carolina 1st	Vacant	South Carolina re-admitted into the Union	Benjamin F. Whittemore (R)	July 18, 1868
South Carolina 2nd			Christopher C. Bowen (R)
South Carolina 4th			James H. Goss (R)
North Carolina 5th	Vacant	North Carolina re-admitted into the Union	Israel G. Lash (R)	July 20, 1868
Alabama 2nd	Vacant	Alabama re-admitted into the Union	Charles W. Buckley (R)	July 21, 1868
Alabama 3rd			Benjamin W. Norris (R)
Alabama 4th			Charles W. Pierce (R)
Alabama 5th			John B. Callis (R)
Alabama 6th			Thomas Haughey (R)
Alabama 1st			Francis W. Kellogg (R)	July 22, 1868
Georgia 1st	Vacant	Georgia re-admitted into the Union	Joseph W. Clift (R)	July 25, 1868
Georgia 2nd			Nelson Tift (D)
Georgia 3rd			William P. Edwards (R)
Georgia 4th			Samuel F. Gove (R)
Georgia 5th			Charles H. Prince (R)
Georgia 7th			Pierce M. B. Young (D)
North Carolina 2nd	Vacant	North Carolina re-admitted into the Union	David Heaton (R)	July 25, 1868
South Carolina 1st	Vacant	South Carolina re-admitted into the Union	Manuel S. Corley (R)	July 25, 1868
New York 21st	Roscoe Conkling (R)	Resigned March 4, 1867 after being elected to the US Senate	Alexander H. Bailey (R)	November 30, 1867
Kentucky 3rd	Elijah Hise (D)	Died May 8, 1867	Jacob Golladay (D)	December 5, 1867
Pennsylvania 12th	Charles Denison (D)	Died June 27, 1867	George W. Woodward (D)	November 21, 1867
Ohio 2nd	Rutherford B. Hayes (R)	Resigned July 20, 1867 after being nominated Governor of Ohio	Samuel F. Cary (IR)	November 21, 1867
Missouri 3rd	Thomas E. Noell (D)	Died October 3, 1867	James R. McCormick (D)	December 17, 1867
Ohio 8th	Cornelius S. Hamilton (R)	Killed by insane son December 22, 1867	John Beatty (R)	February 5, 1868
Missouri 5th	Joseph W. McClurg (R)	Resigned ????, 1868 after being elected Governor of Missouri	John H. Stover (R)	December 7, 1868
Pennsylvania 13th	George W. Morgan (D)	Lost contested election June 3, 1868	Columbus Delano (R)	June 3, 1868
Pennsylvania 9th	Thaddeus Stevens (R)	Died August 11, 1868	Oliver J. Dickey (R)	December 7, 1868
Pennsylvania 20th	Darwin A. Finney (R)	Died August 25, 1868	S. Newton Pettis (R)	December 7, 1868
Louisiana 2nd	James Mann (D)	Died August 26, 1868	Vacant	Not filled this term
Arkansas 2nd	James M. Hinds (R)	Assassinated October 22, 1868	James T. Elliott (R)	January 13, 1869
New Mexico Territory At-large	Charles P. Clever (D)	Lost contested election February 20, 1869	J. Francisco Chaves (R)	February 20, 1869

Employees

Architect of the Capitol: Edward Clark, appointed August 30, 1865

Senate

Chaplain of the Senate: Edgar H. Gray (Baptist)
Secretary of the Senate: John W. Forney
- George C. Gorham, elected June 4, 1868
Sergeant at Arms of the Senate: George T. Brown

House of Representatives

Chaplain of the House: Charles B. Boynton (Congregationalist)
Clerk of the House: Edward McPherson
Doorkeeper of the House: Charles E. Lippincott
Messenger to the Speaker: William D. Todd
Postmaster of the House: William S. King
Sergeant at Arms of the House: Nehemiah G. Ordway

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.