49th United States Congress
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The Forty-ninth 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, 1885 to March 4, 1887, during the first two years of Grover Cleveland's first presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Tenth Census of the United States in 1880. The Senate had a Republican majority, and the House had a Democratic majority.
Major events
- March 4, 1885: Grover Cleveland became President of the United States
- November 25, 1885: Vice President Thomas A. Hendricks died
- December 26, 1886: Senator John A. Logan died
Major legislation
- January 19, 1886: Presidential Succession Act
- February 4, 1887: Interstate Commerce Act
- February 8, 1887: Dawes Act
- March 2, 1887: Hatch Act of 1887
- March 3, 1887: Tucker Act
- March 3, 1887: Edmunds–Tucker Act
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
- Democratic: 34
- Republican: 42 (majority)
TOTAL members: 76
House of Representatives
- Democratic: 182 (majority)
- Republican: 141
- National Greenback: 1
- Independent Democratic: 1
TOTAL members: 325
Leadership
Thomas A. Hendricks
Senate
- President: Thomas A. Hendricks (D), died November 25, 1885, vacant thereafter
- President pro tempore: John Sherman (R)
- John J. Ingalls (R)
House of Representatives
- Speaker: John G. Carlisle (D)
Members
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 1886; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1888; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1890.
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are listed by district.
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
- replacements: 7
- Democratic: 1 seat net gain
- Republican: 1 seat net loss
- Liberal Republican: 1 seat net loss
- deaths: 3
- resignations: 6
- interim appointments: 1
- Total seats with changes: 9
House of Representatives
- replacements: 11
- Democratic: 2 seat net gain
- Republican: 2 seat net loss
- deaths: 8
- resignations: 7
- contested election: 1
- Total seats with changes: 17
Employees
Senate
- Secretary of the Senate: Anson G. McCook
- Sergeant at Arms: William P. Canady
- Chaplain:
- Elias D. Huntley, Methodist, elected December 18, 1883
- John G. Butler, Lutheran, elected March 15, 1886
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: William H. Milburn (Methodist)
- Doorkeeper: Samuel Donelson
- Clerk: John B. Clark, Jr.
- Clerk at the Speaker’s Table: Nathaniel T. Crutchfield
- Postmaster: Lycurgus Dalton
- Sergeant at Arms: John P. Leedom
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
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