54th United States Congress

54th United States Congress
53rd   55th

United States Capitol (1906)

Duration: March 4, 1895 – March 4, 1897

Senate President: Adlai E. Stevenson
Senate Pres. pro tem: William P. Frye
House Speaker: Thomas B. Reed
Members: 90 Senators
357 Representatives
4 Non-voting members
Senate Majority: Republican
House Majority: Republican

Sessions
1st: December 2, 1895 – June 11, 1896
2nd: December 7, 1896 – March 3, 1897

The Fifty-fourth 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, 1895 to March 4, 1897, during the last two years of Grover Cleveland's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Eleventh Census of the United States in 1890. The House had a Republican majority, and the Republicans were the largest party in the Senate.

Major events

Major legislation

States admitted

Party summary

Senate composition, by party:
  Democratic
  Republican
  One Democratic, one Republican
  Populist
  Silver

This count 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)
Populist
(P)
Republican
(R)
Silver
(S)
Other
(O)
End of the previous congress 43 3 41 1 0 88 0
Begin 39 4 42 2 0 87 1
End 40 44 900
Final voting share 44.4% 4.4% 48.9% 2.2% 0.0%
Beginning of the next congress 33 5 43 2 (Silver
Republican)

5
88 2

House of Representatives

Party
(Shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Populist
(P)
Republican
(R)
Silver
(S)
Other
(O)
End of the previous congress 217 11 123 1 2 354 2
Begin 104 7 240 1 0 352 4
End 94 9 252 3561
Final voting share 26.4% 2.5% 70.8% 0.3% 0.0%
Beginning of the next congress 124 22 206 1 (Silver
Republican
& Independent)

4
357 0

Leadership

President of the Senate
Adlai E. Stevenson
Speaker of the House
Thomas B. Reed

Senate

Majority (Republican) leadership

Minority (Democratic) leadership

House of Representatives

Majority (Republican) leadership

Minority (Democratic) leadership

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 began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1898; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1900; and Class 3 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1896.

Alabama

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

House of Representatives

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

Alabama

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Non-voting members

Changes in membership

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

Senate

Two seats were added when Utah was admitted and one seat was filled late.

State Vacator Reason for Vacancy Successor Date of successor's taking office
Utah
(Class 1)
New seat State was admitted to the Union Frank J. Cannon (R) January 22, 1896
Utah
(Class 3)
New seat State was admitted to the Union Arthur Brown (R) January 22, 1896
Delaware
(Class 2)
Vacant The seat was vacant because the legislature failed to elect a Senator. A successor was eventually elected Richard R. Kenney
(D)
January 19, 1897

House of Representatives

There were 4 deaths, 2 resignations, 13 election challenges, 1 new seat, and 4 seats vacant from the previous Congress. Democrats had a 10-seat net loss; Republicans had a 12-seat net gain; and Populists had a 2-seat net gain.

District Vacator Reason for Vacancy Successor Date of successor's taking office
New York 10th Vacant Rep-elect Andrew J. Campbell died before the start of Congress Amos J. Cummings (D) November 5, 1895
Pennsylvania 15th

Edwin J. Jordan (R)

Resigned March 4, 1895 James H. Codding (R) November 5, 1895
Illinois 10th Vacant Philip S. Post (R) was re-elected, but died before this Congress George W. Prince (R) December 2, 1895
Michigan 3rd Vacant Julius C. Burrows (R) was re-elected, but resigned in the previous Congress to serve in the Senate Alfred Milnes (R) December 2, 1895
Utah At-large New seat State was admitted to the Union Clarence E. Allen (R) January 4, 1896
Georgia 10th James C. C. Black (D) Resigned March 4, 1895, and was later elected to fill his own vacancy James C. C. Black (D) October 2, 1895
Massachusetts 6th William Cogswell (R) Died May 22, 1895 William H. Moody (R) November 5, 1895
Illinois 18th Frederick Remann (R) Died July 14, 1895 William F. L. Hadley (R) December 2, 1895
Illinois 3rd Lawrence E. McGann (D) Election was successfully challenged on December 27, 1895 Hugh R. Belknap (R) December 27, 1895
Utah Territory AL Frank J. Cannon (R) Resigned January 4, 1896 Statehood achieved
Texas 11th William H. Crain (D) Died February 10, 1896 Rudolph Kleberg (D) April 7, 1896
Missouri 5th John C. Tarsney (D) Election was successfully challenged on February 27, 1896 Robert T. Van Horn (R) February 27, 1896
Alabama 4th Gaston A. Robbins (D) Election was successfully challenged on March 13, 1896 William F. Aldrich (R) March 13, 1896
Virginia 4th William R. McKenney (D) Election was successfully challenged on May 2, 1896 Robert T. Thorp (R) May 2, 1896
Louisiana 5th Charles J. Boatner (D) Election was challenged and declared vacant March 20, 1896. He was subsequently elected Charles J. Boatner (D) June 10, 1896
Alabama 5th James E. Cobb (D) Election was successfully challenged on April 21, 1896 Albert T. Goodwyn (P) April 22, 1896
South Carolina 7th J. William Stokes (D) Seat declared vacant June 1, 1896, but he won re-election J. William Stokes (D) November 3, 1896
New York 8th James J. Walsh (D) Election was successfully challenged on June 2, 1896 John M. Mitchell (R) June 2, 1896
South Carolina 1st William Elliott (D) Election was successfully challenged on June 4, 1896 George W. Murray (R) June 4, 1896
Illinois 16th Finis E. Downing (D) Election was successfully challenged on June 5, 1896 John I. Rinaker (R) June 5, 1896
North Carolina 6th James A. Lockhart (D) Election was successfully challenged on June 5, 1896 Charles H. Martin (P) June 5, 1896
Alabama 9th Oscar W. Underwood (D) Election was successfully challenged on June 9, 1896 Truman H. Aldrich (R) June 9, 1896
Georgia 3rd Charles F. Crisp (D) Died October 23, 1896 Charles R. Crisp (D) December 19, 1896
New York 19th Frank S. Black (R) Resigned January 7, 1897 Vacant until next Congress
Kentucky 10th Joseph M. Kendall (D) Election was successfully challenged on February 18, 1897 Nathan T. Hopkins (R) February 18, 1897

Employees

Senate

House of Representatives

References

    External links

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