54th United States Congress
54th United States Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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
- May 21, 1896: Oil Pipe Line Act, 29 Stat. 127 (43 U.S.C. § 962 et seq.)
- May 22, 1896: Condemned Cannon Act, 29 Stat. 133
- May 28, 1896: United States Commissioners Act, 29 Stat. 184
- June 1, 1896: Married Women's Rights Act (District of Columbia), 29 Stat. 193
- June 6, 1896: Filled Cheese Act, 29 Stat. 253
- January 13, 1897: Stock Reservoir Act, 29 Stat. 484, (43 U.S.C. § 952 et seq.)
- March 2, 1897: Tea Importation Act, 29 Stat. 604, (21 U.S.C. § 41 et seq.)
States admitted
- January 4, 1896: Utah was admitted as a state
Party summary
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 | 90 | 0 | |||
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 | 356 | 1 | ||
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
Senate
Majority (Republican) leadership
Minority (Democratic) leadership
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Thomas B. Reed (R)
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.
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
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 |
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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
- Chaplain: William H. Millburn (Methodist)
- Secretary: William Ruffin Cox
- Sergeant at Arms: Richard J. Bright
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Henry N. Couden (Universalist)
- Clerk: Alexander McDowell
- Clerk at the Speaker’s Table: Asher C. Hinds
- Doorkeeper: William J. Glenn
- Postmaster: Joseph C. McElroy
- Sergeant at Arms: Benjamin F. Russell
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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