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47th United States Congress
1881-1883 U.S. Congress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 47th 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, 1881, to March 4, 1883, during the six months of James Garfield's presidency, and the first year and a half of Chester Arthur's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1870 United States census. The House had a Republican majority; the Senate was evenly divided for the first time ever, with no vice president to break ties for most of this term.[1]
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Party summary
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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
House of Representatives
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Leadership
Senate

Chester A. Arthur (R)
- President: Chester A. Arthur (R), until September 19, 1881; vacant thereafter
- President pro tempore: Thomas F. Bayard (D), October 10, 1881 – October 13, 1881
- David Davis (I), from October 13, 1881
- George F. Edmunds (R), from March 3, 1883
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: George H. Pendleton
- Republican Conference Chairman: Henry B. Anthony
House of Representatives
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Major events
- March 4, 1881: James A. Garfield became President of the United States
- September 19, 1881: President Garfield died. Vice President Chester A. Arthur became President of the United States
Major legislation
- February 25, 1882: Apportionment of the Tenth Census, ch. 20, 22 Stat. 5
- May 6, 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act, 22 Stat. 58
- August 2, 1882: Passenger Act of 1882, 22 Stat. 186
- August 2, 1882: Rivers and Harbors Act
- January 16, 1883: Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, ch. 27, 22 Stat. 403
- March 3, 1883: Tariff of 1883 (Mongrel Tariff)
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Members
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This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, 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.
House of Representatives
Members' names are preceded by their district numbers.
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Changes in membership
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The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
Senate
- Deaths: 2
- Resignations: 8
- Interim appointments: 1
- Total replacements: 8
- Democratic: no net change
- Republican: no net change
- Total seats with changes: 10
House of Representatives
- Deaths: 6
- Resignations: 9
- Contested elections: 8
- Total replacements: 14
- Democratic: 1 seat net gain
- Republican: 1 seat net loss
- Total seats with changes: 22
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Committees
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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
- Additional Accommodations for the Library of Congress (Select) (Chairman: Daniel W. Voorhees; Ranking Member: N/A)
- Agriculture (Chairman: William Mahone; Ranking Member: Henry G. Davis)
- Appropriations (Chairman: William B. Allison; Ranking Member: Henry G. Davis)
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: John P. Jones; Ranking Member: Zebulon B. Vance)
- Cabinet Officers on the Floor of the Senate (Select)
- Civil Service and Retrenchment (Chairman: Joseph R. Hawley; Ranking Member: Matthew C. Butler)
- Claims (Chairman: Angus Cameron; Ranking Member: James L. Pugh)
- Commerce (Chairman: Samuel J.R. McMillan; Ranking Member: Matt W. Ransom)
- Distilled Spirit Tax Bill (Select)
- Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: John J. Ingalls; Ranking Member: Isham G. Harris)
- Education and Labor (Chairman: Henry W. Blair; Ranking Member: Samuel B. Maxey)
- Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Eli Saulsbury; Ranking Member: Warner Miller)
- Enrolled Bills (Chairman: William J. Sewell; Ranking Member: James L. Pugh)
- Epidemic Diseases (Select) (Chairman: Isham G. Harris; Ranking Member: Henry M. Teller)
- Examine the Several Branches in the Civil Service (Select)
- Finance (Chairman: Justin S. Morrill; Ranking Member: Thomas F. Bayard)
- Foreign Relations (Chairman: William Windom; Ranking Member: John W. Johnston)
- Indian Affairs (Chairman: Henry L. Dawes; Ranking Member: Richard Coke)
- Judiciary (Chairman: George F. Edmunds; Ranking Member: Augustus H. Garland)
- Manufactures (Chairman: Omar D. Conger; Ranking Member: John R. McPherson)
- Military Affairs (Chairman: John A. Logan; Ranking Member: Francis M. Cockrell)
- Mines and Mining (Chairman: Nathaniel P. Hill; Ranking Member: Wade Hampton)
- Mississippi River and its Tributaries (Select) (Chairman: Charles H. Van Wyck; Ranking Member: Benjamin F. Jonas)
- Naval Affairs (Chairman: J. Donald Cameron; Ranking Member: John R. McPherson)
- Nicaraguan Claims (Select) (Chairman: Henry G. Davis; Ranking Member: Nathaniel P. Hill)
- Ordnance and Gunnery (Select)
- Ordnance and Projectiles (Select)
- Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
- Patents (Chairman: Orville H. Platt; Ranking Member: Richard Coke)
- Pensions (Chairman: John I. Mitchell; Ranking Member: James B. Groome)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Thomas W. Ferry; Ranking Member: Samuel B. Maxey)
- Potomac River Front (Select)
- Private Land Claims (Chairman: Thomas F. Bayard; Ranking Member: George F. Edmunds)
- Privileges and Elections (Chairman: George F. Hoar; Ranking Member: Eli Saulsbury)
- Public Lands (Chairman: Preston B. Plumb; Ranking Member: Charles W. Jones)
- Railroads (Chairman: William P. Kellogg; Ranking Member: Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar)
- Revenue Collections in North Carolina (Special)
- Revision of the Laws (Chairman: John F. Miller; Ranking Member: David Davis)
- Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: John W. Johnston; Ranking Member: Henry B. Anthony)
- Rules (Chairman: William P. Frye; Ranking Member: Wilkinson Call)
- Sioux and Crow Indians (Select)
- Tariff Regulation (Select)
- Tenth Census (Select) (Chairman: Eugene Hale; Ranking Member: George H. Pendleton)
- Territories (Chairman: Alvin Saunders; Ranking Member: Matthew C. Butler)
- Transportation Routes to the Seaboard (Chairman: Benjamin Harrison; Ranking Member: James B. Beck)
- Whole
- Woman Suffrage (Select) (Chairman: Elbridge G. Lapham; Ranking Member: James Z. George)
House of Representatives
- Accounts (Chairman: Milton G. Urner; Ranking Member: Edward L. Martin)
- Alcoholic Liquor Traffic (Select) (Chairman: John T. Wait; Ranking Member: Thomas Williams)
- Agriculture (Chairman: Edward K. Valentine; Ranking Member: William Cullen)
- Appropriations (Chairman: Frank Hiscock; Ranking Member: Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn)
- Banking and Currency (Chairman: William W. Crapo; Ranking Member: John H. Ketcham)
- Claims (Chairman: Richard Crowley; Ranking Member: Robert J.C. Walker)
- Coinage, Weights and Measures (Chairman: Horatio G. Fisher; Ranking Member: Ira S. Hazeltine)
- Commerce (Chairman: Horace F. Page; Ranking Member: Melvin C. George)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: Henry S. Neal; Ranking Member: John F. Dezendorf)
- Education and Labor (Chairman: John C. Sherwin; Ranking Member: Albert S. Willis)
- Elections (Chairman: William H. Calkins; Ranking Member: Ferris Jacobs Jr.)
- Enrolled Bills (Chairman: William Aldrich; Ranking Member: Cornelius C. Jadwin)
- Expenditures in the Interior Department (Chairman: Jay Abel Hubbell; Ranking Member: Charles B. Simonton)
- Expenditures in the Justice Department (Chairman: Edwin Willits; Ranking Member: Otho R. Singleton)
- Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: George M. Robeson; Ranking Member: Leopold Morse)
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: Joseph G. Cannon; Ranking Member: John H. Reagan)
- Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: Nathaniel C. Deering; Ranking Member: Thomas H. Herndon)
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: James B. Belford; Ranking Member: William H. Forney)
- Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: James F. Briggs; Ranking Member: Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn)
- Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: Russell Errett; Ranking Member: Morgan R. Wise)
- Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Charles G. Williams; Ranking Member: Robert J.C. Walker)
- Indian Affairs (Chairman: Dudley C. Haskell; Ranking Member: David P. Richardson)
- Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Thomas M. Browne; Ranking Member: James Wolcott Wadsworth)
- Judiciary (Chairman: Thomas B. Reed; Ranking Member: Amasa Norcross)
- Levees and Improvements of the Mississippi River (Chairman: John R. Thomas; Ranking Member: Julius C. Burrows)
- Manufactures (Chairman: James M. Campbell; Ranking Member: Jonathan Chace)
- Memorial on Services Rendered by Carlisle P. Patterson (Select) (Chairman: John A. Kasson; Ranking Member: John D.C. Atkins)
- Mileage (Chairman: Joseph Jorgensen; Ranking Member: Thomas R. Cobb)
- Military Affairs (Chairman: Thomas J. Henderson; Ranking Member: Henry J. Spooner)
- Militia (Chairman: Horace B. Strait; Ranking Member: Edward K. Valentine)
- Mines and Mining (Chairman: John Van Voorhis; Ranking Member: Thomas L. Young)
- Naval Affairs (Chairman: Benjamin W. Harris; Ranking Member: John F. Dezendorf)
- Pacific Railroads (Chairman: George C. Hazelton; Ranking Member: Charles B. Farwell)
- Patents (Chairman: Thomas L. Young; Ranking Member: Henry J. Spooner)
- Pensions (Chairman: Benjamin F. Marsh; Ranking Member: Dietrich C. Smith)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Henry H. Bingham; Ranking Member: Henry L. Morey)
- Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: William S. Shallenberger; Ranking Member: J. Hyatt Smith)
- Public Expenditures (Chairman: Samuel J. Randall; Ranking Member: George W. Ladd)
- Public Lands (Chairman: Thaddeus C. Pound; Ranking Member: Theron M. Rice)
- Private Land Claims (Chairman: Romualdo Pacheco; Ranking Member: Henry L. Muldrow)
- Railways and Canals (Chairman: Amos Townsend; Ranking Member: J. Hart Brewer)
- Revision of Laws (Chairman: William McKinley; Ranking Member: Cornelius C. Jadwin)
- Rules (Chairman: J. Warren Keifer; Ranking Member: Samuel J. Randall)
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Territories (Chairman: Julius C. Burrows; Ranking Member: William W. Grout)
- War Claims (Chairman: Leonidas C. Houk; Ranking Member: Edward W. Robertson)
- Ways and Means (Chairman: William D. Kelley; Ranking Member: Samuel J. Randall)
- Whole
Joint committees
- American Shipbuilding (Select)
- Budget Control
- Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
- Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Sen. William Aldrich; Vice Chairman: Rep. John E. Kenna)
- The Library (Chairman: Sen. John Sherman; Vice Chairman: Rep. George W. Geddes)
- Printing (Chairman: Sen. Henry B. Anthony; Vice Chairman: Rep. William M. Springer)
- Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Sen. William Mahone; Vice Chairman: Rep. J. Hyatt Smith)
- State, War and Navy Department Building
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Caucuses
- Democratic (House)
- Democratic (Senate)
Employees
Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: Edward Clark
- Librarian of Congress: Ainsworth Rand Spofford
- Public Printer of the United States: John D. Defrees, until 1882
- Sterling P. Rounds, from 1882
Senate
- Secretary: John C. Burch, elected March 24, 1879, died July 28, 1881
- Francis E. Shober, (Acting), elected October 25, 1881
- Librarian: P. J. Pierce
- Sergeant at Arms: Richard J. Bright
- Chaplain: Joseph J. Bullock (Presbyterian)
House of Representatives
- Clerk: George M. Adams, until December 5, 1881
- Edward McPherson, from December 5, 1881
- Sergeant at Arms: John G. Thompson, until December 5, 1881
- George W. Hooker, from December 5, 1881
- Doorkeeper: Walter P. Brownlow, elected December 5, 1881
- Postmaster: Henry Sherwood, elected December 5, 1881
- Clerk at the Speaker's Table: J. Guilford White
- Michael Sullivan
- Reading Clerks: Charles N. Clisbee (D) and Neill S. Brown Jr. (R)
- Chaplain: William P. Harrison (Methodist), until December 5, 1881
- Frederick D. Power (Disciples of Christ), from December 5, 1881
See also
- 1880 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
- 1882 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
Notes
- In Maine: James G. Blaine (R) resigned to become Secretary of State.
- In Iowa: Samuel J. Kirkwood (R) resigned to become Secretary of the Interior. In Minnesota: William Windom (R) resigned to become Secretary of the Treasury.
- In Iowa: James W. McDill (R) was appointed to finish Samuel J. Kirkwood's term.
- In Minnesota: Alonzo J. Edgerton (R) was appointed to finish William Windom's term.
- In Wisconsin: Angus Cameron (R) was elected to finish the term of Matthew H. Carpenter (R), who had died the previous month.
- In Maine: William P. Frye (R) was elected to finish James G. Blaine's term.
- William Mahone caucused with Republicans beginning on March 14, 1881. Vice President Chester A. Arthur (R) held the tie-breaking vote.
- In New York: Roscoe Conkling (R) and Thomas C. Platt (R) resigned as a protest against federal patronage appointments made in New York.
- In New York: Warner Miller (R) was elected to finish the term of Thomas C. Platt (R).
- In New York: Elbridge G. Lapham (R) was elected to finish the term of Roscoe Conkling (R).
- In Rhode Island: Ambrose Burnside (R) died.
- In Rhode Island: Nelson W. Aldrich (R) was elected to finish Ambrose Burnside's term. With Arthur having assumed the Presidency after James A. Garfield's assassination, there was no tie-breaking vote. Independent David Davis was elected president pro tempore and both parties agreed to perpetuate the organizational status quo. Leadership of the Senate committees remained in Republican hands, while the Democrats continued to control the offices of Secretary and Sergeant at Arms.
- Independent David Davis did not caucus with the Republicans, but was elected president pro tempore in a compromise that allowed Republican control of the committees.
- In Minnesota: William Windom (R) was elected to succeed interim appointee Alonzo J. Edgerton (R).
- In Colorado: Henry M. Teller (R) resigned to become Secretary of the Interior. His successor, George M. Chilcott (R), was seated the same day.
- In Georgia: Benjamin Harvey Hill (D) died.
- In Georgia: Middleton P. Barrow (D) was elected to finish the term of Benjamin Harvey Hill (D).
- In Colorado: Horace Tabor (R) was elected to succeed interim appointee George M. Chilcott (R).
- In Maine's 2nd district: William P. Frye (R) resigned when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
- In New York's 11th district: Levi P. Morton (R) resigned when he was appointed U.S. Minister to France.
- In Michigan's 7th district: John Treadway Rich (R) was elected to replace Omar D. Conger (R). Conger had been reelected in 1880 but did not take his seat because he had been elected to the U.S. Senate.
- In South Carolina's 2nd district: Michael P. O'Connor (D) died. He had been seated at the opening of Congress, but his election was still being contested when he died.
- In South Carolina's 2nd district: Samuel Dibble (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created by the death of Michael P. O'Connor (D). The seat was the subject of an election contest, which was eventually resolved in favor of the Republican, Edmund W. M. Mackey, meaning that this vacancy never properly existed.
- In New York's 22nd district: Warner Miller (R) resigned when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
- In New York's 27th district: Elbridge G. Lapham (R) resigned when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
- In Maine's 2nd district: Samuel Dibble (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when William P. Frye (R) resigned to enter the U.S. Senate.
- In Rhode Island's 1st district: Nelson W. Aldrich (R) resigned when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
- In New York's 11th district: Roswell P. Flower (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Levi P. Morton (R) resigned to become U.S. Minister to France. In New York's 22nd district: Charles R. Skinner (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Warner Miller (R) resigned to enter the U.S. Senate. In New York's 27th district: James Wolcott Wadsworth (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Elbridge G. Lapham (R) resigned to enter the U.S. Senate.
- In New York's 9th district: John Hardy (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Fernando Wood (D) died before Congress convened. In Rhode Island's 1st district: Charles R. Skinner (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Nelson W. Aldrich (R) resigned to enter the U.S. Senate.
- In Missouri's 2nd district: Thomas Allen (D) died.
- In Mississippi's 6th district: James Ronald Chalmers (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, John R. Lynch (R).
- In South Carolina's 2nd district: Samuel Dibble (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, Edmund W. M. Mackey (IR).
- In Florida's 2nd district: Jesse J. Finley (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, Horatio Bisbee Jr. (R).
- In Alabama's 8th district: Joseph Wheeler (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, William M. Lowe (G).
- In Illinois's 5th district: Robert M. A. Hawk (R) died.
- In South Carolina's 5th district: George D. Tillman (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, Robert Smalls (R).
- In South Carolina's 5th district: Charles M. Shelley (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now declared vacant and called for a new election.
- In Alabama's 8th district: William M. Lowe (G) died.
- In Georgia's 8th district: Alexander H. Stephens (D) resigned when he was elected Governor of Georgia.
- In Illinois's 5th district: Robert R. Hitt (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Robert M. A. Hawk (R) died. In South Carolina's 5th district: Charles M. Shelley (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when the house voided his previous election.
- In Ohio's 16th district: Jonathan T. Updegraff (R) died.
- In Georgia's 8th district: Seaborn Reese (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Alexander H. Stephens (D) was elected Governor of Georgia.
- In Missouri's 2nd district: James Henry McLean (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Thomas Allen (D) died.
- In Indiana's 9th district: Godlove Stein Orth (R) died.
- In Ohio's 16th district: Joseph D. Taylor (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Jonathan T. Updegraff (R) died.
- In Alabama's 8th district: Joseph Wheeler (D) was elected to fill the vacancy created when William M. Lowe (G) died.
- In Indiana's 9th district: Charles T. Doxey (R) was elected to fill the vacancy created when Godlove Stein Orth (R) died.
- In North Carolina's 3rd district: John Williams Shackelford (D) died.
- In Missouri's 3rd district: Richard Graham Frost (D) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, Gustavus Sessinghaus] (R).
- In Iowa's 6th district: Marsena E. Cutts (R) had been seated pending the resolution of an election dispute, which the House now decided in favor of his opponent, John C. Cook] (D).
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References
External links
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