47th Congress of the United States

The 47th Congress of the United States , made up of the House and Senate , was the legislature of the United States . Its legislative period lasted from March 4, 1881 to March 4, 1883. All members of the House of Representatives and a third of the senators ( Class I ) were elected in the 1880 congressional elections. This resulted in different majorities in the chambers. The Democratic Party had a majority in the Senate and the Republican Party dominated the House of Representatives. Presidents at the time were Republicans James A. Garfield and, after his assassination, Chester A. Arthur . The United States then consisted of 38 states. Congress met in the American capital Washington, DC The distribution of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1870 census .

Important events

See also 1881 1882 and 1883

• March 4, 1881: Beginning of the legislative period of the 47th Congress. At the same time, James Garfield, who was also elected in November 1880, was introduced to his new office as US President. He replaces Rutherford B. Hayes .
• July 2, 1881: President Garfield is injured in an assassination attempt. Later he suffers an infection as a result of which he dies on September 19th. This moves Vice President Chester Arthur into the highest office in the United States.
• July 20, 1881: Chief Sitting Bull surrenders at Fort Buford, Montana . See also Indian Wars .
• August 27, 1881: A hurricane in Florida and the two Carolina states kills around 700 people.
• September 5, 1881: A conflagration in Michigan destroys approximately 4,000 square kilometers of land. 282 people die.
• September 2, 1882: Thomas Alva Edison opens the world's first public power plant in Lower Manhattan .
• September 5, 1882: The first Labor Day parade takes place in New York City .
• November 1882: In the congressional elections in the USA there are again different majorities in the two chambers. However, the previous majorities are twisting. The Republicans win a majority in the Senate and the Democrats win a majority in the House of Representatives.
• January 10, 1883: 73 people died in a fire in a Milwaukee hotel .

The main laws

During the session of the 47th Congress, the following federal laws were passed ( see also: Legislative procedure ):

• February 25, 1882: Apportionment of the 1880 United States Census
• May 6, 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act
• August 2, 1882: Rivers and Harbors Act
• January 16, 1883: Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
• March 3, 1883: Tariff of 1883

Composition according to parties

senate

• Democratic Party: 37
• Republican Party: 37
• Others: 2 (voted with Democrats)
• Vacant: 0

Total: 76

House of Representatives

• Democratic Party: 130
• Republican Party: 150
• Others: 11
• Vacant: 1

Total: 292 at the end of the legislative period

There were also eight congressional delegates who were not entitled to vote

Public officials

senate

• President of the Senate : Chester A. Arthur (R) until September 19, 1881, after which the office was vacant.
• President pro tempore : Thomas F. Bayard (D) until October 13, 1881, then David Davis (Independent)

House of Representatives

• House Speaker : J. Warren Keifer (R)

Senate members

The following senators represented their respective states in the 47th Congress:

Alabama 2. John Tyler Morgan (D) 3. James L. Pugh (D) Arkansas 2. Augustus Hill Garland (D) 3. James D. Walker (D) California 1. John Franklin Miller (R) 3. James T. Farley (D) Colorado 2. Henry Moore Teller (R) until April 17, 1882 George M. Chilcott (R) from April 17, 1882 to January 27, 1883 Horace Tabor (R) from January 27, 1883 3. Nathaniel P. Hill (R) Connecticut 1. Joseph Roswell Hawley (R) 3. Orville H. Platt (R) Delaware 1. Thomas F. Bayard (D) 2. Eli M. Saulsbury (D) Florida 1. Charles W. Jones (D) 3. Wilkinson Call (D) Georgia 2. Benjamin Harvey Hill (D) until August 16, 1882 Middleton Barrow (D) from November 15, 1882 3. Joseph E. Brown (D) Illinois 2. David Davis (Independent) 3. John A. Logan (R) Indiana 1. Benjamin Harrison (R) 3. Daniel W. Voorhees (D) Iowa 2. Samuel Jordan Kirkwood (R) through March 7, 1881 James W. McDill (R) from March 8, 1881 3. William B. Allison (R) Kansas 2. Preston B. Plumb (R) 3. John James Ingalls (R) Kentucky 2. James B. Beck (D) 3. John Stuart Williams (D) Louisiana 2. William P. Kellogg (R) 3. Benjamin F. Jonas (D) Maine 1. Eugene Hale (R) 2. James G. Blaine (R) through March 5, 1881 William P. Frye (R) from March 15, 1881 Maryland 1. Arthur Pue Gorman (D) 3. James Black Groome (D) Massachusetts 1. Henry L. Dawes (R) 2. George Frisbie Hoar (R) Michigan 1. Omar D. Conger (R) 2. Thomas W. Ferry (R) Minnesota 1. Samuel McMillan (R) 2. William Windom (R) until March 7, 1881 Alonzo J. Edgerton (R) from March 12 to October 30, 1881 William Windom (R) from November 15, 1881

Mississippi 1. James Z. George (D) 2. Lucius Lamar (D) Missouri 1. Francis Cockrell (D) 3. George Graham Vest (D) Nebraska 1. Charles Van Wyck (R) 2. Alvin Saunders (R) Nevada 1. James Graham Fair (D) 3. John P. Jones (R) New Hampshire 2. Edward H. Rollins (R) 3. Henry W. Blair (R) New Jersey 1. William Joyce Sewell (R) 2. John R. McPherson (D) new York 1. Thomas C. Platt (R) until May 16, 1881 Warner Miller (R) from July 27, 1881 3. Roscoe Conkling (R) until May 16, 1881 Elbridge G. Lapham (R) from October 11, 1881 North Carolina 2. Matt Whitaker Ransomware (D) 3. Zebulon Baird Vance (D) Ohio 1. John Sherman (R) 3. George H. Pendleton (D) Oregon 2. La Fayette Grover (D) 3. James H. Slater (D) Pennsylvania 1. John I. Mitchell (R) 3. James Donald Cameron (R) Rhode Island 1. Ambrose Burnside (R) until September 13, 1881 Nelson W. Aldrich (R) from October 5, 1881 2. Henry B. Anthony (R) South carolina 2. Matthew Butler (D) 3. Wade Hampton III. (D) Tennessee 1. Howell Edmunds Jackson (D) 2. Isham G. Harris (D) Texas 1. Samuel B. Maxey (D) 2. Richard Coke (D) Vermont 1. George F. Edmunds (R) 3. Justin Smith Morrill (R) Virginia 1. William Mahone (Readjuster Party) 2. John W. Johnston (D) West Virginia 1. Johnson N. Camden (D) 2. Henry G. Davis (D) Wisconsin 1. Philetus Sawyer (R) 3. Angus Cameron (R) from March 14, 1881

Members of the House of Representatives

The following congressmen represented the interests of their respective states in the 47th Congress:

Alabama 8 constituencies 1. Thomas H. Herndon (D) 2. Hilary A. Herbert (D) 3. William C. Oates (D) 4. Charles M. Shelley (D) with one interruption between July 20 and November 7, 1882 5. Thomas Williams (D) 6. Goldsmith W. Hewitt (D) 7. William Henry Forney (D) 8. Joseph Wheeler (D) until June 3, 1882 William M. Lowe (Greenback Party) June 3 to October 12, 1882 Joseph Wheeler (D) from January 15, 1883 Arkansas 4 constituencies 1. Poindexter Dunn (D) 2. James Kimbrough Jones (D) 3. Jordan E. Cravens (D) 4. Thomas M. Gunter (D) California 4 constituencies 1. William Starke Rosecrans (D) 2. Horace F. Page (R) 3. Campbell Polson Berry (D) 4. Romualdo Pacheco (R) Colorado state wide election James B. Belford (R) Connecticut 4 constituencies 1. John R. Buck (R) 2. James Phelps (D) 3. John T. Wait (R) 4. Frederick Miles (R) Delaware state-wide choice Edward L. Martin (D) Florida Two constituencies 1. Robert HM Davidson (D) 2. Jesse Johnson Finley (D) until June 1, 1882 Horatio Bisbee (R) from June 1, 1882 Georgia 9 constituencies 1. George Robison Black (D) 2. Henry Gray Turner (D) 3. Philip Cook (D) 4. Hugh Buchanan (D) 5. Nathaniel Job Hammond (D) 6. James Henderson Blount (D) 7. Judson C. Clements (D) 8. Alexander Hamilton Stephens (D) until November 4, 1882 Seaborn Reese (D) from December 4, 1882 9. Emory Speer (Independent Democrat) Illinois 19 constituencies 1. William Aldrich (R) 2. George R. Davis (R) 3. Charles B. Farwell (R) 4. John C. Sherwin (R) 5. Robert MA Hawk (R) by June 29, 1882 Robert R. Hitt (R) from December 4, 1882 6. Thomas J. Henderson (R) 7. William Cullen (R) 8. Lewis E. Payson (R) 9. John H. Lewis (R) 10. Benjamin F. Marsh (R) 11. James W. Singleton (D) 12. William McKendree Springer (D) 13. Dietrich C. Smith (R) 14. Joseph Gurney Cannon (R) 15. Samuel W. Moulton (D) 16. William AJ Sparks (D) 17. William Ralls Morrison (D) 18. John R. Thomas (R) 19. Richard W. Townshend (D) Indiana 13 constituencies 1. William Heilman (R) 2. Thomas R. Cobb (D) 3. Strother M. Stockslager (D) 4. William S. Holman (D) 5. Courtland C. Matson (D) 6. Thomas M. Browne (R) 7. Stanton J. Peelle (R) 8. Robert BF Peirce (R) 9. Godlove Stein Orth (R) until December 16, 1882 Charles T. Doxey (R) from January 17, 1883 10. Mark L. De Motte (R) 11. George Washington Steele (R) 12. Walpole G. Colerick (D) 13. William H. Calkins (R) Iowa 9 constituencies 1. Moses A. McCoid (R) 2. Sewall S. Farwell (R) 3. Thomas Updegraff (R) 4. Nathaniel Cobb Deering (R) 5. William George Thompson (R) 6. Marsena E. Cutts (R) by March 3, 1883 John C. Cook (D) from March 3, 1883 7. John A. Kasson (R) 8. William Peters Hepburn (R) 9. Cyrus C. Carpenter (R) Kansas 3 constituencies 1. John Alexander Anderson (R) 2. Dudley C. Haskell (R) 3. Thomas Ryan (R) Kentucky 10 constituencies 1. Oscar Turner (D) 2. James A. McKenzie (D) 3. John W. Caldwell (D) 4. J. Proctor Knott (D) 5. Albert S. Willis (D) 6. John Griffin Carlisle (D) 7. Joseph Blackburn (D) 8. Philip B. Thompson (D) 9. John D. White (R) 10. Elijah Phister (D) Louisiana 6 constituencies 1. Randall L. Gibson (D) 2. E. John Ellis (D) 3. Chester Bidwell Darrall (R) 4. Newton C. Blanchard (D) 5. J. Floyd King (D) 6. Edward White Robertson (D) Maine 5 constituencies 1. Thomas Brackett Reed (R) 2. William P. Frye (R) until March 18, 1881 Nelson Dingley (R) from September 12, 1881 3. Stephen Lindsey (R) 4. George W. Ladd (Greenback Party) 5. Thompson H. Murch (Greenback Party) Maryland 6 constituencies. 1. George Washington Covington (D) 2. Joshua Talbott (D) 3. Fetter Schrier Hoblitzell (D) 4. Robert Milligan McLane (D) 5. Andrew Grant Chapman (D) 6. Milton Urner (R) Massachusetts 11 constituencies 1. William W. Crapo (R) 2. Benjamin W. Harris (R) 3. Ambrose Ranney (R) 4. Leopold Morse (D) 5. Selwyn Z. Bowman (R) 6. Even F. Stone (R) 7. William A. Russell (R) 8. John W. Candler (R) 9. William W. Rice (R) 10. Amasa Norcross (R) 11. George D. Robinson (R) Michigan 9 constituencies 1. Henry W. Lord (R) 2. Edwin Willits (R) 3. Edward S. Lacey (R) 4. Julius C. Burrows (R) 5. George W. Webber (R) 6. Oliver L. Spaulding (R) 7. John Tyler Rich (R) from April 5, 1881 8. Roswell G. Horr (R) 9. Jay Abel Hubbell (R) Minnesota 3rd constituency 1. Mark H. Dunnell (R) 2. Horace B. Strait (R) 3. William D. Washburn (R) Mississippi 6 constituencies 1. Henry L. Muldrow (D) 2. Van H. Manning (D) 3. Hernando Money (D) 4. Otho R. Singleton (D) 5. Charles E. Hooker (D) 6. James Ronald Chalmers (D) until April 29, 1882 John R. Lynch (R) from April 29, 1882 Missouri 13 constituencies 1. Martin L. Clardy (D) 2. Thomas Allen (D) until April 8, 1882 James Henry McLean (R) from December 15, 1882 3. Richard Graham Frost (D) until March 2, 1883 Gustavus Sessinghaus (R) from March 2, 1883 4. Lowndes Henry Davis (D) 5. Richard P. Bland (D) 6. Ira Sherwin Hazeltine (Greenback Party) 7. Theron Moses Rice (Greenback Party) 8. Robert T. Van Horn (R) 9. Nicholas Ford (Greenback Party) 10. Joseph Henry Burrows (Greenback Party) 11. John Bullock Clark (D) 12. William H. Hatch (D) 13. Aylett Hawes Buckner (D)

Nebraska State Choice Edward K. Valentine (R) Nevada state-wide election George Williams Cassidy (D) New Hampshire 3 electoral divisions 1. Joshua G. Hall (R) 2. James F. Briggs (R) 3. Ossian Ray (R) New Jersey 7 constituencies 1. George M. Robeson (R) 2. J. Hart Brewer (R) 3. Miles Ross (D) 4. Henry S. Harris (D) 5. John Hill (R) 6. Phineas Jones (R) 7th Augustus Albert Hardenbergh (D) New York 33 constituencies 1. Perry Belmont (D) 2. William Erigena Robinson (D) 3. J. Hyatt Smith (Independent) 4. Archibald Meserole Bliss (D) 5. Benjamin Wood (D) 6. Samuel S. Cox (D) 7. P. Henry Dugro (D) 8. Anson G. McCook (R) 9. John Hardy (D) from December 5, 1881 10. Abram Hewitt (D) 11. Levi P. Morton (R) through March 21, 1881 Roswell P. Flower (D) from November 8, 1881 12. Waldo Hutchins (D) from November 4, 1879 13. John H. Ketcham (R) 14. Lewis Beach (D) 15. Thomas Cornell (R) 16. Michael N. Nolan (D) 17. Walter A. Wood (R) 18. John Hammond (R) 19. Abraham X Parker (R) 20. George West (R) 21. Ferris Jacobs (R) 22. Warner Miller (R) through July 26, 1881 Charles R. Skinner (R) from November 18, 1881 23. Cyrus D. Prescott (R) 24. Joseph Mason (R) 25. Frank Hiscock (R) 26. John H. Camp (R) 27. Elbridge G. Lapham (R) until August 2, 1881 James Wolcott Wadsworth (R) from November 8, 1881 28. Jeremiah W. Dwight (R) 29. David P. Richardson (R) 30. John Van Voorhis (R) 31. Richard Crowley (R) 32. Jonathan Scoville (D) 33. Henry Van Aernam (R) North Carolina 8 constituencies 1. Louis C. Latham (D) 2. Orlando Hubbs (R) 3. John Williams Shackelford (D) until January 18, 1883 4. William Ruffin Cox (D) 5. Alfred Moore Scales (D) 6. Clement Dowd (D) 7. Robert Franklin Armfield (D) 8. Robert B. Vance (D) Ohio 20 constituencies 1. Benjamin Butterworth (R) 2. Thomas L. Young (R) 3. Henry Lee Morey (R) 4. Emanuel Shultz (R) 5. Benjamin Le Fevre (D) 6. James M. Ritchie (R) 7. John P. Leedom (D) 8. J. Warren Keifer (R) 9. James Sidney Robinson (R) 10. John B. Rice (R) 11. Henry S. Neal (R) 12. George L. Converse (D) 13. Gibson Atherton (D) 14. George W. Geddes (D) 15. Rufus R. Dawes (R) 16. Jonathan T. Updegraff (R) until November 30, 1882 Joseph D. Taylor (R) from January 2, 1883 17. William McKinley (R) 18. Addison S. McClure (R) 18. Jonathan T. Updegraff (R) 19. Ezra B. Taylor (R) 20. Amos Townsend (R) Oregon state-wide election Melvin Clark George (R) Pennsylvania 27 constituencies. 1. Henry H. Bingham (R) 2. Charles O'Neill (R) 3. Samuel J. Randall (D) 4. William D. Kelley (R) 5. Alfred C. Harmer (R) 6. William Ward (R) 7. William Godshalk (R) 8. Daniel Ermentrout (D) 9. Abraham Lord Smith (R) 10. William Mutchler (D) 11. Robert Klotz (D) 12. Joseph A. Scranton (R) 13. Charles N. Brumm (Greenback Party) 14. Samuel Fleming Barr (R) 15. Cornelius Comegys Jadwin (R) 16. Robert Walker (R) 17. Jacob Miller Campbell (R) 18. Horatio Gates Fisher (R) 19. Frank Eckels Beltzhoover (D) 20. Andrew Gregg Curtin (D) 21. Morgan Ringland Wise (D) 22. Russell Errett (R) 23. Thomas McKee Bayne (R) 24. William Shadrack Shallenberger (R) 25. James Mosgrove (Greenback Party) 26. Samuel Henry Miller (R) 27. Lewis Findlay Watson (R) Rhode Island 2 electoral districts 1. Nelson W. Aldrich (R) through October 5, 1881 Henry J. Spooner (R) from December 5, 1881 2. Jonathan Chace (R) South Carolina 5 constituencies. 1. John S. Richardson (D) 2. Michael P. O'Connor (D) until April 26, 1881 Samuel Dibble (D) from June 9, 1881 to May 31, 1882 Edmund Mackey (Independent) from May 31, 1882 3. D. Wyatt Aiken (D) 4. John H. Evins (D) 5. George D. Tillman (D) until June 19, 1882 Robert Smalls (R) from July 19, 1882 Tennessee 10 constituencies 1st Augustus Herman Pettibone (R) 2. Leonidas C. Houk (R) 3. George Gibbs Dibrell (D) 4. Benton McMillin (D) 5. Richard Warner (D) 6. John Ford House (D) 7. Washington C. Whitthorne (D) 8. John Atkins (D) 9. Charles Bryson Simonton (D) 10. William Robert Moore (R) Texas 6 constituencies. 1. John Henninger Reagan (D) 2. David B. Culberson (D) 3. Olin Wellborn (D) 4. Roger Q. Mills (D) 5. George W. Jones (Greenback Party) 6. Christopher C. Upson (D) Vermont 3 constituencies 1. Charles Herbert Joyce (R) 2. James Manning Tyler (R) 3. William W. Grout (R) Virginia 9 constituencies 1. George Tankard Garrison (D) 2. John F. Dezendorf (R) 3. George D. Wise (D) 4. Joseph Jorgensen (R) 5. George Cabell (D) 6. John Tucker (D) 7. John Paul (D) 8. John S. Barbour (D) 9. Abram Fulkerson (D) West Virginia 3 constituencies 1. Benjamin Wilson (D) 2. John B. Hoge (D) 3. John E. Kenna (D) Wisconsin 8 constituencies 1. Charles G. Williams (R) 2. Lucien B. Caswell (R) 3. George Cochrane Hazelton (R) 4. Peter V. Deuster (D) 5. Edward S. Bragg (D) 6. Richard W. Guenther (R) 7. Herman L. Humphrey (R) 8. Thaddeus C. Pound (R)

Members of the House of Representatives who are not entitled to vote:

• Arizona Territory : Granville Henderson Oury (D)
• Dakota Territory : Richard F. Pettigrew (R)
• Idaho Territory : George Ainslie (D)
• Montana Territory : Martin Maginnis (D)
• New Mexico Territory : Tranquilino Luna (R)
• Utah Territory : John Thomas Caine (D)
• Washington Territory : Thomas Hurley Brents (R)
• Wyoming Territory : Morton Everel Post (D)

Web links

Commons : 47th United States Congress  - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

• bioguide.congress.gov (by entering 47 under Year OR Congress: you get a list of the members of the 47th Congress with a link to the official biographies; English)