42nd United States Congress

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42nd United States Congress
41st ←
→ 43rd
USCapitol1877.jpg
United States Capitol (1877)

March 4, 1871 – March 4, 1873
Members74 senators
243 representatives
10 non-voting delegates
Senate MajorityRepublican
Senate PresidentSchuyler Colfax (R)
House MajorityRepublican
House SpeakerJames G. Blaine (R)
Sessions
1st: March 4, 1871 – April 20, 1871
2nd: December 4, 1871 – June 10, 1872
3rd: December 2, 1872 – March 4, 1873

The 42nd 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, 1871, to March 4, 1873, during the third and fourth years of Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Eighth Census of the United States in 1860. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

Major events[]

  • June 10, 1871: U.S. Marines make naval attack on the Han River forts in Korea
  • March 1, 1872: Yellowstone National Park was established as the world's first national park
  • November 5, 1872: 1872 United States presidential election

Major legislation[]

  • April 20, 1871: Civil Rights Act of 1871
  • March 1, 1872: Yellowstone National Park founded
  • May 10, 1872: General Mining Act of 1872
  • May 23, 1872: Amnesty Act of 1872
  • June 1, 1872: (precursor to the Rules Enabling Act), ch. 255, 17 Stat. 196
  • February 12, 1873: Coinage Act of 1873
  • March 3, 1873: Timber Culture Act
  • March 3, 1873: Comstock Act
  • March 3, 1873: Salary Grab Act (so called)

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[]

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Liberal
Republican

(LR)
Republican
(R)
End of previous congress 12 0 62 74 0
Begin 14 1 55 70 4
End 17 54 722
Final voting share 23.6% 1.4% 75.0%
Beginning of next congress 19 3 50 72 2

House of Representatives[]

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Independent
Republican

(IR)
Liberal
Republican

(LR)
Republican
(R)
Other
End of previous congress 67 0 0 169 5[a] 241 2
Begin 102 1 3 135 0 241 2
End 106 131
Final voting share 44.0% 0.4% 1.2% 54.4% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 91 0 4 189 6[b] 290 2

Leadership[]

President of the Senate Schuyler Colfax

Senate[]

  • President: Schuyler Colfax (R)
  • President pro tempore: Henry B. Anthony (R)

House of Representatives[]

  • Speaker: James G. Blaine (R)
  • Republican Conference Chairman: Austin Blair

Members[]

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and representatives are listed by district.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

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 re-election in 1874; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1876; and Class 3 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1872.

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[]

  • Replacements: 0
    • Democratic: no net change
    • Republican: no net change
  • Deaths: 0
  • Resignations: 2
  • Contested elections: 0
  • Total seats with changes: 4
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[c]
Virginia (2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.
Previous incumbent re-elected March 15, 1871.
John W. Johnston (D) March 15, 1871
Georgia (2) Vacant Foster Blodgett presented credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected.
Successor elected November 14, 1871.
Thomas M. Norwood (D) November 14, 1871
Mississippi (2) Vacant Delayed taking seat in order to serve as Governor of Mississippi James L. Alcorn (R) December 1, 1871
North Carolina (2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.
Successor elected January 30, 1872.
Matt W. Ransom (D) January 30, 1872
Kentucky (3) Garrett Davis (D) Died September 22, 1872.
Successor appointed September 27, 1872.
Appointee was later elected January 21, 1873, to finish the term.[1]
Willis B. Machen (D) September 27, 1872
Louisiana (3) William P. Kellogg (R) Resigned November 1, 1872, after being elected Governor of Louisiana Vacant Not filled this Congress
Massachusetts (2) Henry Wilson (R) Resigned March 3, 1873, after being elected U.S. Vice President Vacant Not filled this Congress

House of Representatives[]

  • Replacements: 11
    • Democratic: 4 seat net gain
    • Republican: 4 seat net loss
    • Liberal Republican: 0 net change
  • Deaths: 3
  • Resignations: 6
  • Contested election: 4
  • Total seats with changes: 16
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[c]
District of Columbia At-large New seat District of Columbia's At-large district created March 4, 1871, and remained vacant until April 21, 1871 Norton P. Chipman (R) April 21, 1871
Illinois At-large Vacant Rep. John A. Logan resigned at the end of the previous congress after being elected to the US Senate John L. Beveridge (R) November 7, 1871
Michigan 4th Vacant Rep. Thomas W. Ferry resigned at the end of the previous congress after being elected to the US Senate Wilder D. Foster (R) December 4, 1871
Illinois 6th Burton C. Cook (R) Resigned August 26, 1871 Henry Snapp (R) December 4, 1871
Louisiana 4th James McCleery (R) Died November 5, 1871 Alexander Boarman (LR) December 3, 1872
Massachusetts 9th William B. Washburn (R) Resigned December 5, 1871, after being elected Governor of Massachusetts Alvah Crocker (R) January 2, 1872
Arkansas 3rd John Edwards (LR) Lost contested election February 9, 1872 Thomas Boles (R) February 9, 1872
Massachusetts 7th George M. Brooks (R) Resigned May 13, 1872, after becoming judge of probate for Middlesex County Constantine C. Esty (R) December 2, 1872
Texas 3rd William T. Clark (R) Lost contested election May 13, 1872 Dewitt C. Giddings (D) December 13, 1872
Ohio 1st Aaron F. Perry (R) Resigned July 14, 1872 Ozro J. Dodds (D) October 9, 1872
Georgia 4th Thomas J. Speer (R) Died August 18, 1872 Erasmus W. Beck (D) December 2, 1872
Connecticut 1st Julius L. Strong (R) Died September 7, 1872 Joseph R. Hawley (R) December 2, 1872
Pennsylvania 13th Ulysses Mercur (R) Resigned December 2, 1872, after becoming an assoc. justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Frank C. Bunnell (R) December 24, 1872
Illinois At-large John L. Beveridge (R) Resigned January 4, 1873, after being elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Vacant Not filled this term
South Carolina 2nd Robert C. De Large (R) Seat declared vacant January 24, 1873, after election was contested by Christopher C. Bowen Vacant Not filled this term
Florida At-large Josiah T. Walls (R) Lost contested election January 29, 1873 Silas L. Niblack (D) January 29, 1873

Committees[]

Lists of committees and their party leaders, for members (House and Senate) of the committees and their assignments, go into the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of the article and click on the link (1 link), in the directory after the pages of terms of service, you will see the committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and after the committee pages, you will see the House/Senate committee assignments in the directory, 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[]

  • Agriculture (Chairman: Frederick T. Frelinghuysen; Ranking Member: Henry G. Davis)
  • Appropriations (Chairman: Lot M. Morrill; Ranking Member: William Windom)
  • Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: Matthew H. Carpenter; Ranking Member: Eli Saulsbury)
  • Civil Service and Retrenchment (Chairman: George G. Wright; Ranking Member: N/A)
  • Claims (Chairman: John Scott; Ranking Member: Arthur I. Boreman)
  • Commerce (Chairman: Zachariah Chandler; Ranking Member: William A. Buckingham)
  • (Select)
  • District of Columbia (Chairman: John F. Lewis; Ranking Member: Frederick A. Sawyer)
  • Education and Labor (Chairman: James W. Flanagan; Ranking Member: James W. Patterson)
  • Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Thomas F. Bayard; Ranking Member: Thomas M. Norwood)
  • Finance (Chairman: John Sherman; Ranking Member: Adelbert Ames)
  • Foreign Relations (Chairman: Simon Cameron; Ranking Member: Carl Schurz)
  • Indian Affairs (Chairman: William A. Buckingham; Ranking Member: Henry Wilson)
  • (Chairman: William A. Buckingham; Ranking Member; William M. Stewart)
  • Judiciary (Chairman: George F. Edmunds; Ranking Member: Frederick T. Frelinghuysen)
  • Manufactures (Chairman: Thomas J. Robertson; Ranking Member: Abijah Gilbert)
  • Military Affairs (Chairman: John A. Logan; Ranking Member: John A. Logan)
  • Mines and Mining (Chairman: Hannibal Hamlin; Ranking Member: Alexander Caldwell)
  • (Select)
  • Naval Affairs (Chairman: Aaron H. Cragin; Ranking Member: Thomas W. Ferry)
  • (Select)
  • (Select)
  • (Chairman: William M. Stewart; Ranking Member: William P. Kellogg)
  • Patents (Chairman: Orris S. Ferry; Ranking Member: William Windom)
  • Pensions (Chairman: Daniel D. Pratt; Ranking Member: Morgan C. Hamilton)
  • Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Alexander Ramsey; Ranking Member: Hannibal Hamlin)
  • Private Land Claims (Chairman: Allen G. Thurman; Ranking Member: Thomas F. Bayard)
  • Privileges and Elections (Chairman: Oliver P. Morton; Ranking Member: Joshua Hill)
  • Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Justin S. Morrill; Ranking Member: Cornelius Cole)
  • Public Lands (Chairman: William Sprague; Ranking Member: William Windom)
  • Railroads (Chairman: William M. Stewart; Ranking Member: N/A)
  • (Select)
  • (Chairman: Hannibal Hamlin; Ranking Member: George G. Wright)
  • Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: William G. Brownlow; Ranking Member: Joshua Hill)
  • (Select)
  • Tariff Regulation (Select)
  • Territories (Chairman: Arthur I. Boreman; Ranking Member: Phineas W. Hitchcock)
  • (Select)
  • Whole

House of Representatives[]

  • Accounts (Chairman: James Buffington; Ranking Member: Stevenson Archer)
  • Agriculture (Chairman: Charles Hays; Ranking Member: John W. Hazelton)
  • Appropriations (Chairman: James A. Garfield; Ranking Member: Eugene Hale)
  • (Select)
  • (Select)
  • Banking and Currency (Chairman: Horace Maynard; Ranking Member: Clinton L. Merriam)
  • Claims (Chairman: John B. Hawley; Ranking Member: William P. Frye)
  • Coinage, Weights and Measures (Chairman: Samuel Hooper; Ranking Member: John Critcher)
  • Commerce (Chairman: William A. Wheeler; Ranking Member: James S. Negley)
  • District of Columbia (Chairman: Alfred C. Harmer; Ranking Member: Aylett R. Cotton)
  • Education and Labor (Chairman: James Monroe; Ranking Member: Robert B. Elliott)
  • Elections (Chairman: Horace B. Smith; Ranking Member: Benjamin T. Eames)
  • Expenditures in the Interior Department (Chairman: Jackson Orr; Ranking Member: George M. Adams)
  • Expenditures in the Justice Department (Chairman: James B. Sener; Ranking Member: N/A)
  • Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: Julius C. Burrows; Ranking Member: Benjamin T. Biggs)
  • Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: Henry W. Barry; Ranking Member: William R. Roberts)
  • Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: Jasper Packard; Ranking Member: John Rogers)
  • Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: J. Hale Sypher; Ranking Member: William H. Barnum)
  • Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: William Williams; Ranking Member: Ephraim L. Acker)
  • Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: R. Holland Duell; Ranking Member: Fernando Wood)
  • Freedmen's Affairs (Chairman: Clinton L. Cobb; Ranking Member: Joseph H. Rainey)
  • Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Godlove Stein Orth; Ranking Member: Jasper Packard)
  • Indian Affairs (Chairman: John T. Averill; Ranking Member: John C. Edwards)
  • Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Jeremiah McLain Rusk; Ranking Member: Benjamin S. Turner)
  • Judiciary (Chairman: Benjamin F. Butler; Ranking Member: Milo Goodrich)
  • Manufactures (Chairman: Charles B. Farwell; Ranking Member: John M. Rice)
  • Mileage (Chairman: Hezekiah S. Bundy; Ranking Member: Edward I. Golladay)
  • Military Affairs (Chairman: John Coburn; Ranking Member: George E. Harris)
  • Militia (Chairman: Roderick R. Butler; Ranking Member: John C. Conner)
  • Mines and Mining (Chairman: David P. Lowe; Ranking Member: Walter L. Sessions)
  • Naval Affairs (Chairman: Glenni W. Scofield; Ranking Member: John M. Coghlan)
  • (Chairman: Philetus Sawyer; Ranking Member: John T. Averill)
  • Patents (Chairman: Omar D. Conger; Ranking Member: Joseph M. Warren)
  • Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: John B. Packer; Ranking Member: Charles H. Porter)
  • Private Land Claims (Chairman: Jasper Packard; Ranking Member: J. Allen Barber)
  • Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: James H. Platt Jr.; Ranking Member: Walter L. Sessions)
  • Public Expenditures (Chairman: Harrison E. Havens; Ranking Member: Thomas Kinsella)
  • Public Lands (Chairman: Washington Townsend; Ranking Member: Jeremiah M. Rusk)
  • Railways and Canals (Chairman: George W. McCrary; Ranking Member: Charles St. John
  • (Chairman: Stephen W. Kellogg; Ranking Member: N/A)
  • Revision of Laws (Chairman: Luke P. Poland; Ranking Member: John S. Bigby)
  • Revolution Claims (Chairman: Alexander S. Wallace; Ranking Member: Abram Comingo)
  • Revolutionary Pensions and War of 1812 (Chairman: Lazarus D. Shoemaker; Ranking Member: John M. Rice)
  • Rules (Select) (Chairman: James G. Blaine; Ranking Member: Samuel S. Cox)
  • Standards of Official Conduct
  • Territories (Chairman: George C. McKee; Ranking Member: Lazarus D. Shoemaker)
  • War Claims (Chairman: William Lawrence; Ranking Member: N/A)
  • Ways and Means (Chairman: Henry L. Dawes; Ranking Member: Horatio C. Burchard)
  • Whole

Joint committees[]

  • Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
  • Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Rep. Chester B. Darrall; Vice Chairman: Rep. John T. Bird)
  • (Select) (Chairman: Rep. Jeremiah M. Wilson; Vice Chairman: N/A)
  • The Library (Chairman: Rep. William P. Frye; Vice Chairman: Rep. Lewis D. Campbell)
  • Printing (Chairman: Rep. William G. Donnan; Vice Chairman: Rep. William P. Price)

Caucuses[]

  • Democratic (House)
  • Democratic (Senate)

Employees[]

Legislative branch agency directors[]

  • Architect of the Capitol: Edward Clark
  • Librarian of Congress: Ainsworth Rand Spofford

Senate[]

House of Representatives[]

See also[]

  • United States elections, 1870 (elections leading to this Congress)
    • United States Senate elections, 1870 and 1871
    • United States House of Representatives elections, 1870
  • United States elections, 1872 (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
    • 1872 United States presidential election
    • United States Senate elections, 1872 and 1873
    • United States House of Representatives elections, 1872

Notes[]

  1. ^ Conservative
  2. ^ Independent Democratic
  3. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References[]

  1. ^ Byrd & Wolff, p. 112.
  • Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
  • 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[]

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