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President of the SenateWilliam A. Wheeler The Forty-sixth 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, 1879 to March 3, 1881 , during the last two years of the administration of U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes .
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Ninth Census of the United States in 1870 . Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
See also: 46th Congress - state detail March 4, 1879 - March 3, 1881
First session: March 18, 1879 – July 1, 1879
Second session: December 1, 1879 - June 16, 1880
Third session: December 6, 1880 - March 3, 1881 — a lame duck session Previous congress: 45th Congress - general Next congress: 47th Congress - general
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 TOTAL members: 76
House of Representatives TOTAL members: 293
Senate House of Representatives Main article: Events of 1879 ; Events of 1880 ; Events of 1881 Samuel J. Randall was elected in one of the most tightly fought contests for the speakership after the Civil War. Randall, who favored the protective tariff and "hard money," drew his greatest strength from northern cities and greatest opposition from the west and south. The midterm elections of 1878 had gone badly for the Democrats, with the Greenback Party making inroads in key districts. This emboldened Randall's opponents, who rallied to the support of Joseph Blackburn from Kentucky. In the end, Randall prevailed in the Democratic caucus to receive the nomination, with 75 votes to Blackburn's 57 and a scattering of 9 votes to three other candidates. Blackburn, in moving to make Randall's nomination unanimous, steered his supporters away from the nomination of Hendrick B. Wright , a Democrat from Pennsylvania who was nominated by the Greenbacks. In the eventual vote in the House to elect the Speaker, Randall prevailed with 144 votes, to 125 for James Garfield (Republican from Ohio), 13 for Wright, and one for William "Pig Iron" Kelley (Pennsylvania).
Main article: List of United States federal legislation in the 46th Congress Membership highlights by chamber [ edit ] This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
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 ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1880; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1882; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1884.
See also: Category:United States Senators See also: Category:United States congressional delegations by state
Alabama Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas
Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey
New York North Carolina Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin
President pro tempore Allen G. Thurman
House of Representatives [ edit ] The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "A/L," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.
Many of the congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.
See also: Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives See also: Category:United States congressional delegations by state
Alabama Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana
Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York
North Carolina Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin
Speaker of the HouseSamuel J. Randall Arizona Territory Dakota Territory Idaho Territory Montana Territory New Mexico Territory Utah Territory Washington Territory Wyoming Territory
[ edit ] The list below is arranged by chamber, then by political party. Members are shown in alphabetical order.
Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six year terms with each Congress.
A-F James E. Bailey , Tennessee Thomas F. Bayard, Sr. , Delaware James B. Beck , Kentucky Joseph E. Brown , Georgia Matthew C. Butler , South Carolina Wilkinson Call , Florida Francis M. Cockrell , Missouri Richard Coke , Texas Henry G. Davis , West Virginia William W. Eaton , Connecticut James T. Farley , California
G-O Augustus H. Garland , Arkansas John B. Gordon , Georgia James B. Groome , Maryland La Fayette Grover , Oregon Wade Hampton, III , South Carolina Isham G. Harris , Tennessee Frank Hereford , West Virginia Benjamin H. Hill , Georgia George S. Houston , Alabama John W. Johnston , Virginia Benjamin F. Jonas , Louisiana Charles W. Jones , Florida Francis Kernan , New York Lucius Q. C. Lamar , Mississippi Samuel B. Maxey , Texas Joseph E. McDonald , Indiana John R. McPherson , New Jersey John T. Morgan , Alabama
P-Z George H. Pendleton , Ohio Luke Pryor , Alabama James L. Pugh , Alabama Theodore F. Randolph , New Jersey Matt W. Ransom , North Carolina Eli M. Saulsbury , Delaware James H. Slater , Oregon Allen G. Thurman , Ohio Zebulon B. Vance , North Carolina George G. Vest , Missouri Daniel W. Voorhees , Indiana James D. Walker , Arkansas William A. Wallace , Pennsylvania William Pinkney Whyte , Maryland John S. Williams , Kentucky Robert E. Withers , Virginia
A-F William B. Allison , Iowa Henry B. Anthony , Rhode Island Henry P. Baldwin , Michigan Charles H. Bell , New Hampshire James G. Blaine , Maine Henry W. Blair , New Hampshire Blanche K. Bruce , Mississippi Ambrose E. Burnside , Rhode Island Angus Cameron , Wisconsin J. Donald Cameron , Pennsylvania Matthew H. Carpenter , Wisconsin Zachariah Chandler , Michigan Roscoe Conkling , New York Henry L. Dawes , Massachusetts George F. Edmunds , Vermont Thomas W. Ferry , Michigan
G-O Hannibal Hamlin , Maine Nathaniel P. Hill , Colorado George F. Hoar , Massachusetts John J. Ingalls , Kansas John P. Jones , Nevada William Pitt Kellogg , Louisiana Samuel J. Kirkwood , Iowa John A. Logan , Illinois Samuel J. R. McMillan , Minnesota Justin S. Morrill , Vermont
P-Z
House of Representatives [ edit ] Members of the House of Representatives were elected by popular vote, variously to single member districts or at-large.
A-B-C Joseph H. Acklen 1938), Louisiana D. Wyatt Aiken , South Carolina Robert F. Armfield , North Carolina Gibson Atherton , Ohio John D. C. Atkins , Tennessee Reuben K. Bachman , Pennsylvania Richard Lee T. Beale , Virginia Frank E. Beltzhoover , Pennsylvania Campbell P. Berry , California George A. Bicknell , Indiana Joseph C. S. Blackburn , Kentucky Richard P. Bland , Missouri Archibald M. Bliss , New York James H. Blount , Georgia Gabriel Bouck , Wisconsin Edward S. Bragg , Wisconsin John M. Bright , Tennessee Aylett H. Buckner , Missouri George C. Cabell , Virginia John William Caldwell , Kentucky John G. Carlisle , Kentucky James R. Chalmers , Mississippi Martin L. Clardy , Missouri Alvah A. Clark , New Jersey John B. Clark, Jr. , Missouri Newton N. Clements , Alabama Hiester Clymer , Pennsylvania Thomas R. Cobb , Indiana Alexander H. Coffroth , Pennsylvania Walpole G. Colerick , Indiana George L. Converse , Ohio Philip Cook , Georgia James W. Covert , New York Samuel S. Cox , New York Jordan E. Cravens , Arkansas David B. Culberson , Texas D-E-F Robert H. M. Davidson , Florida Joseph J. Davis , North Carolina Lowndes H. Davis , Missouri Peter V. Deuster , Wisconsin George G. Dibrell , Tennessee Henry L. Dickey , Ohio Poindexter Dunn , Arkansas Joseph B. Elam , Louisiana E. John Ellis , Louisiana John H. Evins , South Carolina Thomas Ewing, Jr. , Ohio Ebenezer B. Finley , Ohio William H. Forney , Alabama Richard G. Frost , Missouri
G-H-I George W. Geddes , Ohio Randall L. Gibson , Louisiana John Goode, Jr. , Virginia Thomas M. Gunter , Arkansas Nathaniel J. Hammond , Georgia John T. Harris , Virginia William H. Hatch , Missouri Eli J. Henkle , Maryland Daniel M. Henry , Maryland Hilary A. Herbert , Alabama Thomas H. Herndon , Alabama William D. Hill , Ohio Charles E. Hooker , Mississippi Abraham J. Hostetler , Indiana John F. House , Tennessee Noble A. Hull , Florida Eppa Hutton, II , Virginia Frank H. Hurd , Ohio Waldo Hutchins , New York J-K-L Joseph E. Johnston , Virginia John E. Kenna , West Virginia William Kimmel , Maryland J. Floyd King , Louisiana William H. Kitchin , North Carolina Robert Klotz , Pennsylvania J. Proctor Knott , Kentucky Alfred M. Lay , Missouri Benjamin Le Fevre , Ohio Burwell B. Lewis , Alabama William Lounsbery , New York M-N-O Vannoy H. Manning , Mississippi Benjamin F. Martin , West Virginia Edward L. Martin , Delaware James A. McKenzie , Kentucky Robert M. McLane , Maryland John A. McMahon , Ohio Benton McMillin , Tennessee Roger Q. Mills , Texas Hernando D. Money , Mississippi William R. Morrison , Illinois Leopold Morse , Massachusetts Henry L. Muldrow , Mississippi Nicholas Muller , New York William R. Myers , Indiana Jeptha D. New , Indiana John C. Nicholls , Georgia Michael P. O'Connor , South Carolina
P-Q-R James Phelps , Connecticut John F. Phillips , Missouri Elijah C. Phister , Kentucky Henry Poehler , Minnesota Samuel J. Randall , Pennsylvania John H. Reagan , Texas John S. Richardson , South Carolina James B. Richmond , Virginia Edward W. Robertson , Louisiana Miles Ross , New Jersey Gideon F. Rothwell , Missouri John W. Ryon , Pennsylvania S-T-U-V William J. Samford , Alabama Alfred M. Scales , North Carolina Jonathan Scoville , New York Charles M. Shelley , Alabama Charles B. Simonton , Tennessee James W. Singleton , Illinois Otho R. Singleton , Mississippi William F. Slemons , Arkansas Hezekiah B. Smith , New Jersey William E. Smith , Georgia William A. J. Sparks , Illinois William M. Springer , Illinois Walter L. Steele , North Carolina Alexander H. Stephens , Georgia Adlai E. Stevenson , Illinois J. Frederick C. Talbott , Maryland Robert L. Taylor , Tennessee Philip B. Thompson, Jr. , Kentucky George D. Tillman , South Carolina Richard W. Townshend , Illinois John R. Tucker , Virginia Thomas Turner , Kentucky Christopher C. Upson , Texas Robert B. Vance , North Carolina W-X-Y-Z James R. Waddill , Missouri Adoniram J. Warner , Ohio Olin Wellborn , Texas Erastus Wells , Missouri John Whiteaker , Oregon Washington C. Whitthorne , Tennessee Thomas Williams , Alabama Albert S. Willis , Kentucky Benjamin Wilson , West Virginia Morgan R. Wise , Pennsylvania Fernando Wood , New York Hendrick B. Wright , Pennsylvania Jesse J. Yeates , North Carolina H. Casey Young , Tennessee
A-B-C Nelson W. Aldrich , Rhode Island William Aldrich , Illinois John A. Anderson , Kansas John M. Bailey , New York John H. Baker , Indiana Latimer W. Ballou , Rhode Island Hiram Barber, Jr. , Illinois Thomas M. Bayne , Pennsylvania James B. Belford , Colorado Henry H. Bingham , Pennsylvania Horatio Bisbee, Jr. , Florida John L. Blake , New Jersey Selwyn Z. Bowman , Massachusetts Thomas A. Boyd , Illinois Mark S. Brewer , Michigan James F. Briggs , New Hampshire Lewis A. Brigham , New Jersey Thomas M. Browne , Indiana Julius C. Burrows , Michigan Benjamin Butterworth , Ohio William H. Calkins , Indiana John H. Camp , New York Joseph G. Cannon , Illinois Cyrus C. Carpenter , Iowa Lucien B. Caswell , Wisconsin Simeon B. Chittenden , New York William Claflin , Massachusetts Rush Clark , Iowa Omar D. Conger , Michigan Calvin Cowgill , Indiana William W. Crapo , Massachusetts Richard Crowley , New York D-E-F Rollin M. Daggett , Nevada George R. Davis , Illinois Horace Davis , California Nathaniel C. Deering , Iowa Samuel B. Dick , Pennsylvania Mark H. Dunnell , Minnesota Jeremiah W. Dwight , New York Edwin Einstein , New York Russell Errett , Pennsylvania Evarts W. Farr , New Hampshire John W. Ferdon , New York Walbridge A. Field , Massachusetts Horatio G. Fisher , Pennsylvania Greenbury L. Fort , Illinois William P. Frye , Maine
G-H-I James A. Garfield , Ohio William Godshalk , Pennsylvania Joshua G. Hall , New Hampshire John Hammond , New York Alfred C. Harmer , Pennsylvania Benjamin W. Harris , Massachusetts Dudley C. Haskell , Kansas Robert M. A. Hawk , Illinois Joseph R. Hawley , Connecticut Philip C. Hayes , Illinois George C. Hazelton , Wisconsin William Heilman , Indiana Thomas J. Henderson , Illinois Frank Hiscock , New York Roswell G. Horr , Michigan Leonidas C. Houk , Tennessee Jay A. Hubbell , Michigan Herman L. Humphrey , Wisconsin J-K-L Amaziah B. James , New York Joseph Jorgensen , Virginia Charles H. Joyce , Vermont J. Warren Keifer , Ohio William D. Kelley , Pennsylvania John H. Ketcham , New York John W. Killinger , Pennsylvania Elbridge G. Lapham , New York Stephen D. Lindsey , Maine George B. Loring , Massachusetts M-N-O Benjamin F. Marsh , Illinois Joseph J. Martin , North Carolina Joseph Mason , New York Moses A. McCoid , Iowa Anson G. McCook , New York Jonas H. McGowan , Michigan William McKinley, Jr. , Ohio Frederick Miles , Connecticut Warner Miller , New York John I. Mitchell , Pennsylvania James Monroe , Ohio Levi P. Morton , New York Henry S. Neal , Ohio John S. Newberry , Michigan Amasa Norcross , Massachusetts Charles O'Neill , Pennsylvania Godlove S. Orth , Indiana James H. Osmer , Pennsylvania Edward Overton, Jr. , Pennsylvania
P-Q-R Romualdo Pacheco , California Horace F. Page , California Ray V. Pierce , New York Thaddeus C. Pound , Wisconsin Cyrus D. Prescott , New York Hiram Price , Iowa Ossian Ray , New Hampshire Thomas B. Reed , Maine William W. Rice , Massachusetts David P. Richardson , New York George M. Robeson , New Jersey George D. Robinson , Massachusetts William A. Russell , Massachusetts Thomas Ryan , Kansas S-T-U-V William F. Sapp , Iowa William S. Shallenberger , Pennsylvania John C. Sherwin , Illinois A. Herr Smith , Pennsylvania John H. Starin , New York John W. Stone , Michigan Ezra B. Taylor , Ohio John R. Thomas , Illinois William G. Thompson , Iowa Amos Townsend , Ohio James M. Tyler , Vermont Jonathan T. Updegraff , Ohio Thomas Updegraff , Iowa Milton G. Urner , Maryland Edward K. Valentine , Nebraska Henry H. Van Aernam , New York John Van Voorhis , New York Charles H. Voorhis , New Jersey W-X-Y-Z
Changes in membership [ edit ] The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate replacements: 4
deaths: 3
resignations: 1
interim appointments: 2
Total seats with changes: 5
House of Representatives replacements: 8
deaths: 6
resignations: 4
contested election: 2
Total seats with changes: 12
Senate Other
House of Representatives
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.
