56th United States Congress
56th United States Congress | |
---|---|
55th ← → 57th | |
![]() United States Capitol (1906) | |
March 4, 1899 – March 4, 1901 | |
Members | 90 senators 357 representatives 4 non-voting delegates |
Senate majority | Republican |
Senate President | Garret Hobart (R) (until November 21, 1899) Vacant (from November 21, 1899) |
House majority | Republican |
House Speaker | David B. Henderson (R) |
Sessions | |
1st: December 4, 1899 – June 7, 1900 2nd: December 3, 1900 – March 3, 1901 |
The 56th United States Congress was a meeting of the
Major events
- June 2, 1899: The Filipino Rebellion began the Philippine–American War.
- November 21, 1899: Vice President Garret Hobart died.
- January 8, 1900: President McKinley placed Alaska under military rule.
- January 17, 1900: Brigham H. Roberts was refused a seat in the United States House of Representatives because of his polygamy.
- February 5, 1900: canal through Nicaragua.
- February 16, 1900: The United States, Tripartite Convention partitioning the Samoan Islands.
- November 6, 1900: Democratic challenger William Jennings Bryan.
Major legislation
- March 14, 1900: Gold Standard Act, Sess. 1, ch. 41, 31 Stat. 45
- April 2, 1900: Foraker Act, Sess. 1, ch. 191, 31 Stat. 77 (Puerto Rico Civil Code)
Territory organized
- April 30, 1900:
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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/56thUSSenate.svg/300px-56thUSSenate.svg.png)
26 Democrats
5 Populists
Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (D) |
Silver (S) |
||||||
End of previous congress | 34 | 5 | 44 | 5 | 2 | 90 | 0 |
Begin | 26 | 4 | 50 | 3 | 2 | 85 | 5 |
End | 25 | 5 | 53 | 88 | 2 | ||
Final voting share | 28.4% | 5.7% | 60.2% | 3.4% | 2.3% | ||
Beginning of next congress | 28 | 3 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 86 | 4 |
House of Representatives
Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (D) |
Silver (S) |
||||||
End of previous congress | 122 | 22 | 202 | 3 | 1 | 350 | 7 |
Begin | 162 | 6 | 183 | 2 | 1 | 354 | 3 |
End | 158 | 186 | 353 | 4 | |||
Final voting share | 44.8% | 1.7% | 52.7% | 0.6% | 0.3% | ||
Non-voting members | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Beginning of next congress | 152 | 5 | 196 | 1 | 1 | 355 | 2 |
Leadership
Garret Hobart
David B. Henderson
Senate
- President: Garret Hobart(R), until November 21, 1899; vacant thereafter.
- President pro tempore: William P. Frye (R)
- James K. Jones
- Republican Conference Chairman: William B. Allison
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Stephen M. White
House of Representatives
- Speaker: David B. Henderson (R)
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: James Hay
- Republican Conference Chairman: Joseph G. Cannon
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Joseph W. Babcock
Majority (Republican) leadership
- Majority Leader: Sereno E. Payne
- James A. Tawney
Minority (Democratic) leadership
- Minority Leader: James D. Richardson
- Minority Whip: Oscar Underwood
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.
Senate
At this time, 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 with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1904; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1900; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1902.
Alabama
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
|
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
|
Populists, while the gray stripes represent Silver Republicans. One of Delaware's seats was never filled. 2 Democrats 1 Democrat and 1 Republican 2 Republicans 2 Silver
|
House of Representatives
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
- Replacements: 7
- Democratic: no net change
- Republican: 1 seat loss
- Populist: 1 seat gain
- Deaths: 3
- Resignations: 1
- Vacancies: 5
- Interim appointments: 2
- Total seats with changes: 9
State (class) |
Vacated by | Reason for vacancy | Subsequent | Date of successor's installation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Delaware (1) |
Vacant | Senator George Gray's (D) term had expired at the end of previous Congress having failed to get re-elected. Legislature failed to elect Senator for this Congress, seat remained vacant for the entire Congress. | Seat remained vacant until next Congress. | |
Nebraska (1) |
Vacant | Legislature failed to elect to fill vacancy in term. | Monroe Hayward (R) | March 8, 1899 |
California (1) |
Vacant | Legislature failed to elect to fill vacancy in term. | Thomas R. Bard (R) | February 7, 1900 |
Florida (1) |
Samuel Pasco (D) | Successor was elected April 18, 1899. | James Taliaferro (D) | April 20, 1899 |
Nebraska (1) |
Monroe Hayward (R) | Died December 5, 1899. Successor was appointed. | William V. Allen (Pop.) | December 13, 1899 |
Montana (1) |
William A. Clark (D) | Resigned May 15, 1900, over claim of election fraud. Seat remained vacant until the next Congress. |
Vacant | |
Iowa (2) |
John H. Gear (R) | Died July 14, 1900. Successor was appointed and subsequently elected. | Jonathan P. Dolliver (R) | August 22, 1900 |
Vermont (3) |
Jonathan Ross (R)
|
Successor was elected October 18, 1900. | William P. Dillingham (R) | October 18, 1900 |
Minnesota (1) |
Cushman K. Davis (R)
|
Died November 27, 1900. Successor was appointed. | Charles A. Towne (D) | December 5, 1900 |
Pennsylvania (1) |
Vacant | Due to a failure to elect, Governor appointed Quay at beginning of term, but Senate refused to seat him. He then won a special election. | Matthew Quay (R) | January 16, 1901 |
Minnesota (1) |
Charles A. Towne (D) | Successor was elected January 23, 1901. | Moses E. Clapp (R) | January 28, 1901 |
Utah (1) |
Vacant | failure to elect | Thomas Kearns (R) | January 23, 1901 |
House of Representatives
- Replacements: 21
- Democratic: 5 seat loss
- Republican: 5 seat gain
- Populist: no net change
- Deaths: 12
- Resignations: 7
- Contested election: 3
- New seats: 1
- Total seats with changes: 26
District | Previous | Reason for change | Subsequent | Date of successor's installation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Maine 2nd | Vacant | Rep. Nelson Dingley Jr. died during previous congress | Charles E. Littlefield (R) | June 19, 1899 |
Utah At-large | Vacant | B. H. Roberts was denied seat. King was elected to finish term. | William H. King (D) | June 19, 1899 |
New York 34th | Vacant | Rep. Warren B. Hooker resigned during previous congress | Edward B. Vreeland (R) | November 7, 1899 |
Nebraska 6th | William L. Greene (Pop.) | Died March 11, 1899. | William Neville (Pop.) | December 4, 1899 |
Louisiana 5th | Samuel T. Baird (D) | Died April 22, 1899. | Joseph E. Ransdell (D) | August 29, 1899 |
Missouri 8th | Richard P. Bland (D) | Died June 15, 1899. | Dorsey W. Shackleford (D) | August 29, 1899 |
Ohio 16th | Lorenzo Danford (R) | Died June 19, 1899 | Joseph J. Gill (R) | December 4, 1899 |
Maine 1st | Thomas B. Reed (R) | Resigned September 4, 1899. | Amos L. Allen (R) | November 6, 1899 |
Pennsylvania 9th | Daniel Ermentrout (D) | Died September 17, 1899. | Henry D. Green (D)
|
November 7, 1899 |
Kentucky 7th | Evan E. Settle (D) | Died November 16, 1899. | June Ward Gayle (D) | January 15, 1900 |
Maryland 1st | John W. Smith (D) | Resigned January 12, 1900, after being elected Governor of Maryland | Josiah Kerr (R) | November 6, 1900 |
New York 24th | Charles A. Chickering (R) | Died February 13, 1900 | Albert D. Shaw (R) | November 6, 1900 |
Virginia 4th | Sidney P. Epes (D)
|
Died March 3, 1900. | Francis R. Lassiter (D) | April 9, 1900 |
Pennsylvania 5th | Alfred C. Harmer (R) | Died March 6, 1900 | Edward Morrell (R) | November 6, 1900 |
Alabama 4th | Gaston A. Robbins (D) | Lost contested election March 8, 1900 | William F. Aldrich (R) | March 8, 1900 |
Virginia 2nd | William A. Young (D) | Lost contested election March 12, 1900 | Richard A. Wise (R) | March 12, 1900 |
Alabama 8th | Joseph Wheeler (D) | Resigned April 20, 1900. | William N. Richardson (D)
|
December 3, 1900 |
North Carolina 9th | William T. Crawford (D) | Lost contested election May 10, 1900 | Richmond Pearson (R) | May 10, 1900 |
Iowa 9th | Smith McPherson (R) | Resigned June 6, 1900, after being appointed judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa | Walter I. Smith (R) | December 3, 1900 |
Delaware At-large | John H. Hoffecker (R) | Died June 16, 1900 | Walter O. Hoffecker (R) | November 6, 1900 |
New Jersey 7th | William D. Daly (D)
|
Died July 31, 1900. | Allan L. McDermott (D)
|
December 3, 1900 |
California 2nd | Marion De Vries (D) | Resigned August 20, 1900, after being appointed to the Board of General Appraisers
|
Samuel D. Woods (R) | December 3, 1900 |
Iowa 10th | Jonathan P. Dolliver (R) | Resigned August 22, 1900, after being appointed to the U.S. Senate
|
James P. Conner (R)
|
December 4, 1900 |
Hawaii Territory | New seat | Seat established by the Hawaiian Organic Act April 30, 1900 | Robert W. Wilcox (Home Rule) | November 6, 1900 |
Virginia 2nd | Richard A. Wise (R) | Died December 21, 1900 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress | |
New Hampshire 2nd | Frank G. Clarke (R)
|
Died January 9, 1901 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress | |
New York 24th | Albert D. Shaw (R) | Died February 10, 1901 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress | |
Maine 4th | Charles A. Boutelle (R) | Resigned March 3, 1901 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress |
Committees
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
- United States Senate Select Committee on the Additional Accommodations for the Library of Congress (Select) (Chairman: James H. Berry; Ranking Member: Shelby M. Cullom)
- Agriculture and Forestry (Chairman: Redfield Proctor; Ranking Member: William B. Bate)
- Francis M. Cockrell)
- John P. Jones; Ranking Member: Jacob H. Gallinger)
- Canadian Relations (Chairman: Mark Hanna; Ranking Member: Richard F. Pettigrew)
- Census (Chairman: Thomas H. Carter; Ranking Member: Samuel D. McEnery)
- Civil Service and Retrenchment (Chairman: Lucien Baker; Ranking Member: Horace Chilton)
- Claims (Chairman: Francis E. Warren; Ranking Member: Henry M. Teller)
- John T. Morgan)
- Coast Defenses (Chairman: George W. McBride; Ranking Member: Marion Butler)
- George G. Vest)
- Corporations Organized in the District of Columbia (Chairman: Donelson Caffery; Ranking Member: Nelson W. Aldrich)
- Cuban Relations (Chairman: Orville H. Platt; Ranking Member: Henry M. Teller)
- Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: James McMillan; Ranking Member: Nelson W. Aldrich)
- Education and Labor (Chairman: James H. Kyle; Ranking Member: Donelson Caffery)
- Francis M. Cockrell; Ranking Member: George F. Hoar)
- Enrolled Bills (Chairman: William J. Sewell; Ranking Member: Donelson Caffery)
- Establish a University in the United States (Select) (Chairman: George L. Wellington; Ranking Member: James K. Jones)
- Examine the Several Branches in the Civil Service]] (Chairman: Jonathan Rose; Ranking Member: Thomas B. Turley)
- Expenditures in Executive Departments
- John P. Jones)
- Fisheries (Chairman: George C. Perkins; Ranking Member: Marion Butler)
- Five Civilized Tribes of Indians (Select) (Chairman: William B. Bate; Ranking Member: Orville H. Platt)
- John T. Morgan)
- John T. Morgan)
- Hernando D. Money)
- Immigration (Chairman: Boies Penrose; Ranking Member: Joseph L. Rawlins)
- John T. Morgan)
- Indian Depredations (Chairman: William J. Deboe; Ranking Member: William Lindsay)
- William A. Harris)
- George G. Vest)
- John Tyler Morgan; Ranking Member: Joseph R. Hawley)
- Interstate Commerce (Chairman: Shelby M. Cullom; Ranking Member: William Lindsay)
- Judiciary (Chairman: George F. Hoar; Ranking Member: Henry M. Teller)
- Francis M. Cockrell)
- William A. Harris)
- Joseph Hawley; Ranking Member: William B. Bate)
- Benjamin R. Tillman)
- Mississippi River and its Tributaries (Select) (Chairman: Knute Nelson; Ranking Member: William B. Bate)
- John Kean; Ranking Member: Horace Chilton)
- Benjamin R. Tillman)
- Nicaragua Canal (Select)
- Francis M. Cockrell)
- John T. Morgan)
- Stephen R. Mallory)
- Pensions (Chairman: Jacob H. Gallinger; Ranking Member: William Lindsay)
- Philippines (Chairman: Henry Cabot Lodge; Ranking Member: Joseph L. Rawlins)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Edward O. Wolcott; Ranking Member: Marion Butler)
- Potomac River Front (Select) (Chairman: Nathan B. Scott; Ranking Member: Thomas S. Martin)
- Printing (Chairman: Thomas C. Platt; Ranking Member: James K. Jones)
- Private Land Claims (Chairman: Henry M. Teller; Ranking Member: Eugene Hale)
- Privileges and Elections (Chairman: William E. Chandler; Ranking Member: Donelson Caffery)
- George G. Vest)
- George G. Vest; Ranking Member: Jacob H. Gallinger)
- Public Lands (Chairman: Henry C. Hansbrough; Ranking Member: James H. Berry)
- Railroads (Chairman: Clarence D. Clark; Ranking Member: Augustus O. Bacon)
- Revision of the Laws (Chairman: Julius C. Burrows; Ranking Member: John W. Daniel)
- Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: William Lindsay; Ranking Member: William J. Deboe)
- Rules (Chairman: John C. Spooner; Ranking Member: Henry M. Teller)
- Tariff Regulation(Select)
- Territories (Chairman: George L. Shoup; Ranking Member: William B. Bate)
- Transportation and Sale of Meat Products (Select) (Chairman: Richard F. Pettigrew; Ranking Member: Edward O. Wolcott)
- Transportation Routes to the Seaboard (Chairman: Joseph V. Quarles; Ranking Member: George Turner)
- Trespassers upon Indian Lands (Chairman: Porter J. McCumber; Ranking Member: N/A)
- Washington City Centennial (Select)
- Whole
- George Frisbie Hoar)
House of Representatives
- Charles L. Bartlett)
- James W. Wadsworth; Ranking Member: John S. Williams)
- Alcoholic Liquor Traffic (Chairman: Nehemiah D. Sperry; Ranking Member: Oscar Turner)
- Joseph G. Cannon; Ranking Member: Leonidas F. Livingston)
- Banking and Currency (Chairman: Marriott Brosius; Ranking Member: Nicholas N. Cox)
- Claims (Chairman: Joseph V. Graff; Ranking Member: Edward Robb)
- Coinage, Weights and Measures (Chairman: James H. Southard; Ranking Member: Edwin R. Ridgely)
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- District of Columbia (Chairman: Joseph W. Babcock; Ranking Member: Adolph Meyer)
- Education (Chairman: Galusha A. Grow; Ranking Member: David A. De Armond)
- Election of the President, Vice President and Representatives in Congress (Chairman: John B. Corliss; Ranking Member: William W. Rucker)
- Charles L. Bartlett)
- Elections No.#2 (Chairman: Walter L. Weaver; Ranking Member: James M. Robinson)
- Elections No.#3 (Chairman: William S. Mesick; Ranking Member: Robert W. Miers)
- Enrolled Bills (Chairman: William B. Baker; Ranking Member: James T. Lloyd)
- Expenditures in the Agriculture Department (Chairman: Charles W. Gillet; Ranking Member: James W. Ryan)
- Expenditures in the Interior Department (Chairman: Charles Curtis; Ranking Member: Thomas C. Catchings)
- Expenditures in the Justice Department (Chairman: Jonathan P. Dolliver; Ranking Member: Daniel J. Riordan)
- Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: James F. Stewart; Ranking Member: Stanyarne Wilson)
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: Irving P. Wanger; Ranking Member: Edward Robb)
- Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: William A. Smith; Ranking Member: Rufus E. Lester)
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: Robert G. Cousins; Ranking Member: William L. Terry)
- Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: William W. Grout; Ranking Member: William L. Stark)
- Expenditures on Public Buildings
- Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Robert R. Hitt; Ranking Member: Hugh A. Dinsmore)
- Immigration and Naturalization (Chairman: William B. Shattuc; Ranking Member: Peter J. Otey)
- Indian Affairs (Chairman: James S. Sherman; Ranking Member: John S. Little)
- Insular Affairs (Chairman: Henry A. Cooper; Ranking Member: William A. Jones)
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce (Chairman: William P. Hepburn; Ranking Member: William McAleer)
- Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Cyrus A. Sulloway; Ranking Member: Robert W. Miers)
- John F. Shafroth)
- Judiciary (Chairman: George W. Ray; Ranking Member: William L. Terry)
- Labor (Chairman: John J. Gardner; Ranking Member: W. Jasper Talbert)
- Levees and Improvements of the Mississippi River (Chairman: Richard Bartholdt; Ranking Member: John M. Allen)
- Library (Chairman: Alfred C. Harmer; Ranking Member: Amos J. Cummings)
- Willard D. Vandiver)
- Merchant Marine and Fisheries (Chairman: Charles H. Grosvenor; Ranking Member: John F. Fitzgerald)
- John A. Barham; Ranking Member: Samuel B. Cooper)
- John A.T. Hull; Ranking Member: William Sulzer)
- Militia (Chairman: Charles Dick; Ranking Member: William L. Stark)
- Farish C. Tate)
- Naval Affairs (Chairman: Charles A. Boutelle; Ranking Member: Amos J. Cummings)
- James L. Slayden)
- Patents (Chairman: Winfield S. Kerr; Ranking Member: William Sulzer)
- Pensions (Chairman: Henry C. Loudenslager; Ranking Member: Jesse F. Stallings)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Eugene F. Loud; Ranking Member: Claude A. Swanson)
- Farish C. Tate)
- Private Land Claims (Chairman: George W. Smith; Ranking Member: William A. Jones)
- David H. Mercer; Ranking Member: John H. Bankhead)
- John F. Shafroth)
- Railways and Canals (Chairman: Charles A. Chickering; Ranking Member: Reese C. De Graffenreid)
- Reform in the Civil Service (Chairman: Frederick H. Gillett; Ranking Member: Samuel M. Robertson)
- Revision of Laws (Chairman: Vespasian Warner; Ranking Member: James T. Lloyd)
- Rivers and Harbors (Chairman: Theodore E. Burton; Ranking Member: Thomas C. Catchings)
- Rules (Chairman: John Dalzell; Ranking Member: James D. Richardson)
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Territories (Chairman: William S. Knox; Ranking Member: William McAleer)
- Ventilation and Acoustics (Chairman: George W. Prince; Ranking Member: David H. Smith)
- Patrick Henry)
- Ways and Means (Chairman: Sereno E. Payne; Ranking Member: James D. Richardson)
- Whole
Joint committees
- Conditions of Indian Tribes(Special)
- Disposition of (Useless) Executive Papers
- The Library
- Printing
Caucuses
- Democratic (House)
- Democratic (Senate)
Employees
Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: Edward Clark
- Librarian of Congress: John Russell Young, until 1899
- Herbert Putnam, from 1899
- Public Printer of the United States: Francis W. Palmer
Senate
- William H. Millburn (Methodist)
- Secretary: William Ruffin Cox, until February 1, 1900
- Charles G. Bennett, elected February 1, 1900
- Librarian: Alonzo M. Church
- Sergeant at Arms: Richard J. Bright, until February 1, 1900
- Daniel M. Ransdell, elected February 1, 1900
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Henry N. Couden (Universalist)
- Clerk: Alexander McDowell
- Asher C. Hinds
- Doorkeeper: William J. Glenn
- Postmaster: Joseph C. McElroy
- Reading Clerks: E. L. Sampson (D) and Dennis E. Alward (R)
- Sergeant at Arms: Benjamin F. Russell, until December 4, 1899
- Henry Casson, from December 4, 1899
See also
- 1898 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
- 1900 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
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
- Statutes at Large, 1789-1875
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
- U.S. House of Representatives: Congressional History
- U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
- Official Congressional Directory for the 56th Congress, 1st Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 56th Congress, 1st Session (1st Revision).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 56th Congress, 1st Session (2nd Revision).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 56th Congress, 2nd Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 56th Congress, 2nd Session (Revision).