46th United States Congress


The 46th 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 4, 1881, during the last two years of Rutherford Hayes's presidency.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1870 United States census. The Senate had a Democratic majority, while the House of Representatives had a Democratic plurality. The Democrats were still able to control the House, however, with the help of the Independent politicians who caucused with them.

Party summary

Senate

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate

  • President: William A. Wheeler
  • President pro tempore: Allen G. Thurman
  • Democratic Caucus Chairman: William A. Wallace
  • Republican Conference Chairman: Henry B. Anthony

    House of Representatives

  • Speaker: Samuel J. Randall
  • Democratic Caucus Chairman: John Ford House
  • Republican Conference Chairman: William P. Frye

    Major events

  • Depression of 1873–79
  • March 18, 1879: 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, 13 for Wright, and one for William "Pig Iron" Kelley.
  • November 2, 1880: U.S. presidential election, 1880: James Garfield defeated Winfield S. Hancock
  • February 19, 1881: Kansas became the first state to prohibit alcohol.

    Major legislation

  • Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

Senate

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 re-election in 1880; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1882; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1884.

[List of [United States senators from Alabama|Alabama]]

Arkansas">List of United States senators from Arkansas">Arkansas

California">List of United States senators from California">California

Colorado">List of United States senators from Colorado">Colorado

Connecticut">List of United States senators from Connecticut">Connecticut

Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware

Florida">List of United States senators from Florida">Florida

Georgia">List of United States senators from Georgia">Georgia

Illinois">List of United States senators from Illinois">Illinois

Indiana">List of United States senators from Indiana">Indiana

Iowa">List of United States senators from Iowa">Iowa

Kansas">List of United States senators from Kansas">Kansas

Kentucky">List of United States senators from Kentucky">Kentucky

Louisiana">List of United States senators from Louisiana">Louisiana

Maine">List of United States senators from Maine">Maine

Maryland">List of United States senators from Maryland">Maryland

Massachusetts">List of United States senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts

Michigan">List of United States senators from Michigan">Michigan

Minnesota">List of United States senators from Minnesota">Minnesota

Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi

Missouri">List of United States senators from Missouri">Missouri

Nebraska">List of United States senators from Nebraska">Nebraska

Nevada">List of United States senators from Nevada">Nevada

New Hampshire">List of United States senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire

New Jersey">List of United States senators from New Jersey">New Jersey

New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York

North Carolina">List of United States senators from North Carolina">North Carolina

Ohio">List of United States senators from Ohio">Ohio

Oregon">List of United States senators from Oregon">Oregon

Pennsylvania">List of United States senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania

Rhode Island">List of United States senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island

South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina

Tennessee">List of United States senators from Tennessee">Tennessee

Texas">List of United States senators from Texas">Texas

Vermont">List of United States senators from Vermont">Vermont

Virginia">List of United States senators from Virginia">Virginia

West Virginia">List of United States senators from West Virginia">West Virginia

Wisconsin">List of United States senators from Wisconsin">Wisconsin

House of Representatives

The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

[List of [United States representatives from Alabama|Alabama]]

Arkansas">List of United States representatives from Arkansas">Arkansas

California">List of United States representatives from California">California

Colorado">List of United States representatives from Colorado">Colorado

Connecticut">List of United States representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut

Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware

Florida">List of United States representatives from Florida">Florida

Georgia">List of United States representatives from Georgia">Georgia

Illinois">List of United States representatives from Illinois">Illinois

Indiana">List of United States representatives from Indiana">Indiana

Iowa">List of United States representatives from Iowa">Iowa

Kansas">List of United States representatives from Kansas">Kansas

Kentucky">List of United States representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky

Louisiana">List of United States representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana

Maine">List of United States representatives from Maine">Maine

Maryland">List of United States representatives from Maryland">Maryland

Massachusetts">List of United States representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts

Michigan">List of United States representatives from Michigan">Michigan

Minnesota">List of United States representatives from Minnesota">Minnesota

Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi

Missouri">List of United States representatives from Missouri">Missouri

Nebraska">List of United States representatives from Nebraska">Nebraska

Nevada">List of United States representatives from Nevada">Nevada

New Hampshire">List of United States representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire

New Jersey">List of United States representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey

New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York

North Carolina">List of United States representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina

Ohio">List of United States representatives from Ohio">Ohio

Oregon">List of United States representatives from Oregon">Oregon

Pennsylvania">List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania

Rhode Island">List of United States representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island

South Carolina">List of United States representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina

Tennessee">List of United States representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee

Texas">List of United States representatives from Texas">Texas

Vermont">List of United States representatives from Vermont">Vermont

Virginia">List of United States representatives from Virginia">Virginia

West Virginia">List of United States representatives from West Virginia">West Virginia

Wisconsin">List of United States representatives from Wisconsin">Wisconsin

Non-voting delegates

Image:46 us house membership.png|thumb|400px|

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.

Senate

  • Replacements: 4
  • * Democratic: no net change
  • * Republican: no net change
  • Deaths: 3
  • Resignations: 1
  • Interim appointments: 2
  • '''Total seats with changes: 5'''

    House of Representatives

  • Replacements: 8
  • * Democratic: 1 seat net gain
  • * Republican: 1 seat net loss
  • Deaths: 4
  • Resignations: 3
  • Contested election: 2
  • '''Total seats with changes: 11'''

    Committees

Senate