59th United States Congress

The 59th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States [House of Representatives]. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1905, to March 4, 1907, during the fifth and sixth years of Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1900 [United States census]. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

Major events

March 4, 1905: President Theodore Roosevelt began his second term.

Major legislation

May 28, 1906: Foreign Dredge Act of 1906
June 8, 1906: Antiquities Act
June 29, 1906: Hepburn Act
June 30, 1906: Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, ch. 3915,
June 30, 1906: Meat Inspection Act
1906: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching chartered.
March 2, 1907: Expatriation Act of 1907,

Leaders

Senate leadership

Presiding

President of [the United States Senate|President]: Charles W. Fairbanks
President pro tempore: William P. Frye
Republican Conference Chairman: William B. Allison
Democratic Caucus Chair: Arthur Pue Gorman, until June 4, 1906
* Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn, afterwards
Democratic Caucus Secretary: Edward W. Carmack

House leadership

Presiding

Speaker: Joseph G. Cannon

Majority (Republican) leadership

Minority (Democratic) leadership

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 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1906; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1908; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1910.

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

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

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

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

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

House of Representatives

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

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

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

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

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

Changes in membership

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

Senate

Replacements: 8
* Democratic: no net change
* Republican: no net change
Deaths: 5
Resignations: 1
Vacancies: 2Total seats with changes: 9

State	Vacated by	Reason for vacancy	Subsequent	Date of successor's installation
Missouri	Vacant	Legislature had elected late.	William Warner	March 18, 1905
Delaware	Vacant	Legislature had elected late.	Henry A. du Pont	June 13, 1906
Tennessee	William B. Bate	Died March 9, 1905. Successor was elected.	James B. Frazier	March 21, 1905
Connecticut	Orville H. Platt	Died April 21, 1905. Successor was appointed and subsequently elected.	Frank B. Brandegee	May 10, 1905
Oregon	John H. Mitchell	Died December 8, 1905. Successor was appointed.	John M. Gearin	December 13, 1905
Kansas	Joseph R. Burton	Resigned June 4, 1906, due to a conviction of corruption charges. Successor was appointed.	Alfred W. Benson	June 11, 1906
Maryland	Arthur P. Gorman	Died June 4, 1906. Successor was appointed.	William P. Whyte	June 8, 1906
Oregon	John M. Gearin	Successor was elected.	Frederick W. Mulkey	January 23, 1907
Michigan	Russell A. Alger	Died January 24, 1907. Successor was elected.	William A. Smith	February 6, 1907
Kansas	Alfred W. Benson	Successor was elected.	Charles Curtis	January 29, 1907

House of Representatives

Replacements: 17
* Democratic: no net change
* Republican: no net change
Deaths: 12
Resignations: 11
Contested elections: 1
New seats: 1Total seats with changes: 26

Committees

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Caucuses

Employees

Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress">Legislative branch agency directors

Architect of the Capitol: Elliott Woods
Librarian of Congress: Herbert Putnam
Public Printer of the United States: Francis W. Palmer, until 1905
* Charles A. Stillings, from 1905

Senate

House of Representatives

Clerk: Alexander McDowell
Sergeant at Arms: Henry Casson
Doorkeeper: Frank B. Lyon
Postmaster: Joseph C. McElroy
Clerk at the Speaker's Table: Asher C. Hinds
Reading Clerks: E.L. Sampson and Dennis E. Alward
Chaplain: The Rev. Henry N. Couden, Universalist