54th United States Congress explained

Number:54th
Imagename:United States Capitol
Imagedate:1906
Start:March 4, 1895
End:March 4, 1897
Vp:Adlai E. Stevenson (D)
Pro Tem:William P. Frye (R)
Speaker:Thomas B. Reed (R)
Senators:90
Reps:357
Delegates:4
H-Majority:Republican
Sessionnumber1:1st
Sessionstart1:December 2, 1895
Sessionend1:June 11, 1896
Sessionnumber2:2nd
Sessionstart2:December 7, 1896
Sessionend2:March 3, 1897
Previous:53rd
Next:55th

The 54th 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, 1895, to March 4, 1897, during the last two years of Grover Cleveland's second presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1890 United States census. The House had a Republican majority, and the Republicans were the largest party in the Senate.

Major events

See main article: 1895 in the United States, 1896 in the United States and 1897 in the United States.

Major legislation

States admitted

Party summary

This count 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.

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate

Majority (Republican) leadership

Minority (Democratic) leadership

House of Representatives

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.

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 1898; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1900; and Class 3 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1896.

2. John T. Morgan (D)

3. James L. Pugh (D)

2. James H. Berry (D)

3. James K. Jones (D)

1. Stephen M. White (D)

3. George C. Perkins (R)

2. Edward O. Wolcott (R)

3. Henry M. Teller (R)

1. Joseph R. Hawley (R)

3. Orville H. Platt (R)

1. George Gray (D)

2. Richard R. Kenney (D), from January 19, 1897

1. Samuel Pasco (D)

3. Wilkinson Call (D)

2. Augustus O. Bacon (D)

3. John B. Gordon (D)

2. George L. Shoup (R)

3. Fred T. Dubois (R)

2. Shelby M. Cullom (R)

3. John McAuley Palmer (D)

1. David Turpie (D)

3. Daniel W. Voorhees (D)

2. John H. Gear (R)

3. William B. Allison (R)

2. Lucien Baker (R)

3. William A. Peffer (P)

2. William Lindsay (D)

3. Joseph C. S. Blackburn (D)

2. Donelson Caffery (D)

3. Newton C. Blanchard (D)

1. Eugene Hale (R)

2. William P. Frye (R)

1. Arthur Pue Gorman (D)

3. Charles H. Gibson (D)

1. Henry Cabot Lodge (R)

2. George F. Hoar (R)

1. Julius C. Burrows (R)

2. James McMillan (R)

1. Cushman K. Davis (R)

2. Knute Nelson (R)

1. James Z. George (D)

2. Edward C. Walthall (D)

1. Francis Cockrell (D)

3. George G. Vest (D)

1. Lee Mantle (R)

2. Thomas H. Carter (R)

1. William V. Allen (P)

2. John M. Thurston (R)

1. William M. Stewart (S)

3. John P. Jones (S)

2. William E. Chandler (R)

3. Jacob H. Gallinger (R)

1. James Smith Jr. (D)

2. William J. Sewell (R)

1. Edward Murphy Jr. (D)

3. David B. Hill (D)

2. Marion Butler (P)

3. Jeter C. Pritchard (R)

1. William N. Roach (D)

3. Henry C. Hansbrough (R)

1. John Sherman (R)

3. Calvin S. Brice (D)

2. George W. McBride (R)

3. John H. Mitchell (R)

1. Matthew S. Quay (R)

3. J. Donald Cameron (R)

1. Nelson W. Aldrich (R)

2. George P. Wetmore (R)

2. Benjamin R. Tillman (D)

3. John L. M. Irby (D)

2. Richard F. Pettigrew (R)

3. James H. Kyle (P)

1. William B. Bate (D)

2. Isham G. Harris (D)

1. Roger Q. Mills (D)

2. Horace Chilton (D)

1. Frank J. Cannon (R), from January 22, 1896

3. Arthur Brown (R), from January 22, 1896

1. Redfield Proctor (R)

3. Justin S. Morrill (R)

1. John W. Daniel (D)

2. Thomas S. Martin (D)

1. John L. Wilson (R)

3. Watson C. Squire (R)

1. Charles J. Faulkner Jr. (D)

2. Stephen B. Elkins (R)

1. John L. Mitchell (D)

3. William F. Vilas (D)

1. Clarence D. Clark (R)

2. Francis E. Warren (R)

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

. Richard H. Clarke (D)

. Jesse F. Stallings (D)

. George P. Harrison (D)

. Gaston A. Robbins (D), until March 13, 1896

William F. Aldrich (R), from March 13, 1896

. James E. Cobb (D), until April 21, 1896

Albert T. Goodwyn (P), from April 22, 1896

. John H. Bankhead (D)

. Milford W. Howard (P)

. Joseph Wheeler (D)

. Oscar Underwood (D), until June 9, 1896

Truman H. Aldrich (R), from June 9, 1896

. Philip D. McCulloch Jr. (D)

. John S. Little (D)

. Thomas C. McRae (D)

. William L. Terry (D)

. Hugh A. Dinsmore (D)

. Robert Neill (D)

. John A. Barham (R)

. Grove L. Johnson (R)

. Samuel G. Hilborn (R)

. James G. Maguire (D)

. Eugene F. Loud (R)

. James McLachlan (R)

. William W. Bowers (R)

. John F. Shafroth (R)

. John C. Bell (P)

. E. Stevens Henry (R)

. Nehemiah D. Sperry (R)

. Charles A. Russell (R)

. Ebenezer J. Hill (R)

. Jonathan S. Willis (R)

. Stephen M. Sparkman (D)

. Charles M. Cooper (D)

. Rufus E. Lester (D)

. Benjamin E. Russell (D)

. Charles F. Crisp (D), until October 23, 1896

Charles R. Crisp (D), from December 19, 1896

. Charles L. Moses (D)

. Leonidas F. Livingston (D)

. Charles L. Bartlett (D)

. John W. Maddox (D)

. Thomas G. Lawson (D)

. Farish C. Tate (D)

. James C. C. Black (D), until March 4, 1895

James C. C. Black (D), from October 2, 1895

. Henry G. Turner (D)

. Edgar Wilson (R)

. J. Frank Aldrich (R)

. William Lorimer (R)

. Lawrence E. McGann (D), until December 27, 1895

Hugh R. Belknap (R), from December 27, 1895

. Charles W. Woodman (R)

. George E. White (R)

. Edward D. Cooke (R)

. George E. Foss (R)

. Albert J. Hopkins (R)

. Robert R. Hitt (R)

. George W. Prince (R), from December 2, 1895

. Walter Reeves (R)

. Joseph G. Cannon (R)

. Vespasian Warner (R)

. Joseph V. Graff (R)

. Benjamin F. Marsh (R)

. Finis E. Downing (D), until June 5, 1896

John I. Rinaker (R), from June 5, 1896

. James A. Connolly (R)

. Frederick Remann (R), until July 14, 1895

William F. L. Hadley (R), from December 2, 1895

. Benson Wood (R)

. Orlando Burrell (R)

. Everett J. Murphy (R)

. George Washington Smith (R)

. James A. Hemenway (R)

. Alexander M. Hardy (R)

. Robert J. Tracewell (R)

. James E. Watson (R)

. Jesse Overstreet (R)

. Henry U. Johnson (R)

. Charles L. Henry (R)

. George W. Faris (R)

. J. Frank Hanly (R)

. Jethro A. Hatch (R)

. George W. Steele (R)

. Jacob D. Leighty (R)

. Lemuel W. Royse (R)

. Samuel M. Clark (R)

. George M. Curtis (R)

. David B. Henderson (R)

. Thomas Updegraff (R)

. Robert G. Cousins (R)

. John F. Lacey (R)

. John A. T. Hull (R)

. William P. Hepburn (R)

. Alva L. Hager (R)

. Jonathan P. Dolliver (R)

. George D. Perkins (R)

. Case Broderick (R)

. Orrin L. Miller (R)

. Snyder S. Kirkpatrick (R)

. Charles Curtis (R)

. William A. Calderhead (R)

. William Baker (P)

. Chester I. Long (R)

. Richard W. Blue (R)

. John K. Hendrick (D)

. John D. Clardy (D)

. W. Godfrey Hunter (R)

. John W. Lewis (R)

. Walter Evans (R)

. Albert S. Berry (D)

. William C. Owens (D)

. James B. McCreary (D)

. Samuel J. Pugh (R)

. Joseph M. Kendall (D), until February 18, 1897

Nathan T. Hopkins (R), from February 18, 1897

. David G. Colson (R)

. Adolph Meyer (D)

. Charles F. Buck (D)

. Andrew Price (D)

. Henry W. Ogden (D)

. Charles J. Boatner (D), until March 20, 1896

Charles J. Boatner (D), from June 10, 1896

. Samuel M. Robertson (D)

. Thomas B. Reed (R)

. Nelson Dingley Jr. (R)

. Seth L. Milliken (R)

. Charles A. Boutelle (R)

. Joshua W. Miles (D)

. William B. Baker (R)

. Henry W. Rusk (D)

. John K. Cowen (D)

. Charles E. Coffin (R)

. George L. Wellington (R)

. Ashley B. Wright (R)

. Frederick H. Gillett (R)

. Joseph H. Walker (R)

. Lewis D. Apsley (R)

. William S. Knox (R)

. William Cogswell (R), until May 22, 1895

William H. Moody (R), from November 5, 1895

. William E. Barrett (R)

. Samuel W. McCall (R)

. John F. Fitzgerald (D)

. Harrison H. Atwood (R)

. William F. Draper (R)

. Elijah A. Morse (R)

. John Simpkins (R)

. John B. Corliss (R)

. George Spalding (R)

. Alfred Milnes (R), from December 2, 1895

. Henry F. Thomas (R)

. William Alden Smith (R)

. David D. Aitken (R)

. Horace G. Snover (R)

. William S. Linton (R)

. Roswell P. Bishop (R)

. Rousseau O. Crump (R)

. John Avery (R)

. Samuel M. Stephenson (R)

. James Albertus Tawney (R)

. James T. McCleary (R)

. Joel Heatwole (R)

. Andrew R. Kiefer (R)

. Loren Fletcher (R)

. Charles A. Towne (R)

. Frank Eddy (R)

. John M. Allen (D)

. John C. Kyle (D)

. Thomas C. Catchings (D)

. Hernando D. Money (D)

. John Sharp Williams (D)

. Walter McKennon Denny (D)

. James G. Spencer (D)

. Charles N. Clark (R)

. Uriel S. Hall (D)

. Alexander M. Dockery (D)

. George C. Crowther (R)

. John C. Tarsney (D), until February 27, 1896

Robert T. Van Horn (R), from February 27, 1896

. David A. De Armond (D)

. John P. Tracey (R)

. Joel D. Hubbard (R)

. William M. Treloar (R)

. Richard Bartholdt (R)

. Charles F. Joy (R)

. Seth W. Cobb (D)

. John H. Raney (R)

. Norman A. Mozley (R)

. Charles G. Burton (R)

. Charles S. Hartman (R)

. Jesse B. Strode (R)

. David H. Mercer (R)

. George D. Meiklejohn (R)

. Eugene J. Hainer (R)

. William E. Andrews (R)

. Omer M. Kem (P)

. Francis G. Newlands (S)

. Cyrus A. Sulloway (R)

. Henry M. Baker (R)

. Henry C. Loudenslager (R)

. John J. Gardner (R)

. Benjamin F. Howell (R)

. Mahlon Pitney (R)

. James F. Stewart (R)

. Richard Wayne Parker (R)

. Thomas McEwan Jr. (R)

. Charles N. Fowler (R)

. Richard Cunningham McCormick (R)

. Denis M. Hurley (R)

. Francis H. Wilson (R)

. Israel F. Fischer (R)

. Charles G. Bennett (R)

. James R. Howe (R)

. Franklin Bartlett (D)

. James J. Walsh (D), until June 2, 1896

John M. Mitchell (R), from June 2, 1896

. Henry C. Miner (D)

. Amos J. Cummings (D) from November 5, 1895

. William Sulzer (D)

. George B. McClellan Jr. (D)

. Richard C. Shannon (R)

. Lemuel E. Quigg (R)

. Philip B. Low (R)

. Benjamin L. Fairchild (R)

. Benjamin Odell (R)

. Jacob LeFever (R)

. Frank S. Black (R), until January 7, 1897

. George N. Southwick (R)

. David F. Wilber (R)

. Newton M. Curtis (R)

. Wallace T. Foote Jr. (R)

. Charles A. Chickering (R)

. James S. Sherman (R)

. George W. Ray (R)

. Theodore L. Poole (R)

. Sereno E. Payne (R)

. Charles W. Gillet (R)

. James W. Wadsworth (R)

. Henry C. Brewster (R)

. Rowland B. Mahany (R)

. Charles Daniels (R)

. Warren B. Hooker (R)

. Harry Skinner (P)

. Frederick A. Woodard (D)

. John G. Shaw (D)

. William F. Strowd (P)

. Thomas Settle III (R)

. James A. Lockhart (D), until June 5, 1896

Charles H. Martin (P), from June 5, 1896

. Alonzo C. Shuford (P)

. Romulus Z. Linney (R)

. Richmond Pearson (R)

. Martin N. Johnson (R)

. Charles P. Taft (R)

. Jacob H. Bromwell (R)

. Paul J. Sorg (D)

. Fernando C. Layton (D)

. Francis B. De Witt (R)

. George W. Hulick (R)

. George W. Wilson (R)

. Luther M. Strong (R)

. James H. Southard (R)

. Lucien J. Fenton (R)

. Charles H. Grosvenor (R)

. David K. Watson (R)

. Stephen R. Harris (R)

. Winfield S. Kerr (R)

. Henry C. Van Voorhis (R)

. Lorenzo Danford (R)

. Addison S. McClure (R)

. Robert W. Tayler (R)

. Stephen A. Northway (R)

. Clifton B. Beach (R)

. Theodore E. Burton (R)

. Binger Hermann (R)

. William R. Ellis (R)

. Henry H. Bingham (R)

. Robert Adams Jr. (R)

. Frederick Halterman (R)

. John E. Reyburn (R)

. Alfred C. Harmer (R)

. John B. Robinson (R)

. Irving P. Wanger (R)

. Joseph J. Hart (D)

. Constantine J. Erdman (D)

. Marriott Brosius (R)

. Joseph A. Scranton (R)

. John Leisenring (R)

. Charles N. Brumm (R)

. Ephraim M. Woomer (R)

. James H. Codding (R), from November 5, 1895

. Fred C. Leonard (R)

. Monroe H. Kulp (R)

. Thaddeus M. Mahon (R)

. James A. Stahle (R)

. Josiah D. Hicks (R)

. Daniel B. Heiner (R)

. John Dalzell (R)

. William A. Stone (R)

. Ernest F. Acheson (R)

. Thomas W. Phillips (R)

. Matthew Griswold (R)

. Charles W. Stone (R)

. William C. Arnold (R)

. Galusha A. Grow (R)

. George F. Huff (R)

. Melville Bull (R)

. Warren O. Arnold (R)

. William Elliott (D), until June 4, 1896

George W. Murray (R), from June 4, 1896

. William J. Talbert (D)

. Asbury C. Latimer (D)

. Stanyarne Wilson (D)

. Thomas J. Strait (D)

. John L. McLaurin (D)

. J. William Stokes (D), until June 1, 1896

J. William Stokes (D), from November 3, 1896

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
(2 Republicans)

. Robert J. Gamble (R)

. John A. Pickler (R)

. William C. Anderson (R)

. Henry R. Gibson (R)

. Foster V. Brown (R)

. Benton McMillin (D)

. James D. Richardson (D)

. Joseph E. Washington (D)

. Nicholas N. Cox (D)

. John E. McCall (R)

. James C. McDearmon (D)

. Josiah Patterson (D)

. Joseph C. Hutcheson (D)

. Samuel B. Cooper (D)

. Charles H. Yoakum (D)

. David B. Culberson (D)

. Joseph W. Bailey (D)

. Joseph Abbott (D)

. George C. Pendleton (D)

. Charles K. Bell (D)

. Joseph D. Sayers (D)

. Miles Crowley (D)

. William H. Crain (D), until February 10, 1896

Rudolph Kleberg (D), from April 7, 1896

. George H. Noonan (R)

. Jeremiah V. Cockrell (D)

. Clarence E. Allen (R), from January 4, 1896

. H. Henry Powers (R)

. William W. Grout (R)

. William A. Jones (D)

. D. Gardiner Tyler (D)

. Tazewell Ellett (D)

. William R. McKenney (D), until May 2, 1896

Robert T. Thorp (R), from May 2, 1896

. Claude A. Swanson (D)

. Peter J. Otey (D)

. Smith S. Turner (D)

. Elisha E. Meredith (D)

. James A. Walker (R)

. Henry St. George Tucker III (D)

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
(2 Republicans)

. William H. Doolittle (R)

. Samuel C. Hyde (R)

. Blackburn B. Dovener (R)

. Alston G. Dayton (R)

. James H. Huling (R)

. Warren Miller (R)

. Henry Allen Cooper (R)

. Edward Sauerhering (R)

. Joseph W. Babcock (R)

. Theobald Otjen (R)

. Samuel S. Barney (R)

. Samuel A. Cook (R)

. Michael Griffin (R)

. Edward S. Minor (R)

. Alexander Stewart (R)

. John J. Jenkins (R)

. Frank W. Mondell (R)

Non-voting members

. Nathan O. Murphy (R)

. Thomas B. Catron (R)

. Dennis T. Flynn (R)

. Frank J. Cannon (R), until January 4, 1896

Changes in membership

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

Senate

Two seats were added when Utah was admitted and one seat was filled late.

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate.

|-| nowrap | Utah
(1)| New seat| State was admitted to the Union| nowrap | Frank J. Cannon (R)| January 22, 1896| New seat| nowrap | Utah
(1)| State was admitted to the Union| nowrap | Arthur Brown (R)| January 22, 1896

|-| nowrap | Delaware
(2)| Vacant| Legislature had failed to elect.
A successor was eventually elected| nowrap | Richard R. Kenney
(D)| January 19, 1897

|}

House of Representatives

There were 4 deaths, 2 resignations, 13 election challenges, 1 new seat, and 4 seats vacant from the previous Congress. Democrats had a 10-seat net loss; Republicans had a 12-seat net gain; and Populists had a 2-seat net gain.

See also: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives.

|-| | Vacant| Representative-elect Andrew J. Campbell died before the start of Congress.
New member elected November 5, 1895.| nowrap | Amos J. Cummings (D)| November 5, 1895

|-| | Vacant| Philip S. Post (R) was re-elected, but died before this Congress.
New member elected December 2, 1895.| nowrap | George W. Prince (R)| December 2, 1895

|-| | Vacant| Julius C. Burrows (R) was re-elected, but resigned in the previous Congress to serve in the Senate.
New member elected December 2, 1895.| nowrap | Alfred Milnes (R)| December 2, 1895

|-| | Vacant| Rep-elect Myron B. Wright died in office. New member elected November 5, 1895.| nowrap | James H. Codding (R)| November 5, 1895

|-| | | Frank J. Cannon (R)| Seat eliminated January 4, 1896, upon statehood.| colspan=2 | Seat eliminated

|-| | New seat| State was admitted to the Union.
New member elected November 5, 1895.| nowrap | Clarence E. Allen (R)| January 4, 1896

|-| | nowrap | James C. C. Black (D)| Resigned March 4, 1895.
Incumbent was subsequently re-elected October 2, 1895.| nowrap | James C. C. Black (D)| October 2, 1895

|-| | nowrap | William Cogswell (R)| Died May 22, 1895.
New member elected November 5, 1895.| nowrap | William H. Moody (R)| November 5, 1895

|-| | nowrap | Frederick Remann (R)| Died July 14, 1895.
New member elected December 2, 1895.| nowrap | William F. L. Hadley (R)| December 2, 1895

|-| | nowrap | Lawrence E. McGann (D)| Election was successfully challenged December 27, 1895.| nowrap | Hugh R. Belknap (R)| December 27, 1895

|-| | nowrap | William H. Crain (D)| Died February 10, 1896.
New member elected April 7, 1896.| nowrap | Rudolph Kleberg (D)| April 7, 1896

|-| | nowrap | John C. Tarsney (D)| Election was successfully challenged February 27, 1896.| nowrap | Robert T. Van Horn (R)| February 27, 1896

|-| | nowrap | Gaston A. Robbins (D)| Election was successfully challenged March 13, 1896.| nowrap | William F. Aldrich (R)| March 13, 1896

|-| | nowrap | William R. McKenney (D)| Election was successfully challenged May 2, 1896.| nowrap | Robert T. Thorp (R)| May 2, 1896

|-| | nowrap | Charles J. Boatner (D)| Election was challenged and declared vacant March 20, 1896.
Incumbent was subsequently elected June 10, 1896.| nowrap | Charles J. Boatner (D)| June 10, 1896

|-| | nowrap | James E. Cobb (D)| Election was successfully challenged April 21, 1896.| nowrap | Albert T. Goodwyn (P)| April 22, 1896

|-| | nowrap | J. William Stokes (D)| Seat declared vacant June 1, 1896.
Incumbent was subsequently elected November 3, 1896.| nowrap | J. William Stokes (D)| November 3, 1896

|-| | nowrap | James J. Walsh (D)| Election was successfully challenged June 2, 1896.| nowrap | John M. Mitchell (R)| June 2, 1896

|-| | nowrap | William Elliott (D)| Election was successfully challenged June 4, 1896.| nowrap | George W. Murray (R)| June 4, 1896

|-| | nowrap | Finis E. Downing (D)| Election was successfully challenged June 5, 1896.| nowrap | John I. Rinaker (R)| June 5, 1896

|-| | nowrap | James A. Lockhart (D)| Election was successfully challenged June 5, 1896.| nowrap | Charles H. Martin (P)| June 5, 1896

|-| | nowrap | Oscar W. Underwood (D)| Election was successfully challenged June 9, 1896.| nowrap | Truman H. Aldrich (R)| June 9, 1896

|-| | nowrap | Charles F. Crisp (D)| Died October 23, 1896.
New member elected December 19, 1896.| nowrap | Charles R. Crisp (D)| December 19, 1896

|-| | | Frank S. Black (R)| Resigned January 7, 1897.| colspan=2 | Vacant until next Congress

|-| | nowrap | Joseph M. Kendall (D)| Election was successfully challenged February 18, 1897.| nowrap | Nathan T. Hopkins (R)| February 18, 1897

|}

Committees

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Caucuses

Employees

Legislative branch agency directors

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

References

External links

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