56th United States Congress

56th United States Congress


55th ←	→ 57th
United States Capitol (1906)
Duration: March 4, 1899 – March 4, 1901

Senate President:	Garret Hobart (Mar.–Nov. 1899) Vacant (1899–1901)
Senate Pres. pro tem:	William P. Frye
House Speaker:	David B. Henderson
Members:	90 Senators 357 Representatives 4 Non-voting members
Senate Majority:	Republican
House Majority:	Republican

Sessions
1st: December 4, 1899 – June 7, 1900 2nd: December 3, 1900 – March 3, 1901

The Fifty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the North Carolina, who served his second and final term as a Representative in this Congress, and would be the last black member of Congress until 1928, and the last black member of Congress from the South until 1972.

Major events 1
Major legislation 2
Party summary 3
- Senate 3.1
- House of Representatives 3.2
Leadership 4
- Senate 4.1
- House of Representatives 4.2
  - Majority (Republican) leadership 4.2.1
  - Minority (Democratic) leadership 4.2.2
Members 5
- Senate 5.1
  - Alabama 5.1.1
  - Arkansas 5.1.2
  - California 5.1.3
  - Colorado 5.1.4
  - Connecticut 5.1.5
  - Delaware 5.1.6
  - Florida 5.1.7
  - Georgia 5.1.8
  - Idaho 5.1.9
  - Illinois 5.1.10
  - Indiana 5.1.11
  - Iowa 5.1.12
  - Kansas 5.1.13
  - Kentucky 5.1.14
  - Louisiana 5.1.15
  - Maine 5.1.16
  - Maryland 5.1.17
  - Massachusetts 5.1.18
  - Michigan 5.1.19
  - Minnesota 5.1.20
  - Mississippi 5.1.21
  - Missouri 5.1.22
  - Montana 5.1.23
  - Nebraska 5.1.24
  - Nevada 5.1.25
  - New Hampshire 5.1.26
  - New Jersey 5.1.27
  - New York 5.1.28
  - North Carolina 5.1.29
  - North Dakota 5.1.30
  - Ohio 5.1.31
  - Oregon 5.1.32
  - Pennsylvania 5.1.33
  - Rhode Island 5.1.34
  - South Carolina 5.1.35
  - South Dakota 5.1.36
  - Tennessee 5.1.37
  - Texas 5.1.38
  - Utah 5.1.39
  - Vermont 5.1.40
  - Virginia 5.1.41
  - Washington 5.1.42
  - West Virginia 5.1.43
  - Wisconsin 5.1.44
  - Wyoming 5.1.45
- House of Representatives 5.2
  - Alabama 5.2.1
  - Arkansas 5.2.2
  - California 5.2.3
  - Colorado 5.2.4
  - Connecticut 5.2.5
  - Delaware 5.2.6
  - Florida 5.2.7
  - Georgia 5.2.8
  - Idaho 5.2.9
  - Illinois 5.2.10
  - Indiana 5.2.11
  - Iowa 5.2.12
  - Kansas 5.2.13
  - Kentucky 5.2.14
  - Louisiana 5.2.15
  - Maine 5.2.16
  - Maryland 5.2.17
  - Massachusetts 5.2.18
  - Michigan 5.2.19
  - Minnesota 5.2.20
  - Mississippi 5.2.21
  - Missouri 5.2.22
  - Montana 5.2.23
  - Nebraska 5.2.24
  - Nevada 5.2.25
  - New Hampshire 5.2.26
  - New Jersey 5.2.27
  - New York 5.2.28
  - North Carolina 5.2.29
  - North Dakota 5.2.30
  - Ohio 5.2.31
  - Oregon 5.2.32
  - Pennsylvania 5.2.33
  - Rhode Island 5.2.34
  - South Carolina 5.2.35
  - South Dakota 5.2.36
  - Tennessee 5.2.37
  - Texas 5.2.38
  - Utah 5.2.39
  - Vermont 5.2.40
  - Virginia 5.2.41
  - Washington 5.2.42
  - West Virginia 5.2.43
  - Wisconsin 5.2.44
  - Wyoming 5.2.45
  - Non-voting members 5.2.46
Changes in membership 6
- Senate 6.1
- House of Representatives 6.2
Employees 7
- Senate 7.1
- House of Representatives 7.2
References 8
External links 9

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: Britain and the United States signed a treaty for the building of a Central American shipping canal through Nicaragua.
February 16, 1900: The United States, Germany and Great Britain ratified the Tripartite Convention partitioning the Samoan Islands.
November 6, 1900: U.S. presidential election, 1900: Republican incumbent William McKinley was reelected by defeating 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)

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

	Party (Shading shows control)					Total	Vacant

	Democratic (D)	Populist (P)	Republican (R)	Silver (S)	Silver Republican (SR)
End of the previous congress	34	5	44	2	5	90	0

Begin	24	6	52	2	2	86	4
End	23	7	54	2	2	88	2
Final voting share	700126100000000000026.1%	70008000000000000008.0%	700161400000000000061.4%	70002300000000000002.3%	70002300000000000002.3%

Beginning of the next congress	28	2	53	0	3	86	4

House of Representatives

	Party (Shading shows control)					Total	Vacant

	Democratic (D)	Populist (P)	Republican (R)	Silver (S)	Silver Republican (SR)
End of the previous congress	124	22	207	1	3	357	0

Begin	163	6	183	1	2	355	2
End	159	6	186	1	2	354	3
Final voting share	700144900000000000044.9%	70001700000000000001.7%	700152500000000000052.5%	69993000000000000000.3%	69996000000000000000.6%
Non-voting members	1	0	2	0	0	3	1

Beginning of the next congress	151	5	200	0	1	357	0

Leadership

President of the Senate
Garret Hobart

Speaker of the House
David B. Henderson

Senate

President: Garret Hobart (R), until November 21, 1899 (died), vacant thereafter.
President pro tempore: William P. Frye (R)
Democratic Caucus Chairman: James K. Jones (D)
Republican Conference Chairman: William B. Allison (R)

House of Representatives

Speaker: David B. Henderson (R)
Democratic Caucus Chairman: James Hay (D)
Republican Conference Chairman: Joseph G. Cannon (R)

Majority (Republican) leadership

Minority (Democratic) leadership

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, 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 reelection in 1904; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1900; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1902.

Alabama

2. John T. Morgan (D)
3. Edmund W. Pettus (D)

Arkansas

3. James K. Jones (D)
2. James H. Berry (D)

California

3. George C. Perkins (R)
1. Thomas R. Bard (R), from February 7, 1900 (elected)

Colorado

3. Henry M. Teller (SR)
2. Edward O. Wolcott (R)

Connecticut

3. Orville H. Platt (R)
1. Joseph R. Hawley (R)

Delaware

2. Richard R. Kenney (D)
1. vacant

Florida

1. Samuel Pasco (D), until April 18, 1899 (appointment expired)
- James Taliaferro (D), from April 19, 1899 (elected)
3. Stephen R. Mallory (D)

Georgia

2. Augustus O. Bacon (D)
3. Alexander S. Clay (D)

Idaho

2. George L. Shoup (R)
3. Henry Heitfeld (P)

Illinois

2. Shelby M. Cullom (R)
3. William E. Mason (R)

Indiana

3. Charles W. Fairbanks (R)
1. Albert J. Beveridge (R)

Iowa

3. William B. Allison (R)
2. John H. Gear (R), died July 14, 1900
- Jonathan P. Dolliver (R), from August 22, 1900 (appointed)

Maryland

3. George L. Wellington (R)
1. Louis E. McComas (R)

Massachusetts

2. George F. Hoar (R)
1. Henry Cabot Lodge (R)

Michigan

2. James McMillan (R)
1. Julius C. Burrows (R)

Minnesota

1. Cushman K. Davis (R), until November 7, 1900 (died)
- Charles A. Towne (D), December 5, 1900 – January 23, 1901 (appointed)
- Moses E. Clapp (R), from January 23, 1901 (elected)
2. Knute Nelson (R)

Mississippi

1. Hernando D. Money (D)
2. William V. Sullivan (D)

Missouri

1. Francis M. Cockrell (D)
3. George G. Vest (D)

Montana

2. Thomas H. Carter (R)
1. William A. Clark (D), until May 15, 1900 (resigned), vacant thereafter

Nebraska

2. John M. Thurston (R)
1. Monroe L. Hayward (R), March 8, 1899 (elected) – December 5, 1899 (died before qualifying)
- William V. Allen (P), from December 13, 1899 (appointed)

Nevada

3. John P. Jones (S)
1. William M. Stewart (S)

New Hampshire

2. William E. Chandler (R)
3. Jacob H. Gallinger (R)

New Jersey

2. William J. Sewell (R)
1. John Kean (R)

New York

3. Thomas C. Platt (R)
1. Chauncey M. Depew (R)

North Carolina

2. Marion Butler (P)
3. Jeter C. Pritchard (R)

North Dakota

3. Henry C. Hansbrough (R)
1. Porter J. McCumber (R)

Ohio

3. Joseph B. Foraker (R)
1. Marcus A. Hanna (R)

Oregon

2. George W. McBride (R)
3. Joseph Simon (R)

Pennsylvania

3. Boies Penrose (R)
1. Matthew S. Quay (R), from January 16, 1901 (elected)

Rhode Island

1. Nelson W. Aldrich (R)
2. George P. Wetmore (R)

South Carolina

2. Benjamin R. Tillman (D)
3. John L. McLaurin (D)

South Dakota

2. Richard F. Pettigrew (R)
3. James H. Kyle (P)

Tennessee

1. William B. Bate (D)
2. Thomas B. Turley (D)

Texas

2. Horace Chilton (D)
1. Charles A. Culberson (D)

Utah

3. Joseph L. Rawlins (D)
1. Thomas Kearns (R), from January 23, 1901 (elected)

Vermont

1. Redfield Proctor (R)
3. Jonathan Ross (R), until October 18, 1900 (appointment expired)
- William P. Dillingham (R), from October 18, 1900 (elected)

Virginia

1. John W. Daniel (D)
2. Thomas S. Martin (D)

Washington

3. George Turner (SR)
1. Addison G. Foster (R)

West Virginia

2. Stephen B. Elkins (R)
1. Nathan B. Scott (R)

Wisconsin

3. John C. Spooner (R)
1. Joseph V. Quarles (R)

Wyoming

1. Clarence D. Clark (R)
2. Francis E. Warren (R)

Senate composition, by party

House of Representatives

Alabama

George W. Taylor (D)
2. Jesse F. Stallings (D)
3. Henry D. Clayton (D)
4. Gaston A. Robbins (D), until March 8, 1900 (lost election contest)
- William F. Aldrich (R), from March 8, 1900 (won election contest)
5. Willis Brewer (D)
6. John H. Bankhead (D)
7. John L. Burnett (D)
8. Joseph Wheeler (D), until April 20, 1900 (resigned)
- 8. William N. Richardson (D), from December 3, 1900
9. Oscar Underwood (D)

Arkansas

California

1. John All Barham (R)
2. Marion De Vries (D), until August 20, 1900 (resigned)
- Samuel D. Woods (R), from December 3, 1900
3. Victor H. Metcalf (R)
4. Julius Kahn (R)
5. Eugene F. Loud (R)
6. Russell J. Waters (R)
7. James C. Needham (R)

Colorado

1. John F. Shafroth (SR)
2. John Calhoun Bell (P)

Connecticut

Delaware

At-large. John H. Hoffecker (R), until June 16, 1900 (died)
- Walter O. Hoffecker (R), from December 3, 1900

Florida

1. Stephen M. Sparkman (D)
2. Robert W. Davis (D)

Georgia

Idaho

At-large. Edgar Wilson (SR)

Illinois

1. James R. Mann (R)
2. William Lorimer (R)
George P. Foster (D)
4. Thomas Cusack (D)
5. Edward T. Noonan (D)
6. Henry S. Boutell (R)
George E. Foss (R)
8. Albert J. Hopkins (R)
9. Robert R. Hitt (R)
George W. Prince (R)
11. Walter Reeves (R)
12. Joseph G. Cannon (R)
13. Vespasian Warner (R)
14. Joseph V. Graff (R)
15. Benjamin F. Marsh (R)
16. William E. Williams (D)
17. Ben F. Caldwell (D)
18. Thomas M. Jett (D)
19. Joseph B. Crowley (D)
20. James R. Williams (D)
21. William A. Rodenberg (R)
George W. Smith (R)

Indiana

1. James A. Hemenway (R)
2. Robert W. Miers (D)
3. William T. Zenor (D)
4. Francis M. Griffith (D)
George W. Faris (R)
6. James E. Watson (R)
7. Jesse Overstreet (R)
George W. Cromer (R)
9. Charles B. Landis (R)
10. Edgar D. Crumpacker (R)
George W. Steele (R)
12. James M. Robinson (D)
13. Abraham L. Brick (R)

Iowa

1. Thomas Hedge (R)
2. Joseph R. Lane (R)
3. David B. Henderson (R)
4. Gilbert N. Haugen (R)
5. Robert G. Cousins (R)
6. John F. Lacey (R)
7. John A. T. Hull (R)
8. William P. Hepburn (R)
9. Smith McPherson (R), until June 6, 1900 (resigned)
- Walter I. Smith (R), from December 3, 1900
10. Jonathan P. Dolliver (R), until August 22, 1900 (resigned)
- James P. Conner (R), from December 4, 1900
11. Lot Thomas (R)

Kansas

Kentucky

1. Charles K. Wheeler (D)
2. Henry Dixon Allen (D)
3. John S. Rhea (D)
4. David Highbaugh Smith (D)
5. Oscar Turner (D)
6. Albert S. Berry (D)
7. Evan E. Settle (D), until November 16, 1899 (died)
- June Ward Gayle (D), from January 15, 1900
George G. Gilbert (D)
9. Samuel Johnson Pugh (R)
10. Thomas Y. Fitzpatrick (D)
11. Vincent Boreing (R)

Louisiana

1. Adolph Meyer (D)
2. Robert C. Davey (D)
3. Robert F. Broussard (D)
4. Phanor Breazeale (D)
5. Samuel T. Baird (D), until April 22, 1899 (died)
- Joseph E. Ransdell (D), from December 4, 1899
6. Samuel M. Robertson (D)

Maine

1. Thomas B. Reed (R), until September 4, 1899 (resigned)
- Amos L. Allen (R), from November 6, 1899
2. Charles E. Littlefield (R), from June 19, 1899
3. Edwin C. Burleigh (R)
4. Charles A. Boutelle (R), until March 3, 1901 (resigned)

Maryland

1. John W. Smith (D), until January 12, 1900 (resigned)
- Josiah Kerr (R), from November 6, 1900
2. William B. Baker (R)
3. Frank C. Wachter (R)
4. James W. Denny (D)
5. Sydney E. Mudd (R)
George A. Pearre (R)

Massachusetts

George P. Lawrence (R)
2. Frederick H. Gillett (R)
3. John R. Thayer (D)
George W. Weymouth (R)
5. William S. Knox (R)
6. William H. Moody (R)
7. Ernest W. Roberts (R)
8. Samuel W. McCall (R)
9. John Fitzgerald (D)
10. Henry F. Naphen (D)
11. Charles F. Sprague (R)
12. William C. Lovering (R)
13. William S. Greene (R)

1. James T. Lloyd (D)
2. William W. Rucker (D)
3. John Dougherty (D)
4. Charles F. Cochran (D)
5. William S. Cowherd (D)
6. David A. De Armond (D)
7. James Cooney (D)
8. Richard P. Bland (D), until June 15, 1899
- Dorsey W. Shackleford (D), from August 29, 1899
9. James Beauchamp Clark (D)
10. Richard Bartholdt (R)
11. Charles F. Joy (R)
12. Charles E. Pearce (R)
13. Edward Robb (D)
14. Willard D. Vandiver (D)
15. Maecenas E. Benton (D)

Montana

At-large. Albert J. Campbell (D)

Nebraska

1. Elmer J. Burkett (R)
2. David H. Mercer (R)
3. John S. Robinson (D)
4. William L. Stark (P)
5. Roderick D. Sutherland (P)
6. William L. Greene (P), until March 11, 1899 (died)
- William Neville (P), from December 4, 1899

Nevada

At-large. Francis G. Newlands (S)

New Hampshire

1. Cyrus A. Sulloway (R)
2. Frank Gay Clarke (R) until January 9, 1901, vacant thereafter

New Jersey

1. Henry C. Loudenslager (R)
2. John J. Gardner (R)
3. Benjamin F. Howell (R)
4. Joshua S. Salmon (D)
5. James F. Stewart (R)
6. Richard W. Parker (R)
7. William D. Daly (D), until July 31, 1900 (died)
- Allan L. McDermott (D), from December 3, 1900
8. Charles N. Fowler (R)

New York

1. Townsend Scudder (D)
2. John J. Fitzgerald (D)
3. Edmund H. Driggs (D)
4. Bertram T. Clayton (D)
5. Frank E. Wilson (D)
6. Mitchell May (D)
7. Nicholas Muller (D)
8. Daniel J. Riordan (D)
9. Thomas J. Bradley (D)
10. Amos J. Cummings (D)
11. William Sulzer (D)
George B. McClellan, Jr. (D)
13. Jefferson M. Levy (D)
14. William A. Chanler (D)
15. Jacob Ruppert, Jr. (D)
16. John Q. Underhill (D)
17. Arthur S. Tompkins (R)
18. John H. Ketcham (R)
19. Aaron V.S. Cochrane (R)
20. Martin H. Glynn (D)
21. John Knox Stewart (R)
22. Lucius N. Littauer (R)
23. Louis W. Emerson (R)
24. Charles A. Chickering (R), until February 13, 1900 (died)
- Albert D. Shaw (R), November 6, 1900 – February 10, 1901 (died), vacant thereafter
25. James S. Sherman (R)
George W. Ray (R)
27. Michael E. Driscoll (R)
28. Sereno E. Payne (R)
29. Charles W. Gillet (R)
30. James W. Wadsworth, Jr. (R)
31. James M.E. O'Grady (R)
32. William H. Ryan (D)
33. De Alva S. Alexander (R)
34. Edward B. Vreeland (R), from November 7, 1899

North Carolina

1. John Humphrey Small (D)
George H. White (R)
3. Charles R. Thomas (D)
4. John W. Atwater (P)
5. William W. Kitchin (D)
6. John D. Bellamy (D)
7. Theodore F. Kluttz (D)
8. Romulus Z. Linney (R)
9. William T. Crawford (D), until May 10, 1900 (lost election contest)
- Richmond Pearson (R), from May 10, 1900 (won election contest)

North Dakota

At-large. Burleigh F. Spalding (R)

Ohio

1. William B. Shattuc (R)
2. Jacob H. Bromwell (R)
3. John L. Brenner (D)
4. Robert B. Gordon (D)
5. David Meekison (D)
6. Seth W. Brown (R)
7. Walter L. Weaver (R)
8. Archibald Lybrand (R)
9. James H. Southard (R)
Stephen Morgan (R)
11. Charles H. Grosvenor (R)
12. John J. Lentz (D)
13. James A. Norton (D)
14. Winfield S. Kerr (R)
15. Henry C. Van Voorhis (R)
16. Lorenzo Danford (R), until June 19, 1899 (died)
- John J. Gill (R), from December 4, 1899
17. John A. McDowell (D)
18. Robert W. Tayler (R)
19. Charles W. F. Dick (R)
20. Fremont O. Phillips (R)
21. Theodore E. Burton (R)

Oregon

1. Thomas H. Tongue (R)
2. Malcolm A. Moody (R)

Pennsylvania

1. Henry H. Bingham (R)
2. Robert Adams, Jr. (R)
3. William McAleer (D)
4. James R. Young (R)
5. Alfred C. Harmer (R), until March 6, 1900 (died)
- Edward D. Morrell (R), from November 6, 1900
6. Thomas S. Butler (R)
7. Irving P. Wanger (R)
8. Laird H. Barber (D)
9. Daniel Ermentrout (D), until September 17, 1899 (died)
- Henry D. Green (D), from November 7, 1899
10. Marriott Brosius (R)
11. William Connell (R)
12. Stanley W. Davenport (D)
13. James W. Ryan (D)
14. Marlin E. Olmsted (R)
15. Charles F. Wright (R)
16. Horace B. Packer (R)
17. Rufus K. Polk (D)
18. Thaddeus M. Mahon (R)
19. Edward D. Ziegler (D)
20. Joseph E. Thropp (R)
21. Summers M. Jack (R)
22. John Dalzell (R)
23. William H. Graham (R)
24. Ernest F. Acheson (R)
25. Joseph B. Showalter (R)
26. Athelston Gaston (D)
27. Joseph C. Sibley (D)
28. James K.P. Hall (D)
At-large. Samuel A. Davenport (R)
At-large. Galusha A. Grow (R)

Rhode Island

1. Melville Bull (R)
2. Adin B. Capron (R)

South Carolina

South Dakota

At-large. Charles H. Burke (R)
At-large. Robert J. Gamble (R)

At-large. William H. King (D), from April 2, 1900

Vermont

1. H. Henry Powers (R)
2. William W. Grout (R)

Virginia

1. William A. Jones (D)
2. William A. Young (D), until March 12, 1900 (lost election contest)
- Richard A. Wise (R), March 12, 1900 (won election contest) – December 21, 1900 (died), vacant thereafter
3. John Lamb (D)
4. Sydney P. Epes (D), until March 3, 1900 (died)
- Francis R. Lassiter (D), from April 28, 1900
5. Claude A. Swanson (D)
6. Peter J. Otey (D)
7. James Hay (D)
8. John F. Rixey (D)
9. William F. Rhea (D)
10. Julian M. Quarles (D)

Washington

At-large. Francis W. Cushman (R)
At-large. Wesley L. Jones (R)

At-large. Frank W. Mondell (R)

Non-voting members

Arizona Territory. John F. Wilson (D)
Hawaii Territory. Robert W. Wilcox (Independent), from December 15, 1900 (new territory)
New Mexico Territory. Pedro Perea (R)
Oklahoma Territory. Dennis T. Flynn (R)

Changes in membership

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

Senate

replacements: 4
- Democratic: 1 seat gain
- Republican: 1 seat loss
deaths: 3
resignations: 1
vacancy: 5
interim appointments: 3
Total seats with changes: 9

House of Representatives

replacements: 18
- Democratic: 2 seat loss
- Republican: 2 seat gain

deaths: 15
resignations: 8
contested election: 4
Total seats with changes: 25

Employees

Architect of the Capitol: Edward Clark

Senate

Chaplain: William H. Millburn (Methodist)
Secretary: William R. Cox
- Charles G. Bennett, elected February 1, 1900
Sergeant at Arms: Richard J. Bright
- Daniel M. Ransdell, elected February 1, 1900

House of Representatives

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.