44th United States Congress
The 44th 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, 1875, to March 4, 1877, during the seventh and eighth years of Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Ninth Census of the United States in 1870. For the first time since the American Civil War, the House had a Democratic majority. The Senate maintained a Republican majority.
Major events
- November 22, 1875: Vice President Henry Wilson died from a stroke
- June 25, 1876: Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn
- July 4, 1876: United States Centennial
- November 7, 1876: United States general elections, 1876, including the disputed Presidential election of 1876, later settled with the Compromise of 1877 which ended Reconstruction.
Major legislation
- January 29, 1877: Electoral Commission Act, ch. 37,
- March 3, 1877: Desert Land Act, ch. 107,
State admitted
- August 1, 1876: Colorado admitted as the 38th state
Party summary
During this Congress, two Senate seats and one House seat were added for the new state, Colorado.
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
- President: Henry Wilson, until November 22, 1875; vacant thereafter.
- President pro tempore: Thomas W. Ferry, from March 9, 1875
- Republican Conference Chairman: Henry B. Anthony
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: John W. Stevenson
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Michael C. Kerr, until August 19, 1876
- * Samuel J. Randall, elected December 4, 1876
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II
- Republican Conference Chairman: George W. McCrary
Members
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 this Congress, facing re-election in 1880; Class 2 meant their term ended in this Congress, facing re-election in 1876; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1878.[List of [United States Senators from Alabama|Alabama]]
- 2. George Goldthwaite
- 3. George E. Spencer
Arkansas">List of United States Senators from Arkansas">Arkansas
- 2. Powell Clayton
- 3. Stephen W. Dorsey
California">List of United States Senators from California">California
- 1. Newton Booth
- 3. Aaron A. Sargent
Colorado">List of United States Senators from Colorado">Colorado
- 2. Henry M. Teller, from November 15, 1876
- 3. Jerome B. Chaffee, from November 15, 1876
Connecticut">List of United States Senators from Connecticut">Connecticut
- 1. William W. Eaton
- 3. Orris S. Ferry, until November 21, 1875
- * James E. English, November 27, 1875 – May 17, 1876
- * William H. Barnum, from May 18, 1876
Delaware">List of United States Senators from Delaware">Delaware
- 1. Thomas F. Bayard, Sr.
- 2. Eli M. Saulsbury
Florida">List of United States Senators from Florida">Florida
- 1. Charles W. Jones
- 3. Simon B. Conover
Georgia">List of United States Senators from Georgia">Georgia
- 2. Thomas M. Norwood
- 3. John B. Gordon
Illinois">List of United States Senators from Illinois">Illinois
- 2. John A. Logan
- 3. Richard J. Oglesby
Indiana">List of United States Senators from Indiana">Indiana
- 1. Joseph E. McDonald
- 3. Oliver H. P. T. Morton
Iowa">List of United States Senators from Iowa">Iowa
- 2. George G. Wright
- 3. William B. Allison
Kansas">List of United States Senators from Kansas">Kansas
- 2. James M. Harvey
- 3. John J. Ingalls
Kentucky">List of United States Senators from Kentucky">Kentucky
- 2. John W. Stevenson
- 3. Thomas C. McCreery
Louisiana">List of United States Senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
- 2. J. Rodman West
- 3. James B. Eustis, from January 12, 1876
Maine">List of United States Senators from Maine">Maine
- 1. Hannibal Hamlin
- 2. Lot M. Morrill, until July 7, 1876
- * James G. Blaine, from July 10, 1876
Maryland">List of United States Senators from Maryland">Maryland
- 1. William Pinkney Whyte
- 3. George R. Dennis
Massachusetts">List of United States Senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
- 1. Henry L. Dawes
- 2. George S. Boutwell
Michigan">List of United States Senators from Michigan">Michigan
- 1. Isaac P. Christiancy
- 2. Thomas W. Ferry
Minnesota">List of United States Senators from Minnesota">Minnesota
- 1. Samuel J. R. McMillan
- 2. William Windom
Mississippi">List of United States Senators from Mississippi">Mississippi
- 1. Blanche Bruce
- 2. James L. Alcorn
Missouri">List of United States Senators from Missouri">Missouri
- 1. Francis Cockrell
- 3. Lewis V. Bogy
Nebraska">List of United States Senators from Nebraska">Nebraska
- 1. Algernon Paddock
- 2. Phineas Hitchcock
Nevada">List of United States Senators from Nevada">Nevada
- 1. William Sharon
- 3. John P. Jones
New Hampshire">List of United States Senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
- 2. Aaron H. Cragin
- 3. Bainbridge Wadleigh
New Jersey">List of United States Senators from New Jersey">New Jersey
- 1. Theodore F. Randolph
- 2. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen
New York">List of United States Senators from New York">New York
- 1. Francis Kernan
- 3. Roscoe Conkling
North Carolina">List of United States Senators from North Carolina">North Carolina
- 2. Matt W. Ransom
- 3. Augustus S. Merrimon
Ohio">List of United States Senators from Ohio">Ohio
- 1. Allen G. Thurman
- 3. John Sherman
Oregon">List of United States Senators from Oregon">Oregon
- 2. James K. Kelly
- 3. John H. Mitchell
Pennsylvania">List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
- 1. William A. Wallace
- 3. Simon Cameron
Rhode Island">List of United States Senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
- 1. Ambrose Burnside
- 2. Henry B. Anthony
South Carolina">List of United States Senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
- 2. Thomas J. Robertson
- 3. John J. Patterson
Tennessee">List of United States Senators from Tennessee">Tennessee
- 1. Andrew Johnson, until July 31, 1875
- * David M. Key, August 18, 1875 – January 19, 1877
- * James E. Bailey, from January 19, 1877
- 2. Henry Cooper
Texas">List of United States Senators from Texas">Texas
- 1. Samuel B. Maxey
- 2. Morgan C. Hamilton
Vermont">List of United States Senators from Vermont">Vermont
- 1. George F. Edmunds
- 3. Justin S. Morrill
Virginia">List of United States Senators from Virginia">Virginia
- 1. Robert E. Withers
- 2. John W. Johnston
West Virginia">List of United States Senators from West Virginia">West Virginia
- 1. Allen T. Caperton, until July 26, 1876
- * Samuel Price, August 26, 1876 – January 26, 1877
- * Frank Hereford, from January 31, 1877
- 2. Henry G. Davis
Wisconsin">List of United States Senators from Wisconsin">Wisconsin
- 1. Angus Cameron
- 3. Timothy O. Howe
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.[List of [United States Representatives from Alabama|Alabama]]
- . Jeremiah Haralson
- . Jeremiah N. Williams
- . Taul Bradford
- . Charles Hays
- . John H. Caldwell
- . Goldsmith W. Hewitt
- . William H. Forney
- . Burwell B. Lewis
Arkansas">List of United States Representatives from Arkansas">Arkansas
- . Lucien C. Gause
- . William F. Slemons
- . William W. Wilshire
- . Thomas M. Gunter
California">List of United States Representatives from California">California
- . William A. Piper
- . Horace F. Page
- . John K. Luttrell
- . Peter D. Wigginton
Colorado">List of United States Representatives from Colorado">Colorado
- . James B. Belford, from October 3, 1876
Connecticut">List of United States Representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut
- . George M. Landers
- . James Phelps
- . Henry H. Starkweather, until January 28, 1876
- * John T. Wait, from April 12, 1876
- . William H. Barnum, until May 18, 1876
- * Levi Warner, from December 4, 1876
Delaware">List of United States Representatives from Delaware">Delaware
- . James Williams
Florida">List of United States Representatives from Florida">Florida
- . William J. Purman
- . Josiah T. Walls, until April 19, 1876
- * Jesse J. Finley, from April 19, 1876
Georgia">List of United States Representatives from Georgia">Georgia
- . Julian Hartridge
- . William E. Smith
- . Philip Cook
- . Henry R. Harris
- . Milton A. Candler
- . James H. Blount
- . William H. Felton
- . Alexander Stephens
- . Benjamin H. Hill, May 5, 1875 - March 3, 1877
Illinois">List of United States Representatives from Illinois">Illinois
- . Bernard G. Caulfield
- . Carter H. Harrison
- . Charles B. Farwell, until May 6, 1876
- * John V. Le Moyne, from May 6, 1876
- . Stephen A. Hurlbut
- . Horatio C. Burchard
- . Thomas J. Henderson
- . Alexander Campbell
- . Greenbury L. Fort
- . Richard H. Whiting
- . John C. Bagby
- . Scott Wike
- . William M. Springer
- . Adlai E. Stevenson
- . Joseph G. Cannon
- . John R. Eden
- . William A. J. Sparks
- . William R. Morrison
- . William Hartzell
- . William B. Anderson
Indiana">List of United States Representatives from Indiana">Indiana
- . Benoni S. Fuller
- . James D. Williams, until December 1, 1876
- * Andrew Humphreys, from December 5, 1876
- . Michael C. Kerr, until August 19, 1876
- * Nathan T. Carr, from December 5, 1876
- . Jeptha D. New
- . William S. Holman
- . Milton S. Robinson
- . Franklin Landers
- . Morton C. Hunter
- . Thomas J. Cason
- . William S. Haymond
- . James L. Evans
- . Andrew H. Hamilton
- . John H. Baker
Iowa">List of United States Representatives from Iowa">Iowa
- . George W. McCrary
- . John Q. Tufts
- . Lucien L. Ainsworth
- . Henry O. Pratt
- . James Wilson
- . Ezekiel S. Sampson
- . John A. Kasson
- . James W. McDill
- . S. Addison Oliver
Kansas">List of United States Representatives from Kansas">Kansas
- . William A. Phillips
- . John R. Goodin
- . William R. Brown
Kentucky">List of United States Representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky
- . Andrew Boone
- . John Y. Brown
- . Charles W. Milliken
- . J. Proctor Knott
- . Edward Y. Parsons, until July 8, 1876
- * Henry Watterson, from August 12, 1876
- . Thomas L. Jones
- . Joseph C. S. Blackburn
- . Milton J. Durham
- . John D. White
- . John B. Clarke
Louisiana">List of United States Representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana
- . Randall L. Gibson
- . E. John Ellis
- . Chester B. Darrall
- . William M. Levy
- . Frank Morey, until June 8, 1876
- * William B. Spencer June 8, 1876 - January 8, 1877
- . Charles E. Nash
Maine">List of United States Representatives from Maine">Maine
- . John H. Burleigh
- . William P. Frye
- . James G. Blaine, until July 10, 1876
- * Edwin Flye, from December 4, 1876
- . Harris M. Plaisted, from September 13, 1875
- . Eugene Hale
Maryland">List of United States Representatives from Maryland">Maryland
- . Phillip F. Thomas
- . Charles B. Roberts
- . William J. O'Brien
- . Thomas Swann
- . Eli J. Henkle
- . William Walsh
Massachusetts">List of United States Representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
- . James Buffington, until March 7, 1875
- * William W. Crapo, from November 2, 1875
- . Benjamin W. Harris
- . Henry L. Pierce
- . Rufus S. Frost, until July 28, 1876
- * Josiah G. Abbott, from July 28, 1876
- . Nathaniel P. Banks
- . Charles P. Thompson
- . John K. Tarbox
- . William W. Warren
- . George F. Hoar
- . Julius H. Seelye
- . Chester W. Chapin
Michigan">List of United States Representatives from Michigan">Michigan
- . Alpheus S. Williams
- . Henry Waldron
- . George Willard
- . Allen Potter
- . William B. Williams
- . George H. Durand
- . Omar D. Conger
- . Nathan B. Bradley
- . Jay A. Hubbell
Minnesota">List of United States Representatives from Minnesota">Minnesota
- . Mark H. Dunnell
- . Horace B. Strait
- . William S. King
Mississippi">List of United States Representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi
- . Lucius Q. C. Lamar
- . G. Wiley Wells
- . Hernando Money
- . Otho R. Singleton
- . Charles E. Hooker
- . John R. Lynch
Missouri">List of United States Representatives from Missouri">Missouri
- . Edward C. Kehr
- . Erastus Wells
- . William H. Stone
- . Robert A. Hatcher
- . Richard P. Bland
- . Charles H. Morgan
- . John F. Philips
- . Benjamin J. Franklin
- . David Rea
- . Rezin A. De Bolt
- . John B. Clark, Jr.
- . John M. Glover
- . Aylett H. Buckner
Nebraska">List of United States Representatives from Nebraska">Nebraska
- . Lorenzo Crounse
Nevada">List of United States Representatives from Nevada">Nevada
- . William Woodburn
New Hampshire">List of United States Representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
- . Frank Jones
- . Samuel N. Bell
- . Henry W. Blair
New Jersey">List of United States Representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey
- . Clement H. Sinnickson
- . Samuel A. Dobbins
- . Miles Ross
- . Robert Hamilton
- . Augustus W. Cutler
- . Frederick H. Teese
- . Augustus A. Hardenbergh
New York">List of United States Representatives from New York">New York
- . Henry B. Metcalfe
- . John G. Schumaker
- . Simeon B. Chittenden
- . Archibald M. Bliss
- . Edwin R. Meade
- . Samuel S. Cox
- . Smith Ely, Jr., until December 11, 1876
- * David Dudley Field, from January 11, 1877
- . Elijah Ward
- . Fernando Wood
- . Abram S. Hewitt
- . Benjamin A. Willis
- . N. Holmes Odell
- . John O. Whitehouse
- . George M. Beebe
- . John H. Bagley, Jr.
- . Charles H. Adams
- . Martin I. Townsend
- . Andrew Williams
- . William A. Wheeler
- . Henry H. Hathorn
- . Samuel F. Miller
- . George A. Bagley
- . Scott Lord
- . William H. Baker
- . Elias W. Leavenworth
- . Clinton D. MacDougall
- . Elbridge G. Lapham
- . Thomas C. Platt
- . Charles C. B. Walker
- . John M. Davy
- . George G. Hoskins
- . Lyman K. Bass
- . Nelson I. Norton, from December 6, 1875
North Carolina">List of United States Representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina
- . Jesse J. Yeates
- . John A. Hyman
- . Alfred M. Waddell
- . Joseph J. Davis
- . Alfred M. Scales
- . Thomas S. Ashe
- . William M. Robbins
- . Robert B. Vance
Ohio">List of United States Representatives from Ohio">Ohio
- . Milton Sayler
- . Henry B. Banning
- . John S. Savage
- . John A. McMahon
- . Americus V. Rice
- . Frank H. Hurd
- . Lawrence T. Neal
- . William Lawrence
- . Earley F. Poppleton
- . Charles Foster
- . John L. Vance
- . Ansel T. Walling
- . Milton I. Southard
- . Jacob P. Cowan
- . Nelson H. Van Vorhes
- . Lorenzo Danford
- . Laurin D. Woodworth
- . James Monroe
- . James A. Garfield
- . Henry B. Payne
Oregon">List of United States Representatives from Oregon">Oregon
- . George A. La Dow, until May 1, 1875
- * Lafayette Lane, from October 25, 1875
Pennsylvania">List of United States Representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
- . Chapman Freeman
- . Charles O'Neill
- . Samuel J. Randall
- . William D. Kelley
- . John Robbins, Jr.
- . Washington Townsend
- . Alan Wood, Jr.
- . Hiester Clymer
- . A. Herr Smith
- . William Mutchler
- . Francis D. Collins
- . Winthrop W. Ketcham, until July 19, 1876
- * William H. Stanton, from November 7, 1876
- . James B. Reilly
- . John B. Packer
- . Joseph Powell
- . Sobieski Ross
- . John Reilly
- . William Stenger
- . Levi Maish
- . Levi A. Mackey
- . Jacob Turney
- . James H. Hopkins
- . Alexander G. Cochran
- . John W. Wallace
- . George A. Jenks
- . James Sheakley
- . Albert G. Egbert
Rhode Island">List of United States Representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
- . Benjamin T. Eames
- . Latimer W. Ballou
South Carolina">List of United States Representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina
- . Joseph Rainey
- . Edmund W. M. Mackey, until July 19, 1876
- * Charles W. Buttz, from November 7, 1876
- . Solomon L. Hoge
- . Alexander S. Wallace
- . Robert Smalls
Tennessee">List of United States Representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee
- . William McFarland
- . Jacob M. Thornburgh
- . George G. Dibrell
- . Samuel M. Fite, until October 23, 1875
- * Haywood Y. Riddle, from December 4, 1875
- . John M. Bright
- . John F. House
- . Washington C. Whitthorne
- . John D. C. Atkins
- . William P. Caldwell
- . H. Casey Young
Texas">List of United States Representatives from Texas">Texas
- . John H. Reagan
- . David B. Culberson
- . James W. Throckmorton
- . Roger Q. Mills
- . John Hancock
- . Gustave Schleicher
Vermont">List of United States Representatives from Vermont">Vermont
- . Charles H. Joyce
- . Dudley C. Denison
- . George W. Hendee
Virginia">List of United States Representatives from Virginia">Virginia
- . Beverly B. Douglas
- . John Goode, Jr.
- . Gilbert C. Walker
- . William H. H. Stowell
- . George Cabell
- . John R. Tucker
- . John T. Harris
- . Eppa Hutton, II
- . William Terry
West Virginia">List of United States Representatives from West Virginia">West Virginia
- . Benjamin Wilson
- . Charles J. Faulkner
- . Frank Hereford, until January 31, 1877
Wisconsin">List of United States Representatives from Wisconsin">Wisconsin
- . Charles G. Williams
- . Lucien B. Caswell
- . Henry S. Magoon
- . William P. Lynde
- . Samuel D. Burchard
- . Alanson M. Kimball
- . Jeremiah M. Rusk
- . George W. Cate
Non-voting members
- . Hiram S. Stevens
- . Thomas M. Patterson, until August 1, 1876
- . Jefferson P. Kidder
- . Thomas W. Bennett, until June 23, 1876
- * Stephen S. Fenn, from June 23, 1876
- . Martin Maginnis
- . Stephen B. Elkins
- . George Q. Cannon
- . Orange Jacobs
- . William R. Steele
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.Senate
- replacements: 4
- * Democratic: 1 seat net gain
- * Republican: 1 seat net loss
- deaths: 3
- resignations: 1
- vacancy: 1
- interim appointments: 3
- seats of newly admitted states: 2
- Total seats with changes: 7
House of Representatives
- replacements: 14
- * Democratic: no net change
- * Republican: no net change
- deaths: 9
- resignations: 6
- contested election: 5
- seats of newly admitted states: 1
- Total seats with changes: 21
Committees
Senate
- Agriculture
- Appropriations
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
- Civil Service and Retrenchment
- Claims
- Commerce
- Counting the Electoral Vote
- Distributing Public Revenue Among the States
- District of Columbia
- Education and Labor
- Engrossed Bills
- Enrolled Bills
- Examine the Several Branches in the Civil Service
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- Indian Affairs
- Judiciary
- Manufactures
- Military Affairs
- Mines and Mining
- Mississippi River Levee System
- Mississippi Election Frauds, 1876
- Naval Affairs
- Ordnance and War Ships
- Patents
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Private Land Claims
- Privileges and Elections
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Lands
- Railroads
- Revision of the Laws
- Revolutionary Claims
- Rules
- Tariff Regulation
- Territories
- Transportation Routes to the Seaboard
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Agriculture
- Appropriations
- Banking and Currency
- Claims
- Coinage, Weights and Measures
- Commerce
- District of Columbia
- Education and Labor
- Elections
- Enrolled Bills
- Expenditures in the Interior Department
- Expenditures in the Justice Department
- Expenditures in the Navy Department
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department
- Expenditures in the State Department
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department
- Expenditures in the War Department
- Expenditures on Public Buildings
- Foreign Affairs
- Indian Affairs
- Invalid Pensions
- Judiciary
- Manufactures
- Mileage
- Military Affairs
- Militia
- Mines and Mining
- Mississippi Levees
- Naval Affairs
- Pacific Railroads
- Patents
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Private Land Claims
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Expenditures
- Public Lands
- Railways and Canals
- Reform in the Civil Service
- Revision of Laws
- Revolutionary Pensions and War of 1812
- Rules
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Territories
- War Claims
- Ways and Means
- Whole
Joint committees
- Conditions of Indian Tribes
- Enrolled Bills
- Frame a Form of Government for the District of Columbia
- Investigate Chinese Immigration
- The Library
- Printing
Caucuses
- Democratic
- Democratic
Employees
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#Legislative branch">Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: Edward Clark
- Librarian of Congress: Ainsworth Rand Spofford
- Public Printer of the United States: Almon M. Clapp, from 1876
Senate
- Chaplain: Byron Sunderland
- Librarian: George F. Dawson
- Secretary: George C. Gorham
- Sergeant at Arms: John R. French
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: John George Butler, until December 6, 1875
- * I. L. Townsend, from December 6, 1875
- Clerk: Edward McPherson, until December 6, 1875
- * George M. Adams, elected December 6, 1875
- Clerk at the Speaker’s Table: William H. Scudder
- Doorkeeper: Lafayette H. Fitzhugh
- Postmaster: James M. Steuart
- Reading Clerks: Thomas S. Pettit and Neill S. Brown, Jr.
- Sergeant at Arms: Nehemiah G. Ordway, until December 6, 1875
- * John G. Thompson, elected December 6, 1875