# 47th United States Congress

The 47th 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, 1881, to March 4, 1883, during the six months of James Garfield's presidency, and the first year and a half of Chester Arthur's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1870 United States census. The House had a Republican majority; the Senate was evenly divided for the first time ever, with no vice president to break ties for most of this term.

## 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 indicates party control) | Party (Shading indicates party control) | Party (Shading indicates party control) | Party (Shading indicates party control) | Total | |
| | Democratic (D) | Independent (I) | Readjuster (RA) | Republican (R) | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Congress | 42 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 75 | 1 |
| Begin | 37 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 75 | 1 |
| March 5, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 74 | 2 |
| March 7, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 72 | 4 |
| March 8, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 73 | 3 |
| March 12, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 74 | 2 |
| March 14, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 75 | 1 |
| March 18, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 76 | 0 |
| May 16, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 74 | 2 |
| July 27, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 75 | 1 |
| August 2, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 76 | 0 |
| September 13, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 75 | 1 |
| October 5, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 76 | 0 |
| November 15, 1881 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 76 | 0 |
| April 17, 1882 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 76 | 0 |
| August 16, 1882 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 75 | 1 |
| November 15, 1882 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 76 | 0 |
| January 27, 1883 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 76 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 48.7% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 48.7% | | |
| Beginning of the next Congress | 36 | 0 | 2 | 38 | 76 | 0 |

### House of Representatives

| | Party (Shading indicates party control) | Party (Shading indicates party control) | Party (Shading indicates party control) | Party (Shading indicates party control) | Party (Shading indicates party control) | Party (Shading indicates party control) | Total | |
| | Democratic (D) | Independent Democrat (ID) | Independent (I) | Greenback (GB) | Independent Republican (IR) | Republican (R) | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Congress | 146 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 129 | 291 | 2 |
| Begin | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 146 | 291 | 2 |
| March 17, 1881 | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 145 | 290 | 3 |
| March 21, 1881 | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 144 | 289 | 4 |
| April 5, 1881 | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 145 | 290 | 3 |
| April 26, 1881 | 133 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 145 | 289 | 4 |
| June 9, 1881 | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 145 | 290 | 3 |
| July 26, 1881 | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 144 | 289 | 4 |
| July 29, 1881 | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 143 | 288 | 5 |
| September 12, 1881 | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 144 | 289 | 4 |
| October 5, 1881 | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 143 | 288 | 5 |
| November 8, 1881 | 135 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 145 | 291 | 2 |
| December 5, 1881 | 136 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 146 | 293 | 0 |
| April 8, 1882 | 135 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 146 | 292 | 1 |
| April 29, 1882 | 134 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 147 | 292 | 1 |
| May 31, 1882 | 133 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 147 | 292 | 1 |
| June 1, 1882 | 132 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 148 | 292 | 1 |
| June 3, 1882 | 131 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 148 | 292 | 1 |
| June 29, 1882 | 131 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 147 | 291 | 2 |
| July 19, 1882 | 130 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 148 | 291 | 2 |
| July 20, 1882 | 129 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 148 | 290 | 3 |
| October 12, 1882 | 129 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 148 | 289 | 4 |
| November 4, 1882 | 128 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 148 | 288 | 5 |
| November 7, 1882 | 129 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 149 | 290 | 3 |
| November 30, 1882 | 129 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 148 | 289 | 4 |
| December 4, 1882 | 130 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 148 | 290 | 3 |
| December 15, 1882 | 130 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 149 | 291 | 2 |
| December 16, 1882 | 130 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 148 | 290 | 3 |
| January 2, 1883 | 130 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 149 | 291 | 2 |
| January 15, 1883 | 131 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 149 | 292 | 1 |
| January 17, 1883 | 131 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 150 | 293 | 0 |
| January 18, 1883 | 130 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 150 | 292 | 1 |
| March 2, 1883 | 129 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 151 | 292 | 1 |
| March 3, 1883 | 130 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 150 | 292 | 1 |
| Final voting share | 44.5% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 3.1% | 0.3% | 51.4% | | |
| Beginning of the next Congress | 196 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 117 | 325 | 1 |

## Leadership
### Senate

* President: Chester A. Arthur (R), until September 19, 1881; vacant thereafter
* President pro tempore: Thomas F. Bayard (D), October 10, 1881 – October 13, 1881
** David Davis (I), from October 13, 1881
** George F. Edmunds (R), from March 3, 1883
* Democratic Caucus Chairman: George H. Pendleton
* Republican Conference Chairman: Henry B. Anthony

### House of Representatives

* Speaker: J. Warren Keifer (R)
* Republican Conference Chairman: George M. Robeson

## Major events

* March 4, 1881: James A. Garfield became President of the United States
* September 19, 1881: President Garfield died. Vice President Chester A. Arthur became President of the United States

## Major legislation

* February 25, 1882: Apportionment of the Tenth Census, ch. 20, 22 Stat. 5
* May 6, 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act, 22 Stat. 58
* August 2, 1882: Passenger Act of 1882, 22 Stat. 186
* August 2, 1882: Rivers and Harbors Act
* January 16, 1883: Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, ch. 27, 22 Stat. 403
* March 3, 1883: Tariff of 1883 (Mongrel Tariff)

## 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.

### House of Representatives

Members' names are preceded by their district numbers.

## Changes in membership

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

### Senate

* Deaths: 2
* Resignations: 8
* Interim appointments: 1
* Total replacements: 8
** Democratic: no net change
** Republican: no net change
* Total seats with changes: 10

### House of Representatives

* Deaths: 6
* Resignations: 9
* Contested elections: 8
* Total replacements: 14
** Democratic: 1 seat net gain
** Republican: 1 seat net loss
* Total seats with changes: 22

## Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. On the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.

### Senate

* Additional Accommodations for the Library of Congress (Select) (Chairman: Daniel W. Voorhees; Ranking Member: N/A)
* Agriculture (Chairman: William Mahone; Ranking Member: Henry G. Davis)
* Appropriations (Chairman: William B. Allison; Ranking Member: Henry G. Davis)
* Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: John P. Jones; Ranking Member: Zebulon B. Vance)
* Cabinet Officers on the Floor of the Senate (Select)
* Civil Service and Retrenchment (Chairman: Joseph R. Hawley; Ranking Member: Matthew C. Butler)
* Claims (Chairman: Angus Cameron; Ranking Member: James L. Pugh)
* Commerce (Chairman: Samuel J.R. McMillan; Ranking Member: Matt W. Ransom)
* Distilled Spirit Tax Bill (Select)
* Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
* District of Columbia (Chairman: John J. Ingalls; Ranking Member: Isham G. Harris)
* Education and Labor (Chairman: Henry W. Blair; Ranking Member: Samuel B. Maxey)
* Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Eli Saulsbury; Ranking Member: Warner Miller)
* Enrolled Bills (Chairman: William J. Sewell; Ranking Member: James L. Pugh)
* Epidemic Diseases (Select) (Chairman: Isham G. Harris; Ranking Member: Henry M. Teller)
* Examine the Several Branches in the Civil Service (Select)
* Finance (Chairman: Justin S. Morrill; Ranking Member: Thomas F. Bayard)
* Foreign Relations (Chairman: William Windom; Ranking Member: John W. Johnston)
* Indian Affairs (Chairman: Henry L. Dawes; Ranking Member: Richard Coke)
* Judiciary (Chairman: George F. Edmunds; Ranking Member: Augustus H. Garland)
* Manufactures (Chairman: Omar D. Conger; Ranking Member: John R. McPherson)
* Military Affairs (Chairman: John A. Logan; Ranking Member: Francis M. Cockrell)
* Mines and Mining (Chairman: Nathaniel P. Hill; Ranking Member: Wade Hampton)
* Mississippi River and its Tributaries (Select) (Chairman: Charles H. Van Wyck; Ranking Member: Benjamin F. Jonas)
* Naval Affairs (Chairman: J. Donald Cameron; Ranking Member: John R. McPherson)
* Nicaraguan Claims (Select) (Chairman: Henry G. Davis; Ranking Member: Nathaniel P. Hill)
* Ordnance and Gunnery (Select)
* Ordnance and Projectiles (Select)
* Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
* Patents (Chairman: Orville H. Platt; Ranking Member: Richard Coke)
* Pensions (Chairman: John I. Mitchell; Ranking Member: James B. Groome)
* Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Thomas W. Ferry; Ranking Member: Samuel B. Maxey)
* Potomac River Front (Select)
* Private Land Claims (Chairman: Thomas F. Bayard; Ranking Member: George F. Edmunds)
* Privileges and Elections (Chairman: George F. Hoar; Ranking Member: Eli Saulsbury)
* Public Lands (Chairman: Preston B. Plumb; Ranking Member: Charles W. Jones)
* Railroads (Chairman: William P. Kellogg; Ranking Member: Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar)
* Revenue Collections in North Carolina (Special)
* Revision of the Laws (Chairman: John F. Miller; Ranking Member: David Davis)
* Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: John W. Johnston; Ranking Member: Henry B. Anthony)
* Rules (Chairman: William P. Frye; Ranking Member: Wilkinson Call)
* Sioux and Crow Indians (Select)
* Tariff Regulation (Select)
* Tenth Census (Select) (Chairman: Eugene Hale; Ranking Member: George H. Pendleton)
* Territories (Chairman: Alvin Saunders; Ranking Member: Matthew C. Butler)
* Transportation Routes to the Seaboard (Chairman: Benjamin Harrison; Ranking Member: James B. Beck)
* Whole
* Woman Suffrage (Select) (Chairman: Elbridge G. Lapham; Ranking Member: James Z. George)

### House of Representatives

* Accounts (Chairman: Milton G. Urner; Ranking Member: Edward L. Martin)
* Alcoholic Liquor Traffic (Select) (Chairman: John T. Wait; Ranking Member: Thomas Williams)
* Agriculture (Chairman: Edward K. Valentine; Ranking Member: William Cullen)
* Appropriations (Chairman: Frank Hiscock; Ranking Member: Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn)
* Banking and Currency (Chairman: William W. Crapo; Ranking Member: John H. Ketcham)
* Claims (Chairman: Richard Crowley; Ranking Member: Robert J.C. Walker)
* Coinage, Weights and Measures (Chairman: Horatio G. Fisher; Ranking Member: Ira S. Hazeltine)
* Commerce (Chairman: Horace F. Page; Ranking Member: Melvin C. George)
* District of Columbia (Chairman: Henry S. Neal; Ranking Member: John F. Dezendorf)
* Education and Labor (Chairman: John C. Sherwin; Ranking Member: Albert S. Willis)
* Elections (Chairman: William H. Calkins; Ranking Member: Ferris Jacobs Jr.)
* Enrolled Bills (Chairman: William Aldrich; Ranking Member: Cornelius C. Jadwin)
* Expenditures in the Interior Department (Chairman: Jay Abel Hubbell; Ranking Member: Charles B. Simonton)
* Expenditures in the Justice Department (Chairman: Edwin Willits; Ranking Member: Otho R. Singleton)
* Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: George M. Robeson; Ranking Member: Leopold Morse)
* Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: Joseph G. Cannon; Ranking Member: John H. Reagan)
* Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: Nathaniel C. Deering; Ranking Member: Thomas H. Herndon)
* Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: James B. Belford; Ranking Member: William H. Forney)
* Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: James F. Briggs; Ranking Member: Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn)
* Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: Russell Errett; Ranking Member: Morgan R. Wise)
* Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Charles G. Williams; Ranking Member: Robert J.C. Walker)
* Indian Affairs (Chairman: Dudley C. Haskell; Ranking Member: David P. Richardson)
* Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Thomas M. Browne; Ranking Member: James Wolcott Wadsworth)
* Judiciary (Chairman: Thomas B. Reed; Ranking Member: Amasa Norcross)
* Levees and Improvements of the Mississippi River (Chairman: John R. Thomas; Ranking Member: Julius C. Burrows)
* Manufactures (Chairman: James M. Campbell; Ranking Member: Jonathan Chace)
* Memorial on Services Rendered by Carlisle P. Patterson (Select) (Chairman: John A. Kasson; Ranking Member: John D.C. Atkins)
* Mileage (Chairman: Joseph Jorgensen; Ranking Member: Thomas R. Cobb)
* Military Affairs (Chairman: Thomas J. Henderson; Ranking Member: Henry J. Spooner)
* Militia (Chairman: Horace B. Strait; Ranking Member: Edward K. Valentine)
* Mines and Mining (Chairman: John Van Voorhis; Ranking Member: Thomas L. Young)
* Naval Affairs (Chairman: Benjamin W. Harris; Ranking Member: John F. Dezendorf)
* Pacific Railroads (Chairman: George C. Hazelton; Ranking Member: Charles B. Farwell)
* Patents (Chairman: Thomas L. Young; Ranking Member: Henry J. Spooner)
* Pensions (Chairman: Benjamin F. Marsh; Ranking Member: Dietrich C. Smith)
* Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Henry H. Bingham; Ranking Member: Henry L. Morey)
* Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: William S. Shallenberger; Ranking Member: J. Hyatt Smith)
* Public Expenditures (Chairman: Samuel J. Randall; Ranking Member: George W. Ladd)
* Public Lands (Chairman: Thaddeus C. Pound; Ranking Member: Theron M. Rice)
* Private Land Claims (Chairman: Romualdo Pacheco; Ranking Member: Henry L. Muldrow)
* Railways and Canals (Chairman: Amos Townsend; Ranking Member: J. Hart Brewer)
* Revision of Laws (Chairman: William McKinley; Ranking Member: Cornelius C. Jadwin)
* Rules (Chairman: J. Warren Keifer; Ranking Member: Samuel J. Randall)
* Standards of Official Conduct
* Territories (Chairman: Julius C. Burrows; Ranking Member: William W. Grout)
* War Claims (Chairman: Leonidas C. Houk; Ranking Member: Edward W. Robertson)
* Ways and Means (Chairman: William D. Kelley; Ranking Member: Samuel J. Randall)
* Whole

### Joint committees

* American Shipbuilding (Select)
* Budget Control
* Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
* Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Sen. William Aldrich; Vice Chairman: Rep. John E. Kenna)
* The Library (Chairman: Sen. John Sherman; Vice Chairman: Rep. George W. Geddes)
* Printing (Chairman: Sen. Henry B. Anthony; Vice Chairman: Rep. William M. Springer)
* Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Sen. William Mahone; Vice Chairman: Rep. J. Hyatt Smith)
* State, War and Navy Department Building

## Caucuses

* Democratic (House)
* Democratic (Senate)

## Employees
### Legislative branch agency directors

* Architect of the Capitol: Edward Clark
* Librarian of Congress: Ainsworth Rand Spofford
* Public Printer of the United States: John D. Defrees, until 1882
** Sterling P. Rounds, from 1882

### Senate

* Secretary: John C. Burch, elected March 24, 1879, died July 28, 1881
** Francis E. Shober, (Acting), elected October 25, 1881
* Librarian: P. J. Pierce
* Sergeant at Arms: Richard J. Bright
* Chaplain: Joseph J. Bullock (Presbyterian)

### House of Representatives

* Clerk: George M. Adams, until December 5, 1881
** Edward McPherson, from December 5, 1881
* Sergeant at Arms: John G. Thompson, until December 5, 1881
** George W. Hooker, from December 5, 1881
* Doorkeeper: Walter P. Brownlow, elected December 5, 1881
* Postmaster: Henry Sherwood, elected December 5, 1881
* Clerk at the Speaker's Table: J. Guilford White
** Michael Sullivan
* Reading Clerks: Charles N. Clisbee (D) and Neill S. Brown Jr. (R)
* Chaplain: William P. Harrison (Methodist), until December 5, 1881
** Frederick D. Power (Disciples of Christ), from December 5, 1881