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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 817 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 817

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the African 
Americans who duly won election to the House during the post-Civil War 
  Reconstruction Era but were wrongly denied the right to take their 
       seats should be recognized as former Members of the House.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2023

  Mr. Carter of Louisiana (for himself, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. 
Frost, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Williams of Georgia, 
   Mr. Payne, Mr. Ivey, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Adams, Ms. 
Norton, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Cleaver, 
Mr. Green of Texas, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. 
  Carson, Ms. Sewell, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Evans, Mr. Neguse, Ms. 
 Brown, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, and Ms. McClellan) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                        on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the African 
Americans who duly won election to the House during the post-Civil War 
  Reconstruction Era but were wrongly denied the right to take their 
       seats should be recognized as former Members of the House.

Whereas, during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era, many African Americans 
        won election to the House of Representatives but were wrongly denied the 
        right to serve as Members;
Whereas James Lewis of Louisiana, who won an election in 1869, was denied his 
        seat in the House when his credentials were challenged;
Whereas John Willis Menard of Louisiana, who also won an election in 1869, was 
        denied his seat in the House on the basis of a challenge by the 
        individual he defeated;
Whereas Pinckney B.S. Pinchback of Louisiana, who had been elected previously to 
        the House, conceded his seat in the House on the assumption that he 
        would be seated in the Senate, but was denied his seat by the Democratic 
        majority; and
Whereas Josiah Thomas Walls of Florida, who had been elected previously to the 
        House and recognized as a former Member of Congress, won an election in 
        1874 but was denied his seat in the House on the basis of a challenge by 
        the individual he defeated, a former colonel in the Confederate Army: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) James Lewis, John Willis Menard, Pinckney B.S. 
        Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls duly won election to the 
        House during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era;
            (2) James Lewis, John Willis Menard, Pinckney B.S. 
        Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls were wrongly denied the 
        right to take their seats as Members of the House;
            (3) James Lewis, John Willis Menard, and Pinckney B.S. 
        Pinchback should be recognized as former Members of the House; 
        and
            (4) an oil on canvas honoring James Lewis, John Willis 
        Menard, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls should 
        be displayed in the House connecting corridor, first floor.
                                 <all>
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