| 42nd United States Congress | |||
 United States Capitol (1869) |
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| Duration: March 4, 1871 – March 4, 1873 | |||
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| President of the Senate: | Schuyler Colfax | ||
| President pro tempore: | Henry B. Anthony | ||
| Speaker of the House: | James G. Blaine | ||
| Members: | 74 Senators 243 Representatives 10 Non-voting members |
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| Senate Majority: | Republican | ||
| House Majority: | Republican | ||
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| Sessions | |||
| 1st: March 4, 1871 – April 20, 1871 2nd: December 4, 1871 – June 10, 1872 3rd: December 2, 1872 – March 4, 1873 |
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The Forty-second 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, 1871 to March 3, 1873, during the third and fourth years of Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Eighth Census of the United States in 1860. Both chambers had a Republican majority.
Major events
Major legislation
- April 20, 1871: Civil Rights Act of 1871
- March 1, 1872: Yellowstone National Park founded
- May 10, 1872: General Mining Act of 1872
- May 23, 1872: Amnesty Act of 1872
- June 1, 1872 — Practice Conformity Act (precursor to the Rules Enabling Act), ch. 255, 17 Stat. 196
- February 12, 1873: Coinage Act of 1873 (Crime of '73)
- March 3, 1873: Timber Culture Act
- March 3, 1873: Comstock Act
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
- Republican (R): 56 (majority)
- Democratic (D): 17
- Liberal Republican (LR): 1
TOTAL members: 74
House of Representatives
- Republican (R): 136 (majority)
- Democratic (D): 104
- Liberal Republican (LR): 2
- Independent Republican (IR): 1
TOTAL members: 243
Leadership
Senate
- President: Schuyler Colfax of Indiana
- President pro tempore: Henry B. Anthony (R) of Rhode Island, elected March 10, 1871.
House of Representatives
- Speaker: James G. Blaine (R) of Maine
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
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 reelection in 1874; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1876; and Class 3 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1872.
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "A/L," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
- replacements: 1
- Democratic: no net change
- Republican: no net change
- deaths: 1
- resignations: 2
- contested elections: 4
- Total seats with changes: 7
House of Representatives
- replacements: 10
- Democratic: 2 seat net gain
- Republican: 3 seat net loss
- Liberal Republican: 1 seat net gain
- deaths: 3
- resignations: 7
- contested election: 5
- Total seats with changes: 15
Employees
Senate
- Secretary: George C. Gorham of Massachusetts elected June 4, 1868
- Sergeant at Arms: John R. French of New Hampshire, elected March 22, 1869
- Chaplain: John P. Newman, Methodist, elected March 8, 1869
House of Representatives
- Clerk: Edward McPherson of Pennsylvania, elected March 4, 1871
- Sergeant at Arms: Nehemiah G. Ordway of New Hampshire, elected March 4, 1871
- Doorkeeper: Otis S. Buxton of New York, elected March 4, 1871
- Postmaster: William S. King of Minnesota, elected March 4, 1871
- Clerk: John M. Barclay
- Chaplain: John G. Butler, Presbyterian, elected March 4, 1871
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.
External links
- Statutes at Large, 1789-1875
- Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
- U.S. House of Representatives: House History
- U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
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