52nd United States Congress

The 52nd 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, 1891, to March 4, 1893, during the final two years of Benjamin Harrison's presidency.

52nd United States Congress
51st ←
→ 53rd

March 4, 1891 – March 4, 1893
Members88 senators
332 representatives
4 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityRepublican
Senate PresidentLevi P. Morton (R)
House majorityDemocratic
House SpeakerCharles F. Crisp (D)
Sessions
1st: December 7, 1891 – August 5, 1892
2nd: December 5, 1892 – March 3, 1893

The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1880 United States census.

The Republicans maintained a majority in the Senate (albeit reduced), but the Democrats won back the majority in the House, ending the Republican overall federal government trifecta.

Major events

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Major legislation

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Party summary

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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

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Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Populist
(P)
Independent
(I)
Republican
(R)
Other
End of previous congress 35 0 0 51 0 86 2
Begin 36 1 1 46 0 84 4
End 39 2 0 47 880
Final voting share 44.3% 2.3% 0.0% 53.4% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 44 3 0 37 1[a] 85 3

House of Representatives

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Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Populist
(P)
Republican
(R)
Other
End of previous congress 153 0 176 1 330 2
Begin 236 9 87 0 332 0
End 233 86 3284
Final voting share 71.0% 2.7% 26.2% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 213 11 127 2[b] 353 3

Leadership

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President of the Senate
Levi P. Morton

Senate

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House of Representatives

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Members

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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

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Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Senators are listed by Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1892; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1894; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1896.

House of Representatives

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Members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

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

Senate

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  • Replacements: 7
  • Deaths: 4
  • Resignations: 5
  • Interim appointments: 1
  • Total seats with changes: 10
Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[c]
California
(1)
Vacant George Hearst died during previous congress.
Successor was elected.
Charles N. Felton (R) March 19, 1891
Maryland
(3)
Vacant Ephraim K. Wilson died during previous congress.
Successor was appointed and subsequently elected (January 21, 1892).
Charles H. Gibson (D) November 19, 1891
New York
(3)
Vacant Chose to finish his term as Governor of New York before being installed as U.S. Senator. David B. Hill (D) January 17, 1892
Florida
(3)
Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.
Incumbent was elected late.
Wilkinson Call (D) May 26, 1891
Texas
(1)
John H. Reagan (D) Resigned June 10, 1891.
Successor was appointed.
Horace Chilton (D) June 10, 1891
Vermont
(1)
George F. Edmunds (R) Resigned November 1, 1891.
Successor was appointed and subsequently elected (October 19, 1892).
Redfield Proctor (R) November 2, 1891
Kansas
(2)
Preston B. Plumb (R) Died December 20, 1891.
Successor was appointed.
Bishop W. Perkins (R) January 1, 1892
Texas
(1)
Horace Chilton (D) Successor was elected March 22, 1892. Roger Q. Mills (D) March 29, 1892
Virginia
(2)
John S. Barbour Jr. (D) Died May 14, 1892.
Successor was appointed and subsequently elected (December 20, 1893).
Eppa Hunton (D) May 28, 1892
Louisiana
(2)
Randall L. Gibson (D) Died December 15, 1892.
Successor was appointed and subsequently elected (May 23, 1894).
Donelson Caffery (D) December 31, 1892
West Virginia
(2)
John E. Kenna (D) Died January 11, 1893.
Successor was elected.
Johnson N. Camden (D) January 25, 1893
Kentucky
(2)
John G. Carlisle (D) Resigned February 4, 1893, after being appointed United States Secretary of the Treasury.
Successor was elected.
William Lindsay (D) February 15, 1893

House of Representatives

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  • replacements: 15
  • Deaths: 10
  • Resignations: 8
  • Contested election: 1
  • Total seats with changes: 18
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date successor seated
New York 10th Francis B. Spinola (D) Died April 14, 1891 W. Bourke Cockran (D) November 3, 1891
Michigan 5th Melbourne H. Ford (D) Died April 20, 1891 Charles E. Belknap (R) November 3, 1891
Tennessee 2nd Leonidas C. Houk (R) Died May 25, 1891 John C. Houk (R) December 7, 1891
South Dakota At-large John R. Gamble (R) Died August 14, 1891 John L. Jolley (R) December 7, 1891
New York 22nd Leslie W. Russell (R) Resigned September 11, 1891, after being elected judge for the New York Supreme Court Newton M. Curtis (R) November 3, 1891
New York 12th Roswell P. Flower (D) Resigned September 16, 1891, to run for Governor of New York Joseph J. Little (D) November 3, 1891
New York 2nd David A. Boody (D) Resigned October 13, 1891, to run for Mayor of Brooklyn, New York Alfred C. Chapin (D) November 3, 1891
Virginia 8th William H. F. Lee (D) Died October 15, 1891 Elisha E. Meredith (D) December 9, 1891
Pennsylvania 24th Andrew Stewart (R) Election was successfully challenged February 26, 1892 Alexander K. Craig (D) February 26, 1892
Kentucky 10th John W. Kendall (D) Died March 7, 1892 Joseph M. Kendall (D) April 21, 1892
California 3rd Joseph McKenna (R) Resigned March 28, 1892 Samuel G. Hilborn (R) December 5, 1892
Texas 9th Roger Q. Mills (D) Resigned March 28, 1892, after being elected to the U.S. Senate Edwin Le Roy Antony (D) June 14, 1892
South Carolina 6th Eli T. Stackhouse (D) Died June 14, 1892 John L. McLaurin (D) December 5, 1892
Pennsylvania 24th Alexander K. Craig (D) Died July 29, 1892 William A. Sipe (D) December 5, 1892
Ohio 16th John G. Warwick (D) Died August 14, 1892 Lewis P. Ohliger (D) December 5, 1892
Maryland 1st Henry Page (D) Resigned September 3, 1892, to become judge for the Maryland Court of Appeals John B. Brown (D) November 8, 1892
New Jersey 7th Edward F. McDonald (D) Died November 5, 1892 Vacant until next Congress
New York 2nd Alfred C. Chapin (D) Resigned November 16, 1892 Vacant until next Congress
Massachusetts 6th Henry Cabot Lodge (R) Resigned March 3, 1893, after being elected to the U.S. Senate Vacant until next Congress
Wisconsin 4th John L. Mitchell (D) Resigned March 3, 1893, after being elected to the U.S. Senate Vacant until next Congress

Committees

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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

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House of Representatives

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Joint committees

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Caucuses

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Employees

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Senate

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House of Representatives

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Silver
  2. ^ Independent Democratic, Silver
  3. ^ When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

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  • 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.
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