Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/249

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CONCxRESSIONAL PAPERS.

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��CONGRESSIONAL PAPERS, No. 5.— FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.

��BY G. H. JENNESS.

��The Forty-fifth Congress of the Uni- ted States assembled at Washington in extra session, on Monday, October 15, 1877, in pursuance of the President's proclamation of the fifth of May pre- ceding. The immediate reason for thus assembling Congress in extra session was the failure of the Forty- fourth Congress to make the usual annual appropriation for the support of the army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. Nearly all the impor- tant legislation of the closing session of the Forty-fourth Congress had been delayed by the prolonged struggle over the electoral count, and when that memorable contest was ended, and Mr. Hayes declared the successor of Presi- dent Grant, less than sixty hours re- mained in which to pass nearly all the great appropiation bills necessary for the support of the Government. On the Army bill there was a "dead lock" between the two houses, and as neither would yield, the bill failed. This necessitated a called session of the Forty-fifth Congress to remedy the omission of its immediate predecessor to provide for the maintenance of the army, and to transact such other busi- ness as the public needs might require. Its membership consisted of 76 Sena- tors and 292 members of the House of Representatives. Of the former, Sen- ator Hamlin, of Maine, was the oldest in years and term of service, and Sen- ator Dorsey, of Arkansas, the youngest ; 3 were less than 40 years of age; 17 were between the ages of 40 and 50 ; 39 between 50 and 60 ; 15 between 60 and 70 ; 1 (Hamlin) 71, and 1 (Mc- Creary, of Kentucky) whose age was not given, but who was probably 70 or upwards.

The Senate was composed of 54 lawyers, 5 merchants, 3 doctors, 3 edi- tors, 3 bankers, 1 planter, 1 farmer, 1

��machinist, 1 manufacturer, 1 teacher, 2 miners, and 1 officer ; 1 1 have per- formed service in the U. S. Army, and

10 in the Confederate Army ; 13 have been governors' of their respective States, and 2 have served as territorial governors. 35 were educated in col- leges, universities, or military schools, and 41 received only a common school or academic education ; 1 o were born in New York, 7 in Ohio, 6 in Pennsyl- vania, 6 in Virginia, 5 in Maryland, 4 in Massachusetts, 4 in Vermont, 4 in Tennessee, 4 in Kentucky, 3 in Georgia, 3 in Maine, 2 in Indiana, 2 in Delaware, 2 in New Hampshire, 2 in New Jersey, 2 in North Carolina, 1 in Connecticut, 1 in Louisiana, 1 in Michigan, 1 in Missouri, 1 in Rhode Island, 1 in South Carolina, 1 in Ireland (Jones of Flor- ida) , 1 in Scotland (Beck of Kentucky) , 1 in England (Jones of Nevada), and 1 in Nova Scotia (Armstrong of Mis- souri) ; 1 1 states were represented in full by Senators who were born in the States they represented ; 10 claimed 1 Sena- tor as a native ; 1 7 were wholly repre- sented by Senators born in other states, or countries ; and 1 6 states were denied the honor of being the birthplace of any member of the U. S. Senate in the Forty-fifth Congress.

Of their terms of service at the close of the Congress, 1 had served one year ; 22 two years; 3 three years; 19 four years ; 1 five years ; 1 3 six years ; 2 seven years ; 3 eight years ; 3 nine years ; 2 ten years ; 1 eleven years ; 2 twelve years ; 1 thirteen years ; 1 eigh- teen years (Howe of Wisconsin) ; 1 twenty years (Anthony of Rhode Is- land) ; and 1 twenty-six years (Hamlin of Maine).

The House of Representatives was composed of 213 lawyers, 15 bankers,

1 1 merchants, 9 farmers, 7 manufac- turers, 7 doctors, 4 editors 2 builders,

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