List of members of the United States House of Representatives in the 4th Congress by seniority

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This is a complete list of members of the United States House of Representatives during the 4th United States Congress listed by seniority. For the most part, representatives are ranked by the beginning of their terms in office. [1]

Contents

As an historical article, the districts and party affiliations listed reflect those during the 4th Congress (March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797). Seats and party affiliations on similar lists for other Congresses will be different for certain members.

This article describes the criteria for seniority in the House of Representatives and sets out the list of members by seniority. It is prepared on the basis of the interpretation of seniority applied to the House of Representatives in the current congress. In the absence of information to the contrary, it is presumed that the twenty-first-century practice is identical to the seniority customs used during the 4th Congress. [2]

House seniority

Seniority in the House, for Congressmen with unbroken service, depends on the date on which the members first term began. That date is either the start of the Congress (4 March in odd numbered years, for the era up to and including the 73rd Congress starting in 1933) or the date of a special election during the Congress. Since many members start serving on the same day as others, ranking between them is based on alphabetical order by the last name of the congressman.

Congressmen, in early Congresses, were often elected after the legal start of the Congress. Representatives are attributed with unbroken seniority, from the legal start of the congressional term, if they were the first person elected to a seat in a Congress. The date of the election is indicated in a note.

The seniority date is normally taken from the members entry in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, except where the date given is the legal start of the Congress and the actual election (for someone who was not the first person elected to the seat in that Congress) was later. The date of election is taken from United States Congressional Elections 1788-1997. In a few instances the latter work provides dates, for the start and end of terms, which correct those in the Biographical Directory.

The Biographical Directory normally uses the date of a special election, as the seniority date. However, mostly in early Congresses, the date of the member taking his seat can be the one given. The date of the special election is mentioned in a note to the list below, when that date is not used as the seniority date by the Biographical Directory.

Representatives who returned to the House, after having previously served, are credited with service equal to one less than the total number of terms they served. When a representative has served a prior term of less than two terms (i.e., prior term minus one equals less than one), he is ranked above all others whose service begins on the same day.

Leadership

In this Congress the only formal leader was the Speaker of the House. A Speakership ballot was held on December 7, 1795 and Jonathan Dayton (F-NJ) was elected. [3]

Standing committees

The House created its first standing committee, on April 13, 1789. There were four standing committees in the 4th Congress. In addition there was a Ways and Means Committee. Although the Ways and Means Committee was not formally added to the main list of standing committees until 1802, the 2011 committee considers it to be a forerunner.

Committees, in this period, were appointed for a session at a time and not necessarily for every one in a Congress. The Speaker appointed the members.

This list refers to the standing committees of the House in the 4th Congress, the year of establishment as a standing committee, the number of members assigned to the committee and the dates of appointment in each session, the end of the session and its chairman. Chairmen, who were re-appointed after serving in the previous Congress, are indicated by an *. [4]

No.CommitteeFromMbrsAppointedChairman
1 Claims 17947December 10, 1795 – June 1, 1796*Uriah Tracy (F-CT)
December 8, 1796 – March 3, 1797Dwight Foster (F-MA)
2 Commerce and Manufactures 17957December 14, 1795 – June 1, 1796Benjamin Goodhue (F-MA)
December 9, 1796 – March 3, 1797John Swanwick (DR-PA)
3 Elections 17897December 7, 1795 – June 1, 1796Abraham B. Venable (DR-VA)
December 6, 1796 – March 3, 1797
4 Revisal and Unfinished Business 17953December 9, 1795 – June 1, 1796Nicholas Gilman (F-NH)
December 6, 1796 – March 3, 1797
5 Ways and Means [1794]14December 21, 1795-June 1, 1796*William L. Smith (F-SC)
16December 16, 1796 – March 3, 1797

List of representatives by seniority

A numerical rank is assigned to each of the 105 members initially elected to the 4th Congress. Other members, who were not the first person elected to a seat but who joined the House during the Congress, are not assigned a number (apart from the member from a new state numbered 106).

Two Representatives-elect were not sworn in, as they respectively declined to serve and resigned (probably before the start of this Congress). The list below includes the Representatives-elect (with name in italics), with the seniority they would have held if they had been sworn in.

Party designations used in this article are D-R for Democratic-Republican members and F for Federalist representatives. Designations used for service in the first three congresses are A for Anti-Administration members and P for Pro-Administration representatives.

U.S. House seniority
RankRepresentativePartyDistrictSeniority dateNotes
Four consecutive terms
1 Fisher Ames F MA-8 March 4, 1789(P) 1789–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
2 Abraham Baldwin DR GA-al (A) 1789-95
3 Nicholas Gilman F NH-al (P) 1789–95. Chairman: Revisal and Unfinished Business. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
4 Benjamin Goodhue F MA-10 (P) 1789–95. Chairman: Commerce and Manufactures.
Resigned, to become US Senator: June 1796.
5 Thomas Hartley F PA-8 (P) 1789-95
6 Daniel Hiester DR PA-5 (A) 1789–95. Resigned on July 1, 1796 while still serving as a member of the House.
7 James Madison DR VA-15 (A) 1789–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
8 Andrew Moore DR VA-2 (A) 1789–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795.
Last term while serving as a member of the House until 8th Congress.
9 Frederick Muhlenberg DR PA-2 (P) 1789-91; (A) 1791–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
10 John Page DR VA-12 (A) 1789–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
11 Josiah Parker F VA-11 (A) 1789-93; (P) 1793–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795.
12 Theodore Sedgwick F MA-1 (P) 1789–95. Resigned, to become US Senator: June 1796.
Last term while serving as a member of the House until 6th Congress.
13 William L. Smith F SC-1 (P) 1789–95. Chairman: Ways and Means.
14 George Thatcher F MA-14 (P) 1789-95
15 Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. F CT-al (P) 1789–95. Resigned, as Representative-elect: c. February 1795. [5]
16 William B. Giles DR VA-9 December 7, 1790(A) December 7, 1790–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795.
17 Benjamin Bourne F RI-al December 17, 1790(P) December 17, 1790–95. Resigned 1796 while still serving as a member of the House.
Three consecutive terms
18 Jonathan Dayton F NJ-al March 4, 1791(P) 1791–95. Speaker of the House.
19 William Findley DR PA-11 (A) 1791-95
20 Andrew Gregg DR PA-9
21 William B. Grove F NC-7 (P) 1791-95
22 James Hillhouse F CT-al (P) 1791–95. Resigned, to become US Senator: July 1, 1796.
23 John W. Kittera F PA-7 (P) 1791-95
24 Nathaniel Macon DR NC-5 (A) 1791-95
25 William V. Murray F MD-8 (P) 1791–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
26 Jeremiah Smith F NH-al (P) 1791-95
27 Abraham B. Venable DR VA-7 (A) 1791–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795.
Chairman: Elections.
28 Israel Smith DR VT-1 October 17, 1791(A) October 17, 1791–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House until 7th Congress.
29 Alexander D. Orr DR KY-2 November 8, 1792(A) November 8, 1792–95. Elected to this Congress: September 5, 1795. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
30 Christopher Greenup DR KY-1 November 9, 1792(A) November 9, 1792–95. Elected to this Congress: September 5, 1795. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
31 William Hindman F MD-7 January 30, 1793(P) January 30, 1793–95
Three non-consecutive terms
32 Isaac Coles DR VA-6 March 4, 1793Previously served (A) 1789-91 while as a member of the House (A) 1793–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795.
Last term while serving as a member of the House.
33 George Leonard F MA-7 March 4, 1795Previously served (P) 1789-93 while as a member of the House. Elected to this Congress: June 1, 1795. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
Two consecutive terms
34 Theodorus Bailey DR NY-5 March 4, 1793(A) 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House until 6th Congress.
35 Lemuel Benton DR SC-3 (A) 1793-95
36 Thomas Blount DR NC-9
37 Gabriel Christie DR MD-6 (A) 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House until 6th Congress.
38 Thomas Claiborne DR VA-8 (A) 1793–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795.
39 Henry Dearborn DR MA-12 (A) 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
40 George Dent F MD-1 (P) 1793-95
41 Dwight Foster F MA-4 (P) 1793–95. Chairman: Claims (1796).
42 Ezekiel Gilbert F NY-6 (P) 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
43 James Gillespie DR NC-6 (A) 1793-95
44 Henry Glen F NY-8 (P) 1793-95
45 George Hancock F VA-5 (P) 1793–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
46 Carter B. Harrison DR VA-10 (A) 1793–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795.
47 John Heath DR VA-19 (A) 1793–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
48 Matthew Locke DR NC-2 (A) 1793-95
49 William Lyman DR MA-2 (A) 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
50 Francis Malbone F RI-al (P) 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
51 Anthony New DR VA-16 (A) 1793–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795.
52 John Nicholas DR VA-18
53 Francis Preston DR VA-4 (A) 1793–95. Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
54 Robert Rutherford DR VA-1
55 John S. Sherburne DR NH-al (A) 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
56 Samuel Smith DR MD-5 (A) 1793-95
57 Thomas Sprigg DR MD-4 (A) 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
58 John E. Van Alen F NY-7 (P) 1793-95
59 Philip Van Cortlandt DR NY-3 (A) 1793-95
60 Peleg Wadsworth F MA-13 (P) 1793-95
61 Richard Winn DR SC-4 (A) 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House until 7th Congress.
62 Uriah Tracy F CT-al April 8, 1793(P) April 8, 1793–95. Chairman: Claims. Resigned on October 13, 1796 while still serving as a member of the House.
63 Joshua Coit F CT-al November 11, 1793(P) November 11, 1793–95
64 Zephaniah Swift F CT-al (P) November 11, 1793–95. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
65 John Patten DR DE-al March 4, 1795Previously served (A) 1793-February 14, 1794 while in the House. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
66 Gabriel Duvall DR MD-2 May 5, 1794(A) May 5, 1794–95. Resigned on March 28, 1796 while still serving in the House. [6]
67 Aaron Kitchell F NJ-al January 29, 1795Previously served (P) 1791-93 while as a member of the House. (P) January 29-March 3, 1795.
Last term while serving as a member of the House until 6th Congress.
68 Robert G. Harper F SC-5 February 9, 1795Special election to 3rd Congress: October 13–14, 1794.
(P) February 9-March 3, 1795. [7]
Two non-consecutive terms
69 Robert Barnwell F SC-2 March 4, 1795Previously served (P) 1791-93 while in the House. Declined to serve, as Representative-elect,
before the Congress started. [8]
70 John Hathorn D-R NY-4 Previously served (A) 1789-91 while as a member of the House. Last term while serving as a member of the House.
71 Abiel Foster F NH-al Previously served (P) June 22, 1789-91 while as a member of the House.
72 John Milledge D-R GA-al Previously served (A) November 22, 1792-93 while as a member of the House.
One term
73 David Bard DR PA-10 March 4, 1795
74 Theophilus Bradbury F MA-11 Elected to this Congress: March 23, 1795
75 Richard Brent DR VA-17 Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795
76 Nathan Bryan DR NC-10
77 Daniel Buck F VT-2 Only term while serving as a member of the House (elected to 5th Congress but did not serve)
78 Dempsey Burges DR NC-8
79 Samuel J. Cabell DR VA-14 Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795
80 John Clopton DR VA-13
81 William Cooper F NY-10 Only term while serving as a member of the House until 6th Congress
82 Jeremiah Crabb F MD-3 Only term while serving in the House. Resigned 1796 while still serving as a member of the House.
83 Samuel Earle DR SC-6 Only term while serving as a member of the House.
84 Jesse Franklin DR NC-3
85 Nathaniel Freeman, Jr. F MA-5
86 Albert Gallatin DR PA-12
87 Chauncey Goodrich F CT-al
88 Roger Griswold F CT-al
... Wade Hampton DR SC-2 Special election before start of term. Only term until 8th Congress.
89 Jonathan N. Havens DR NY-1
90 Thomas Henderson F NJ-al Only term while serving as a member of the House.
91 James Holland DR NC-1 Only term while serving as a member of the House until 7th Congress
92 George Jackson DR VA-3 Elected to this Congress: March 16, 1795. Only term while serving as a member of the House until 6th Congress
93 Edward Livingston DR NY-2
94 Samuel Lyman F MA-3
95 Samuel Maclay DR PA-6 Only term while serving as a member of the House.
96 John Reed, Sr. F MA-6
97 John Richards DR PA-4 Seated, after an election dispute: January 18, 1796. Only term while serving as a member of the House.
98 Samuel Sitgreaves F PA-4
99 Isaac Smith F NJ-al Only term while serving as a member of the House.
100 John Swanwick DR PA-1 Chairman: Commerce and Manufactures (1796)
101 Absalom Tatom DR NC-4 Resigned on June 1, 1796 while serving as a member of the House.
102 Richard Thomas F PA-3
103 Mark Thomson F NJ-al
104 Joseph B. Varnum DR MA-9 Elected to this Congress: March 28, 1795
105 John Williams F NY-9
Members joining the House, after the start of the Congress
... Nathaniel Smith F CT-al April 13, 1795Special election [9]
... Richard Sprigg, Jr. DR MD-2 May 5, 1796Special election
... Elisha R. Potter F RI-al November 15, 1796
... William F. Strudwick F NC-4 November 28, 1796Special election. Only term while serving as a member of the House.
... William Craik F MD-3 December 5, 1796Special election
... James Davenport F CT-al
106 Andrew Jackson D-R TN-al Representative from a new state
... Samuel Sewall F MA-10 December 7, 1796Special election
... George Ege F PA-5 December 8, 1796
... Samuel W. Dana F CT-al January 3, 1797
... Thomson J. Skinner DR MA-1 January 27, 1797
Non voting Member
a James White - TN-al September 4, 1794Delegate from the Southwest Territory (later TN).
Term ended June 1, 1796 when TN admitted.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Delegates are non-voting members and representatives are voting members of the United States House of Representatives.
  2. ↑ "112th Congress official House seniority list" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
  3. ↑ Annals of Congress, for the date of election
  4. ↑ Based on Rule X Organisation of Committees, in the House Rules and Manual for the 112th Congress. For membership and chairmen, see the Journal of the House of Representatives for the 4th Congress for the dates of appointment specified.
  5. ↑ United States Congressional Elections 1788-1997, election result page 10 and note 1 on page 13.
  6. ↑ United States Congressional Elections 1788-1977, page 8 for the 1794 special election
  7. ↑ United States Congressional Elections 1788-1977, page 8 for the special election; Congressional Biographical Directory for service from February 1795 and the House of Representatives Journal of February 9, 1795 for exact date Harper took his seat.
  8. ↑ ''United States Congressional Elections 1788-1997, election page 11 and note 12 on page 13.
  9. ↑ ''United States Congressional Elections 1788-1997, special election page 12.

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