61st United States Congress
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The Sixty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1909 to March 4, 1911, during the first two years of William H. Taft's Presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Twelfth Census of the United States in 1900. Both chambers had a Republican majority.
Major events
- March 4, 1909 – William Howard Taft became President of the United States
Major legislation
- August 5, 1909 – Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act, ch. 6, 36 Stat. 11
- June 18, 1910 – Mann-Elkins Act, ch. 309, 36 Stat. 539
- June 25, 1910 – Mann Act, ch. 395, 36 Stat. 825
- March 3, 1911 – Judicial Code of 1911, ch. 231, 36 Stat. 1087
Constitutional amendments
- July 12, 1909 – Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution passed by Congress and submitted to the states for ratification.
Party summary
Senate
- Republican: 60 (majority)
- Democratic: 32
TOTAL members: 92
House of Representatives
- Republican: 219 (majority)
- Democratic: 171
- Independent Democratic: 1
TOTAL members: 391
Leadership
Senate
House of Representatives
Majority (Republican) leadership
Minority (Democratic) leadership
- Minority Leader: Champ Clark
- Minority Whip: vacant
Members
Senate
At this time, most Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. A few senators were elected directly by the residents of the state. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election.
House of Representatives
Officers
Senate
- Secretary: Charles G. Bennett of New York
- Sergeant at Arms: Daniel M. Ransdell of Indiana
- Chaplain:
- Edward E. Hale, Unitarian, until June 10, 1909
- Ulysses G.B. Pierce, Unitarian, elected June 18, 1909
House of Representatives
- Clerk: Alexander McDowell of Pennsylvania
- Sergeant at Arms: Henry Casson of Wisconsin
- Doorkeeper: Frank B. Lyon of New York
- Postmaster: Samuel Langum of New York
- Clerk at the Speaker’s Table: Asher C. Hinds
- Chaplain: Henry N. Couden, Universalist
References
- Gould, Lewis L. (2005). The Most Exclusive Club. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group. ISBN 0-465-02778-4.
- Remini, Robert V. (2006). The House. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-06-088434-7.
- U.S. Congress (2005). "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress". Archived from the original on June 1, 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-01.
- U.S. House of Representatives (2006). "Congressional History". Archived from the original on June 1, 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-01.
- U.S. Senate (2006). "Statistics and Lists". Archived from the original on June 1, 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-01.
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