- House Service & Seniority
- Party Divisions
- Session Dates of Congress
- Saturday & Sunday Legislative Days
- Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, & Inaugurations
- Presidents, Vice Presidents, & Coinciding Sessions of Congress
- Presidential Vetoes
- List of Individuals Impeached by the House of Representatives
- List of Individuals Expelled, Censured, or Reprimanded in the U.S. House of Representatives
Congress Profiles
54th Congress (1895–1897)
Congressional Profile
Total Membership:
- 357 Representatives
- 4 Delegates
Party Divisions:*
- 93 Democrats
- 254 Republicans
- 9 Populists
- 1 Silver
*Party division totals are based on election day results.
About this object
Congress Overview
Republicans resoundingly won control of both chambers of the 54th Congress (1895–1897) amid a deepening economic depression, but President Grover Cleveland’s fearless use of the veto, tempered the new majority’s ambition. A veto, for example, defeated an attempt to limit immigration to the literate. In response to Cleveland’s defense of the Monroe Doctrine, Congress approved an arbitration commission over the Venezuela-British Guiana boundary dispute. Congress also lifted the ban on former Confederate officials, soldiers, and sailors serving in the armed forces.
Historical Highlights
- The Historic 54th Congress
- House of Representatives Bans Smoking in the Chamber
- Clerk of the House Alexander McDowell
See more Historical Highlights.
Member Information
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, (1774–2005), Official Annotated Membership Roster by State with Vacancy and Special Election Information for the 54th Congress. [PDF]
- Learn more about the House of Representatives with an interactive map
Learn more about the People of the People's House
Leadership & Officers
- Speaker of the House:
-
Thomas B. Reed (R–Maine)
- Democratic Caucus Chairman:
-
David B. Culberson (D–Texas)
- Republican Conference Chairman:
-
Charles H. Grosvenor (R–Ohio)
- Clerk of the House:
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Alexander McDowell
- Sergeant at Arms:
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Benjamin F. Russell 1
Herman W. Snow
- Chaplain of the House:
-
Henry N. Couden – Universalist
- Doorkeeper:
-
William J. Glenn
- Postmaster:
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J. C. McElroy
- Clerk at the Speaker's Table:
-
Asher C. Hinds
To view complete lists of individuals who have served in these leadership and official positions since the 1st Congress, visit the People section
Footnotes
1Elected December 2, 1895.
- For information on the current Congress, please visit the Office of the Clerk’s website.