3rd United States Congress

3rd United States Congress
3rd United States Congress
2nd ← → 4th
	Congress Hall (2007)
March 4, 1793 – March 4, 1795
Members	30 (with 0-3 vacancies) senators; 105 (with 0-4 vacancies) representatives; 1 non-voting delegates
Senate majority	Pro-Administration
Senate President	John Adams
House majority	Anti-Administration
House Speaker	Frederick Muhlenberg
Sessions
	Special: March 4, 1793 – March 4, 1793; 1st: December 2, 1793 – June 9, 1794; 2nd: November 3, 1794 – March 3, 1795

The Third 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 at Congress Hall in Philadelphia Pennsylvania from March 4, 1793 to March 4, 1795, during the fifth and sixth years of George Washington's Presidency.

The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was governed by the Apportionment Act of 1792 and based on the 1790 Census. The Senate had a Pro-Administration majority, and the House had an Anti-Administration majority.

Major events

April 22, 1793: George Washington signed the Neutrality Proclamation
February 11, 1794: Wishing to avoid charges of being a Star Chamber The Senate holds its first public session, resolving "That the Senate doors be opened".^[1]^[2]
March 14, 1794: Eli Whitney was granted a patent for the cotton gin
March 27, 1794: The federal government authorized the construction of the original six frigates of the United States Navy
August 7, 1794: Whiskey Rebellion began: Farmers in the Monongahela Valley of Pennsylvania rebelled against the federal tax on liquor and distilled drinks.
August 20, 1794: Battle of Fallen Timbers — American troops under General Anthony Wayne forced a confederacy of Shawnee, Mingo, Delaware, Wyandot, Miami, Ottawa, Chippewa and Pottawatomie warriors into a disorganized retreat.

Major legislation

March 22, 1794: Slave Trade Act of 1794
March 27, 1794: Naval Act of 1794, Sess. 1, ch. 12, 1 Stat. 350
January 29, 1795: Naturalization Act of 1795, Sess. 2, ch. 20, 1 Stat. 414

Constitutional amendments

March 4, 1794: The 11th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress. 1 Stat. 402
February 7, 1795: The 11th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by the states, clarifying judicial power over foreign nationals, and limiting the ability of citizens to sue states in federal courts and under federal law.

Treaties

November 19, 1794: The United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain signed the Jay Treaty, which attempted to clear up some of the lingering problems left over from the American Revolutionary War

Party summary

There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.^[3]

Details on changes are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Senate

	Faction (shading shows control)		Total	Vacant

	Anti- Administration (A)	Pro- Administration (P)
End of previous congress	13	16	29	1

Begin	13	16	29	1
End	13	17	30	0
Final voting share	43.3%	56.7%

Beginning of next congress	10^[a]	20^[b]	30	2

House of Representatives

	Faction (shading shows control)		Total	Vacant

	Anti- Administration (A)	Pro- Administration (P)
End of previous congress	32	40	72	1

Begin	55	50	105	0
End	54	49	103	2
Final voting share	52.4%	47.6%
Non-voting members	1	0	1	0

Beginning of next congress	58^[c]	47^[d]	105	0

Leadership

Senate

Senate Presidents pro tempore

John Langdon
(until December 2, 1793)

Ralph Izard
(May 31, 1794 – November 9, 1794)

Henry Tazewell
(from February 20, 1795)

President: John Adams (P)
President pro tempore: John Langdon (P), until December 2, 1793
- Ralph Izard (P), May 31, 1794 – November 9, 1794
- Henry Tazewell (P), from February 20, 1795

House of Representatives

Speaker: Frederick Muhlenberg (A)

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.

Senate

Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1796; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1798; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1794.

Connecticut

1. Oliver Ellsworth (P)
3. Roger Sherman (P), until July 23, 1793
- Stephen Mitchell (P), from December 2, 1793

Delaware

1. George Read (P), until September 18, 1793
- Henry Latimer (P), from February 7, 1795
2. John Vining (P)

Pennsylvania

3. Robert Morris (P)
1. Vacant until December 2, 1793
- Albert Gallatin (A), December 2, 1793 – February 28, 1794
- James Ross (P), from April 24, 1794

Rhode Island

1. Theodore Foster (P)
2. William Bradford (P)

South Carolina

2. Pierce Butler (A)
3. Ralph Izard (P)

Vermont

1. Moses Robinson (A)
3. Stephen R. Bradley (A)

Virginia

1. James Monroe (A), until March 29, 1794
- Stevens Mason (A), from November 18, 1794
2. John Taylor (A), until May 11, 1794
- Henry Tazewell (A), from November 18, 1794

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Connecticut

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

Delaware

At-large. John Patten (A), until February 14, 1794
- Henry Latimer (P), February 14, 1794 – February 7, 1795
- Vacant thereafter

Georgia

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket,

At-large. Abraham Baldwin (A)
At-large. Thomas P. Carnes (A)

Kentucky

1. Christopher Greenup (A)
2. Alexander D. Orr (A)

Maryland

1. George Dent (P)
2. John Mercer (A), until April 13, 1794
- Gabriel Duvall (A), from November 11, 1794
3. Uriah Forrest (P), until November 8, 1794
- Benjamin Edwards (P), from January 2, 1795
4. Thomas Sprigg (A)
5. Samuel Smith (A)
6. Gabriel Christie (A)
7. William Hindman (P)
8. William Vans Murray (P)

Massachusetts

There was a single at-large seat along with four plural districts, each of which had multiple representatives elected at-large on a general ticket.

New Hampshire

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

New Jersey

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

At-large. John Beatty (P)
At-large. Elias Boudinot (P)
At-large. Lambert Cadwalader (P)
At-large. Abraham Clark (P), until September 15, 1794
- Aaron Kitchell (P), from January 29, 1795
At-large. Jonathan Dayton (P)

New York

1. Thomas Tredwell (A)
2. John Watts (P)
3. Philip Van Cortlandt (A)
4. Peter Van Gaasbeck (P)
5. Theodorus Bailey (A)
6. Ezekiel Gilbert (P)
7. John E. Van Alen (P)
8. Henry Glen (P)
9. James Gordon (P)
10. Silas Talbot (P), until June 5, 1794
- Vacant thereafter

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

At-large. James Armstrong (P)
At-large. William Findley (A)
At-large. Thomas Fitzsimons (P)
At-large. Andrew Gregg (A)
At-large. Thomas Hartley (P)
At-large. Daniel Hiester (A)
At-large. William Irvine (A)
At-large. John Wilkes Kittera (P)
At-large. William Montgomery (A)
At-large. Frederick A. C. Muhlenberg (A)
At-large. John Peter G. Muhlenberg (A)
At-large. Thomas Scott (P)
At-large. John Smilie (A)

Rhode Island

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

At-large. Benjamin Bourne (P)
At-large. Francis Malbone (P)

South Carolina

1. William L. Smith (P)
2. John Hunter (A)
3. Lemuel Benton (A)
4. Richard Winn (A)
5. Alexander Gillon (A), until October 6, 1794
- Robert Goodloe Harper (P), from February 9, 1795
6. Andrew Pickens (A)

Vermont

1. Israel Smith (A)
2. Nathaniel Niles (A)

Virginia

Non-voting members

Territory South of the River Ohio ("Southwest Territory," later "Tennessee"). James White, seated September 3, 1794

Speaker of the House of Representatives Frederick Muhlenberg

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress

Senate

There were 1 death, 3 resignations, 1 late election, and 1 contested election.

Template:Ordinal US Congress Senate

|- | Pennsylvania
(1) | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Pennsylvania failed to elect a new Senator on time. | style="background:#CCFF66" | Albert Gallatin (A) | Elected December 2, 1793 |- | Connecticut
(3) | style="background:#00cc22" | Roger Sherman (P) | style="font-size:80%" | Died July 23, 1793 | style="background:#00cc22" | Stephen M. Mitchell (P) | Elected December 2, 1793 |- | Delaware
(1) | style="background:#00cc22" | George Read (P) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on September 18, 1793. Kensey Johns was appointed on March 19, 1794, but not permitted to qualify. | style="background:#00cc22" | Henry Latimer (P) | Appointed February 7, 1795 |- | Pennsylvania
(1) | style="background:#CCFF66" | Albert Gallatin (A) | style="font-size:80%" | Credentials were contested and the seat was declared vacant February 28, 1794 | style="background:#00cc22" | James Ross (P) | Elected April 24, 1794 |- | Virginia
(1) | style="background:#CCFF66" | James Monroe (A) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned May 11, 1794, to become United States Minister to France | style="background:#CCFF66" | Stevens T. Mason (A) | Elected November 18, 1794 |- | Virginia
(2) | style="background:#CCFF66" | John Taylor (A) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned May 11, 1794 | style="background:#CCFF66" | Henry Tazewell (A) | Elected November 18, 1794 |}

House of Representatives

There were 2 deaths, 3 resignations, and 1 contested election.

Template:Ordinal US Congress Rep

|- | nowrap | Delaware at-large | style="background:#CCFF66" | John Patten (A) | style="font-size:80%" | Contested election; served until February 14, 1794 | style="background:#00cc22" | Henry Latimer (P) | Seated February 14, 1794 |- | nowrap | Territory South of the River Ohio | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Delegate seat established | James White Non-voting delegate | Elected September 3, 1794 |- | nowrap | Maryland 2nd | style="background:#CCFF66" | John Francis Mercer (A) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned April 13, 1794 | style="background:#CCFF66" | Gabriel Duvall (A) | Seated November 11, 1794 |- | nowrap | New York 10th | style="background:#00cc22" | Silas Talbot (P) | style="font-size:80%" | accepted appointment to the U.S. Navy June 5, 1794 | vacant | no special election called |- | nowrap | New Jersey at-large | style="background:#00cc22" | Abraham Clark (P) | style="font-size:80%" | Died September 15, 1794 | style="background:#CCFF66" | Aaron Kitchell (A) | Seated January 29, 1795 |- | nowrap | South Carolina 3rd | style="background:#CCFF66" | Alexander Gillon (A) | style="font-size:80%" | Died October 6, 1794 | style="background:#00cc22" | Robert Goodloe Harper (P) | Seated February 9, 1795 |- | nowrap | Maryland 3rd | style="background:#00cc22" | Uriah Forrest (P) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned November 8, 1794 | style="background:#00cc22" | Benjamin Edwards (P) | Seated January 2, 1795 |- | nowrap | Delaware at-large | style="background:#00cc22" | Henry Latimer (P) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned February 7, 1795, having been elected U.S. Senator | Vacant | Not filled in this Congress |}

Employees

Architect of the Capitol: William Thornton

Senate

Chaplain: William White, Episcopalian
Doorkeeper: James Mathers of New York
Secretary: Samuel A. Otis of Massachusetts

House of Representatives

Chaplain: Ashbel Green, Presbyterian
Clerk: John Beckley of Virginia,
Doorkeeper: Gifford Dalley
Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton of Rhode Island

References

^ http://books.google.com/books?id=mvVNeZDPIXgC&pg=PA5M
^ http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Senate_Opens_Its_Doors.htm
^ Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress.

Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

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[1] ttp://books.google.com/books?id=mvVNeZDPIXgC&pg=PA5M

[2] ttp://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Senate_Opens_Its_Doors.htm

[3] Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress.

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