51st United States Congress

The 51st United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar 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 in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1889, to March 4, 1891, during the first two years of Benjamin Harrison's presidency.

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1880 United States census.

The Republicans maintained their majority in the Senate, and won the majority in the House. With Benjamin Harrison being sworn in as president on March 4, 1889, this gave the Republicans an overall federal government trifecta for the first time since the 43rd Congress in 1873–1875.

Major events

March 4, 1889: Benjamin Harrison became President of the United States
December 29, 1890: Wounded Knee Massacre

Major legislation

thumb|[[Benjamin Harrison and the Congress are portrayed as a "Billion-Dollar Congress," wasting the surplus in this cartoon from Puck.]]

It was responsible for a number of pieces of landmark legislation, many of which asserted the authority of the federal government.

Emboldened by their success in the elections of 1888, the Republicans enacted virtually their entire platform during their first 303-day session, including a measure that provided American Civil War veterans with generous pensions and expanded the list of eligible recipients to include noncombatants and the children of veterans. Grover Cleveland had vetoed a similar bill in 1887. It was criticized as the "Billion Dollar Congress'" for its lavish spending and, for this reason it incited drastic reversals in public support that led to Cleveland's reelection in 1892.

Other important legislation passed into law by the Congress included the McKinley tariff, authored by Representative, and future President, William McKinley; the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibited business combinations that restricted trade; and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which required the U.S. government to mint silver. The last two were concessions to Western farmer interests in exchange for support of the tariff and would become central tenets of the Populist Party later in the decade. They were authored by Senator John Sherman.

The Fifty-first Congress was also responsible for passing the Land Revision Act of 1891, which created the national forests. Harrison authorized America's first forest reserve in Yellowstone, Wyoming, the same year.

Other bills were discussed but failed to pass, including two significant pieces of legislation focused on ensuring African Americans the right to vote. Henry Cabot Lodge sponsored a so-called Lodge Bill that would have established federal supervision of Congressional elections so as to prevent the disfranchisement of southern blacks. Henry W. Blair sponsored the Blair Education Bill, which advocated the use of federal aid for education in order to frustrate southern whites employing literacy tests to prevent blacks from registering to vote.

June 27, 1890: Dependent Pension Act
July 2, 1890: Sherman Antitrust Act, ch. 647,
July 14, 1890: Sherman Silver Purchase Act, ch. 708,
August 30, 1890: Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act
October 1, 1890: McKinley Tariff, ch. 1244,
March 3, 1891: Forest Reserve Act of 1891
March 3, 1891: Land Revision Act of 1891
March 3, 1891: Immigration Act of 1891
March 3, 1891: Merchant Marine Act of 1891
March 3, 1891: International Copyright Act (The Chace Act)

States admitted and territories organized

November 2, 1889: North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted as the 39th and 40th states.
November 8, 1889: Montana was admitted as the 41st state.
November 11, 1889: Washington was admitted as the 42nd state.
May 2, 1890: Oklahoma Territory was organized.
July 3, 1890: Idaho was admitted as the 43rd state.
July 10, 1890: Wyoming was admitted as the 44th state.

Party summary

The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of this Congress. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Six new states were admitted during this Congress, and their senators and representatives were elected throughout the Congress.

Senate

House of Representatives

Leadership

thumb|right|175px|President of the Senate [[Levi P. Morton]]

Senate

President: Levi P. Morton (R)
President pro tempore: John J. Ingalls (R), elected March 7, 1889
Charles F. Manderson (R), elected March 2, 1891
Republican Conference Chairman: George F. Edmunds
Democratic Caucus Chairman: James B. Beck, until May 3, 1890
Arthur P. Gorman, afterwards

House of Representatives

Speaker: Thomas B. Reed (R)
Republican Conference Chairman: Thomas J. Henderson
Democratic Caucus Chairman: William S. Holman
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: James T. Jones

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

:Skip to House of Representatives, below

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 1892; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1894; and Class 3 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1890.

Alabama

: 2. John T. Morgan (D)

: 3. James L. Pugh (D)

Arkansas

: 2. James H. Berry (D)

: 3. James K. Jones (D)

California

: 1. George Hearst (D), until February 28, 1891

: 3. Leland Stanford (R)

Colorado

: 2. Edward O. Wolcott (R)

: 3. Henry M. Teller (R)

Connecticut

: 1. Joseph R. Hawley (R)

: 3. Orville H. Platt (R)

Delaware

: 1. George Gray (D)

: 2. Anthony Higgins (R)

Florida

: 1. Samuel Pasco (D)

: 3. Wilkinson Call (D)

Georgia

: 2. Alfred H. Colquitt (D)

: 3. Joseph E. Brown (D)

Idaho

: 2. George L. Shoup (R), from December 18, 1890

: 3. William J. McConnell (R), from December 18, 1890

Illinois

: 2. Shelby M. Cullom (R)

: 3. Charles B. Farwell (R)

Indiana

: 1. David Turpie (D)

: 3. Daniel W. Voorhees (D)

Iowa

: 2. James F. Wilson (R)

: 3. William B. Allison (R)

Kansas

: 2. Preston B. Plumb (R)

: 3. John J. Ingalls (R)

Kentucky

: 2. James B. Beck (D), until May 3, 1890

:: John G. Carlisle (D), from May 26, 1890

: 3. Joseph C. S. Blackburn (D)

Louisiana

: 2. Randall L. Gibson (D)

: 3. James B. Eustis (D)

Maine

: 1. Eugene Hale (R)

: 2. William P. Frye (R)

Maryland

: 1. Arthur Pue Gorman (D)

: 3. Ephraim K. Wilson II (D), until February 24, 1891

Massachusetts

: 1. Henry L. Dawes (R)

: 2. George F. Hoar (R)

Michigan

: 1. Francis B. Stockbridge (R)

: 2. James McMillan (R)

Minnesota

: 1. Cushman K. Davis (R)

: 2. William D. Washburn (R)

Mississippi

: 1. James Z. George (D)

: 2. Edward C. Walthall (D)

Missouri

: 1. Francis Cockrell (D)

: 3. George G. Vest (D)

Montana

: 1. Wilbur F. Sanders (R), from January 1, 1890

: 2. Thomas C. Power (R), from January 2, 1890

Nebraska

: 1. Algernon S. Paddock (R)

: 2. Charles F. Manderson (R)

Nevada

: 1. William M. Stewart (R)

: 3. John P. Jones (R)

New Hampshire

: 2. Gilman Marston (R), until June 18, 1889

:: William E. Chandler (R), from June 18, 1889

: 3. Henry W. Blair (R)

New Jersey

: 1. Rufus Blodgett (D)

: 2. John R. McPherson (D)

New York

: 1. Frank Hiscock (R)

: 3. William M. Evarts (R)

North Carolina

: 2. Matt W. Ransom (D)

: 3. Zebulon B. Vance (D)

North Dakota

: 1. Lyman R. Casey (R), from November 25, 1889

: 3. Gilbert A. Pierce (R), from November 25, 1889

Ohio

: 1. John Sherman (R)

: 3. Henry B. Payne (D)

Oregon

: 2. Joseph N. Dolph (R)

: 3. John H. Mitchell (R)

Pennsylvania

: 1. Matthew S. Quay (R)

: 3. J. Donald Cameron (R)

Rhode Island

: 1. Nelson W. Aldrich (R)

: 2. Jonathan Chace (R), until April 9, 1889

:: Nathan F. Dixon III (R), from April 10, 1889

South Carolina

: 2. Matthew C. Butler (D)

: 3. Wade Hampton III (D)

South Dakota

: 2. Richard F. Pettigrew (R), from November 2, 1889

: 3. Gideon C. Moody (R), from November 2, 1889

Tennessee

: 1. William B. Bate (D)

: 2. Isham G. Harris (D)

Texas

: 1. John H. Reagan (D)

: 2. Richard Coke (D)

Vermont

: 1. George F. Edmunds (R)

: 3. Justin S. Morrill (R)

Virginia

: 1. John W. Daniel (D)

: 2. John S. Barbour Jr. (D)

Washington

: 1. John B. Allen (R), from November 20, 1889

: 3. Watson C. Squire (R), from November 20, 1889

West Virginia

: 1. Charles J. Faulkner Jr. (D)

: 2. John E. Kenna (D)

Wisconsin

: 1. Philetus Sawyer (R)

: 3. John C. Spooner (R)

Wyoming

: 1. Francis E. Warren (R), from November 24, 1890

: 2. Joseph M. Carey (R), from November 15, 1890

[[File:51st United States Congress Senators.svg|thumb|375px|Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 51st Congress in March 1889. The senators from Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming were not seated until later in the Congress.

]]

thumb|175px|President pro tempore [[John James Ingalls|John J. Ingalls]]

thumb|175px|President pro tempore [[Charles F. Manderson]]

House of Representatives

The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Alabama

: . Richard H. Clarke (D)

: . Hilary A. Herbert (D)

: . William C. Oates (D)

: . Louis W. Turpin (D), until June 4, 1890

:: John V. McDuffie (R), from June 4, 1890

: . James E. Cobb (D)

: . John H. Bankhead (D)

: . William H. Forney (D)

: . Joseph Wheeler (D)

Arkansas

: . William H. Cate (D), until March 5, 1890

:: Lewis P. Featherstone (L), from March 5, 1890

: . Clifton R. Breckinridge (D), until September 5, 1890

:: Clifton R. Breckinridge (D), from November 4, 1890

: . Thomas C. McRae (D)

: . John H. Rogers (D)

: . Samuel W. Peel (D)

California

: . John J. De Haven (R), until October 1, 1890

:: Thomas J. Geary (D), from December 9, 1890

: . Marion Biggs (D)

: . Joseph McKenna (R)

: . William W. Morrow (R)

: . Thomas J. Clunie (D)

: . William Vandever (R)

Colorado

: . Hosea Townsend (R)

Connecticut

: . William E. Simonds (R)

: . Washington F. Willcox (D)

: . Charles A. Russell (R)

: . Frederick Miles (R)

Delaware

: . John B. Penington (D)

Florida

: . Robert H. M. Davidson (D)

: . Robert Bullock (D)

Georgia

: . Rufus E. Lester (D)

: . Henry G. Turner (D)

: . Charles F. Crisp (D)

: . Thomas W. Grimes (D)

: . John D. Stewart (D)

: . James H. Blount (D)

: . Judson C. Clements (D)

: . Henry H. Carlton (D)

: . Allen D. Candler (D)

: . George T. Barnes (D)

Idaho

: . Willis Sweet (R), from October 1, 1890

Illinois

: . Abner Taylor (R)

: . Frank Lawler (D)

: . William E. Mason (R)

: . George E. Adams (R)

: . Albert J. Hopkins (R)

: . Robert R. Hitt (R)

: . Thomas J. Henderson (R)

: . Charles A. Hill (R)

: . Lewis E. Payson (R)

: . Philip S. Post (R)

: . William H. Gest (R)

: . Scott Wike (D)

: . William M. Springer (D)

: . Jonathan H. Rowell (R)

: . Joseph G. Cannon (R)

: . George W. Fithian (D)

: . Edward Lane (D)

: . William S. Forman (D)

: . Richard W. Townshend (D), until March 9, 1889

:: James R. Williams (D), from December 2, 1889

: . George Washington Smith (R)

Indiana

: . William F. Parrett (D)

: . John H. O'Neall (D)

: . Jason B. Brown (D)

: . William S. Holman (D)

: . George W. Cooper (D)

: . Thomas M. Browne (R)

: . William D. Bynum (D)

: . Elijah V. Brookshire (D)

: . Joseph B. Cheadle (R)

: . William D. Owen (R)

: . Augustus N. Martin (D)

: . Charles A. O. McClellan (D)

: . Benjamin F. Shively (D)

Iowa

: . John H. Gear (R)

: . Walter I. Hayes (D)

: . David B. Henderson (R)

: . Joseph H. Sweney (R)

: . Daniel Kerr (R)

: . John F. Lacey (R)

: . Edwin H. Conger (R), until October 3, 1890

:: Edward R. Hays (R), from November 4, 1890

: . James P. Flick (R)

: . Joseph R. Reed (R)

: . Jonathan P. Dolliver (R)

: . Isaac S. Struble (R)

Kansas

: . Edmund N. Morrill (R)

: . Edward H. Funston (R)

: . Bishop W. Perkins (R)

: . Thomas Ryan (R), until April 4, 1889

:: Harrison Kelley (R), from December 2, 1889

: . John A. Anderson (R)

: . Erastus J. Turner (R)

: . Samuel R. Peters (R)

Kentucky

: . William J. Stone (D)

: . William T. Ellis (D)

: . Isaac H. Goodnight (D)

: . Alexander B. Montgomery (D)

: . Asher G. Caruth (D)

: . John G. Carlisle (D), until May 26, 1890

:: William W. Dickerson (D), from June 21, 1890

: . William C. P. Breckinridge (D)

: . James B. McCreary (D)

: . Thomas H. Paynter (D)

: . John H. Wilson (R)

: . Hugh F. Finley (R)

Louisiana

: . Theodore S. Wilkinson (D)

: . Hamilton D. Coleman (R)

: . Edward J. Gay (D), until May 30, 1889

:: Andrew Price (D), from December 2, 1889

: . Newton C. Blanchard (D)

: . Charles J. Boatner (D)

: . Samuel M. Robertson (D)

Maine

: . Thomas B. Reed (R)

: . Nelson Dingley Jr. (R)

: . Seth L. Milliken (R)

: . Charles A. Boutelle (R)

Maryland

: . Charles H. Gibson (D)

: . Herman Stump (D)

: . Henry W. Rusk (D)

: . Henry J. Stockbridge Jr. (R)

: . Barnes Compton (D), until March 20, 1890

:: Sydney E. Mudd (R), from March 20, 1890

: . Louis E. McComas (R)

Massachusetts

: . Charles S. Randall (R)

: . Elijah A. Morse (R)

: . John F. Andrew (D)

: . Joseph H. O'Neil (D)

: . Nathaniel P. Banks (R)

: . Henry Cabot Lodge (R)

: . William Cogswell (R)

: . Frederic T. Greenhalge (R)

: . John W. Candler (R)

: . Joseph H. Walker (R)

: . Rodney Wallace (R)

: . Francis W. Rockwell (R)

Michigan

: . J. Logan Chipman (D)

: . Edward P. Allen (R)

: . James O'Donnell (R)

: . Julius C. Burrows (R)

: . Charles E. Belknap (R)

: . Mark S. Brewer (R)

: . Justin R. Whiting (D)

: . Aaron T. Bliss (R)

: . Byron M. Cutcheon (R)

: . Frank W. Wheeler (R)

: . Samuel M. Stephenson (R)

Minnesota

: . Mark H. Dunnell (R)

: . John Lind (R)

: . Darwin S. Hall (R)

: . Samuel P. Snider (R)

: . Solomon G. Comstock (R)

Mississippi

: . John M. Allen (D)

: . James B. Morgan (D)

: . Thomas C. Catchings (D)

: . Clarke Lewis (D)

: . Chapman L. Anderson (D)

: . Thomas R. Stockdale (D)

: . Charles E. Hooker (D)

Missouri

: . William H. Hatch (D)

: . Charles H. Mansur (D)

: . Alexander M. Dockery (D)

: . Robert P. C. Wilson (D), from December 2, 1889

: . John C. Tarsney (D)

: . John T. Heard (D)

: . Richard H. Norton (D)

: . Frederick G. Niedringhaus (R)

: . Nathan Frank (R)

: . William M. Kinsey (R)

: . Richard P. Bland (D)

: . William J. Stone (D)

: . William H. Wade (R)

: . James P. Walker (D), until July 19, 1890

:: Robert H. Whitelaw (D), from November 4, 1890

Montana

: . Thomas H. Carter (R), from November 8, 1889

Nebraska

: . William J. Connell (R)

: . James Laird (R), until August 17, 1889

:: Gilbert L. Laws (R), from December 2, 1889

: . George W. E. Dorsey (R)

Nevada

: . Horace F. Bartine (R)

New Hampshire

: . Alonzo Nute (R)

: . Orren C. Moore (R)

New Jersey

: . Christopher A. Bergen (R)

: . James Buchanan (R)

: . Jacob A. Geissenhainer (D)

: . Samuel Fowler (D)

: . Charles D. Beckwith (R)

: . Herman Lehlbach (R)

: . William McAdoo (D)

New York

: . James W. Covert (D)

: . Felix Campbell (D)

: . William C. Wallace (R)

: . John M. Clancy (D)

: . Thomas F. Magner (D)

: . Frank T. Fitzgerald (D), until November 4, 1889

:: Charles H. Turner (D), from December 9, 1889

: . Edward J. Dunphy (D)

: . John H. McCarthy (D), until January 14, 1891, vacant thereafter

: . Samuel S. Cox (D), until September 10, 1889

:: Amos J. Cummings (D), from November 5, 1889

: . Francis B. Spinola (D)

: . John Quinn (D)

: . Roswell P. Flower (D)

: . Ashbel P. Fitch (D)

: . William G. Stahlnecker (D)

: . Moses D. Stivers (R)

: . John H. Ketcham (R)

: . Charles J. Knapp (R)

: . John A. Quackenbush (R)

: . Charles Tracey (D)

: . John Sanford (R)

: . John H. Moffitt (R)

: . Frederick Lansing (R)

: . James S. Sherman (R)

: . David Wilber (R), until April 1, 1890

:: John S. Pindar (D), from November 4, 1890

: . James J. Belden (R)

: . Milton De Lano (R)

: . Newton W. Nutting (R), until October 15, 1889

:: Sereno E. Payne (R), from December 2, 1889

: . Thomas S. Flood (R)

: . John Raines (R)

: . Charles S. Baker (R)

: . John G. Sawyer (R)

: . John M. Farquhar (R)

: . John McClure Wiley (D)

: . William G. Laidlaw (R)

North Carolina

: . Thomas G. Skinner (D)

: . Henry P. Cheatham (R)

: . Charles W. McClammy (D)

: . Benjamin H. Bunn (D)

: . John M. Brower (R)

: . Alfred Rowland (D)

: . John S. Henderson (D)

: . William H. H. Cowles (D)

: . Hamilton G. Ewart (R)

North Dakota

: . Henry C. Hansbrough (R), from November 2, 1889

Ohio

: . Benjamin Butterworth (R)

: . John A. Caldwell (R)

: . Elihu S. Williams (R)

: . Samuel S. Yoder (D)

: . George E. Seney (D)

: . Melvin M. Boothman (R)

: . Henry L. Morey (R)

: . Robert P. Kennedy (R)

: . William C. Cooper (R)

: . William E. Haynes (D)

: . Albert C. Thompson (R)

: . Jacob J. Pugsley (R)

: . Joseph H. Outhwaite (D)

: . Charles P. Wickham (R)

: . Charles H. Grosvenor (R)

: . James W. Owens (D)

: . Joseph D. Taylor (R)

: . William McKinley (R)

: . Ezra B. Taylor (R)

: . Martin L. Smyser (R)

: . Theodore E. Burton (R)

Oregon

: . Binger Hermann (R)

Pennsylvania

: . Henry H. Bingham (R)

: . Charles O'Neill (R)

: . Samuel J. Randall (D), until April 13, 1890

:: Richard Vaux (D), from May 20, 1890

: . William D. Kelley (R), until January 9, 1890

:: John E. Reyburn (R), from February 18, 1890

: . Alfred C. Harmer (R)

: . Smedley Darlington (R)

: . Robert M. Yardley (R)

: . William Mutchler (D)

: . David B. Brunner (D)

: . Marriott Brosius (R)

: . Joseph A. Scranton (R)

: . Edwin S. Osborne (R)

: . James B. Reilly (D)

: . John W. Rife (R)

: . Myron B. Wright (R)

: . Henry C. McCormick (R)

: . Charles R. Buckalew (D)

: . Louis E. Atkinson (R)

: . Levi Maish (D)

: . Edward Scull (R)

: . Samuel A. Craig (R)

: . John Dalzell (R)

: . Thomas M. Bayne (R)

: . Joseph W. Ray (R)

: . Charles C. Townsend (R)

: . William C. Culbertson (R)

: . Lewis F. Watson (R), until August 25, 1890

:: Charles W. Stone (R), from November 4, 1890

: . James Kerr (D)

Rhode Island

: . Henry J. Spooner (R)

: . Warren O. Arnold (R)

South Carolina

: . Samuel Dibble (D)

: . George D. Tillman (D)

: . James S. Cothran (D)

: . William H. Perry (D)

: . John J. Hemphill (D)

: . George W. Dargan (D)

: . William Elliott (D), until September 23, 1890

:: Thomas E. Miller (R), from September 24, 1890

South Dakota

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. (2 Republicans)

: . Oscar S. Gifford (R), from November 2, 1889

: . John A. Pickler (R), from November 2, 1889

Tennessee

: . Alfred A. Taylor (R)

: . Leonidas C. Houk (R)

: . Henry Clay Evans (R)

: . Benton McMillin (D)

: . James D. Richardson (D)

: . Joseph E. Washington (D)

: . Washington C. Whitthorne (D)

: . Benjamin A. Enloe (D)

: . Rice A. Pierce (D)

: . James Phelan Jr. (D), until January 30, 1891, vacant thereafter

Texas

: . Charles Stewart (D)

: . William H. Martin (D)

: . Constantine B. Kilgore (D)

: . David B. Culberson (D)

: . Silas Hare (D)

: . Joseph Abbott (D)

: . William H. Crain (D)

: . Littleton W. Moore (D)

: . Roger Q. Mills (D)

: . Joseph D. Sayers (D)

: . Samuel W. T. Lanham (D)

Vermont

: . John W. Stewart (R)

: . William W. Grout (R)

Virginia

: . Thomas H. B. Browne (R)

: . George E. Bowden (R)

: . George D. Wise (D), until April 10, 1890

:: Edmund Waddill Jr. (R), from April 12, 1890

: . Edward C. Venable (D), until September 23, 1890

:: John M. Langston (R), from September 23, 1890

: . Posey G. Lester (D)

: . Paul C. Edmunds (D)

: . Charles T. O'Ferrall (D)

: . William H. F. Lee (D)

: . John A. Buchanan (D)

: . Henry St. George Tucker III (D)

Washington

: . John L. Wilson (R), from November 20, 1889

West Virginia

: . John O. Pendleton (D), until February 26, 1890

:: George W. Atkinson (R), from February 26, 1890

: . William L. Wilson (D)

: . John D. Alderson (D)

: . James M. Jackson (D), until February 3, 1890

:: Charles B. Smith (R), from February 3, 1890

Wisconsin

: . Lucien B. Caswell (R)

: . Charles Barwig (D)

: . Robert M. La Follette Sr. (R)

: . Isaac W. Van Schaick (R)

: . George H. Brickner (D)

: . Charles B. Clark (R)

: . Ormsby B. Thomas (R)

: . Nils P. Haugen (R)

: . Myron H. McCord (R)

Wyoming

: . Clarence D. Clark (R), from December 1, 1890

Non-voting members

: . Marcus A. Smith (D)

: . George A. Mathews (R), until November 2, 1889

: . Fred Dubois (R), until July 3, 1890

: . Thomas H. Carter (R), until November 7, 1889

: . Antonio Joseph (D)

: . David A. Harvey (R), from November 4, 1890

: . John T. Caine (D)

: . John B. Allen (R), until November 11, 1889

: . Joseph M. Carey (R), until July 10, 1890

[[File:51 us house membership.png|thumb|400px|

{| align=center

! colspan=2 | House seats by party holding plurality in state

|}]]

thumb|175px|Speaker of the House [[Thomas Brackett Reed|Thomas B. Reed]]

Changes in membership

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

Senate

Replacements: 3
Democratic: no net change
Republican: no net change
Liberal Republican: 1-seat net loss
Deaths: 3
Resignations: 2
Interim appointments: 1
Seats of newly admitted states: 12
Total seats with changes: 17

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|- valign=bottom

! State (class)

! Vacated by

! Reason for vacancy

! Subsequent

! Date of successor's installation

| Rhode Island (2)

| | Jonathan Chace (R)

| style="font-size:80%" | Resigned April 9, 1889. Successor was elected.

| | Nathan F. Dixon III (R)

| April 10, 1889

| New Hampshire (2)

| | Gilman Marston (R)

| style="font-size:80%" | Successor was elected June 18, 1889.

| | William E. Chandler (R)

| June 18, 1889

| South Dakota (2)

| rowspan=2 | New seats

| rowspan=2 style="font-size:80%" | South Dakota achieved statehood November 2, 1889. First senators were elected October 16, 1889.

| nowrap | Richard F. Pettigrew (R)

| rowspan=2 | November 2, 1889

| South Dakota (3)

| nowrap | Gideon C. Moody (R)

| Montana (1)

| rowspan=2 | New seats

| style="font-size:80%" | Montana achieved statehood November 8, 1889. First Senator was elected January 1, 1890. His election was challenged based on the legitimacy of the nascent state legislature. The Senate resolved the dispute in his favor April 16, 1890 and he was seated that day.

| nowrap | Wilbur F. Sanders (R)

| April 16, 1890

| Montana (2)

| style="font-size:80%" | Montana achieved statehood November 8, 1889. First Senator was elected January 2, 1890.