High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Forty-seventh 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 in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1881 to March 4, 1883, during the administration of U.S. President James A. Garfield, and the first year of the administration of his successor, U.S. President Chester A. Arthur. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Ninth Census of the United States in 1870. The Senate had a Democratic majority, and the House had a Republican majority..