Francis G. Newlands

Francis Griffith Newlands ( born August 28, 1846 in Natchez, Mississippi, † December 24, 1917 in Washington DC) was an American politician who represented the state of Nevada in both chambers of Congress.

Life

Francis Newlands was born the son of James Birney Newlands and his wife Jessie Barland; his ancestors had emigrated from Scotland to the United States. He first grew up in Mississippi, but later came with his parents over Missouri to Quincy (Illinois ). After the early death of his father, he moved with his mother to Washington DC, where he first attended Yale College and his law degree at the Columbian College Law School, now George Washington University, attained. 1869 Newlands was admitted to the bar; a year later, 1870, he moved to San Francisco ( California), where he lived for about 18 years.

Here learned Newlands also know William Sharon, one of the discoverers of large deposits of silver in Virginia City (Nevada ). In November 1874 married Newlands Sharon's daughter Clara Adelaide. The two got in November 1880, her only child, her daughter Frances. Newlands grandson is the American musicologist Chris Strachwitz. 1888 Newlands followed his father to Nevada, where he also practiced law.

1892 Newlands candidate, the party member of the Democrats was successfully for a seat in the House of Representatives of the United States. He took office on March 4, 1893 and was able to keep it up to the March 3, 1903 by four re- elections. In his so-called Newlands Resolution, which he wrote in 1898, he suggested the annexation of Hawaii and the establishment of the Hawaii Territory.

In 1902 he ran for a seat in the Senate of the United States; on March 4, 1903, he moved into the second chamber of parliament. Newlands thus became, like his father William Sharon senator who was elected from 1875 to 1881 in the Congress. 1913 Newlands was elected Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Also to note is the chair of the so-called Titanic commission which met in New York City in the spring of 1912, and the Newlands with Senators William Alden Smith ( Michigan) and Isidor Rayner (Maryland) initiated. In that investigation, the Commission reasons as well as the expiration of the sinking of RMS Titanic were analyzed.

Francis G. Newlands died during his third term as a U.S. Senator at the age of 71 years.