Sereno E. Payne
Payne, 1905–1914
House Majority Leader
In office March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1911
Speaker	David B. Henderson(1899–1903) Joseph G. Cannon(1903–1911)
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Oscar Underwood
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York
In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887
Preceded by	John H. Camp
Succeeded by	Newton W. Nutting
Constituency	26th district (1883–85) 27th district (1885–87)
In office December 2, 1889 – December 10, 1914
Preceded by	Newton W. Nutting
Succeeded by	Norman J. Gould
Constituency	27th district (1889–93) 28th district (1893–1903) 31st district (1903–13) 36th district (1913–14)
Personal details
Born	Sereno Elisha Payne June 26, 1843 Hamilton, New York, U.S.
Died	December 10, 1914(1914-12-10) (aged 71) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Fort Hill Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Gertrude Knapp ​ (m. 1873⁠–⁠1911)​
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Rochester
Profession	Law
Signature

Sereno Elisha Payne (June 26, 1843 – December 10, 1914) was aUnited States representative fromNew York and the firstHouse Majority Leader, holding the office from 1899 to 1911. He was aRepublican congressman from 1883 to 1887 and then from 1889 to his death in 1914. He was chairman of the HouseWays and Means Committee for 12 years starting in 1899. ThePayne–Aldrich Tariff is perhaps the most significant legislation he introduced during that period. He was known as a staunchprotectionist.

Sereno Elisha Payne was born on June 26, 1843, inHamilton, New York, to William Wallace Payne. The family moved toAuburn, New York.^[1][2] He attended the Auburn Academy and then graduated from theUniversity of Rochester in 1864. He studied law and wasadmitted to the bar in 1866.^[1][2]

Payne practiced law in Auburn, rising to become theCayuga Countydistrict attorney from 1873 to 1879. Payne served in a number of administrative roles for the city of Auburn, as city clerk in 1867 to 1868, supervisor in 1871 to 1872, and president of the board of education from 1879 to 1882. He was appointed a member of the American-British Joint High Commission in January 1899.^[1]

Payne was elected as a Republican to theForty-eighth andForty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887). He was elected into theFifty-first Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of RepresentativeNewton W. Nutting and was reelected to the twelve succeeding Congresses (December 2, 1889 – December 10, 1914). During his tenure, he served as chairman of theCommittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries (Fifty-fourth andFifty-fifth Congresses), chairman of theWays and Means Committee (Fifty-fifth throughSixty-first Congresses), andmajority leader (Fifty-seventh through Sixty-first Congresses). He was reelected to theSixty-fourth Congress but died before that term began.^[1] He was an advocate forprotectionism and wrote thePayne–Aldrich Tariff.^[2] He was a delegate to the1892,1896,1900 and the1904 Republican National Conventions.^[2]

Payne married Gertrude Flourette Knapp, daughter of Arietta Montgomery Terry and Oscar Fitzalen Knapp, of Auburn in 1873. They had one son, William K.^[2][3] His wife died in 1911.^[4] He lived in Auburn throughout his life.^[2] He had a home at 4 James Street in Auburn.^[3]

Payne died of heart disease on December 10, 1914, at the Portland Hotel inWashington, D.C.. He was buried inFort Hill Cemetery in Auburn.^[1][5]

Colgate University and the University of Rochester awarded Payne with honoraryLLD degrees.^[2]

• List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1900–1949)

• Ways and Means reference
• List of majority leaders
• Sereno E. Payne, late a representative from New York, Memorial addresses delivered in the House of Representatives and Senate frontispiece 1916

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• 1843 births
• 1914 deaths
• Majority leaders of the United States House of Representatives
• New York (state) lawyers
• County district attorneys in New York (state)
• School board members in New York (state)
• University of Rochester alumni
• People from Cayuga County, New York
• Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
• People from Hamilton, New York
• Deans of the United States House of Representatives
• 19th-century American lawyers
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