Richard W. Townshend | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's19th district | |
| In office March 4, 1877 – March 9, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | William B. Anderson |
| Succeeded by | James R. Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1840-04-30)April 30, 1840 Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | March 9, 1889(1889-03-09) (aged 48) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Rock Creek Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
Richard Wellington Townshend (April 30, 1840 – March 9, 1889) was a lawyer andU.S. representative fromIllinois.
Born nearUpper Marlboro, Maryland, Townshend moved toWashington, D.C., in 1846. He attended public and private schools. He moved toCairo, Illinois, in 1858. He taught school in Fayette County. He studied law. He wasadmitted to the bar in 1862 and commenced practice inMcLeansboro, Illinois. He served as clerk of the circuit court of Hamilton County 1863–1868. He served as prosecuting attorney for the twelfth judicial circuit of Illinois 1868–1872. He served as member of the Democratic State central committee in 1864, 1865, 1874, and 1875. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1872. He moved toShawneetown, Illinois, in 1873 and resumed the practice of law. Townshend was elected as aDemocrat to theForty-fifth and to the six succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1877, until his death inWashington, D.C., March 9, 1889.
He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Navy (Forty-sixth Congress), Committee on Military Affairs (Fiftieth Congress). Townshend said that theJim Crow era South (controlled by his fellow Democrats) had "turned her face to the sun of freedom". However, he accused supporters of Chinese immigration of supporting slavery and quoted bigoted views of the Chinese describing them as "debased" and describing Chinese cities as "abominations".[1] He was interred inRock Creek Cemetery.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 19th congressional district 1877–1889 | Succeeded by |
Chairs of theUnited States House Committee on Armed Services | ||
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| Military Affairs Committee (1822–1947) |  | |
| Naval Affairs Committee (1822–1947) | ||
| Armed Services Committee* (from 1947) | ||
*Alternately namedNational Security in 104th and 105th Congresses. | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
