The 29th Illinois General Assembly was elected in November 1874. The session began on January 6, 1875 and adjourned on April 15, 1875. No party had a majority in either chamber. The Republicans had a plurality in both chambers, with 24 members in the Senate and 69 in the House, but control of the chambers was held by a coalition of Democrats, third parties, and independents.

The third parties represented in this session included the Opposition Party, the Independent Reform Party, and the Democratic Liberal Party, which took many of its members (including its leader, former governor John M. Palmer) and positions from the defunct Liberal Republican Party of 1872. All of these parties were organized for the first time in 1874 and disappeared shortly thereafter, their members subsequently becoming Democrats, Greenbackers, or independents.

The three-sided tensions between Democrats, Republicans and reformers led to frequent turmoil during the session, including a violent brawl that erupted in the House when Republican Alfred M. Jones threw a book at Democrat Lewis Plater. Partly due to this climate, fewer laws were passed during this session than any session since the 1830s; amounting to only 118 pages. The expenses incurred by this General Assembly were also commensurately lower, at $221,810—less than half the amount incurred by the preceding 28th General Assembly.

The 204 members of the 29th Illinois General Assembly are listed in the 1875 Illinois Legislative Manual. Because the Manual is not entirely consistent in its labeling of third-party members of the General Assembly, those identified as "Liberal Republican", "Liberal", or "Democratic Liberal" are counted as a single group in the party totals below. Likewise, the one member of the House labeled simply as "Reform" is treated as a member of the Independent Reform Party for the purpose of the totals.

Senate

The Illinois Senate as elected in 1874 contained 51 members, one from each state legislative district. Under the Illinois Constitution of 1870, Senators served overlapping 4-year terms; thus, 26 of the senators in the 29th General Assembly were elected in 1874, the remainder having been elected in 1872. They ranged in age from 30 to 65.

Democrat Archibald A. Glenn was elected president of the Senate, thereby also taking on the role of acting lieutenant governor.

Party composition

The Senate of the 29th General Assembly consisted of 24 Republicans, 18 Democrats, and 9 third-party and independent members.

Affiliation Members Republican Party 24 Democratic Party 18 Independent 5 Independent Reform Party 2 Liberal Republican/"Liberal"/Democratic Liberal 2 Total 51

Members DistrictJurisdiction(s) representedImageSenatorPartyFirstelectedCommittees1Cook County: Chicago wards 1, 2, 10, 11Independent1874Revenue; Municipalities; Corporations; Banks, Banking; State Charitable Institutions; State Educational Institutions; Appropriation2Cook County: Chicago wards 3, 4, 5; Townships of Hyde Park and LakeRepublican1872Judiciary; Municipalities; Federal Relations; Elections3Cook County: Chicago wards 6, 7, 8Democratic1872Warehouses; Municipalities; Canals, Rivers; Manufactures; Federal Relations; Elections; Enrolled and Engrossed Bills4Cook County: Chicago wards 9, 12, 13Republican1872Railroads; Finance; Revenue; Municipalities; Penal Institutions; Fees, Salaries5Cook County: Chicago wards 14, 15, 18Independent1874Railroads; Municipalities; Corporations; State Educational Institutions; Penal Institutions; Mines, Mining; Manufactures; Fees, Salaries6Cook County: Chicago wards 16, 17, 19, 20Republican1870Warehouses; Corporations; Reformatory Institutions; Appropriation; County, Township Organization; Enrolled and Engrossed Bills7Cook County: Townships of New Trier, Northfield, Wheeling, Palatine, Barrington, Hanover, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, Maine, Niles, Evanston, Lake View, Jefferson, Leyden, Proviso, Riverside, Cicero, Lyons, Lemont, Palos, Worth, Calumet, Thornton, Bremen, Orland, Rich, BloomDemocratic1874Judiciary; Railroads; Warehouses; Insurance; Public Buildings, Grounds; Canals, Rivers; Appropriation; Fees, Salaries8 Lake County, McHenry CountyRepublican1872Judiciary; Corporations; State Charitable Institutions; State Educational Institutions; Federal Relations9 Boone County, Winnebago CountyRepublican1870Expenses General Assembly; Insurance; State Charitable Institutions; Reformatory Institutions; Canals, Rivers; Appropriation10Jo Daviess County, Stephenson CountyRepublican1872Insurance; Education; Horticulture; Geology and Science11Carroll County, Whiteside CountyRepublican1874Finance; Banks, Banking; State Educational Institutions; Printing; Railroads12Lee County, Ogle CountyRepublican1872Judiciary; Revenue; Banks, Banking; Manufactures; State Library13DeKalb County, Kendall County, Grundy CountyRepublican1872Judicial Department; Warehouses; Finance; Revenue; Miscellany14DuPage County, Kane CountyRepublican1872Judiciary; Judicial Department; Municipalities; Appropriation; Fees, Salaries15Will CountyRepublican1874Insurance; Canals, Rivers; Mines, Mining; Military Affairs16Iroquois County, Kankakee CountyRepublican1872Judicial Department; State Charitable Institutions; Horticulture; Enrolled and Engrossed Bills; Miscellany17LaSalle CountyIndependent1874Railroads; Corporations; Mines, Mining; Manufactures; County, Township Organization; Military Affairs; State Library; Geology and Science18Ford County, Livingston CountyRepublican1870Warehouses; Revenue; Expenses General Assembly; Reformatory Institutions; Printing19Bureau County, Stark CountyRepublican1870Railroads; Public Buildings, Grounds; Education; Canals, Rivers; Manufactures20 Marshall County, Putnam County, Woodford CountyRepublican1872State Charitable Institutions; Penal Institutions; Public Buildings, Grounds; Agriculture, Drainage; County, Township Organization; State Library21 Henry County, Rock Island CountyRepublican1874Judicial Department; Corporations; Education; Mines, Mining; Printing; Geology and Science22Knox County, Mercer CountyRepublican1872Roads, Highways, Bridges; Judiciary; Municipalities; State Charitable Institutions; County, Township Organization23McDonough County, Warren CountyRepublican1874Railroads; Warehouses; Penal Institutions; Appropriation; County, Township Organization24 Hancock County, Henderson CountyDemocratic1872Railroads; Warehouses; Finance; Revenue; Reformatory Institutions; Education; Roads, Highways, Bridges25Fulton County, Schuyler CountyIndependent1874State Charitable Institutions; Penal Institutions; Education; Agriculture, Drainage; Horticulture; County, Township Organization; Roads, Highways, Bridges; Elections26Peoria CountyDemocratic1872Judiciary; Judicial Department; Revenue; Banks, Banking; State Charitable Institutions; Canals, Rivers; County, Township Organization; Elections27Logan County, Tazewell CountyRepublican1874Finance; Canals, Rivers; Roads, Highways, Bridges; Horticulture; Agriculture, Drainage; Miscellany28McLean CountyRepublican1872Public Buildings, Grounds; Canals, Rivers; Appropriation; Agriculture, Drainage; Roads, Highways, Bridges29DeWitt County, Macon CountyIndependent Reform1874Expenses General Assembly; Agriculture, Drainage; County, Township Organization; Fees, Salaries; Printing; Roads, Highways, Bridges; State Library30Champaign County, Piatt CountyRepublican1872Revenue; State Educational Institutions; Manufactures; Military Affairs31 Edgar County, Vermilion CountyRepublican1874Judicial Department; Insurance; State Educational Institutions; Penal Institutions; Mines, Mining32Coles County, Douglas County, Moultrie CountyRepublican1872Judiciary; Railroads; State Charitable Institutions; State Educational Institutions; Federal Relations; Elections33Coles County, Douglas County, Moultrie CountyDemocratic1874Judicial Department; Revenue; Insurance; Penal Institutions; Canals, Rivers; Fees, Salaries; Elections; Miscellany34Christian County, Montgomery CountyDemocratic1872Insurance; Banks, Banking; State Charitable Institutions; State Educational Institutions; Appropriation; Mines, Mining; Enrolled and Engrossed Bills35Sangamon CountyDemocratic1874Judiciary; Judicial Department; Expenses General Assembly; Banks, Banking; Reformatory Institutions; Public Buildings, Grounds; Appropriation; Fees, Salaries36 Brown County, Cass County, Mason County, Menard CountyDemocratic187237Adams CountyDemocratic1874Judiciary; Judicial Department; Revenue; Insurance; Appropriation; County, Township Organization; Printing; Elections38Calhoun County, Scott County, Pike CountyDemocratic1872Judicial Department; Judiciary; Railroads; Canals, Rivers; County, Township Organization; Federal Relations; Miscellany39Greene County, Morgan CountyDemocratic1874Judiciary; Finance; Revenue; Corporations; State Charitable Institutions; State Educational Institutions; Education; Canals, Rivers40 Jersey County, Macoupin CountyDemocratic1872Finance; Revenue; Expenses General Assembly; Municipalities; Fees, Salaries; Military Affairs; Roads, Highways, Bridges; Miscellany41Madison CountyDemocratic1874Judicial Department; Railroads; Municipalities; Corporations; State Charitable Institutions; Education; Federal Relations; State Library42Bond County, Clinton County, Washington CountyLiberal Republican1872Railroads; State Charitable Institutions; Reformatory Institutions; Public Buildings, Grounds; Agriculture, Drainage; Manufactures; Miscellany43Fayette County, Marion CountyDemocratic1874Expenses General Assembly; State Charitable Institutions; State Educational Institutions; Penal Institutions; Horticulture; Geology and Science; Agriculture, Drainage; Roads, Highways, Bridges44Clay County, Richland County, Edwards County, Wabash County, Wayne CountyRepublican1872Judicial Department; Railroads; Penal Institutions; Education; Fees, Salaries45Clark County, Crawford County, Lawrence County, Jasper CountyDemocratic1874Warehouses; Expenses General Assembly; Insurance; State Educational Institutions; Reformatory Institutions; Education; Horticulture; Enrolled and Engrossed Bills46Hamilton County, Jefferson County, White CountyDemocratic1874Judiciary; Judicial Department; Corporations; Penal Institutions; Public Buildings, Grounds; Appropriation; Printing47Franklin County, Williamson County, Saline County, Gallatin CountyIndependent Reform1874Judiciary; Warehouses; Municipalities; Insurance; Penal Institutions; Education; Appropriation; Geology and Science48Monroe County, Randolph County, Perry County"Liberal"1872Judiciary; Judicial Department; Finance; Municipalities; Insurance; Banks, Banking; Mines, Mining; Federal Relations49St. Clair CountyDemocratic1874Railroads; State Educational Institutions; Penal Institutions; Canals, Rivers; Agriculture, Drainage; Horticulture; Mines, Mining; Printing50Alexander County, Jackson County, Union CountyDemocratic1872Judicial Department; Finance; Revenue; State Charitable Institutions; State Educational Institutions; Education; Canals, Rivers; County, Township Organization51Hardin County, Pulaski County, Massac County, Johnson County, Pope CountyIndependent1874Railroads; Penal Institutions; Appropriation; Agriculture, Drainage; Mines, Mining; Military Affairs; Roads, Highways, Bridges

House of Representatives

Under the Illinois Constitution of 1870, the state representatives were elected by cumulative voting, with each voter distributing three votes among the available candidates. The Illinois House of Representatives as elected in 1874 thus contained 153 members, three from each of the state's 51 districts. However, only 152 members were present for the 29th General Assembly, as Robert Thiem of Cook County failed to make an appearance.