After being elected by the chief electoral district of Gouda during the second round of parliamentary elections on January 20, 1874, Kuyper took the oath of office as a member of Parliament on March 20, 1874. His first speeches were delivered on April 17 and 18, 1874 when the session was in committee. These speeches, remarkable for a political novice, were first published seven years later (see 1881.06) and again in 1890.06 (I.1–2).

Kuyper delivered his first public addresses in the Second Chamber of the States General on April 29 (pp. 1347–1352), May 1 (pp. 1382–1384), May 2 (pp. 1390–1392), and May 4, 1874 (pp. 1412–1416) in response to an initiative by Minister S. van Houten concerning child labor. It had come to the attention of Parliament that seven-year-old children were working in factories for eighty-five hours or more per week. Kuyper agreed with the idea behind the proposed law against such practices but not with its execution. He contended that the issue did not have to do with employee regulations but with the protection of children. At the same time, he appealed for a code of labor. He withdrew an amendment to this bill after a reply (p. 1419). On May 5, he again withdrew an amendment to this bill (p. 1437). His final contribution to the parliamentary debate of this period took place during the December 16, 1875 session. Kuyper resigned his membership in Parliament on July 1, 1877 (see 1875.08).