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31st United States Congress

The 31st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1849, to March 4, 1851, during the 16 months of the Zachary Taylor presidency and the first eight months of the administration of Millard Fillmore's. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. The Senate had a Democratic majority, while there was a Democratic plurality in the House.

Major events

Major legislation

States admitted and territories organized

Party summary

Senate

During this Congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of California.

House of Representatives

During this Congress, two House seats were added for the new state of California.

Leadership

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives by district.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

Senate

Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1850; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1852; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1854.

Alabama

2. Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D), until November 30, 1849
: Jeremiah Clemens (D), from November 30, 1849
3. William R. King (D)

Arkansas

2. William K. Sebastian (D)
3. Solon Borland (D)

California

1. John C. Frémont (D), from September 10, 1850 (newly admitted state)
3. William M. Gwin (D), from September 10, 1850 (newly admitted state)

Connecticut

1. Roger S. Baldwin (W)
3. Truman Smith (W)

Delaware

1. John Wales (W)
2. Presley Spruance (W)

Florida

1. David Levy Yulee (D)
3. Jackson Morton (W)

Georgia

2. John Macpherson Berrien (W)
3. William C. Dawson (W)

Illinois

2. Stephen A. Douglas (D)
3. James Shields (D), until March 6, 1849
: James Shields (D), from December 3, 1849

Indiana

1. Jesse D. Bright (D)
3. James Whitcomb (D)

Iowa

2. George Wallace Jones (D)
3. Augustus C. Dodge (D)

Kentucky

2. Joseph R. Underwood (W)
3. Henry Clay (W)

Louisiana

2. Solomon W. Downs (D)
3. Pierre Soulé (D)

Maine

1. Hannibal Hamlin (D)
2. James W. Bradbury (D)

Maryland

1. Reverdy Johnson (W), until March 7, 1849
: David Stewart (W), from December 6, 1849, until January 12, 1850
: Thomas Pratt (W), from January 12, 1850
3. James Pearce (W)

Massachusetts

1. Daniel Webster (W), until July 22, 1850
: Robert C. Winthrop (W), from July 30, 1850, until February 1, 1851
: Robert Rantoul Jr. (D), from February 1, 1851
2. John Davis (W)

Michigan

1. Lewis Cass (D)
2. Alpheus Felch (D)

Mississippi

1. Jefferson Davis (D)
2. Henry S. Foote (D)

Missouri

1. Thomas H. Benton (D)
3. David R. Atchison (D)

New Hampshire

2. John P. Hale (FS)
3. Moses Norris Jr. (D)

New Jersey

1. William L. Dayton (W)
2. Jacob W. Miller (W)

New York

1. Daniel S. Dickinson (D)
3. William H. Seward (W)

North Carolina

2. Willie P. Mangum (W)
3. George E. Badger (W)

Ohio

1. Thomas Corwin (W), until July 20, 1850
: Thomas Ewing (W), from July 20, 1850
3. Salmon P. Chase (FS)

Pennsylvania

1. Daniel Sturgeon (D)
3. James Cooper (W)

Rhode Island

1. Albert C. Greene (W)
2. John H. Clarke (W)

South Carolina

2. John C. Calhoun (D), until March 31, 1850
: Franklin H. Elmore (D), from April 11, 1850, until May 29, 1850
: Robert W. Barnwell (D), from June 4, 1850, until December 18, 1850
: Robert Rhett (D), from December 18, 1850
3. Andrew Butler (D)

Tennessee

1. Hopkins L. Turney (D)
2. John Bell (W)

Texas

1. Thomas J. Rusk (D)
2. Samuel Houston (D)

Vermont

1. Samuel S. Phelps (W)
3. William Upham (W)

Virginia

1. James M. Mason (D)
2. Robert M. T. Hunter (D)

Wisconsin

1. Henry Dodge (D)
3. Isaac P. Walker (D)

House of Representatives

The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Alabama

. William J. Alston (W)
. Henry W. Hilliard (W)
. Sampson W. Harris (D)
. Samuel W. Inge (D)
. David Hubbard (D)
. Williamson R. W. Cobb (D)
. Franklin W. Bowdon (D)

Arkansas

. Robert W. Johnson (D)

California

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

. Edward Gilbert (D), from September 11, 1850 (newly admitted state)
. George W. Wright (I), from September 11, 1850 (newly admitted state)

Connecticut

. Loren P. Waldo (D)
. Walter Booth (FS)
. Chauncey F. Cleveland (D)
. Thomas B. Butler (W)

Delaware

. John W. Houston (W)

Florida

. Edward C. Cabell (W)

Georgia

. Thomas Butler King (W), until March 3, 1850
: Joseph W. Jackson (D), from March 4, 1850
. Marshall J. Wellborn (D)
. Allen F. Owen (W)
. Hugh A. Haralson (D)
. Thomas C. Hackett (D)
. Howell Cobb (D)
. Alexander H. Stephens (W)
. Robert A. Toombs (W)

Illinois

. William H. Bissell (D)
. John A. McClernand (D)
. Timothy R. Young (D)
. John Wentworth (D)
. William A. Richardson (D)
. Edward D. Baker (W)
. Thomas L. Harris (D)

Indiana

. Nathaniel Albertson (D)
. Cyrus L. Dunham (D)
. John L. Robinson (D)
. George W. Julian (FS)
. William J. Brown (D)
. Willis A. Gorman (D)
. Edward W. McGaughey (W)
. Joseph E. McDonald (D)
. Graham N. Fitch (D)
. Andrew J. Harlan (D)

Iowa

. William Thompson (D), until June 29, 1850
: Daniel F. Miller (W), from December 20, 1850
. Shepherd Leffler (D)

Kentucky

. Linn Boyd (D)
. James L. Johnson (W)
. Finis E. McLean (W)
. George A. Caldwell (D)
. John B. Thompson (W)
. Daniel Breck (W)
. Humphrey Marshall (W)
. Charles S. Morehead (W)
. John C. Mason (D)
. Richard H. Stanton (D)

Louisiana

. Emile La Sére (D)
. Charles M. Conrad (W), until August 17, 1850
: Henry A. Bullard (W), from December 5, 1850
. John H. Harmanson (D), until October 24, 1850
: Alexander G. Penn (D), from December 30, 1850
. Isaac E. Morse (D)

Maine

. Elbridge Gerry (D)
. Nathaniel Littlefield (D)
. John Otis (W)
. Rufus K. Goodenow (W)
. Cullen Sawtelle (D)
. Charles Stetson (D)
. Thomas J. D. Fuller (D)

Maryland

. Richard Bowie (W)
. William T. Hamilton (D)
. Edward Hammond (D)
. Robert M. McLane (D)
. Alexander Evans (W)
. John B. Kerr (W)

Massachusetts

. Robert C. Winthrop (W), until July 30, 1850
: Samuel Atkins Eliot (W), from August 22, 1850
. Daniel P. King (W), until July 25, 1850
. James H. Duncan (W)
. vacant
. Charles Allen (FS)
. George Ashmun (W)
. Julius Rockwell (W)
. Horace Mann (W)
. Orin Fowler (W)
. Joseph Grinnell (W)

Michigan

. Alexander W. Buel (D)
. William Sprague (W)
. Kinsley S. Bingham (D)

Mississippi

. Jacob Thompson (D)
. Winfield S. Featherston (D)
. William McWillie (D)
. Albert G. Brown (D)

Missouri

. James B. Bowlin (D)
. William V. Bay (D)
. James S. Green (D)
. Willard P. Hall (D)
. John S. Phelps (D)

New Hampshire

. Amos Tuck (FS)
. Charles H. Peaslee (D)
. James Wilson (W), until September 9, 1850
: George W. Morrison (D), from October 8, 1850
. Harry Hibbard (D)

New Jersey

. Andrew K. Hay (W)
. William A. Newell (W)
. Isaac Wildrick (D)
. John Van Dyke (W)
. James G. King (W)

New York

. John A. King (W)
. David A. Bokee (W)
. J. Phillips Phoenix (W)
. Walter Underhill (W)
. George Briggs (W)
. James Brooks (W)
. William Nelson (W)
. Ransom Halloway (W)
. Thomas McKissock (W)
. Herman D. Gould (W)
. Peter H. Silvester (W)
. Gideon Reynolds (W)
. John L. Schoolcraft (W)
. George R. Andrews (W)
. John R. Thurman (W)
. Hugh White (W)
. Henry P. Alexander (W)
. Preston King (FS)
. Charles E. Clarke (W)
. Orsamus B. Matteson (W)
. Hiram Walden (D)
. Henry Bennett (W)
. William Duer (W)
. Daniel Gott (W)
. Harmon S. Conger (W)
. William T. Jackson (W)
. William A. Sackett (W)
. Abraham M. Schermerhorn (W)
. Robert L. Rose (W)
. David Rumsey Jr. (W)
. Elijah Risley (W)
. Elbridge G. Spaulding (W)
. Harvey Putnam (W)
. Lorenzo Burrows (W)

North Carolina

. Thomas L. Clingman (W)
. Joseph P. Caldwell (W)
. Edmund Deberry (W)
. Augustine H. Shepperd (W)
. Abraham W. Venable (D)
. John R. J. Daniel (D)
. William S. Ashe (D)
. Edward Stanly (W)
. David Outlaw (W)

Ohio

. David T. Disney (D)
. Lewis D. Campbell (W)
. Robert C. Schenck (W)
. Moses B. Corwin (W)
. Emery D. Potter (D)
. Rodolphus Dickinson (D), until March 20, 1849
: Amos E. Wood (D), from December 3, 1849, until November 19, 1850
: John Bell (W), from January 7, 1851
. Jonathan D. Morris (D)
. John L. Taylor (W)
. Edson B. Olds (D)
. Charles Sweetser (D)
. John K. Miller (D)
. Samuel F. Vinton (W)
. William A. Whittlesey (D)
. Nathan Evans (W)
. William F. Hunter (W)
. Moses Hoagland (D)
. Joseph Cable (D)
. David K. Cartter (D)
. John Crowell (W)
. Joshua R. Giddings (FS)
. Joseph M. Root (FS)

Pennsylvania

. Lewis C. Levin (A)
. Joseph R. Chandler (W)
. Henry D. Moore (W)
. John Robbins Jr. (D)
. John Freedley (W)
. Thomas Ross (D)
. Jesse C. Dickey (W)
. Thaddeus Stevens (W)
. William Strong (D)
. Milo M. Dimmick (D)
. Chester P. Butler (W), until October 5, 1850
: John Brisbin (D), from November 13, 1850
. David Wilmot (D)
. Joseph Casey (W)
. Charles W. Pitman (W)
. Henry Nes (W), until September 10, 1850
: Joel B. Danner (D), from December 2, 1850
. James X. McLanahan (D)
. Samuel Calvin (W)
. Andrew J. Ogle (W)
. Job Mann (D)
. Robert R. Reed (W)
. Moses Hampton (W)
. John W. Howe (FS)
. James Thompson (D)
. Alfred Gilmore (D)

Rhode Island

. George G. King (W)
. Nathan F. Dixon Jr. (W)

South Carolina

. Daniel Wallace (D)
. James L. Orr (D)
. Joseph A. Woodward (D)
. John McQueen (D)
. Armistead Burt (D)
. Isaac E. Holmes (D)
. William F. Colcock (D)

Tennessee

. Andrew Johnson (D)
. Albert G. Watkins (W)
. Josiah M. Anderson (W)
. John H. Savage (D)
. George W. Jones (D)
. James H. Thomas (D)
. Meredith P. Gentry (W)
. Andrew Ewing (D)
. Isham G. Harris (D)
. Frederick P. Stanton (D)
. Christopher H. Williams (W)

Texas

. David S. Kaufman (D), until January 31, 1851
. Volney E. Howard (D)

Vermont

. William Henry (W)
. William Hebard (W)
. George P. Marsh (W), until May 29, 1849
: James Meacham (W), from December 3, 1849
. Lucius B. Peck (D)

Virginia

. John S. Millson (D)
. Richard K. Meade (D)
. Thomas H. Averett (D)
. Thomas S. Bocock (D)
. Paulus Powell (D)
. James A. Seddon (D)
. Thomas H. Bayly (D)
. Alexander Holladay (D)
. Jeremiah Morton (W)
. Richard Parker (D)
. James McDowell (D)
. Henry A. Edmundson (D)
. LaFayette McMullen (D)
. James M. H. Beale (D)
. Alexander Newman (D), until September 8, 1849
: Thomas Haymond (W), from November 8, 1849

Wisconsin

. Charles Durkee (FS)
. Orasmus Cole (W)
. James D. Doty (D)

Non-voting members

. Henry H. Sibley, from July 7, 1849
. Samuel Thurston (D)

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.

Senate

  • Replacements: 5
  • Democrats (D): no net change
  • Whigs (W): no net change
  • Deaths: 1
  • Resignations: 3
  • Seats from newly admitted states: 2
  • Interim appointments: 4
  • Total seats with changes: 8

|- | Illinois<br>(3) | | James Shields (D) | Senate voided election March 6, 1849, as Sen. Shields was determined not to have been a US citizen for the number of years required by the Constitution.<br/>Incumbent was re-elected October 27, 1849, having by then qualified. | | James Shields (D) | Seated December 3, 1849

|- | Maryland<br>(1) | | Reverdy Johnson (W) | Resigned March 7, 1849, having been appointed United States Attorney General | | David Stewart (W) | Appointed December 6, 1849

|- | Alabama<br>(2) | | Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) | Sen. Dixon Lewis successor elected November 30, 1849 | | Jeremiah Clemens (D) | Elected November 30, 1849

|- | Maryland<br>(1) | | David Stewart (W) | Successor elected January 12, 1850 | | Thomas Pratt (W) | Elected January 12, 1850

|- | South Carolina<br>(2) | | John C. Calhoun (D) | Died March 31, 1850 | | Franklin H. Elmore (D) | Appointed April 11, 1850

|- | South Carolina<br>(2) | | Franklin H. Elmore (D) | Died May 29, 1850 | | Robert W. Barnwell (D) | Appointed June 4, 1850

|- | Ohio<br>(1) | | Thomas Corwin (W) | Resigned July 20, 1850, after being appointed United States Secretary of the Treasury | | Thomas Ewing (W) | Appointed July 20, 1850

|- | Massachusetts<br>(1) | | Daniel Webster (W) | Resigned July 22, 1850, after being appointed United States Secretary of State again. | | Robert C. Winthrop (W) | Appointed July 30, 1850

|- | California<br>(1) | New state | California admitted to the Union September 9, 1850.<br/>The first Senator was elected September 10, 1850. | | John C. Frémont (D) | Elected September 10, 1850

|- | California<br>(3) | New state | California admitted to the Union September 9, 1850.<br/>The first Senator was elected September 10, 1850. | | William M. Gwin (D) | Elected September 10, 1850

|- | South Carolina<br>(2) | | Robert W. Barnwell (D) | Successor elected December 18, 1850 | | Robert Rhett (D) | Elected December 18, 1850

|- | Massachusetts<br>(1) | | Robert C. Winthrop (W) | Successor elected February 1, 1851 | | Robert Rantoul Jr. (D) | Elected February 1, 1851

House of Representatives

  • Replacements: 11
  • Democrats (D): 2 seat net gain
  • Whigs (W): 2 seat net loss
  • Deaths: 8
  • Resignations: 5
  • Contested election:1
  • Seats from newly admitted states: 2
  • Total seats with changes: 16

|- | | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Seat remained vacant after territory became organized at end of previous congress | Henry H. Sibley | Seated July 7, 1849 |- | | | George Perkins Marsh (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned some time in 1849 | | James Meacham (W) | Seated December 3, 1849 |- | | | Rodolphus Dickinson (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died March 20, 1849 | | Amos E. Wood (D) | Seated December 3, 1849 |- | | | Alexander Newman (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died September 8, 1849 | | Thomas Haymond (W) | Seated November 8, 1849 |- | | | Thomas B. King (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned March 3, 1850 | | Joseph W. Jackson (D) | Seated March 4, 1850 |- | | | Daniel P. King (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Died July 25, 1850 | Vacant | Not filled this term |- | | | William Thompson (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Seat declared vacant June 29, 1850, after contested election. House ruled neither candidate entitled to seat and forced special election | | Daniel F. Miller (W) | Seated December 20, 1850 |- | | | Robert C. Winthrop (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned July 30, 1850, after being appointed to the US Senate | | Samuel A. Eliot (W) | Seated August 22, 1850 |- | | | Charles M. Conrad (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned August 17, 1850, after being appointed United States Secretary of War | | Henry A. Bullard (W) | Seated December 5, 1850 |- | | | James Wilson (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned September 9, 1850 | | George W. Morrison (D) | Seated October 8, 1850 |- | | colspan=2 style="font-size:80%" | California admitted into the Union September 9, 1850, and seat remained vacant until September 11, 1850 | | Edward Gilbert (D) | Seated September 11, 1850 |- | | colspan=2 style="font-size:80%" | California admitted into the Union September 9, 1850, and seat remained vacant until September 11, 1850 | | George W. Wright (I) | Seated September 11, 1850 |- | | | Henry Nes (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Died September 10, 1850 | | Joel B. Danner (D) | Seated December 2, 1850 |- | | | Chester P. Butler (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Died October 5, 1850 | | John Brisbin (D) | Seated November 13, 1850 |- | | | John H. Harmanson (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died October 24, 1850 | | Alexander G. Penn (D) | Seated December 30, 1850 |- | | | Amos E. Wood (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died November 19, 1850 | | John Bell (W) | Seated January 7, 1851 |- | | | David S. Kaufman (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died January 31, 1851 | Vacant | Not filled this term

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Caucuses

Employees

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

Notes

References

External links