31st United States Congress
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| 31st United States Congress | |||
 United States Capitol (1846) |
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| Duration: March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 | |||
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| President of the Senate: | Millard Fillmore (1849-1850) Vacant (1850-1851) |
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| President pro tempore: | David R. Atchison William R. King |
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| Speaker of the House: | Howell Cobb | ||
| Members: | 62 Senators 233 Representatives 2 Non-voting members |
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| Senate Majority: | Democratic | ||
| House Majority: | Democratic | ||
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| Sessions | |||
| 1st: December 3, 1849 – September 30, 1850 2nd: December 2, 1850 – March 3, 1851 |
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The Thirty-first 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 3, 1851, during the last 17 months of the Zachary Taylor presidency and the first months of Millard Fillmore's. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Sixth Census of the United States in 1840. The Senate had a Democratic majority, while there was a Democratic plurality in the House.
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[edit] Major events
- March 4, 1849 — Zachary Taylor inaugurated as President of the United States
- July 10, 1850 — Taylor died and Millard Fillmore became President.
[edit] Major legislation
- September 9, 1850 — Compromise of 1850, chs. 48-51, 9 Stat. 446-9 Stat. 458
- September 18, 1850 — Fugitive Slave Act, ch. 60, 9 Stat. 462
- September 29, 1850 — Donation Land Claim Act, ch. 76, 9 Stat. 496
[edit] States admitted and territories organized
- September 9, 1850 — As part of the Compromise of 1850:
- Texas's borders were changed, ch. 48, 9 Stat. 446
- New Mexico Territory was organized, ch. 49, 9 Stat. 448
- California was admitted as a state into the Union, ch. 50, 9 Stat. 452
- Utah Territory was organized, ch. 51, 9 Stat. 553
[edit] Party summary
The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
[edit] Senate
- Democratic (D): 35 (majority)
- Whig (W): 25
- Free Soil (FS): 2
TOTAL members: 62
[edit] House of Representatives
- Democratic (D): 113
- Whig (W): 108
- Free Soil (FS): 9
- American (A): 1
- Independent: 1
- vacant: 1
TOTAL members: 233
[edit] Leadership
[edit] Senate
- President: Millard Fillmore (W), until July 9, 1850; vacant thereafter.
- President pro tempore:
- David Atchison (D), until May 5, 1850
- William R. King (D), May 6, 1850 – End
[edit] House of Representatives
- Speaker: Howell Cobb (D)
[edit] Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
[edit] 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, requiring reelection in 1850; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1852; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1854.
[edit] House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "A/L," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.
Many of the congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.
[edit] Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
[edit] 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
[edit] 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
[edit] Officers
[edit] Senate
- Secretary: Asbury Dickens of North Carolina
- Sergeant at Arms: Robert Beale of Virginia
- Chaplain:
- Henry Slicer, Methodist
- Clement M. Butler, Episcopalian, elected January 9, 1850
[edit] House of Representatives
- Clerk:
- Thomas J. Campbell of Tennessee, elected January 11, 1850, died April 13, 1850
- Richard M. Young of Illinois, elected April 17, 1850
- Sergeant at Arms: Adam J. Glossbrenner of Pennsylvania, elected January 11, 1850
- Doorkeeper: Robert E. Horner of New Jersey, removed May 27, 1850
- Postmaster: John M. Johnson of Virginia, elected January 11, 1850,
- Chaplain: Ralph Gurley, Presbyterian
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
[edit] External links
- Statutes at Large, 1789-1875
- Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
- U.S. House of Representatives: House History
- U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
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