30th United States Congress

Last updated

30th United States Congress
29th  
  31st
Capitol1846.jpg

March 4, 1847 – March 4, 1849
Members60 senators
230 representatives
2 non-voting delegates
Senate majority Democratic
Senate President George M. Dallas (D)
House majority Whig
(plurality in the 2nd half
of the 1st Congressional session)
House Speaker Robert C. Winthrop (W)
Sessions
1st: December 6, 1847 – August 14, 1848
2nd: December 4, 1848 – March 3, 1849

The 30th 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, 1847, to March 4, 1849, during the last two years of the administration of President James K. Polk. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. The Senate had a Democratic majority, and the House had a Whig majority. It was the only Congress in which Abraham Lincoln served.

Contents

Major events

Sutter's Mill, origin of the California Gold Rush Sutters Mill.jpg
Sutter's Mill, origin of the California Gold Rush

Major legislation

Treaty

Mapa de los Estados Unidos de Mejico by John Distrunell: the 1847 map used during negotiations of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Map of Mexico 1847.jpg
Mapa de los Estados Unidos de Méjico by John Distrunell: the 1847 map used during negotiations of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

States admitted and territories established

Party summary

Senate

During this congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of Wisconsin.

Party
(shading shows control)
TotalVacant
Democratic
(D)
Independent
Democratic

(ID)
Liberty
(L)
Whig
(W)
End of previous congress 31 0 1 24562
Begin 34 1 0 20 55 3
End 38 21 600
Final voting share63.3% 1.7% 0.0% 35.0%
Beginning of next congress 33 0 0 25582

House of Representatives

During this congress, two House seats were added for the new state of Wisconsin.

AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
American Democratic Independent
Democratic
Independent Whig Vacant
End of previous Congress 1213700772262
Begin1107211162271
April 27, 18471062262
December 6, 18471082280
January 16, 18481152271
February 23, 18481142262
March 6, 18481092271
March 8, 18481132262
April 3, 18481081142262
April 19, 18481072253
May 29, 18482255
June 8, 18481092273
June 12, 18481101142282
November 22, 18481091142273
December 4, 18481162291
February 12, 18491102300
Final voting share.5%48%1%.5%50.5%
Beginning of the next Congress 1113001072211

Leadership

President of the Senate
George M. Dallas George Mifflin Dallas 1848.jpg
President of the Senate
George M. Dallas

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

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

Skip to House of Representatives, below

Senate

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

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

Senate

Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's
formal installation [a]
Tennessee
(2)
VacantFailure to elect.
Successor elected November 22, 1847.
John Bell (W)Elected November 22, 1847.
Iowa
(2)
VacantIowa had been admitted to the Union December 28, 1846, but the legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes. [1]
First Senator elected December 7, 1848.
George Wallace Jones (D)Elected December 7, 1848.
Iowa
(3)
VacantIowa had been admitted to the Union December 28, 1846, but the legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes. [1]
First Senator elected December 7, 1848.
Augustus C. Dodge (D)Elected December 7, 1848.
Mississippi
(1)
Jesse Speight (D)Incumbent died May 1, 1847.
Successor appointed August 10, 1847, and then elected January 1848.
Jefferson Davis (D)Appointed December 5, 1847.
Connecticut
(1)
Jabez W. Huntington (W)Incumbent died November 1, 1847.
Successor appointed November 11, 1847, and then elected May 1848.
Roger S. Baldwin (W)Appointed December 5, 1847.
Maine
(1)
John Fairfield (D)Incumbent died December 24, 1847.
Successor appointed January 5, 1848.
Wyman B. S. Moor (D)Appointed January 5, 1848.
Georgia
(3)
Walter T. Colquitt (D)Incumbent resigned February 4, 1848.
Successor appointed February 4, 1848, to finish the term.
Herschel V. Johnson (D)Appointed February 4, 1848.
Arkansas
(3)
Ambrose H. Sevier (D)Incumbent resigned March 15, 1848.
Successor appointed March 30, 1848, to finish the term.
Solon Borland (D)Appointed March 30, 1848.
Arkansas
(2)
Chester Ashley (D)Incumbent died April 29, 1848.
Successor appointed May 12, 1848, and elected sometime thereafter.
William K. Sebastian (D)Elected May 12, 1848.
Wisconsin
(1)
Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848.
First Senator elected June 8, 1848.
Henry Dodge (D)Elected June 8, 1848.
Wisconsin
(3)
Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848.
First Senator elected June 8, 1848.
Isaac P. Walker (D)Elected June 8, 1848.
Michigan
(1)
Lewis Cass (D)Incumbent resigned May 29, 1848, to run for U.S. President.
Successor appointed June 8, 1848.
Thomas Fitzgerald (D)Elected June 8, 1848.
Maine
(1)
Wyman B. S. Moor (D)Interim appointee retired when successor elected June 7, 1848. Hannibal Hamlin (D)Elected June 7, 1848.
Kentucky
(3)
John J. Crittenden (W)Incumbent resigned June 12, 1848, to run for Governor of Kentucky.
Successor appointed June 23, 1848, and elected sometime thereafter.
Thomas Metcalfe (W)Elected June 23, 1848.
Alabama
(3)
Arthur P. Bagby (D)Incumbent resigned June 16, 1848, to become U.S. Minister to Russia.
Successor elected July 1, 1848.
William R. King (D)Elected July 1, 1848.
Alabama
(2)
Dixon H. Lewis (D)Incumbent died October 25, 1848.
Successor elected November 25, 1848.
Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D)Elected November 25, 1848.
Delaware
(1)
John M. Clayton (W)Incumbent resigned February 23, 1849, to become U.S. Secretary of State.
Successor elected February 23, 1849.
John Wales (W)Elected February 23, 1849.

House of Representatives

House changes
DistrictVacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's
formal installation [a]
Illinois 5th VacantRepresentative Stephen A. Douglas resigned at end of previous congress. William A. Richardson (D)Seated December 6, 1847
Virginia 2nd George Dromgoole (D)Incumbent died April 27, 1847. Richard K. Meade (D)Seated August 5, 1847
Michigan 2nd Edward Bradley (D)Incumbent died August 5, 1847. Charles E. Stuart (D)Seated December 6, 1847
Pennsylvania 6th John W. Hornbeck (W)Incumbent died January 16, 1848. Samuel A. Bridges (D)Seated March 6, 1848
Massachusetts 8th John Quincy Adams (W)Incumbent died February 23, 1848. Horace Mann (W)Seated April 3, 1848
New York 27th John M. Holley (W)Incumbent died March 8, 1848. Esbon Blackmar (W)Seated December 4, 1848
South Carolina 1st James A. Black (D)Incumbent died April 3, 1848. Daniel Wallace (D)Seated June 12, 1848
New York 6th David S. Jackson (D) James Monroe contested seat after which the House declared the seat vacant April 19, 1848. Horace Greeley (W)Seated December 4, 1848
Wisconsin 1st Wisconsin admitted into the Union May 29, 1848, and seat remained vacant until June 8, 1848. William P. Lynde (D)Seated June 8, 1848
Wisconsin 2nd Wisconsin admitted into the Union May 29, 1848, and seat remained vacant until June 8, 1848. Mason C. Darling (D)Seated June 8, 1848
Wisconsin Territory At-large John H. Tweedy (W)Incumbent was disqualified May 29, 1848, after the portion of territory he resided in achieved statehood. Henry H. Sibley Seated October 30, 1848
South Carolina 4th Alexander D. Sims (D)Incumbent died November 22, 1848. John McQueen (D)Seated February 12, 1849

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Employees

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

  1. 1 2 Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa. Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa. pp.  17–46, 72–79.