29th United States Congress

      29th United States Congress
      Capitol1846.jpg
      United States Capitol (1846)

      Duration: March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1847

      Senate President: George M. Dallas
      Senate Pres. pro tem: Willie P. Mangum
      Ambrose H. Sevier
      David R. Atchison
      House Speaker: John W. Davis
      Members: 58 Senators
      228 Representatives
      2 Non-voting members
      Senate Majority: Democratic
      House Majority: Democratic

      Sessions
      1st: December 1, 1845 – August 10, 1846
      2nd: December 7, 1846 – March 3, 1847
      <28th 30th>

      The Twenty-ninth 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, 1845 to March 4, 1847, during the first two years of the administration of James Polk's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Sixth Census of the United States in 1840. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.

      Major events

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      Major legislation

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      Treaties

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      States admitted

      • December 29, 1845: Texas admitted as the 28th state
      • December 28, 1846: Iowa admitted as the 29th state
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      Party summary

      Senate

      During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.

      Party
      (Shading shows control)
      Total Vacant
      Democratic
      (D)
      Liberty
      (L)
      Whig
      (W)
      Other
      End of the previous congress 23 0 27 1 51 3
      Begin 26 0 24 0 50 4
      End 31 1 56 2
      Final voting share 55.4% 1.8% 42.9% 0.0%
      Beginning of the next congress 34 0 20 1 55 3

      House of Representatives

      During this congress, two House seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.

      Party
      (Shading shows control)
      Total Vacant
      American
      (A)
      Democratic
      (D)
      Whig
      (W)
      Other
      End of the previous congress 0 141 78 4 223 1
      Begin 6 138 79 0 223 2
      End 143 78 227
      Final voting share 2.6% 63.0% 34.4% 0.0%
      Beginning of the next congress 1 107 116 3 227 1
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      Leadership

      President of the Senate
      George M. Dallas
      President pro tempore
      Ambrose H. Sevier
      President pro tempore
      David R. Atchison

      Senate

      House of Representatives

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      Members

      This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.

      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 began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1850; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1848.

      Alabama

      Arkansas

      Connecticut

      Delaware

      Florida

      Georgia

      Illinois

      Indiana

      Iowa

      • 2. Vacant after being admitted to the Union December 28, 1846
      • 3. Vacant after being admitted to the Union December 28, 1846

      Kentucky

      Louisiana

      Maine

      Maryland

      Massachusetts

      Michigan

      Mississippi

      Missouri

      New Hampshire

      New Jersey

      New York

      North Carolina

      Ohio

      Pennsylvania

      Rhode Island

      South Carolina

      Tennessee

      Texas

      Vermont

      Virginia

      House of Representatives

      Speaker John W: Davis

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

      Alabama

      Arkansas

      Connecticut

      Delaware

      Florida

      Georgia

      Illinois

      Indiana

      Iowa

      Kentucky

      Louisiana

      Maine

      Maryland

      Massachusetts

      Michigan

      Mississippi

      Missouri

      New Hampshire

      New Jersey

      New York

      North Carolina

      Ohio

      Pennsylvania

      Rhode Island

      South Carolina

      Tennessee

      Texas

      Vermont

      Virginia

      Non-voting members

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      Changes in membership

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

      Senate

      • replacements: 8
      • deaths: 3
      • resignations: 6
      • interim appointments: 1
      • seats of newly admitted states: 4
      • Total seats with changes: 14


      State
      (class)
      Vacator Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
      formal installation
      Florida
      (1)
      Vacant Florida admitted to the Union at end of previous congress David L. Yulee (D) Elected July 1, 1845
      Florida
      (3)
      Vacant Florida admitted to the Union at end of previous congress James Westcott (D) Elected July 1, 1845
      South Carolina
      (3)
      Vacant Senator Daniel E. Huger resigned in previous congress John C. Calhoun (D) Elected November 26, 1845
      Virginia
      (1)
      Vacant Failure to elect Isaac S. Pennybacker (D) Elected December 3, 1845
      Mississippi
      (2)
      Robert J. Walker (D) Resigned March 5, 1845 after being appointed United States Secretary of the Treasury Joseph W. Chalmers (D) Elected November 3, 1845
      Pennsylvania
      (3)
      James Buchanan (D) Resigned March 5, 1845 after being appointed United States Secretary of State Simon Cameron (D) Elected March 13, 1845
      Massachusetts
      (2)
      Isaac C. Bates (W) Died March 16, 1845 John Davis (W) Elected March 24, 1845
      New Hampshire
      (2)
      Levi Woodbury (D) Resigned November 20, 1845 after being appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Benning W. Jenness (D) Appointed December 1, 1845
      Texas
      (1)
      Texas admitted to the Union December 29, 1845 and remained vacant until February 21, 1846 Thomas J. Rusk (D) Elected February 21, 1846
      Texas
      (2)
      Texas admitted to the Union December 29, 1845 and remained vacant until February 21, 1846 Sam Houston (D) Elected February 21, 1846
      New Hampshire
      (2)
      Benning W. Jenness (D) Resigned June 13, 1846 after successor elected Joseph Cilley (D) Elected June 13, 1846
      North Carolina
      (3)
      William H. Haywood, Jr. (D) Resigned July 25, 1846 after having refused to be instructed by the North Carolina state legislature on a tariff question George E. Badger (W) Elected November 25, 1846
      South Carolina
      (3)
      George McDuffie (D) Resigned August 17, 1846 Andrew Butler (D) Elected December 4, 1846
      Iowa
      (2)
      Iowa admitted to the Union December 28, 1846 Vacant Not filled this term
      Iowa
      (3)
      Iowa admitted to the Union December 28, 1846 Vacant Not filled this term
      Louisiana
      (2)
      Alexander Barrow (W) Died December 29, 1846 Pierre Soulé (D) Elected January 21, 1847
      Virginia
      (1)
      Isaac S. Pennybacker (D) Died January 12, 1847 James M. Mason (D) Elected January 21, 1847

      House of Representatives

      • replacements: 12
      • deaths: 5
      • resignations: 6
      • contested election: 1
      • seats of newly admitted states: 4
      • Total seats with changes: 17


      District Vacator Reason for change Successor Date successor
      seated
      Florida At-large Vacant Florida admitted to the Union at end of previous congress Edward C. Cabell (W) Seated October 6, 1845
      Georgia 3rd Vacant Rep-elect Washington Poe declined the seat George W. Towns (D) Seated January 5, 1846
      Texas 1st Texas admitted into the Union December 29, 1845 and seat remained vacant until March 30, 1846 David S. Kaufman (D) Seated March 30, 1846
      Texas 2nd Texas admitted into the Union December 29, 1845 and seat remained vacant until March 30, 1846 Timothy Pilsbury (D) Seated March 30, 1846
      New Jersey 2nd Samuel G. Wright (W) Died July 30, 1845 George Sykes (D) Seated November 4, 1845
      Louisiana 1st John Slidell (D) Resigned November 10, 1845 afer being appointed Minister to Mexico, but government refused to accept him Emile La Sére (D) Seated January 29, 1846
      Tennessee 8th Joseph H. Peyton (W) Died November 11, 1845 Edwin H. Ewing (W) Seated ??????
      Virginia 11th William Taylor (D) Died January 17, 1846 James McDowell (D) Seated March 6, 1846
      Florida At-large Edward C. Cabell (W) Lost contested election January 24, 1846 William H. Brockenbrough (D) Seated January 24, 1846
      Mississippi At-large Jefferson Davis (D) Resigned some time in June, 1846 in order to take part in the Mexican War Henry T. Ellett (D) Seated January 26, 1847
      New York 12th Richard P. Herrick (W) Died June 20, 1846 Thomas C. Ripley (W) Seated December 17, 1846
      Arkansas At-large Archibald Yell (D) Resigned July 1, 1846 in order to take part in the Mexican War Thomas W. Newton (W) Seated February 6, 1847
      Missouri At-large Sterling Price (D) Resigned August 12, 1846 in order to take part in the Mexican War William McDaniel (D) Seated December 7, 1846
      Alabama 3rd William L. Yancey (D) Resigned September 1, 1846 James L. Cottrell (D) Seated December 7, 1846
      Alabama 7th Felix G. McConnell (D) Died September 10, 1846 Franklin W. Bowdon (D) Seated December 7, 1846
      Iowa Territory At-large Augustus C. Dodge (D) Territory was dissolved after Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846
      Iowa At-large Iowa admitted into the Union December 28, 1846 S. Clinton Hastings (D) Seated December 28, 1846
      Iowa At-large Iowa admitted into the Union December 28, 1846 Shepherd Leffler (D) Seated December 28, 1846
      Illinois 7th Edward D. Baker (W) Resigned January 15, 1847 in order to take part in the Mexican War John Henry (W) Seated February 5, 1847
      Illinois 5th Stephen A. Douglas (D) Resigned March 3, 1847 at close of congress after being elected to the US Senate Vacant Not filled this term
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      Employees

      Senate

      House of Representatives

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      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. 
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      Last modified on 12 February 2013, at 08:31