30th United States Congress

30th United States Congress

29th ← → 31st United States Capitol (1846) Duration: March 4, 1847 – March 4, 1849 Senate President: George M. Dallas Senate Pres. pro tem: David R. Atchison House Speaker: Robert C. Winthrop Members: 60 Senators 230 Representatives 2 Non-voting members Senate Majority: Democratic House Majority: Whig Sessions 1st: December 6, 1847 – August 14, 1848 2nd: December 4, 1848 – March 3, 1849

The Thirtieth 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 Sixth Census of the United States in 1840. The Senate had a Democratic majority, and the House had a Whig majority. It was the only Congress in which Abraham Lincoln served.

Major events

Main articles: 1847 in the United States, 1848 in the United States, and 1849 in the United States

• July 1, 1847: United States issued its first postage stamps
• January 24, 1848: Gold found at Sutter's Mill, beginning the California Gold Rush
• January 31, 1848: Washington Monument established
• July 19, 1848: Seneca Falls Convention
• November 7, 1848: U.S. presidential election, 1848: Whig Zachary Taylor defeated Lewis Cass in the first US presidential election held in every state on the same day.
• 1846–1848: Mexican-American War

Major legislation

Main article: Major legislation: 30th United States Congress

• March 3, 1849: United States Department of the Interior established, sess. 2, ch. 108, 9 Stat. 395
• March 3, 1849: Gold Coinage Act, sess. 2, ch. 109, 9 Stat. 397

Treaty

• February 2, 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed, ended the Mexican–American War and ceding to the United States virtually all of what is today the southwest of that country.

States admitted and territories established

• May 29, 1848: Wisconsin admitted as the 30th U.S. state, sess. 1, ch. 50, 9 Stat. 235
• August 14, 1848: Oregon Territory was formed from territory ceded by Great Britain and others.
• March 3, 1849: Minnesota Territory formed from the Wisconsin Territory, sess. 2, ch. 121, 9 Stat. 403

Party summary

Senate

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

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)				Total
	Democratic (D)	Independent Democratic (ID)	Whig (W)	Other		Vacant
End of previous Congress	31	0	24	1	56	2
Begin	34	1	20	0	55	3
End	36		23		60	0
Final voting share	60.0%	1.7%	38.3%	0.0%
Beginning of next Congress	32	0	25	2	59	1

House of Representatives

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

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates plurality caucus)					Total
	American (Know-nothing) (A)	Democratic (D)	Independent Democratic (ID)	Whig (W)	Independent (I)		Vacant
End of previous Congress	12	137	0	77	0	226	2
Begin	1	107	2	116	1	227	1
End		110	3	115		230	0
Final voting share	0.4%	47.8%	1.3%	50.0%	0.4%
Beginning of next Congress	1	113	0	107	0	230	1

Leadership

President of the Senate
George M. Dallas

Senate

• President: George M. Dallas (D)
• President pro tempore: David R. Atchison (D)

House of Representatives

• Speaker: Robert C. Winthrop (W)

Members

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

Senate

President pro tempore
David R. Atchison

See also: United States Senate elections, 1846

Alabama

• Arthur P. Bagby (D), until June 16, 1848
  • William R. D. King (D), from July 1, 1848
• Dixon H. Lewis (D), until October 25, 1848
  • Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D), from November 25, 1848

Arkansas

• Ambrose H. Sevier (D), until March 15, 1848
  • Solon Borland (D), from March 30, 1848
• Chester Ashley (D), until April 29, 1848
  • William K. Sebastian (D), from May 12, 1848

Connecticut

• Jabez W. Huntington (W), until November 1, 1847
  • Roger S. Baldwin (W), from November 11, 1847
• John M. Niles (D)

Delaware

• John M. Clayton (W), until February 23, 1849
  • John Wales (W), from February 23, 1849
• Presley Spruance (W)

Florida

• David Levy Yulee (D)
• James D. Westcott, Jr. (D)

Georgia

• Walter T. Colquitt (D), until February 4, 1848
  • Herschel V. Johnson (D), from February 4, 1848
• John Macpherson Berrien (W)

Illinois

• Sidney Breese (D)
• Stephen A. Douglas (D)

Indiana

• Edward A. Hannegan (D)
• Jesse D. Bright (D)

Iowa

• Augustus C. Dodge (D), from December 7, 1848
• George W. Jones (D), from December 7, 1848

Kentucky

• John J. Crittenden (W), until June 12, 1848
  • Thomas Metcalfe (W), from June 23, 1848
• Joseph R. Underwood (W)

Louisiana

• Henry Johnson (W)
• Solomon W. Downs (D)

Maine

• John Fairfield (D), until December 24, 1847
  • Wyman B. S. Moor (D), from January 5, 1848 until June 7, 1848
  • Hannibal Hamlin (D), from June 7, 1848
• James W. Bradbury (D)

Maryland

• James Pearce (W)
• Reverdy Johnson (W)

Massachusetts

• Daniel Webster (W)
• John Davis (W)

Michigan

• Lewis Cass (D), until May 29, 1848
  • Thomas Fitzgerald (D), from June 8, 1848
• Alpheus Felch (D)

Mississippi

• Jesse Speight (D), until May 1, 1847
  • Jefferson Davis (D), from August 10, 1847
• Henry S. Foote (D)

Missouri

• Thomas H. Benton (D)
• David R. Atchison (D)

New Hampshire

• Charles G. Atherton (D)
• John P. Hale (ID)

New Jersey

• Jacob W. Miller (W)
• William L. Dayton (W)

New York

• Daniel S. Dickinson (D)
• John A. Dix (D)

North Carolina

• Willie P. Mangum (W)
• George E. Badger (W)

Ohio

• William Allen (D)
• Thomas Corwin (W)

Pennsylvania

• Daniel Sturgeon (D)
• Simon Cameron (D)

Rhode Island

• Albert C. Greene (W)
• John H. Clarke (W)

South Carolina

• John C. Calhoun (D)
• Andrew Butler (D)

Tennessee

• Hopkins L. Turney (D)
• John Bell (W), from November 22, 1847

Texas

• Samuel Houston (D)
• Thomas J. Rusk (D)

Vermont

• Samuel S. Phelps (W)
• William Upham (W)

Virginia

• James M. Mason (D)
• Robert M. T. Hunter (D)

Wisconsin

• Henry Dodge (D), from June 8, 1848
• Isaac P. Walker (D), from June 8, 1848

House of Representatives

Speaker of the House
Robert C. Winthrop

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

See also: United States House of Representatives elections, 1846

Alabama

• 1. John Gayle (W)
• 2. Henry W. Hilliard (W)
• 3. Sampson W. Harris (D)
• 4. Samuel W. Inge (D)
• 5. George S. Houston (D)
• 6. Williamson R. W. Cobb (D)
• 7. Franklin W. Bowdon (D)

Arkansas

• At-large. Robert W. Johnson (D)

Connecticut

• 1. James Dixon (W)
• 2. Samuel D. Hubbard (W)
• 3. John A. Rockwell (W)
• 4. Truman Smith (W)

Delaware

• At-large. John W. Houston (W)

Florida

• At-large. Edward C. Cabell (W)

Georgia

• 1. Thomas B. King (W)
• 2. Alfred Iverson, Sr. (D)
• 3. John W. Jones (W)
• 4. Hugh A. Haralson (D)
• 5. John H. Lumpkin (D)
• 6. Howell Cobb (D)
• 7. Alexander Stephens (W)
• 8. Robert Toombs (W)

Illinois

• 1. Robert Smith (ID)
• 2. John A. McClernand (D)
• 3. Orlando B. Ficklin (D)
• 4. John Wentworth (D)
• 5. William A. Richardson (D), from December 6, 1847
• 6. Thomas J. Turner (D)
• 7. Abraham Lincoln (W)

Indiana

• 1. Elisha Embree (W)
• 2. Thomas J. Henley (D)
• 3. John L. Robinson (D)
• 4. Caleb B. Smith (W)
• 5. William W. Wick (D)
• 6. George G. Dunn (W)
• 7. Richard W. Thompson (W)
• 8. John Pettit (D)
• 9. Charles W. Cathcart (D)
• 10. William R. Rockhill (D)

Iowa

• 1. William Thompson (D)
• 2. Shepherd Leffler (D)

Kentucky

• 1. Linn Boyd (D)
• 2. Beverly L. Clarke (D)
• 3. Samuel Peyton (D)
• 4. Aylette Buckner (W)
• 5. John B. Thompson (W)
• 6. Green Adams (W)
• 7. W. Garnett Duncan (W)
• 8. Charles S. Morehead (W)
• 9. Richard French (D)
• 10. John P. Gaines (W)

Louisiana

• 1. Emile La Sére (D)
• 2. Bannon G. Thibodeaux (W)
• 3. John H. Harmanson (D)
• 4. Isaac E. Morse (D)

Maine

• 1. David Hammons (D)
• 2. Asa W. H. Clapp (D)
• 3. Hiram Belcher (W)
• 4. Franklin Clark (D)
• 5. Ephraim K. Smart (D)
• 6. James S. Wiley (D)
• 7. Hezekiah Williams (D)

Maryland

• 1. John G. Chapman (W)
• 2. J. Dixon Roman (W)
• 3. Thomas W. Ligon (D)
• 4. Robert M. McLane (D)
• 5. Alexander Evans (W)
• 6. John W. Crisfield (W)

Massachusetts

• 1. Robert C. Winthrop (W)
• 2. Daniel P. King (W)
• 3. Amos Abbott (W)
• 4. John G. Palfrey (W)
• 5. Charles Hudson (W)
• 6. George Ashmun (W)
• 7. Julius Rockwell (W)
• 8. John Quincy Adams (W), until February 23, 1848
  • Horace Mann (W), from April 3, 1848
• 9. Artemas Hale (W)
• 10. Joseph Grinnell (W)

Michigan

• 1. Robert McClelland (D)
• 2. Edward Bradley (D), until August 5, 1847
  • Charles E. Stuart (D), from December 6, 1847
• 3. Kinsley S. Bingham (D)

Mississippi

• 1. Jacob Thompson (D)
• 2. Winfield S. Featherston (D)
• 3. Patrick W. Tompkins (W)
• 4. Albert G. Brown (D)

Missouri

• 1. James B. Bowlin (D)
• 2. John Jameson (D)
• 3. James S. Green (D)
• 4. Willard P. Hall (D)
• 5. John S. Phelps (D)

New Hampshire

• 1. Amos Tuck (I)
• 2. Charles H. Peaslee (D)
• 3. James Wilson (W)
• 4. James H. Johnson (D)

New Jersey

• 1. James G. Hampton (W)
• 2. William A. Newell (W)
• 3. Joseph E. Edsall (D)
• 4. John Van Dyke (W)
• 5. Dudley S. Gregory (W)

New York

• 1. Frederick W. Lord (D)
• 2. Henry C. Murphy (D)
• 3. Henry Nicoll (D)
• 4. William B. Maclay (D)
• 5. Frederick A. Tallmadge (W)
• 6. David S. Jackson (D), until April 19, 1848
  • Horace Greeley (W), from December 4, 1848
• 7. William Nelson (W)
• 8. Cornelius Warren (W)
• 9. Daniel B. St. John (W)
• 10. Eliakim Sherrill (W)
• 11. Peter H. Silvester (W)
• 12. Gideon Reynolds (W)
• 13. John I. Slingerland (W)
• 14. Orlando Kellogg (W)
• 15. Sidney Lawrence (D)
• 16. Hugh White (W)
• 17. George Petrie (ID)
• 18. William Collins (D)
• 19. Joseph Mullin (W)
• 20. Timothy Jenkins (D)
• 21. George A. Starkweather (D)
• 22. Ausburn Birdsall (D)
• 23. William Duer (W)
• 24. Daniel Gott (W)
• 25. Harmon S. Conger (W)
• 26. William T. Lawrence (W)
• 27. John M. Holley (W), until March 8, 1848
  • Esbon Blackmar (W), from December 4, 1848
• 28. Elias B. Holmes (W)
• 29. Robert L. Rose (W)
• 30. David Rumsey, Jr. (W)
• 31. Dudley Marvin (W)
• 32. Nathan K. Hall (W)
• 33. Harvey Putnam (W)
• 34. Washington Hunt (W)

North Carolina

• 1. Thomas L. Clingman (W)
• 2. Nathaniel Boyden (W)
• 3. Daniel M. Barringer (W)
• 4. Augustine H. Shepperd (W)
• 5. Abraham W. Venable (D)
• 6. John R. J. Daniel (D)
• 7. James I. McKay (D)
• 8. Richard S. Donnell (W)
• 9. David Outlaw (W)

Ohio

• 1. James J. Faran (D)
• 2. David Fisher (W)
• 3. Robert C. Schenck (W)
• 4. Richard S. Canby (W)
• 5. William Sawyer (D)
• 6. Rodolphus Dickinson (D)
• 7. Jonathan D. Morris (D)
• 8. John L. Taylor (W)
• 9. Thomas O. Edwards (W)
• 10. Daniel Duncan (W)
• 11. John K. Miller (D)
• 12. Samuel F. Vinton (W)
• 13. Thomas Ritchey (D)
• 14. Nathan Evans (W)
• 15. William Kennon, Jr. (D)
• 16. John D. Cummins (D)
• 17. George Fries (D)
• 18. Samuel Lahm (D)
• 19. John Crowell (W)
• 20. Joshua R. Giddings (W)
• 21. Joseph M. Root (W)

Pennsylvania

• 1. Lewis C. Levin (A)
• 2. Joseph R. Ingersoll (W)
• 3. Charles Brown (D)
• 4. Charles J. Ingersoll (D)
• 5. John Freedley (W)
• 6. John W. Hornbeck (W), until January 16, 1848
  • Samuel A. Bridges (D), from March 6, 1848
• 7. Abraham R. McIlvaine (W)
• 8. John Strohm (W)
• 9. William Strong (D)
• 10. Richard Brodhead (D)
• 11. Chester P. Butler (W)
• 12. David Wilmot (D)
• 13. James Pollock (W)
• 14. George N. Eckert (W)
• 15. Henry Nes (W)
• 16. Jasper E. Brady (W)
• 17. John Blanchard (W)
• 18. Andrew Stewart (W)
• 19. Job Mann (D)
• 20. John Dickey (W)
• 21. Moses Hampton (W)
• 22. John W. Farrelly (W)
• 23. James Thompson (D)
• 24. Alexander Irvin (W)

Rhode Island

• 1. Robert B. Cranston (W)
• 2. Benjamin B. Thurston (D)

South Carolina

• 1. James A. Black (D), until April 3, 1848
  • Daniel Wallace (D), from June 12, 1848
• 2. Richard F. Simpson (D)
• 3. Joseph A. Woodward (D)
• 4. Alexander D. Sims (D), until November 22, 1848
  • John McQueen (D), from February 12, 1849
• 5. Armistead Burt (D)
• 6. Isaac E. Holmes (D)
• 7. R. Barnwell Rhett (D)

Tennessee

• 1. Andrew Johnson (D)
• 2. William M. Cocke (W)
• 3. John H. Crozier (W)
• 4. Hugh L. W. Hill (D)
• 5. George W. Jones (D)
• 6. James H. Thomas (D)
• 7. Meredith P. Gentry (W)
• 8. Washington Barrow (W)
• 9. Lucien B. Chase (D)
• 10. Frederick P. Stanton (D)
• 11. William T. Haskell (W)

Texas

• 1. David S. Kaufman (D)
• 2. Timothy Pilsbury (D)

Vermont

• 1. William Henry (W)
• 2. Jacob Collamer (W)
• 3. George P. Marsh (W)
• 4. Lucius B. Peck (D)

Virginia

• 1. Archibald Atkinson (D)
• 2. George Dromgoole (D), until April 27, 1847
  • Richard K. Meade (D), from August 5, 1847
• 3. Thomas S. Flournoy (W)
• 4. Thomas S. Bocock (D)
• 5. William L. Goggin (W)
• 6. John Botts (W)
• 7. Thomas H. Bayly (D)
• 8. Richard L. T. Beale (D)
• 9. John Pendleton (W)
• 10. Henry Bedinger (D)
• 11. James McDowell (D)
• 12. William B. Preston (W), from November 25, 1847
• 13. Andrew S. Fulton (W)
• 14. Robert A. Thompson (D)
• 15. William G. Brown, Sr. (D)

Wisconsin

• 1. William P. Lynde (D), from June 8, 1848
• 2. Mason C. Darling (D), from June 8, 1848

Non-voting members

• Wisconsin Territory. John H. Tweedy (W), until May 29, 1848
  • Henry H. Sibley, from October 30, 1848

Changes in membership

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

Senate

• Replacements: 11
  • Democrats (D): no net change
  • Whigs (W): no net change
• Deaths: 5
• Resignations: 6
• Interim appointments: 2
• Seats of newly admitted states: 4
• Total seats with changes:

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate

State (class)	Vacator	Reason for change	Successor	Date of successor's formal installation
Tennessee (2)	Vacant	Failure to elect	John Bell (W)	Elected November 22, 1847
Iowa (2)	Vacant	Iowa admitted to the Union at end of previous congress	George W. Jones (D)	Elected December 7, 1848
Iowa (3)	Vacant	Iowa admitted to the Union at end of previous congress	Augustus C. Dodge (D)	Elected December 7, 1848
Mississippi (1)	Jesse Speight (D)	Died May 1, 1847	Jefferson Davis (D)	Elected August 10, 1847
Connecticut (1)	Jabez W. Huntington (W)	Died November 1, 1847	Roger S. Baldwin (W)	Elected November 11, 1847
Maine (1)	John Fairfield (D)	Died December 24, 1847	Wyman B. S. Moor (D)	Appointed January 5, 1848
Georgia (3)	Walter T. Colquitt (D)	Resigned February 4, 1848	Herschel V. Johnson (D)	Elected February 4, 1848
Arkansas (3)	Ambrose H. Sevier (D)	Resigned March 15, 1848	Solon Borland (D)	Elected March 30, 1848
Arkansas (2)	Chester Ashley (D)	Died April 29, 1848	William K. Sebastian (D)	Elected May 12, 1848
Wisconsin (1)	Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848 and remained vacant until June 8, 1848		Henry Dodge (D)	Elected June 8, 1848
Wisconsin (3)	Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848 and remained vacant until June 8, 1848		Isaac P. Walker (D)	Elected June 8, 1848
Michigan (1)	Lewis Cass (D)	Resigned May 29, 1848 to run for President of the United States	Thomas Fitzgerald (D)	Elected June 8, 1848
Maine (1)	Wyman B. S. Moor (D)	Successor elected June 7, 1848	Hannibal Hamlin (D)	Elected June 7, 1848
Kentucky (3)	John J. Crittenden (W)	Resigned June 12, 1848 to run for Governor of Kentucky	Thomas Metcalfe (W)	Elected June 23, 1848
Alabama (3)	Arthur P. Bagby (D)	Resigned June 16, 1848 after being appointed Minister to Russia	William R. King (D)	Elected July 1, 1848
Alabama (2)	Dixon H. Lewis (D)	Died October 25, 1848	Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D)	Elected November 25, 1848
Delaware (1)	John M. Clayton (W)	Resigned February 23, 1849 after being appointed United States Secretary of State	John Wales (W)	Elected February 23, 1849

House of Representatives

• Replacements: 10
  • Democrats (D): no net change
  • Whigs (W): no net change
• Deaths: 7
• Resignations: 0
• Contested election: 1
• Seats of newly admitted states: 2
• Total seats with changes: 12

Main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

District	Vacator	Reason for change	Successor	Date successor seated
Illinois 5th	Vacant	Rep. Stephen A. Douglas resigned at end of previous congress	William A. Richardson (D)	Seated December 6, 1847
Virginia 2nd	George Dromgoole (D)	Died April 27, 1847	Richard K. Meade (D)	Seated August 5, 1847
Michigan 2nd	Edward Bradley (D)	Died August 5, 1847	Charles E. Stuart (D)	Seated December 6, 1847
Pennsylvania 6th	John W. Hornbeck (W)	Died January 16, 1848	Samuel A. Bridges (D)	Seated March 6, 1848
Massachusetts 8th	John Quincy Adams (W)	Died February 23, 1848	Horace Mann (W)	Seated April 3, 1848
New York 27th	John M. Holley (W)	Died March 8, 1848	Esbon Blackmar (W)	Seated December 4, 1848
South Carolina 1st	James A. Black (D)	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)	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)	Died November 22, 1848	John McQueen (D)	Seated February 12, 1849

Employees

Senate

• Chaplain: Henry Slicer (Methodist)
• Secretary: Asbury Dickens
• Sergeant at Arms: Robert Beale

House of Representatives

• Chaplain Ralph Gurley (Presbyterian)
• Clerk: Thomas J. Campbell
• Doorkeeper: Robert E. Horner
• Postmaster: John M. Johnson
• Sergeant at Arms: Nathan Sergeant

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