28th United States Congress

Major events

• May 24, 1844: The first electrical telegram was sent by Samuel F. B. Morse from the U.S. Capitol to the B&O Railroad "outer depot" in Baltimore, Maryland, saying "What hath God wrought".
• December 4, 1844: U.S. presidential election, 1844: James K. Polk defeated Henry Clay

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation, 1789–1901#28th United States Congress

• January 23, 1845: Presidential Election Day Act, ch. 1,
• March 3, 1845: For the first time, Congress overrode a Presidential veto. An act relating to revenue cutters and steamers was thereby enacted as the last Act of the 28th Congress: session II, ch. 78, .

Treaties

• July 3, 1844: Treaty of Wanghia which was signed with the Qing Empire. The treaty established five U.S. treaty ports in China with extraterritoriality and was the first unequal treaty that the country imposed on the dynasty.

States admitted

• March 1, 1845: Resolution for the Annexation of Texas, (Admitted in the next Congress, December 29, 1845.)
• March 3, 1845: Florida admitted, . The statute also allowed for the provisional admission of Iowa, pending a referendum in that state. (Admitted in the next Congress, December 28, 1846.)

Party summary

Senate

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

House of Representatives

Following the 1840 United States census, Congress reapportioned the House to include 223 seats. During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida.

Leadership

Senate

• President: Vacant
• President pro tempore: Willie P. Mangum (W)

House of Representatives

• Speaker: John W. Jones (D)

Members

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

Senate

Main article: List of United States senators in the 28th Congress

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 1844; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1848. :Skip to House of Representatives, below

[[List of United States senators from Alabama|Alabama]]

: 2. William R. King (D), until April 15, 1844 :: Dixon H. Lewis (D), from April 22, 1844 : 3. Arthur P. Bagby (D)

[[List of United States senators from Arkansas|Arkansas]]

: 2. William S. Fulton (D), until August 15, 1844 :: Chester Ashley (D), from November 8, 1844 : 3. Ambrose H. Sevier (D)

[[List of United States senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

: 1. Jabez W. Huntington (W) : 3. John M. Niles (D)

[[List of United States senators from Delaware|Delaware]]

: 1. Richard H. Bayard (W) : 2. Thomas Clayton (W)

[[List of United States senators from Florida|Florida]]

: 1: Vacant from March 3, 1845 admission : 2: Vacant from March 3, 1845 admission

[[List of United States senators from Georgia|Georgia]]

: 2. John MacPherson Berrien (W) : 3. Walter T. Colquitt (D)

[[List of United States senators from Illinois|Illinois]]

: 2. Samuel McRoberts (D), until March 27, 1843 :: James Semple (D), from December 4, 1843 : 3. Sidney Breese (D)

[[List of United States senators from Indiana|Indiana]]

: 1. Albert S. White (W) : 3. Edward A. Hannegan (D)

[[List of United States senators from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: 2. James T. Morehead (W) : 3. John J. Crittenden (W)

[[List of United States senators from Louisiana|Louisiana]]

: 2. Alexander Barrow (W) : 3. Alexander Porter (W), until January 13, 1844 :: Henry Johnson (W), from February 12, 1844

[[List of United States senators from Maine|Maine]]

: 1. John Fairfield (D), from December 4, 1843 : 2. George Evans (W)

[[List of United States senators from Maryland|Maryland]]

: 1. William D. Merrick (W) : 3. James A. Pearce (W)

[[List of United States senators from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: 1. Rufus Choate (W) : 2. Isaac C. Bates (W)

[[List of United States senators from Michigan|Michigan]]

: 1. Augustus S. Porter (W) : 2. William Woodbridge (W)

[[List of United States senators from Mississippi|Mississippi]]

: 1. John Henderson (W) : 2. Robert J. Walker (D)

[[List of United States senators from Missouri|Missouri]]

: 1. Thomas H. Benton (D) : 3. Lewis F. Linn (D), until October 3, 1843 :: David R. Atchison (D), from October 14, 1843

[[List of United States senators from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

: 2. Levi Woodbury (D) : 3. Charles G. Atherton (D)

[[List of United States senators from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

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

[[List of United States senators from New York|New York]]

: 1. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (W), until June 17, 1844 :: Daniel S. Dickinson (D), from November 30, 1844 : 3. Silas Wright Jr. (D), until November 26, 1844 :: Henry A. Foster (D), November 30, 1844 – January 27, 1845 :: John A. Dix (D), from January 27, 1845

[[List of United States senators from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

: 2. Willie P. Mangum (W) : 3. William H. Haywood Jr. (D)

[[List of United States senators from Ohio|Ohio]]

: 1. Benjamin Tappan (D) : 3. William Allen (D)

[[List of United States senators from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

: 1. Daniel Sturgeon (D) : 3. James Buchanan (D)

[[List of United States senators from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

: 1. William Sprague III (W), until January 17, 1844 :: John B. Francis (LO), from January 25, 1844 : 2. James F. Simmons (W)

[[List of United States senators from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: 2. Daniel E. Huger (D), until March 3, 1845 : 3. George McDuffie (D)

[[List of United States senators from Tennessee|Tennessee]]

: 1. Ephraim H. Foster (W), from October 17, 1843 : 2. Spencer Jarnagin (W), from October 17, 1843

[[List of United States senators from Vermont|Vermont]]

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

[[List of United States senators from Virginia|Virginia]]

: 1. William C. Rives (W) : 2. William S. Archer (W)

]]

House of Representatives

Main article: List of United States representatives in the 28th Congress

Representatives are listed by their district numbers.

[[List of United States representatives from Alabama|Alabama]]

: . James Dellet (W) : . James E. Belser (D) : . Dixon H. Lewis (D), until April 22, 1844 :: William L. Yancey (D), from December 2, 1844 : . William W. Payne (D) : . George S. Houston (D) : . Reuben Chapman (D) : . Felix G. McConnell (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Arkansas|Arkansas]]

: . Edward Cross (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

: . Thomas H. Seymour (D) : . John Stewart (D) : . George S. Catlin (D) : . Samuel Simons (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Delaware|Delaware]]

: . George B. Rodney (W)

[[List of United States representatives from Florida|Florida]]

: : Vacant from March 3, 1845 admission

[[List of United States representatives from Georgia|Georgia]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . Edward J. Black (D) : . Howell Cobb (D) : . Mark A. Cooper (D), until June 26, 1843 :: Alexander H. Stephens (W), from October 2, 1843 : . Hugh A. Haralson (D) : . John B. Lamar (D), until July 29, 1843 :: Absalom H. Chappell (W), from October 2, 1843 : . John H. Lumpkin (D) : . John Millen (D), until October 15, 1843 :: Duncan L. Clinch (W), from February 15, 1844 : . William H. Stiles (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Illinois|Illinois]]

: . Robert Smith (D) : . John A. McClernand (D) : . Orlando B. Ficklin (D) : . John Wentworth (D) : . Stephen A. Douglas (D) : . Joseph P. Hoge (D) : . John J. Hardin (W)

[[List of United States representatives from Indiana|Indiana]]

: . Robert D. Owen (D) : . Thomas J. Henley (D) : . Thomas Smith (D) : . Caleb B. Smith (W) : . William J. Brown (D) : . John W. Davis (D) : . Joseph A. Wright (D) : . John Pettit (D) : . Samuel C. Sample (W) : . Andrew Kennedy (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: . Linn Boyd (D) : . Willis Green (W) : . Henry Grider (W) : . George A. Caldwell (D) : . James W. Stone (D) : . John White (W) : . William P. Thomasson (W) : . Garrett Davis (W) : . Richard French (D) : . John W. Tibbatts (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Louisiana|Louisiana]]

: . John Slidell (D) : . Alcée L. La Branche (D) : . John B. Dawson (D) : . Pierre E. J. B. Bossier (D), until April 24, 1844 :: Isaac E. Morse (D), from December 2, 1844

[[List of United States representatives from Maine|Maine]]

: . Joshua Herrick (D) : . Robert P. Dunlap (D) : . Luther Severance (W) : . Freeman H. Morse (W) : . Benjamin White (D) : . Hannibal Hamlin (D) : . Shepard Cary (D) from May 10, 1844

[[List of United States representatives from Maryland|Maryland]]

: . John M. S. Causin (W) : . Francis Brengle (W) : . John Wethered (W) : . John P. Kennedy (W) : . Jacob A. Preston (W) : . Thomas A. Spence (W)

[[List of United States representatives from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: . Robert C. Winthrop (W) : . Daniel P. King (W) : . Amos Abbott (W) : . William Parmenter (D) : . Charles Hudson (W) : . Osmyn Baker (W) : . Julius Rockwell (W) : . John Quincy Adams (W) : . Henry Williams (D) : . Barker Burnell (W), until June 15, 1843 :: Joseph Grinnell (W), from December 7, 1843

[[List of United States representatives from Michigan|Michigan]]

: . Robert McClelland (D) : . Lucius Lyon (D) : . James B. Hunt (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Mississippi|Mississippi]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . William H. Hammett (D) : . Robert W. Roberts (D) : . Jacob Thompson (D) : . Tilghman M. Tucker (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Missouri|Missouri]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . Gustavus M. Bower (D) : . James B. Bowlin (D) : . James M. Hughes (D) : . John Jameson (D) : . James H. Relfe (D)

[[List of United States representatives from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . Edmund Burke (D) : . John P. Hale (D) : . Moses Norris Jr. (D) : . John R. Reding (D)

[[List of United States representatives from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

: . Lucius Q. C. Elmer (D) : . George Sykes (D) : . Isaac G. Farlee (D) : . Littleton Kirkpatrick (D) : . William Wright (Ind. W)

[[List of United States representatives from New York|New York]]

: . Selah B. Strong (D) : . Henry C. Murphy (D) : . J. Phillips Phoenix (W) : . William B. Maclay (D) : . Moses G. Leonard (D) : . Hamilton Fish (W) : . Joseph H. Anderson (D) : . Richard D. Davis (D) : . James G. Clinton (D) : . Jeremiah Russell (D) : . Zadock Pratt (D) : . David L. Seymour (D) : . Daniel D. Barnard (W) : . Charles Rogers (W) : . Lemuel Stetson (D) : . Chesselden Ellis (D) : . Charles S. Benton (D) : . Preston King (D) : . Orville Hungerford (D) : . Samuel Beardsley (D), until February 29, 1844 :: Levi D. Carpenter (D), from November 5, 1844 : . Jeremiah E. Cary (D) : . Smith M. Purdy (D) : . Orville Robinson (D) : . Horace Wheaton (D) : . George O. Rathbun (D) : . Amasa Dana (D) : . Byram Green (D) : . Thomas J. Paterson (W) : . Charles H. Carroll (W) : . William S. Hubbell (D) : . Asher Tyler (W) : . William A. Moseley (W) : . Albert Smith (W) : . Washington Hunt (W)

[[List of United States representatives from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

: . Thomas L. Clingman (W) : . Daniel M. Barringer (W) : . David S. Reid (D) : . Edmund Deberry (W) : . Romulus M. Saunders (D) : . James I. McKay (D) : . John R. J. Daniel (D) : . Archibald H. Arrington (D) : . Kenneth Rayner (W)

[[List of United States representatives from Ohio|Ohio]]

: . Alexander Duncan (D) : . John B. Weller (D) : . Robert C. Schenck (W) : . Joseph Vance (W) : . Emery D. Potter (D) : . Henry St. John (D) : . Joseph J. McDowell (D) : . John I. Vanmeter (W) : . Elias Florence (W) : . Heman Allen Moore (D), until April 3, 1844 :: Alfred P. Stone (D), from October 8, 1844 : . Jacob Brinkerhoff (D) : . Samuel F. Vinton (W) : . Perley B. Johnson (W) : . Alexander Harper (W) : . Joseph Morris (D) : . James Mathews (D) : . William C. McCauslen (D) : . Ezra Dean (D) : . Daniel R. Tilden (W) : . Joshua R. Giddings (W) : . Henry R. Brinkerhoff (D), until April 30, 1844 :: Edward S. Hamlin (W), from October 8, 1844

[[List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

: . Edward Joy Morris (W) : . Joseph R. Ingersoll (W) : . John T. Smith (D) : . Charles J. Ingersoll (D) : . Jacob S. Yost (D) : . Michael H. Jenks (W) : . Abraham R. McIlvaine (W) : . Jeremiah Brown (W) : . John Ritter (D) : . Richard Brodhead (D) : . Benjamin A. Bidlack (D) : . Almon H. Read (D), until June 3, 1844 :: George Fuller (D), from December 2, 1844 : . Henry Frick (W), until March 1, 1844 :: James Pollock (W), from April 5, 1844 : . Alexander Ramsey (W) : . Henry Nes (Ind. D) : . James Black (D) : . James Irvin (W) : . Andrew Stewart (W) : . Henry D. Foster (D) : . John Dickey (W) : . William Wilkins (D), until February 14, 1844 :: Cornelius Darragh (W), from March 26, 1844 : . Samuel Hays (D) : . Charles M. Reed (W) : . Joseph Buffington (W)

[[List of United States representatives from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

: . Henry Y. Cranston (LO) : . Elisha R. Potter Jr. (LO)

[[List of United States representatives from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: . James A. Black (D) : . Richard F. Simpson (D) : . Joseph A. Woodward (D) : . John Campbell (D) : . Armistead Burt (D) : . Isaac E. Holmes (D) : . Robert Rhett (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Tennessee|Tennessee]]

: . Andrew Johnson (D) : . William T. Senter (W) : . Julius W. Blackwell (D) : . Alvan Cullom (D) : . George W. Jones (D) : . Aaron V. Brown (D) : . David W. Dickinson (W) : . Joseph H. Peyton (W) : . Cave Johnson (D) : . John B. Ashe (W) : . Milton Brown (W)

[[List of United States representatives from Vermont|Vermont]]

: . Solomon Foot (W) : . Jacob Collamer (W) : . George P. Marsh (W) : . Paul Dillingham Jr. (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Virginia|Virginia]]

: . Archibald Atkinson (D) : . George C. Dromgoole (D) : . Walter Coles (D) : . Edmund W. Hubard (D) : . Thomas W. Gilmer (D), until February 16, 1844 :: William L. Goggin (W), from April 25, 1844 : . John W. Jones (D) : . Henry A. Wise (D), until February 12, 1844 :: Thomas H. Bayly (D), from May 6, 1844 : . Willoughby Newton (W) : . Samuel Chilton (W) : . William Lucas (D) : . William Taylor (D) : . Augustus A. Chapman (D) : . George W. Hopkins (D) : . George W. Summers (W) : . Lewis Steenrod (D)

Non-voting members

: . David Levy Yulee (D), until March 3, 1845 : . Augustus C. Dodge (D) : . Henry Dodge (D)

Changes in membership

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

Senate

• Replacements: 7
  • Democrats (D): no net change
  • Whigs (W): 1 seat net loss
  • Law and Order (LO): 1 seat net gain
• Deaths: 3
• Resignations: 5
• Interim appointments: 1
• Total seats with changes: 10 Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy --

|- | Tennessee (1) | Vacant | Senator Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D) resigned in 26th Congress. Successor elected October 17, 1843. | | Ephraim H. Foster (W) | Elected October 17, 1843

|- | Tennessee (2) | Vacant | Failure to elect. Successor elected October 17, 1843. | | Spencer Jarnagin (W) | Elected October 17, 1843

|- | Maine (1) | Vacant | Senator Reuel Williams (D) resigned in previous congress. Successor elected December 4, 1843. | | John Fairfield (D) | Elected December 4, 1843

|- | Louisiana (3) | | Alexander Porter (W) | Elected but, due to ill health, never took his seat. Incumbent died January 13, 1844. Successor elected February 12, 1844. | | Henry Johnson (W) | Elected February 12, 1844

|- | Illinois (2) | | Samuel McRoberts (D) | Died March 27, 1843. Successor appointed December 4, 1843, to continue the term until an election. Appointee was later elected, on an unknown date. | | James Semple (D) | Seated December 4, 1843

|- | Missouri (3) | | Lewis F. Linn (D) | Died October 3, 1843. Successor appointed October 14, 1843, to continue the term until an election. Appointee was later elected, on an unknown date in 1843. | | David R. Atchison (D) | Seated October 14, 1843

|- | Rhode Island (1) | | William Sprague (W) | Resigned January 17, 1844. Successor elected January 25, 1844. | | John B. Francis (LO) | Seated January 25, 1844

|- | Alabama (2) | | William R. King (D) | Resigned April 15, 1844, after being appointed U.S. Minister to France. Successor appointed April 22, 1844, to finish the term. | | Dixon H. Lewis (D) | Seated April 22, 1844

|- | New York (1) | | Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (W) | Resigned June 17, 1844, after being appointed Governor of Wisconsin Territory. Successor was appointed November 30, 1945. Appointee was later elected January 18, 1845. | | Daniel S. Dickinson (D) | Seated December 9, 1844

|- | Arkansas (2) | | William S. Fulton (D) | Died August 15, 1844. Successor elected November 8, 1844. | | Chester Ashley (D) | Seated November 8, 1844

|- | New York (3) | | Silas Wright (D) | Resigned November 26, 1844, after being elected Governor of New York. Successor appointed November 30, 1945. | | Henry A. Foster (D) | Seated December 9, 1844

|- | New York (3) | | Henry A. Foster (D) | Appointee was not nominated for election. Successor elected January 18, 1845. | | John A. Dix (D) | Seated January 27, 1845

|- | South Carolina (2) | | Daniel E. Huger (D) | Resigned March 3, 1845 | Vacant | Not filled this term

|- | Florida (1) First Senator wasn't elected until the next Congress. | Vacant | Not filled this term

|- | Florida (2) First Senator wasn't elected until the next Congress. | Vacant | Not filled this term

|}

House of Representatives

• Replacements: 14
  • Democrats (D): 6 seat net loss
  • Whigs (W): 6 seat net gain
• Deaths: 7
• Resignations: 7
• Contested election: 0
• Total seats with changes: 16

Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy

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

|- | | | Barker Burnell (W) | | Joseph Grinnell (W)

| | | Mark A. Cooper (D) | | Alexander H. Stephens (W)

| | | John B. Lamar (D) | | Absalom H. Chappell (W)

| | | John Millen (D) | | Duncan L. Clinch (W)

| | | Henry A. Wise (D) | | Thomas H. Bayly (D)

| | | William Wilkens (D) | | Cornelius Darragh (W)

| | | Thomas W. Gilmer (D) | | William L. Goggin (W)

| | | Henry Frick (W) | | James Pollock (W)

| | | Heman A. Moore (D) | | Alfred P. Stone (D)

| | | Dixon H. Lewis (D) | | William L. Yancey (D)

| | | Pierre Bossier (D) | | Isaac E. Morse (D)

| | | Samuel Beardsley (D) | | Levi D. Carpenter (D)

| | | Henry R. Brinkerhoff (D) | | Edward S. Hamlin (W)

| | | Almon H. Read (D) | | George Fuller (D)

| | | David L. Yulee (D) |- | nowrap | | Vacant | Not filled this term |}

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

• Enrolled Bills
• The Library
• Smithsonian Bequest

Employees

• Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan

Senate

• Chaplain: Septimus Tustin (Presbyterian)
• Secretary: Asbury Dickins
• Sergeant at Arms: Edward Dyer

House of Representatives

• Chaplain: Isaac S. Tinsley (Baptist), elected December 16, 1843
  • William M. Daily (Methodist), from December 4, 1844
• Clerk: Matthew St. Clair Clarke, until December 7, 1843
  • Caleb J. McNulty, elected December 7, 1843
  • Benjamin B. French, elected January 18, 1845
• Doorkeeper: Jesse E. Dow, elected December 7, 1843
• Postmaster: William J. McCormick, until January 4, 1844
  • John M. Johnson, from January 4, 1844
• Reading Clerks:
• Sergeant at Arms: Eleazor M. Townsend, until December 8, 1843
  • Newton Lane, from December 8, 1843

Notes

References

References

1. "Treaty Of Wangxia (Treaty Of Wang-Hsia 望廈條約), May 18, 1844". USC Annenberg.
2. {{USStat. 5. 491
3. {{USStat. 5. 743