| 31st United States Congress | |
|---|---|
30th ← → 32nd | |
 United States Capitol (1846) | |
March 4, 1849 – March 4, 1851 | |
| Members | 62 senators 233 representatives 2 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Democratic |
| Senate President | Millard Fillmore (W)[a] (until July 9, 1850) Vacant (from July 9, 1850) |
| House majority | Democratic (plurality) |
| House Speaker | Howell Cobb (CU) |
| Sessions | |
| Special[b]: March 5, 1849 – March 23, 1849 1st: December 3, 1849 – September 30, 1850 2nd: December 2, 1850 – March 4, 1851 | |
The31st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of theUnited States Senate and theUnited States House of Representatives. It met inWashington, D.C., from March 4, 1849, to March 4, 1851, during the 16 months of theZachary Taylorpresidency and the first eight months of theadministration ofMillard Fillmore's. The apportionment of seats in thisHouse of Representatives was based on the1840 United States census. The Senate had aDemocratic majority, while there was a Democratic plurality in the House.
During this Congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of California.
| Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) | Free Soil (FS) | Whig (W) | Other | |||
| End ofprevious congress | 38 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 60 | 0 |
| Begin | 33 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| End | 36 | 24 | 62 | |||
| Final voting share | 58.1% | 3.2% | 38.7% | 0.0% | ||
| Beginning ofnext congress | 34 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 57 | 5 |
During this Congress, two House seats were added for the new state of California.
| Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Know Nothing (A) | Democratic (D) | Free Soil (FS) | Whig (W) | Independent (I) | Other | |||
| End ofprevious congress | 1 | 111 | 0 | 114 | 1 | 2 | 229 | 1 |
| Begin | 1 | 113 | 9 | 107 | 0 | 0 | 230 | 1 |
| End | 114 | 105 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| Final voting share | 0.4% | 49.6% | 3.9% | 45.7% | 0.4% | 0.0% | ||
| Beginning ofnext congress | 0 | 128 | 3 | 85 | 0 | 17 | 233 | 0 |
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives by district.
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 areSenate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1850; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1852; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1854.
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
| State (class) | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[d] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois (3) | James Shields (D) | Senate voided election March 6, 1849, as Sen. Shields was determined not to have been a US citizen for the number of years required by theConstitution. Incumbent was re-elected October 27, 1849, having by then qualified. | James Shields (D) | Seated December 3, 1849 |
| Maryland (1) | Reverdy Johnson (W) | Resigned March 7, 1849, having been appointedUnited States Attorney General | David Stewart (W) | Appointed December 6, 1849 |
| Alabama (2) | Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) | Sen.Dixon Lewis successor elected November 30, 1849 | Jeremiah Clemens (D) | Elected November 30, 1849 |
| Maryland (1) | David Stewart (W) | Successor elected January 12, 1850 | Thomas Pratt (W) | Elected January 12, 1850 |
| South Carolina (2) | John C. Calhoun (D) | Died March 31, 1850 | Franklin H. Elmore (D) | Appointed April 11, 1850 |
| South Carolina (2) | Franklin H. Elmore (D) | Died May 29, 1850 | Robert W. Barnwell (D) | Appointed June 4, 1850 |
| Ohio (1) | Thomas Corwin (W) | Resigned July 20, 1850, after being appointedUnited States Secretary of the Treasury | Thomas Ewing (W) | Appointed July 20, 1850 |
| Massachusetts (1) | Daniel Webster (W) | Resigned July 22, 1850, after being appointedUnited States Secretary of State again. | Robert C. Winthrop (W) | Appointed July 30, 1850 |
| California (1) | New state | California admitted to the Union September 9, 1850. The first Senator was elected September 10, 1850. | John C. Frémont (D) | Elected September 10, 1850 |
| California (3) | New state | California admitted to the Union September 9, 1850. The first Senator was elected September 10, 1850. | William M. Gwin (D) | Elected September 10, 1850 |
| South Carolina (2) | Robert W. Barnwell (D) | Successor elected December 18, 1850 | Robert Rhett (D) | Elected December 18, 1850 |
| Massachusetts (1) | Robert C. Winthrop (W) | Successor elected February 1, 1851 | Robert Rantoul Jr. (D) | Elected February 1, 1851 |
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[d] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Territory At-large | Vacant | Seat remained vacant after territory became organized at end of previous congress | Henry H. Sibley | Seated July 7, 1849 |
| Vermont 3rd | George Perkins Marsh (W) | Resigned some time in 1849 | James Meacham (W) | Seated December 3, 1849 |
| Ohio 6th | Rodolphus Dickinson (D) | Died March 20, 1849 | Amos E. Wood (D) | Seated December 3, 1849 |
| Virginia 15th | Alexander Newman (D) | Died September 8, 1849 | Thomas Haymond (W) | Seated November 8, 1849 |
| Georgia 1st | Thomas B. King (W) | Resigned March 3, 1850 | Joseph W. Jackson (D) | Seated March 4, 1850 |
| Massachusetts 2nd | Daniel P. King (W) | Died July 25, 1850 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| Iowa 1st | William Thompson (D) | Seat declared vacant June 29, 1850, after contested election. House ruled neither candidate entitled to seat and forced special election | Daniel F. Miller (W) | Seated December 20, 1850 |
| Massachusetts 1st | Robert C. Winthrop (W) | Resigned July 30, 1850, after being appointed to theUS Senate | Samuel A. Eliot (W) | Seated August 22, 1850 |
| Louisiana 2nd | Charles M. Conrad (W) | Resigned August 17, 1850, after being appointedUnited States Secretary of War | Henry A. Bullard (W) | Seated December 5, 1850 |
| New Hampshire 3rd | James Wilson (W) | Resigned September 9, 1850 | George W. Morrison (D) | Seated October 8, 1850 |
| California At-large | California admitted into the Union September 9, 1850, and seat remained vacant until September 11, 1850 | Edward Gilbert (D) | Seated September 11, 1850 | |
| California At-large | California admitted into the Union September 9, 1850, and seat remained vacant until September 11, 1850 | George W. Wright (I) | Seated September 11, 1850 | |
| Pennsylvania 15th | Henry Nes (W) | Died September 10, 1850 | Joel B. Danner (D) | Seated December 2, 1850 |
| Pennsylvania 11th | Chester P. Butler (W) | Died October 5, 1850 | John Brisbin (D) | Seated November 13, 1850 |
| Louisiana 3rd | John H. Harmanson (D) | Died October 24, 1850 | Alexander G. Penn (D) | Seated December 30, 1850 |
| Ohio 6th | Amos E. Wood (D) | Died November 19, 1850 | John Bell (W) | Seated January 7, 1851 |
| Texas 1st | David S. Kaufman (D) | Died January 31, 1851 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate[edit]
| House of Representatives[edit]
|
