# 31st United States Congress

The 31st 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, 1849, to March 4, 1851, during the 16 months of the Zachary Taylor presidency and the first eight months of the administration of Millard Fillmore's. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. The Senate had a Democratic majority, while there was a Democratic plurality in the House.

## Major events

* March 4, 1849: Zachary Taylor became President of the United States
* June, 1849: Relations with France broke down as the French ambassador Guillaume-Tell de La Vallée Poussin engaged in "insulting and confrontational" behavior towards President Taylor, shortly after this a row erupted with France over reparations which France owed the United States. The president of France, Napoleon III, made this worse by making remarks that led to several members of Congress openly condemning him.
* December 3–22, 1849: The election for the House speakership takes 63 ballots.
* March 7, 1850: Senator Daniel Webster gave his "Seventh of March" speech in which he endorsed the Compromise of 1850 to prevent a possible civil war
* May 22, 1850: Senate votes 42-11 in favor of ratifying the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty after the motion to do so was put forth by William R. King of Alabama. The results of the vote were celebrated in Britain.
* July 9, 1850: President Taylor died and Vice President Millard Fillmore became President.

## Major legislation

* September 9, 1850: Compromise of 1850, sess. 1, chs. 48-51, 9 Stat. 446 - 9 Stat. 458
* September 18, 1850: Fugitive Slave Act, sess. 1, ch. 60, 9 Stat. 462
* September 20, 1850: "An Act to suppress the Slave Trade in the District of Columbia," sess. 1, ch. 63, 9 Stat. 467
* September 29, 1850: Donation Land Claim Act, sess. 1, ch. 76, 9 Stat. 496

## States admitted and territories organized

* September 9, 1850 — As part of the Compromise of 1850:
** Texas's borders were changed, ch. 49, 9 Stat. 446
** New Mexico Territory was organized, ch. 49, 9 Stat. 448
** California was admitted as a state, ch. 50, 9 Stat. 452
** Utah Territory was organized, ch. 51, 9 Stat. 453

## Party summary
### Senate

During this Congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of California.
| | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant |
| | Democratic (D) | Free Soil (FS) | Whig (W) | Other | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous congress | 38 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 60 | 0 |
| Begin | 33 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| End | 36 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 62 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 58.1% | 3.2% | 38.7% | 0.0% | | |
| Beginning of next congress | 34 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 57 | 5 |

### House of Representatives

During this Congress, two House seats were added for the new state of California.
| | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant |
| | Know Nothing (A) | Democratic (D) | Free Soil (FS) | Whig (W) | Independent (I) | Other | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous congress | 1 | 111 | 0 | 114 | 1 | 2 | 229 | 1 |
| Begin | 1 | 113 | 9 | 107 | 0 | 0 | 230 | 1 |
| End | 1 | 114 | 9 | 105 | 1 | 0 | 230 | 3 |
| Final voting share | 0.4% | 49.6% | 3.9% | 45.7% | 0.4% | 0.0% | | |
| Beginning of next congress | 0 | 128 | 3 | 85 | 0 | 17 | 233 | 0 |

## Leadership
### Senate

* President: Millard Fillmore (W), until July 9, 1850; vacant thereafter.
* President pro tempore: David Atchison (D), until May 5, 1850
** William R. King (D), from May 6, 1850

### House of Representatives

* Speaker: Howell Cobb (D), elected December 22, 1849, after 63 ballots
* Democratic Caucus Chairman: James Thompson

## Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives by district.
    Skip to House of Representatives, below

### 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 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.

### 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

* Replacements: 5
** Democrats (D): no net change
** Whigs (W): no net change
* Deaths: 1
* Resignations: 3
* Seats from newly admitted states: 2
* Interim appointments: 4
* Total seats with changes: 8

### House of Representatives

* Replacements: 11
** Democrats (D): 2 seat net gain
** Whigs (W): 2 seat net loss
* Deaths: 8
* Resignations: 5
* Contested election:1
* Seats from newly admitted states: 2
* Total seats with changes: 16

## Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

### Joint committees

* Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Sen. Thomas J. Rusk then Sen. George Badger)
* The Library (Chairman: N/A)
* The Printing (Chairman: N/A)

## Caucuses

* Democratic (House)
* Democratic (Senate)

## Employees

* Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan

### Senate

* Chaplain: Henry Slicer (Methodist), until January 9, 1850
** Clement M. Butler (Episcopalian), elected January 9, 1850
* Secretary: Asbury Dickins
* Sergeant at Arms: Robert Beale

### House of Representatives

* Chaplain: Ralph Gurley (Presbyterian)
* Clerk: Thomas J. Campbell, died April 13, 1850
** Richard M. Young, elected April 17, 1850
* Doorkeeper: Robert E. Horner
* Postmaster: John M. Johnson
* Reading Clerks: [data missing]
* Sergeant at Arms: Nathan Sargent, until January 15, 1850
** Adam J. Glossbrenner, from January 15, 1850