Neha Patil (Editor)

28th United States Congress

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Senate President
  
Vacant

House Speaker
  
John W. Jones (D)

House Majority
  
Democratic

Senate Pres. pro tem
  
Willie P. Mangum (W)

Senate Majority
  
Whig

28th United States Congress

Members
  
54 Senators 223 Representatives 3 Non-voting members

The Twenty-eighth 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, 1843 to March 4, 1845, during the third and fourth years of John Tyler's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Sixth Census of the United States in 1840. The Senate had a Whig majority, and the House had a Democratic majority.

Contents

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

  • January 23, 1845: Presidential Election Day Act, ch. 1, 5 Stat. 721
  • March 3, 1845: For the first time, Congress overrode a Presidential veto. A bill, relating to revenue cutters and steamers, was thereby enacted as the last Act of the 28th Congress: session II, ch. 78, 5 Stat. 795.
  • Treaties

  • July 3, 1844: Treaty of Wanghia signed (first diplomatic agreement between China and the United States)
  • States admitted

  • March 1, 1845: Resolution for the Annexation of Texas, 5 Stat. 797 (Admitted in the next Congress, December 29, 1845.)
  • March 3, 1845: Florida admitted, 5 Stat. 742. The statute also allowed for the provisional admission of Iowa, pending a referendum in that state. (Admitted in the next Congress, December 28, 1846.)
  • 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 (5 Stat. 491). During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida (5 Stat. 743).

    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 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 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

    House of Representatives

    Representatives are listed by their district numbers.

    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
  • 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
  • Committees

    Lists of committees and their party leaders.

    Senate

  • Agriculture
  • Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
  • Claims
  • Commerce
  • Credentials of the Honorable John M. Niles (Select)
  • Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
  • District of Columbia
  • Finance
  • Foreign Relations
  • Indian Affairs
  • Judiciary
  • Manufactures
  • Military Affairs
  • Militia
  • Naval Affairs
  • Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
  • Patents and the Patent Office
  • Pensions
  • Post Office and Post Roads
  • Printing
  • Private Land Claims
  • Public Buildings and Grounds
  • Public Lands
  • Retrenchment
  • Revolutionary Claims
  • Roads and Canals
  • Tariff Regulation (Select)
  • Territories
  • Violation of the Injunction of Secrecy (Select)
  • Whole
  • House of Representatives

  • Accounts
  • Agriculture
  • Army Pay (Select)
  • Banks of the District of Columbia (Select)
  • Claims
  • Commerce
  • District of Columbia
  • Elections
  • Engraving
  • Expenditures in the Navy Department
  • Expenditures in the Post Office Department
  • Expenditures in the State Department
  • Expenditures in the Treasury Department
  • Expenditures in the War Department
  • Expenditures on Public Buildings
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Indian Affairs
  • Invalid Pensions
  • Manufactures
  • Mileage
  • Military Affairs
  • Militia
  • Naval Affairs
  • Patents
  • Post Office and Post Roads
  • Public Buildings and Grounds
  • Public Expenditures
  • Public Lands
  • Revisal and Unfinished Business
  • Revolutionary Claims
  • Roads and Canals
  • Rules (Select)
  • Standards of Official Conduct
  • Territories
  • Ways and Means
  • Whole
  • Joint committees

  • Enrolled Bills
  • Smithsonian Bequest
  • Employees

  • Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan
  • Senate

  • Chaplain: Septimus Tustin (Presbyterian)
  • Secretary: Asbury Dickens
  • Sergeant at Arms: Edward Dyer
  • House of Representatives

  • Chaplain: Isaac S. Tinsley (Baptist)
  • William M. Daily (Methodist), from December 4, 1844
  • Clerk: Caleb J. McNulty, until January 18, 1845
  • Benjamin B. French, from January 18, 1845
  • Doorkeeper: Jesse E. Dow
  • Postmaster: John M. Johnson
  • Sergeant at Arms: Newton Lane
  • References

    28th United States Congress Wikipedia