25th United States Congress

"25th Congress" redirects here. For the Soviet congress, see 25th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

25th United States Congress

24th ← → 26th United States Capitol (1827) Duration: March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1839 Senate President: Richard M. Johnson Senate Pres. pro tem: William R. King House Speaker: James K. Polk Members: 52 Senators 242 Representatives 3 Non-voting members Senate Majority: Democratic House Majority: Democratic Sessions Special: March 4, 1837 – March 10, 1837 1st: September 4, 1837 – October 16, 1837 2nd: December 4, 1837 – July 9, 1838 3rd: December 3, 1838 – March 3, 1839

The Twenty-fifth 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, 1837 to March 4, 1839, during the first two years of Martin Van Buren's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Fifth Census of the United States in 1830. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.

Major events

"The modern balaam and his ass."
A gaunt figure labeled Bankrupts of 1837 "the Regency" "Safety Fund" "Deposit Banks" "Old Hickory" & Uncle Sam $300,000,000 holds a fiery sword labeled Protest $200,000. The figure says "Wherefore hast thou smitten thine Ass? Behold I went out to Protest thee, because thy way is perverse before me!!" An ass carrying a man and a sack with the words Specie Currency Circulating Medium replies to the figure, "Am not I thine Ass upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day?" The man ontop the talking Ass wields a cane with the word Veto on it and says to the figure, "Because thou hast mocked me, I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I veto thee!!" The man also has part of his garment labeled Farewell Address. A man walking behind him with a bulge in his pocket labeled $300,000 says, "I shall tread in the footsteps of my illustrious predecessor."

Main articles: 1837 in the United States, 1838 in the United States, and 1839 in the United States

• March 4, 1837: Martin Van Buren became President of the United States
• May 10, 1837: Panic of 1837
• January 6, 1838: First public demonstration of Samuel Morse's telegraph
• May 26, 1838: Trail of Tears: The Cherokee removal began

Major legislation

Main article: Major legislation: 25th United States Congress

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States admitted and/or territories organized

• June 12, 1838: Iowa Territory was formed from the Wisconsin Territory.

Party summary

Senate

	Party (Shading shows control)			Total	Vacant
	Democratic (D)	Whig (W)	Other
End of the previous congress	(Jacksonian) 31	(Anti-Jacksonian) 19	(Nullifier) 2	52	0
Begin	35	17	0	52	0
End		16	1
Final voting share	67.3%	30.8%	1.9%
Beginning of the next congress	28	19	0	47	5

House of Representatives

	Party (Shading shows control)					Total	Vacant
	Anti- Masonic (AM)	Democratic (D)	Nullifier (N)	Whig (W)	Other
End of the previous congress	14	(Jacksonian) 139	7	(Anti-Jacksonian) 81	0	241	1
Begin	7	121	7	100	0	235	0
End		114		105		233	2
Final voting share	3.0%	48.9%	3.0%	45.1%	0.0%
Non-voting members	0	2	0	0	1	3	0
Beginning of the next congress	6	124	0	109	2	241	1

Leadership

File:RichardMentorJohnson.png

President of the Senate
Richard M. Johnson

Senate

• President: Richard Mentor Johnson (D)
• President pro tempore: William R. King (D)

House of Representatives

• Speaker: James K. Polk (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 1838; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1840; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1842.

See also: United States Senate elections, 1836

Alabama

• 2. William R. D. King (D)
• 3. John McKinley (D), until April 22, 1837
  • Clement C. Clay (D), from June 19, 1837

Arkansas

• 2. William S. Fulton (D)
• 3. Ambrose H. Sevier (D)

Connecticut

• 1. John M. Niles (D)
• 3. Perry Smith (D)

Delaware

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

Georgia

• 3. Alfred Cuthbert (D)
• 2. John P. King (D), until November 1, 1837
  • Wilson Lumpkin (D), from November 22, 1837

Illinois

• 2. John M. Robinson (D)
• 3. Richard M. Young (D)

Indiana

• 1. John Tipton (D)
• 3. Oliver H. Smith (W)

Kentucky

• 3. Henry Clay (W)
• 2. John J. Crittenden (W)

Louisiana

• 2. Robert C. Nicholas (D)
• 3. Alexander Mouton (D)

Maine

• 2. John Ruggles (D)
• 1. Reuel Williams (D)

Maryland

• 1. Joseph Kent (W), until November 24, 1837
  • William D. Merrick (W), from January 4, 1838
• 3. John S. Spence (W)

Massachusetts

• 1. Daniel Webster (W)
• 2. John Davis (W)

Michigan

• 1. Lucius Lyon (D)
• 2. John Norvell (D)

Mississippi

• 1. John Black (W), until January 22, 1838
  • James F. Trotter (D), from January 22, 1838 until July 10, 1838
  • Thomas H. Williams (D), from November 12, 1838
• 2. Robert J. Walker (D)

Missouri

• 1. Thomas H. Benton (D)
• 3. Lewis F. Linn (D)

New Hampshire

• 2. Henry Hubbard (D)
• 3. Franklin Pierce (D)

New Jersey

• 1. Samuel L. Southard (W)
• 2. Garret D. Wall (D)

New York

• 3. Silas Wright, Jr. (D)
• 1. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (D)

North Carolina

• 2. Bedford Brown (D)
• 3. Robert Strange (D)

Ohio

• 1. Thomas Morris (D)
• 3. William Allen (D)

Pennsylvania

• 1. Samuel McKean (D)
• 3. James Buchanan (D)

Rhode Island

• 2. Nehemiah R. Knight (W)
• 1. Asher Robbins (W)

South Carolina

• 2. John C. Calhoun (D)
• 3. William C. Preston (W)

Tennessee

• 2. Hugh Lawson White (W)
• 1. Felix Grundy (D), until July 4, 1838
  • Ephraim H. Foster (W), September 17, 1838 – March 3, 1839

Vermont

• 3. Samuel Prentiss (W)
• 1. Benjamin Swift (W)

Virginia

• 1. William C. Rives (D)
• 2. Richard E. Parker (D), until March 4, 1837
  • William H. Roane (D), from March 14, 1837

President pro tempore
William R. King

House of Representatives

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

See also: United States House of Representatives elections, 1836

Alabama

• 1. Reuben Chapman (D)
• 2. Joshua L. Martin (D)
• 3. Joab Lawler (W), until May 8, 1838
  • George W. Crabb (W), from September 4, 1838
• 4. Dixon H. Lewis (D)
• 5. Francis S. Lyon (W)

Arkansas

• At-large. Archibald Yell (D)

Connecticut

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

• 1. Isaac Toucey (D)
• 2. Samuel Ingham (D)
• 3. Elisha Haley (D)
• 4. Thomas T. Whittlesey (D)
• 5. Lancelot Phelps (D)
• 6. Orrin Holt (D)

Delaware

• At-large. John J. Milligan (W)

Georgia

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

• At-large. Jesse F. Cleveland (D)
• At-large. William C. Dawson (W)
• At-large. Thomas Glascock (D)
• At-large. Seaton Grantland (D)
• At-large. Charles E. Haynes (D)
• At-large. Hopkins Holsey (D)
• At-large. Jabez Y. Jackson (D)
• At-large. George W. Owens (D)
• At-large. George W. B. Towns (D)

Illinois

• 1. Adam W. Snyder (D)
• 2. Zadok Casey (D)
• 3. William L. May (D)

Indiana

• 1. Ratliff Boon (D)
• 2. John Ewing (W)
• 3. William Graham (W)
• 4. George H. Dunn (W)
• 5. James Rariden (W)
• 6. William Herod (W)
• 7. Albert S. White (W)

Kentucky

• 1. John L. Murray (D)
• 2. Edward Rumsey (W)
• 3. Joseph R. Underwood (W)
• 4. Sherrod Williams (W)
• 5. James Harlan (W)
• 6. John Calhoon (W)
• 7. John Pope (W)
• 8. William J. Graves (W)
• 9. John White (W)
• 10. Richard Hawes (W)
• 11. Richard H. Menefee (W)
• 12. John Chambers (W)
• 13. William W. Southgate (W)

Louisiana

• 1. Henry Johnson (W)
• 2. Eleazar W. Ripley (D), until March 2, 1839
• 3. Rice Garland (W)

Maine

• 1. John Fairfield (D), until December 24, 1838
• 2. Francis O. J. Smith (D)
• 3. Jonathan Cilley (D), until February 24, 1838
  • Edward Robinson (W), from April 28, 1838
• 4. George Evans (W)
• 5. Timothy J. Carter (D), until March 14, 1838
  • Virgil D. Parris (D), from May 29, 1838
• 6. Hugh J. Anderson (D)
• 7. Joseph C. Noyes (W)
• 8. Thomas Davee (D)

Maryland

The 4th district was a plural district with two representatives.

• 1. John Dennis (W)
• 2. James A. Pearce (W)
• 3. John T. H. Worthington (D)
• 4. Benjamin C. Howard (D)
• 4. Isaac McKim (D), until April 1, 1838
  • John P. Kennedy (W), from April 25, 1838
• 5. William Cost Johnson (W)
• 6. Francis Thomas (D)
• 7. Daniel Jenifer (W)

Massachusetts

• 1. Richard Fletcher (W)
• 2. Stephen C. Phillips (W), until September 28, 1838
  • Leverett Saltonstall (W), from December 25, 1838
• 3. Caleb Cushing (W)
• 4. William Parmenter (D)
• 5. Levi Lincoln, Jr. (W)
• 6. George Grennell, Jr. (W)
• 7. George N. Briggs (W)
• 8. William B. Calhoun (W)
• 9. William S. Hastings (W)
• 10. Nathaniel B. Borden (D)
• 11. John Reed, Jr. (W)
• 12. John Quincy Adams (W)

Michigan

• At-large. Isaac E. Crary (D)

Mississippi

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

• At-large. John F. H. Claiborne (D), from July 18, 1837 until February 5, 1838
  • Seargent S. Prentiss (W), from May 30, 1838
• At-large. Samuel J. Gholson (D), from July 18, 1837 until February 5, 1838
  • Thomas J. Word (W), from May 30, 1838

Missouri

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

• At-large. Albert G. Harrison (D)
• At-large. John Miller (D)

New Hampshire

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

• At-large. Charles G. Atherton (D)
• At-large. Samuel Cushman (D)
• At-large. James Farrington (D)
• At-large. Joseph Weeks (D)
• At-large. Jared W. Williams (D)

New Jersey

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

• At-large. John B. Aycrigg (W)
• At-large. William Halstead (W)
• At-large. John P. B. Maxwell (W)
• At-large. Joseph F. Randolph (W)
• At-large. Charles C. Stratton (W)
• At-large. Thomas Jones Yorke (W)

New York

There were four plural districts, the 8th, 17th, 22nd & 23rd had two representatives each, the 3rd had four representatives.

• 1. Thomas B. Jackson (D)
• 2. Abraham Vanderveer (D)
• 3. Churchill C. Cambreleng (D)
• 3. Edward Curtis (W)
• 3. Ogden Hoffman (W)
• 3. Ely Moore (D)
• 4. Gouverneur Kemble (D)
• 5. Obadiah Titus (D)
• 6. Nathaniel Jones (D)
• 7. John C. Brodhead (D)
• 8. Robert McClellan (D)
• 8. Zadock Pratt (D)
• 9. Henry Vail (D)
• 10. Albert Gallup (D)
• 11. John I. De Graff (D)
• 12. David A. Russell (W)
• 13. John Palmer (D)
• 14. James B. Spencer (D)
• 15. John Edwards (D)
• 16. Arphaxed Loomis (D)
• 17. Henry A. Foster (D)
• 17. Abraham P. Grant (D)
• 18. Isaac H. Bronson (D)
• 19. John H. Prentiss (D)
• 20. Amasa J. Parker (D)
• 21. John C. Clark (D)
• 22. Andrew D. W. Bruyn (D), until July, 27, 1838
  • Cyrus Beers (D), from December 3, 1838
• 22. Hiram Gray (D)
• 23. Bennet Bicknell (D)
• 23. William Taylor (D)
• 24. William H. Noble (D)
• 25. Samuel Birdsall (D)
• 26. Mark H. Sibley (W)
• 27. John T. Andrews (D)
• 28. Timothy Childs (W)
• 29. William Patterson (W), until August 14, 1838
  • Harvey Putnam (W), from November 7, 1838
• 30. Luther C. Peck (W)
• 31. Richard P. Marvin (W)
• 32. Millard Fillmore (W)
• 33. Charles F. Mitchell (W)

North Carolina

• 1. Samuel T. Sawyer (W)
• 2. Jesse A. Bynum (D)
• 3. Edward Stanly (W)
• 4. Charles B. Shepard (W)
• 5. James I. McKay (D)
• 6. Micajah T. Hawkins (D)
• 7. Edmund Deberry (W)
• 8. William Montgomery (D)
• 9. Augustine H. Shepperd (W)
• 10. Abraham Rencher (W)
• 11. Henry W. Connor (D)
• 12. James Graham (W)
• 13. Lewis Williams (W)

Ohio

• 1. Alexander Duncan (D)
• 2. Taylor Webster (D)
• 3. Patrick G. Goode (W)
• 4. Thomas Corwin (W)
• 5. Thomas L. Hamer (D)
• 6. Calvary Morris (W)
• 7. William K. Bond (W)
• 8. Joseph Ridgway (W)
• 9. John Chaney (D)
• 10. Samson Mason (W)
• 11. James Alexander, Jr. (W)
• 12. Alexander Harper (W)
• 13. Daniel P. Leadbetter (D)
• 14. William H. Hunter (D)
• 15. John W. Allen (W)
• 16. Elisha Whittlesey (W), until July 9, 1838
  • Joshua R. Giddings (W), from December 3, 1838
• 17. Andrew W. Loomis (W), until October 20, 1837
  • Charles D. Coffin (W), from December 20, 1837
• 18. Matthias Shepler (D)
• 19. Daniel Kilgore (D), until July 4, 1838
  • Henry Swearingen (D), from December 3, 1838

Pennsylvania

There were two plural districts, the 2nd had two representatives, the 4th had three representatives.

• 1. Lemuel Paynter (D)
• 2. John Sergeant (W)
• 2. George W. Toland (W)
• 3. Francis J. Harper (D), until March 18, 1837
  • Charles Naylor (W), from June 29, 1837
• 4. Edward Darlington (AM)
• 4. Edward Davies (AM)
• 4. David Potts, Jr. (AM)
• 5. Jacob Fry, Jr. (D)
• 6. Mathias Morris (W)
• 7. David D. Wagener (D)
• 8. Edward B. Hubley (D)
• 9. Henry A. P. Muhlenberg (D), until February 9, 1838
  • George M. Keim (D), from March 17, 1838
• 10. Luther Reily (D)
• 11. Henry Logan (D)
• 12. Daniel Sheffer (D)
• 13. Charles McClure (D)
• 14. William W. Potter (D)
• 15. David Petrikin (D)
• 16. Robert H. Hammond (D)
• 17. Samuel W. Morris (D)
• 18. Charles Ogle (AM)
• 19. John J. Klingensmith, Jr. (D)
• 20. Andrew Buchanan (D)
• 21. Thomas M. T. McKennan (AM)
• 22. Richard Biddle (AM)
• 23. William Beatty (D)
• 24. Thomas Henry (AM)
• 25. Arnold Plumer (D)

Rhode Island

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket

• At-large. Robert B. Cranston (W)
• At-large. Joseph L. Tillinghast (W)

South Carolina

• 1. Hugh S. Legaré (D)
• 2. R. Barnwell Rhett (N)
• 3. John Campbell (N)
• 4. Franklin H. Elmore (N)
• 5. Francis W. Pickens (N)
• 6. Waddy Thompson, Jr. (W)
• 7. William K. Clowney (N)
• 8. John P. Richardson (D)
• 9. John K. Griffin (N)

Tennessee

• 1. William B. Carter (W)
• 2. Abraham McClellan (D)
• 3. Joseph L. Williams (W)
• 4. James I. Standifer (W), until August 20, 1837
  • William Stone (W), from September 14, 1837
• 5. Hopkins L. Turney (D)
• 6. William B. Campbell (W)
• 7. John Bell (W)
• 8. Abram P. Maury (W)
• 9. James K. Polk (D)
• 10. Ebenezer J. Shields (W)
• 11. Richard Cheatham (W)
• 12. John W. Crockett (W)
• 13. Christopher H. Williams (W)

Vermont

• 1. Hiland Hall (W)
• 2. William Slade (W)
• 3. Horace Everett (W)
• 4. Heman Allen (W)
• 5. Isaac Fletcher (D)

Virginia

• 1. Francis Mallory (W)
• 2. Francis E. Rives (D)
• 3. John W. Jones (D)
• 4. George C. Dromgoole (D)
• 5. James W. Bouldin (D)
• 6. Walter Coles (D)
• 7. Archibald Stuart (D)
• 8. Henry A. Wise (W)
• 9. Robert M. T. Hunter (W)
• 10. John Taliaferro (W)
• 11. John Robertson (W)
• 12. James Garland (D)
• 13. John M. Patton (D), until April 7, 1838
  • Linn Banks (D), from April 28, 1838
• 14. Charles F. Mercer (W)
• 15. James M. Mason (D)
• 16. Isaac S. Pennybacker (D)
• 17. Robert Craig (D)
• 18. George W. Hopkins (D)
• 19. Andrew Beirne (D)
• 20. Joseph Johnson (D)
• 21. William S. Morgan (D)

Non-voting members

• Florida Territory. Charles Downing
• Iowa Territory. William W. Chapman (D), from September 10, 1838
• Wisconsin Territory. George W. Jones (D), until January 14, 1839
  • James D. Doty (D), from January 14, 1839

Speaker of the House
James Polk

Changes in membership

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

Senate

• Replacements: 6
  • Democrats: no net change
  • Whigs: no net change
• Deaths: 1
• Resignations: 6
• Total seats with changes: 7

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

State (class)	Vacator	Reason for change	Successor	Date of successor's formal installation
Virginia (2)	Richard E. Parker (D)	Resigned March 4, 1837 after accepting a seat on the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals	William H. Roane (D)	Elected March 14, 1837
Alabama (3)	John McKinley (D)	Resigned April 22, 1837 after being appointed Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court	Clement C. Clay (D)	Elected June 19, 1837
Georgia (2)	John P. King (D)	Resigned November 1, 1837	Wilson Lumpkin (D)	Elected November 22, 1837
Maryland (1)	Joseph Kent (W)	Died November 24, 1837	William D. Merrick (W)	Elected January 4, 1838
Mississippi (1)	John Black (W)	Resigned January 22, 1838	James F. Trotter (D)	Appointed January 22, 1838
Tennessee (1)	Felix Grundy (D)	Resigned July 4, 1838 after being appointed United States Attorney General	Ephraim H. Foster (W)	Elected September 17, 1838
Mississippi (1)	James F. Trotter (D)	Resigned July 10, 1838	Thomas H. Williams (D)	Appointed November 12, 1838 and subsequently elected

House of Representatives

• Replacements: 16
  • Democrats: 5-seat net loss
  • Whigs: 5-seat net gain
• Deaths: 9
• Resignations: 6
• Contested election:1
• Total seats with changes: 20

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

District	Vacator	Reason for change	Successor	Date successor seated
Mississippi At-large	Vacant	Rep-elect Claiborne presented credentials July 18, 1837	John F. H. Claiborne (D)	Seated July 18, 1837
Mississippi At-large	Vacant	Rep-elect Gholson presented credentials July 18, 1837	Samuel J. Gholson (D)	Seated July 18, 1837
Pennsylvania 3rd	Francis J. Harper (D)	Died March 18, 1837	Charles Naylor (W)	Seated June 29, 1837
Tennessee 4th	James I. Standifer (W)	Died August 20, 1837	William Stone (W)	Seated September 14, 1837
Ohio 17th	Elisha Whittlesey (W)	Resigned October 20, 1837	Charles D. Coffin (W)	Seated December 20, 1837
Mississippi At-large	John F. H. Claiborne (D)	Seat declared vacant February 5, 1838	Seargent S. Prentiss (W)	Seated May 30, 1838
Mississippi At-large	Samuel J. Gholson (D)	Seat declared vacant February 5, 1838	Thomas J. Word (W)	Seated May 30, 1838
Pennsylvania 9th	Henry A. P. Muhlenberg (D)	Resigned February 9, 1838 after being appointed Minister to Austrian Empire	George M. Keim (D)	Seated March 17, 1838
Maine 3rd	Jonathan Cilley (D)	Killed in a duel February 24, 1838 by Rep. William J. Graves	Edward Robinson (W)	Seated April 28, 1838
Maine 5th	Timothy J. Carter (D)	Died March 14, 1838	Virgil D. Parris (D)	Seated May 29, 1838
Maryland 4th	Isaac McKim (D)	Died April 1, 1838	John P. Kennedy (W)	Seated April 25, 1838
Virginia 13th	John M. Patton (D)	Resigned April 7, 1838	Linn Banks (D)	Seated April 28, 1838
Alabama 3rd	Joab Lawler (W)	Died May 8, 1838	George W. Crabb (W)	Seated October 5, 1835
Ohio 19th	Daniel Kilgore (D)	Resigned July 4, 1838	Henry Swearingen (D)	Seated December 3, 1838
Ohio 16th	Elisha Whittlesey (W)	Resigned July 9, 1838	Joshua R. Giddings (W)	Seated December 3, 1838
New York 22nd	Andrew D. Bruyn (D)	Died July 27, 1838	Cyrus Beers (D)	Seated December 3, 1838
New York 29th	William Patterson (W)	Died August 14, 1838	Harvey Putnam (W)	Seated November 7, 1838
Iowa Territory At-large	New seat	Iowa Territory seated its first delegate September 10, 1838	George W. Jones (D)	Seated September 10, 1838
Massachusetts 2nd	Stephen C. Phillips (W)	Seat declared vacant September 28, 1838	Leverett Saltonstall (W)	Seated December 15, 1838
Maine 1st	John Fairfield (D)	Resigned December 24, 1838 after being elected Governor of Maine	Vacant	Not filled this congress
Wisconsin Territory At-large	George W. Jones (D)	Lost contested election January 14, 1839	James D. Doty (D)	Seated January 14, 1839
Louisiana 2nd	Eleazar W. Ripley (D)	Died March 2, 1839	Vacant	Not filled this congress

Employees

Senate

• Chaplain: John R. Goodman (Episcopalian), elected December 28, 1836
  • Henry Slicer (Methodist), elected September 11, 1837
• Secretary: Asbury Dickens
• Sergeant at Arms: John Shackford (died)
  • Stephen Haight, elected September 4, 1837

House of Representatives

• Chaplain: Septimus Tustin (Presbyterian), elected September 4, 1837
  • Levi R. Reese (Methodist), elected December 4, 1837
• Clerk: Walter S. Franklin, until September 20, 1838 (died)
  • Hugh A. Garland, elected December 3, 1838
• Doorkeeper: Overton Carr
• Postmaster: William J. McCormick
• Sergeant at Arms: Roderick Dorsey

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