William Pitt Fessenden, an American statesman, born in Boscawen, N.

II., Oct. 16, 1806, died in Portland, Me., Sept. 8, 1869. He graduated at Bowdoin college in 1823, was admit-ted to the bar in 1827, and commenced practice in Bridgton, Me., but in 1829 removed to Portland, where he soon attained eminence as a counsellor and advocate. He belonged to the whig party, was a member of the legislature of Maine in 1832 and again in 1840, and from 1841 to 1843 was a representative in congress. He was again in the legislature in 1845-'6 and 1853-'4. In the latter year, although the legislature was democratic in both branches, he was chosen, by a union of the whigs and freesoil democrats, United States senator, an office which he held almost uninterruptedly until his death. This election, brought about by the disturbing elements introduced by the Kansas-Nebraska question, was the preliminary step toward the establishment in Maine of the republican party, of which he was one of the chief organizers. In 1861 he was a member of the "peace congress." In July, 1864, he was appointed by President Lincoln secretary of the treasury, to succeed Salmon P. Chase; but he resigned the position in 1865 to resume his seat in the senate.

During his connection with this body he served as chairman of the finance committee and of the committee on public buildings and grounds, as a member of the committees on foreign relations and the library, as regent of the Smithsonian institution, and as chairman of the special joint commission on reconstruction. He was the author of the report of the last named committee, rec-ommending an amendment to the constitution. On the impeachment trial of President Johnson, he was one of the few republican senators who voted for acquittal. He was an invalid during the later years of his life.