The New International Encyclopædia/Dallas, George Mifflin

DALLAS, George Mifflin (1792-1864). An American statesman and diplomat. He was born in Philadelphia, the son of Alexander J. Dallas; graduated at Princeton in 1810; and accompanied Mr. Gallatin in his special embassy to Saint Petersburg, as private secretary. On his return he practiced law and successively filled, for his native city, the offices of deputy attorney-general, mayor, and district attorney. From 1831 to 1833 he represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate, and from 1833 to 1835 was Attorney-General of Pennsylvania. In 1837 he was appointed American Minister at Saint Petersburg, but was recalled at his own request in 1839. From 1845 to 1849 he was Vice-President of the United States, and as such cast the deciding vote for the tariff bill of 1846. From 1856 to 1861 he was Minister to the Court of Saint James, where he was called upon to deal with two matters of importance, the Central American question and the recall of the British Minister at Washington, Sir John Crampton, both of which threatened for a time to cause considerable friction between the British and the American governments.