▁tasks ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁government ▁was ▁to ▁fill ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁seats ▁left ▁vac ant ▁by ▁the ▁res ign ations ▁of ▁Alexander ▁O . ▁Anderson ▁and ▁Alfred ▁O . ▁P . ▁Nich ol son . ▁ ▁Democr ats ▁demanded ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁seats ▁go ▁to ▁a ▁Dem ocrat , ▁a ▁request ▁the ▁Wh igs ▁rejected . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 3 ▁Democr ats ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁sen ate , ▁who ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Im mort al ▁Th ir teen ," ▁refused ▁to ▁allow ▁a ▁joint ▁session ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁( where ▁Wh igs , ▁who ▁controlled ▁the ▁House , ▁would ▁have ▁a ▁numerical ▁majority ) ▁to ▁choose ▁the ▁replacement ▁sen ators , ▁and ▁Tennessee ▁thus ▁had ▁no ▁representation ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 2 ▁and ▁ 1 8 4 3 . ▁ ▁Though ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁mostly ▁grid locked ▁by ▁the ▁Im mort al ▁Th ir teen ▁during ▁Jones ' s ▁first ▁term , ▁it ▁did ▁manage ▁to ▁en act ▁deb t ▁reform ▁legisl ation ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 3 , ▁Pol k ▁can v ass ed ▁the ▁state ▁extens ively ▁in ▁hopes ▁of ▁taking ▁back ▁the ▁governor ' s ▁office , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁again ▁un success ful . ▁ ▁Furthermore , ▁Wh igs ▁gained ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁sen ate , ▁ending ▁the ▁" Im mort al ▁Th ir teen " ▁grid lock