ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti hiː wʌz ᵻlˈɛktᵻd ɐ mˈɛmbɚɹ ʌvðə jˈuː. ˈɛs. hˈaʊs ʌv ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntətˌɪvz ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntɪŋ ðə stˈeɪt ʌv luːˌiːzɪˈænə ɪn ɪts fˈɜːst dˈɪstɹɪkt, wˌɪtʃ æt ðə tˈaɪm ɛŋkˈʌmpəst pˈɑːɹt ʌv nˈuː ˈɔːɹliənz ænd ˈɛvɹɪθˌɪŋ ˈiːst ʌvðə sˈɪɾi bˌʌt sˈaʊθ ʌv lˈeɪk pˈɔnttʃɑːɹtɹˌeɪn.
In 1850 he was elected a member of the U. S. House of Representatives representing the state of Louisiana in its First District, which at the time encompassed part of New Orleans and everything east of the city but south of Lake Pontchartrain.