SEMPLE, James, senator, born in Green county, Kentucky, 5 January, 1798; died in Elsah Landing, Illinois, 20 December, 1866. His educational advantages were limited to the common schools of Greensburg and the law-school at Louisville, Kentucky After his graduation at the latter he removed at once to Edwardsville, Illinois, and practised his profession. At the beginning of the Black Hawk war he was commissioned brigadier-general. He represented Madison county several times in the legislature, and was twice speaker of the house. From 1837 till 1842 he was minister at Bogota, Colombia. In 1843 he was elected judge of the superior court, but he soon resigned to enter the United States senate, where he served from 4 December, 1843, till 3 March, 1847, filling the unexpired term of Samuel McRoberts, deceased. He became an active advocate of the 54º 40' line in the Oregon question. Returning to his home in 1847. he declined to accept any political office. He expended considerable time and money during the last years of his life in experimenting on a steam road-wagon which he had made, but it proved a failure.