AH Challenge: Day of three presidents

Prior to his inauguration in 1857, James Buchanan stayed at the National Hotel when an outbreak of viral dysentery sickened him and killed some of the other guests. He got better, then suffered a relapse on the eve of his inauguration; which could plausibly have killed him. However, there was no outgoing Vice President, and Congress was not in session, so the Presidency would have been vacant until VP-elect John Breckinridge's term began the next day.
 
Prior to his inauguration in 1857, James Buchanan stayed at the National Hotel when an outbreak of viral dysentery sickened him and killed some of the other guests. He got better, then suffered a relapse on the eve of his inauguration; which could plausibly have killed him. However, there was no outgoing Vice President, and Congress was not in session, so the Presidency would have been vacant until VP-elect John Breckinridge's term began the next day.


I don't think so.

There was no President of the Senate, as he was then chosen only for a particular session, but iirc the Speaker of the House was (and is) elected for the duration of the Congress. So Nathaniel P Banks would still be legally Speaker, even though the HoR was not sitting, and would be interim President till noon on March 4.
 
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