32nd United States Congress
The 32nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1851, to March 4, 1853, during the last two years of Millard Fillmore's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
It was one of the least active Congresses, forwarding only 74 bills that were signed by the president.
Major events
- March 20, 1852: Uncle Tom's Cabin published.
- July 1, 1852: Henry Clay was the first to lie in state in the United States Capitol rotunda.
- November 2, 1852: 1852 United States presidential election: Democrat Franklin Pierce defeated Whig Winfield Scott.
Major legislation
- March 2, 1853: An act providing for administering the oath of office to William R. King, Vice President elect of the United States of America. Sess. 2, Ch. 93,
Territories organized
- March 2, 1853: Washington Territory was formed from Oregon Territory.
Party summary
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
- President of [the United States Senate|President]: Vacant
- President pro tempore: William R. King, until December 20, 1852
- * David R. Atchison, from December 20, 1852
House of Representatives
- Speaker of the [United States House of Representatives|Speaker]: Linn Boyd
Members
Senate
Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began with this Congress, facing re-election in 1856; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1852; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1854.[List of [United States senators from Alabama|Alabama]]
Arkansas">List of United States senators from Arkansas">Arkansas
California">List of United States senators from California">California
Connecticut">List of United States senators from Connecticut">Connecticut
Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware
Florida">List of United States senators from Florida">Florida
Georgia">List of United States senators from Georgia">Georgia
Illinois">List of United States senators from Illinois">Illinois
Indiana">List of United States senators from Indiana">Indiana
Iowa">List of United States senators from Iowa">Iowa
Kentucky">List of United States senators from Kentucky">Kentucky
Louisiana">List of United States senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
Maine">List of United States senators from Maine">Maine
Maryland">List of United States senators from Maryland">Maryland
Massachusetts">List of United States senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
Michigan">List of United States senators from Michigan">Michigan
Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi
Missouri">List of United States senators from Missouri">Missouri
New Hampshire">List of United States senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
New Jersey">List of United States senators from New Jersey">New Jersey
New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York
North Carolina">List of United States senators from North Carolina">North Carolina
Ohio">List of United States senators from Ohio">Ohio
Pennsylvania">List of United States senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
Rhode Island">List of United States senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
Tennessee">List of United States senators from Tennessee">Tennessee
Texas">List of United States senators from Texas">Texas
Vermont">List of United States senators from Vermont">Vermont
Virginia">List of United States senators from Virginia">Virginia
Wisconsin">List of United States senators from Wisconsin">Wisconsin
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.Alabama">List of United States representatives from Alabama">Alabama
Arkansas">List of United States representatives from Arkansas">Arkansas
California">List of United States representatives from California">California
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.Connecticut">List of United States representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut
Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware
Florida">List of United States representatives from Florida">Florida
Georgia">List of United States representatives from Georgia">Georgia
Illinois">List of United States representatives from Illinois">Illinois
Indiana">List of United States representatives from Indiana">Indiana
Iowa">List of United States representatives from Iowa">Iowa
Kentucky">List of United States representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky
Louisiana">List of United States representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana
Maine">List of United States representatives from Maine">Maine
Maryland">List of United States representatives from Maryland">Maryland
Massachusetts">List of United States representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
Michigan">List of United States representatives from Michigan">Michigan
Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi
Missouri">List of United States representatives from Missouri">Missouri
New Hampshire">List of United States representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
New Jersey">List of United States representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey
New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York
North Carolina">List of United States representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina
Ohio">List of United States representatives from Ohio">Ohio
Pennsylvania">List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
Rhode Island">List of United States representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
South Carolina">List of United States representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina
Tennessee">List of United States representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee
Texas">List of United States representatives from Texas">Texas
Vermont">List of United States representatives from Vermont">Vermont
Virginia">List of United States representatives from Virginia">Virginia
Wisconsin">List of United States representatives from Wisconsin">Wisconsin
Non-voting members
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.Senate
- Replacements: 8
- * Democrats : 1 seat net gain
- * Whigs : 1 seat net loss
- Deaths: 3
- Resignations: 6
- Interim appointments: 3
- '''Total seats with changes: 13'''
House of Representatives
- Replacements: 6
- * Democrats : 1 seat net loss
- * Whigs : 1 seat net gain
- Deaths: 2
- Resignations: 5
- '''Total seats with changes: 7'''
Committees
Senate
- Agriculture
- United States Senate [Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate|Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate]
- Claims
- Commerce
- Contested Election of 1850
- Distributing Public Revenue Among the States
- District of Columbia
- Emigrant Route and Telegraphic Line to California
- Ether Discovery
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- French Spoilations
- Indian Affairs
- Judiciary
- Manufactures
- Library
- Mexican Boundary
- Mexican Boundary Commission
- Claims Commission|Mexican Claims Commission]
- Military Affairs
- Militia
- Naval Affairs
- Ordnance and War Ships
- United States Senate [Committee on Patents and the Patent Office|Patents and the Patent Office]
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Printing
- Private Land Claims
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Lands
- Purchase of Catlin's Collection of Indian Scenes
- Retrenchment
- Revolutionary Claims
- Roads and Canals
- Tariff Regulation
- Territories
- Seventh Census
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Agriculture
- Bounty Land Act of 1850
- Bounty Land Bill
- Claims
- Commerce
- District of Columbia
- Elections
- Engraving
- Expenditures in the Navy Department
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department
- Expenditures in the State Department
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department
- Expenditures in the War Department
- Expenditures on Public Buildings
- Foreign Affairs
- Indian Affairs
- Invalid Pensions
- Judiciary
- Manufactures
- Mileage
- Military Affairs
- Militia
- Naval Affairs
- Patents
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Private Land Claims
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Expenditures
- Public Lands
- Revisal and Unfinished Business
- Revolutionary Claims
- Revolutionary Pensions
- Roads and Canals
- Rules
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Territories
- Ways and Means
- Whole |Whole]
Joint committees
- Enrolled Bills
- The Library
- Printing
Caucuses
- Democratic Caucus">Democratic Party (United States)">Democratic Caucus
- House Democratic Caucus
Employees
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress">Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: Thomas U. Walter, appointed June 11, 1851
- Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan
Senate
- Chaplain: Clement M. Butler
- Secretary: Asbury Dickins
- Sergeant at Arms: Robert Beale
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Ralph Randolph Gurley, until December 1, 1851
- * Lyttleton Morgan, elected December 1, 1851
- * James Gallagher, elected December 6, 1852
- Clerk: Richard M. Young, until December 1, 1851
- * John W. Forney, from December 1, 1851
- Doorkeeper: Zadock W. McKnew
- Clerk of the United States House of Representatives|Reading Clerks]:
- Sergeant at Arms: Adam J. Glossbrenner
- Postmaster: John M. Johnson