35th United States Congress
The 35th 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, 1857, to March 4, 1859, during the first two years of James Buchanan's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1850 [United States census]. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
Major events
- Panic of 1857
- March 4, 1857. James Buchanan became President of [the United States]
- March 6, 1857: Dred Scott v. Sandford
- July 18, 1857: Utah Expedition left Fort Leavenworth, effectively beginning the Utah War
- February 6, 1858: Brawl on the floor of the House involving 50 or more representatives during the debates over the admission of Kansas as free or slave
- August 21, 1858: First of the Lincoln-Douglas debates was held
- March 3, 1859: Financial appropriations for the improvement and construction of lighthouses.
Treaties
- March 12, 1858: Treaty with the Ponca signed
- April 19, 1858: Treaty with the Yankton Sioux signed
- July 29, 1858: Harris Treaty signed with Japan
States admitted
- May 11, 1858: Minnesota admitted as the 32nd state
- February 14, 1859: Oregon admitted as the 33rd state
Party summary
Senate
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Minnesota and Oregon.House of Representatives
During this congress, two House seats were added for the new state of Minnesota and one House seat was added for the new state of Oregon.Leadership
Senate
- President of [the United States Senate|President]: John C. Breckinridge
- President pro tempore: James M. Mason, March 4, 1857, only
- * Thomas J. Rusk, elected March 14, 1857
- * Benjamin Fitzpatrick, elected December 7, 1857
House of Representatives
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and representatives are listed by district.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 1862; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1858; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1860.Illinois">List of United States senators from Illinois">Illinois
Michigan">List of United States senators from Michigan">Michigan
Ohio">List of United States senators from Ohio">Ohio
Virginia">List of United States senators from Virginia">Virginia
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.Illinois">List of United States representatives from Illinois">Illinois
Michigan">List of United States representatives from Michigan">Michigan
Ohio">List of United States representatives from Ohio">Ohio
Virginia">List of United States representatives from Virginia">Virginia
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.Senate
- Replacements: 5
- * Democrats (D): no net change
- * Whigs (W): no net change
- * Republicans (R): no net change
- * Americans (A): no net change
- Deaths: 4
- Resignations: 1
- Interim appointments: 2
- Seats of newly admitted states: 4
- Total seats with changes: 9
House of Representatives
- Replacements: 10
- * Democrats (D): 3 seat net loss
- * Whigs (W): 3 seat net gain
- * Republicans (R): 1 seat net gain
- * Independent Democrats (ID): 1 seat net gain
- Deaths: 5
- Resignations: 6
- Contested election:1
- Seats of newly admitted states: 3
- Total seats with changes: 14
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.Senate
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
- Banks of the District of Columbia
- Claims
- Commerce
- Distributing Public Revenue Among the States
- District of Columbia
- Engrossed Bills
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- French Spoilations
- Indian Affairs
- Judiciary
- Military Affairs
- Military Asylum near Washington, D.C.
- Militia
- Naval Affairs
- Ordnance and War Ships
- Pacific Railroad
- Patents and the Patent Office
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Printing
- Private Land Claims
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Lands
- Retrenchment
- Revolutionary Claims
- Tariff Regulation
- Territories
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Agriculture
- 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
Joint committees
Caucuses
Employees
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress">Legislative branch agency directors
Senate
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: None
- Clerk: James C. Allen
- Doorkeeper: Robert B. Hackney, until May 17, 1858
- * Joseph L. Wright, elected May 18, 1858
- Messenger: Thaddeus Morrice
- Sergeant at Arms: Adam J. Glossbrenner
- Postmaster: Michael W. Cluskey
- Reading Clerks: