The Thirty-fifth 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 Seventh Census of the United States in 1850. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
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
August 21, 1858: First of the Lincoln-Douglas debates was held
March 3, 1859: Financial appropriations for the improvement and construction of lighthouses.
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
May 11, 1858: Minnesota admitted as the 32nd state
February 14, 1859: Oregon admitted as the 33rd state
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Minnesota and Oregon.
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.
President: John C. Breckinridge (D)
President pro tempore: James M. Mason (D), March 4, 1857 only
Thomas J. Rusk (D), elected March 14, 1857
Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D), elected December 7, 1857
Speaker of the House. James L. Orr (D)
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
Skip to House of Representatives, below
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, requiring reelection in 1862; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1858; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1860.
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
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
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
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
Banks of the District of Columbia (Select)
Claims
Commerce
Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
District of Columbia
Finance
Foreign Relations
French Spoilations (Select)
Indian Affairs
Judiciary
Military Affairs
Military Asylum near Washington, D.C. (Select)
Militia
Naval Affairs
Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
Pacific Railroad (Select)
Patents and the Patent Office
Pensions
Post Office and Post Roads
Printing
Private Land Claims
Public Lands
Retrenchment
Revolutionary Claims
Tariff Regulation (Select)
Territories
Whole
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
Manufactures
Mileage
Military Affairs
Militia
Naval Affairs
Patents
Post Office and Post Roads
Public Buildings and Grounds
Public Expenditures
Public Lands
Revisal and Unfinished Business
Revolutionary Claims
Roads and Canals
Rules (Select)
Standards of Official Conduct
Territories
Ways and Means
Whole
Enrolled Bills
Architect of the Capitol. Thomas U. Walter
Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan
Chaplain: none elected
Secretary. Asbury Dickens elected December 12, 1836
Sergeant at Arms. Dunning R. McNair
Chaplain. William H. Milburn (Methodist)
Clerk: James C. Allen
Doorkeeper. Robert B. Hackney
Messenger. Thaddeus Morrice
Sergeant at Arms. Adam J. Glossbrenner
Postmaster. Michael W. Cluskey
