32nd United States Congress

Last updated
32nd United States Congress
31st  
  33rd
Capitol1846.jpg

March 4, 1851 – March 4, 1853
Members62 senators
233 representatives
4 non-voting delegates
Senate majority Democratic
Senate President Vacant
House majority Democratic
House Speaker Linn Boyd (D)
Sessions
Special: March 4, 1851 – March 13, 1851
1st: December 1, 1851 – August 31, 1852
2nd: December 6, 1852 – March 4, 1853

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.

Contents

It was one of the least active Congresses, forwarding only 74 bills that were signed by the president. [1]

Major events

Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852 UncleTomsCabinCover.jpg
Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852

Major legislation

Territories organized

Party summary

Senate

Party
(shading shows control)
TotalVacant
Democratic
(D)
Free
Soil

(FS)
Whig
(W)
End of previous congress 36 2 24620
Begin 34 2 21 57 5
End 35 3 23 611
Final voting share57.4% 4.9% 37.7%
Beginning of next congress 36 3 22612

House of Representatives

 Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
TotalVacant
Democratic
(D)
Independent Democratic
(ID)
Free
Soil

(FS)
States' Rights
(SR)
Unionist
(U)
Whig
(W)
Independent Whig
(IW)
Other
End of previous Congress 1130900107022312
Begin1273431085102330
End125862321
Final voting share54.7%1.3%1.3%1.3%4.3%36.8%0.4%0.0%
Beginning of next Congress 158130071012340

Leadership

Senate presidents pro tempore
William Rufus DeVane King 1839 portrait.jpg
William R. King (D)
(until December 20, 1852)
David Rice Atchison.jpg
David R. Atchison (D)
(from December 20, 1852)

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class and representatives 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 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.

House of Representatives

Directory of the U.S. House of Representatives, 32nd Congress, first session Directory of the United States House of Representatives 1852 32nd Congress first session.jpg
Directory of the U.S. House of Representatives, 32nd Congress, first session

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.

Senate

Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's
formal installation [lower-alpha 1]
Ohio
(1)
VacantFailure to elect.
The winner was elected late on March 15, 1851, on the 37th ballot over the incumbent appointee. [2]
Successor was elected March 15, 1851.
Benjamin Wade (W)Elected March 15, 1851
New York
(1)
VacantFailure to elect.
Successor was elected March 19, 1851.
Hamilton Fish (W)Elected March 19, 1851
Massachusetts
(1)
VacantFailure to elect.
Successor was elected April 24, 1851.
Charles Sumner (FS)Elected April 24, 1851
California
(1)
VacantFailure to elect.
Successor was elected January 30, 1852.
John B. Weller (D)Elected January 30, 1852
Connecticut
(1)
VacantFailure to elect.
Successor was elected May 12, 1852.
Isaac Toucey (D)Seated May 12, 1852
Mississippi
(1)
Jefferson Davis (D)Resigned September 23, 1851, to run for Governor of Mississippi.
Successor appointed December 1, 1851.
John J. McRae (D)Appointed December 1, 1851
Mississippi
(2)
Henry S. Foote (D)Resigned January 8, 1852, to become Governor of Mississippi.
Successor elected February 18, 1852.
Walker Brooke (W)Elected February 18, 1852
Mississippi
(1)
John J. McRae (D)Appointee was replaced by an elected successor.
Successor elected March 17, 1852.
Stephen Adams (D)Elected March 17, 1852
South Carolina
(2)
Robert Rhett (D)Resigned May 7, 1852.
Successor appointed May 10, 1852, and elected sometime thereafter to finish the term.
William F. De Saussure (D)Appointed May 10, 1852
Georgia
(2)
John M. Berrien (W)Resigned May 28, 1852.
Successor appointed May 31, 1852, to finish the term.
Robert M. Charlton (D)Appointed May 31, 1852
Kentucky
(3)
Henry Clay (W)Died June 29, 1852.
Successor appointed July 6, 1852.
David Meriwether (D)Appointed July 6, 1852
Indiana
(3)
James Whitcomb (D)Died October 4, 1852.
Successor appointed December 6, 1852.
Charles W. Cathcart (D)Appointed December 6, 1852
Kentucky
(3)
David Meriwether (D)Appointee was replaced by an elected successor.
Successor elected September 1, 1852.
Archibald Dixon (W)Elected September 1, 1852
Alabama
(3)
William R. King (D)Resigned December 20, 1852, due to ill health, having recently being elected Vice President of the United States
Successor appointed January 14, 1853, and elected December 12, 1853 [3] thereafter to finish the term.
Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D)Appointed January 14, 1853
New Jersey
(1)
Robert F. Stockton (D)Resigned January 1, 1853, to become president of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Company.
Successor was not elected until the next Congress.
VacantNot filled this term
Vermont
(3)
William Upham (W)Died January 14, 1853.
Successor appointed January 17, 1853, to continue the term.
Samuel S. Phelps (W)Appointed January 17, 1853
Indiana
(3)
Charles W. Cathcart (D)Appointee was replaced by an elected successor.
Successor elected January 18, 1853.
John Pettit (D)Elected January 18, 1853

House of Representatives

House changes
DistrictVacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's
formal installation [lower-alpha 1]
Maine 4th Charles Andrews (D)Died April 30, 1852 Isaac Reed (W)Seated June 25, 1852
Virginia 15th George W. Thompson (D)Resigned July 30, 1852, after being appointed judge of the Circuit Court of Virginia Sherrard Clemens (D)Seated December 6, 1852
Kentucky 7th Humphrey Marshall (W)Resigned August 4, 1852, after being appointed Minister to China William Preston (W)Seated December 6, 1852
Massachusetts 2nd Robert Rantoul Jr. (D)Died August 7, 1852 Francis B. Fay (W)Seated December 13, 1852
Massachusetts 9th Orin Fowler (W)Died September 3, 1852 Edward P. Little (D)Seated December 13, 1852
Massachusetts 4th Benjamin Thompson (W)Died September 24, 1852 Lorenzo Sabine (W)Seated December 13, 1852
New York 17th Alexander H. Buell (D)Died January 29, 1853VacantNot filled this term

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Caucuses

Employees

Legislative branch agency directors

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

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References

  1. Faris, David M. (2018). It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. Melville House Publishing. p. 123. ISBN   978-1612196954.
  2. Taylor, William Alexander; Taylor, Aubrey Clarence (1899). Ohio statesmen and annals of progress: from the year 1788 to the year 1900 . State of Ohio. p. 240.
  3. Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 76. ISBN   9780160632563.