34th United States Congress

The 34th Congress of the United States , made up of the House and Senate , was the legislature of the United States . Its legislative period lasted from March 4, 1855 to March 4, 1857. All members of the House of Representatives and a third of the senators ( Class III ) were elected in the 1854 congressional elections. This resulted in a majority in the Senate for the Democratic Party . There were no clear majorities in the House of Representatives. A coalition of the short-lived Opposition Party and the American Party emerged . The United States Whig Party , which until the 1854 election was one of the two mainstream parties, was falling apart. For the last time, it provided 13 senators. It no longer played a role in the House of Representatives. Its members divided among the other parties, especially the American Party and later the Republican Party . The congress met in the American capital Washington, DC At that time the United States consisted of 31 states. President was the Democrat Franklin Pierce . The distribution of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1850 census .

Important events

See also 1855 , 1856, and 1857

• March 4, 1855: Beginning of the legislative period of the 34th Congress
• The entire legislative period has been shaped by tensions between the North and the South in the run-up to the American Civil War . There are already riots in some areas, especially in the later state of Kansas . See also Bleeding Kansas . In addition, the Indian Wars continue in the West .
• December 1855 - February 1856: The election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives dragged on over two months. It is the longest and most controversial election of the Speaker of Parliament in American history. There are up to 21 candidates and 133 ballots. The reasons for this are the relatively unstable majority relationships and tensions between supporters from the North and the South. Eventually, Nathaniel Prentiss Banks was elected speaker of the American Party.
• November 4, 1856: US presidential and congressional elections. The Democrat James Buchanan becomes the new president (in office March 4, 1857). With John C. Frémont , the Republicans had for the first time put up a presidential candidate who immediately won a majority in 11 states and was able to capture 114 electoral votes. See also 1856 Presidential Election in the United States . In the congressional elections, the Democrats win majorities in both chambers. Here, too, the Republicans succeed in establishing themselves as a political force.

The main laws

During the session of the 34th Congress, the following federal law was passed ( see also: Legislative procedure ):

• August 18, 1856: Guano Islands Act

Composition according to parties

senate

• Democratic Party: 40
• Republican Party: 6
• Whigs: 13
• Others: 3
• Vacant: 0

Total: 62 at the end of the legislative period

House of Representatives

• Democratic Party: 81
• Opposition Party: 96
• American Party: 52
• Republicans: 1
• Vacant: 4

Total: 234 at the end of the legislative period

There were also seven congressional delegates who were not entitled to vote

Public officials

senate

• President of the Senate : Vacant
• President per tempore : Jesse D. Bright (D) until June 9, 1856, Charles E. Stuart (D) 9-10. June 1856 for two days, then again Jesse Bright June 11, 1856 to January 6, 1857 and then James Murray Mason (D)

House of Representatives

• House Speaker : Nathaniel Prentiss Banks (American Party)

Senate members

The following senators represented their respective states in the 34th Congress:

Alabama 2. Clement Claiborne Clay (D) 3. Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) from November 26, 1855 Arkansas 2. William King Sebastian (D) 3. Robert Ward Johnson (D) California 1. John B. Weller (D) 3. William M. Gwin (D) from January 13, 1857 Connecticut 1. Isaac Toucey (D) 3. Lafayette S. Foster (R) Delaware 1. James A. Bayard (D) 2. John Middleton Clayton (W) until November 9, 1856 Joseph P. Comegys (W) between November 19, 1856 and January 14, 1857 Martin W. Bates (D) from January 14, 1857 Florida 1. Stephen Mallory (D) 3. David Levy Yulee (D) Georgia 2. Robert Augustus Toombs (D) 3. Alfred Iverson (D) Illinois 2. Stephen A. Douglas (D) 3. Lyman Trumbull (D) Indiana 1. Jesse D. Bright (D) 3. Graham N. Fitch (D) from February 4, 1857 Iowa 2. George W. Jones (D) 3. James Harlan (FS) or (R) until January 5, 1857 and again from January 29, 1857 Kentucky 2. John Burton Thompson (W) 3. John J. Crittenden (W) Louisiana 2. Judah Philip Benjamin (W) 3. John Slidell (D) Maine 1. Hannibal Hamlin (D) until January 7, 1857 Amos Nourse (R) from January 16, 1857 2. William P. Fessenden (W) Maryland 1. Thomas Pratt (W) 3. James Pearce (W) Massachusetts 1. Charles Sumner (FS = Free Soil Party) 2. Henry Wilson (FS / A / D)

Michigan 1. Lewis Cass (D) 2. Charles E. Stuart (D) Mississippi 1. Stephen Adams (D) 2. Albert G. Brown (D) Missouri 1. Henry S. Geyer (W) 3. James S. Green (D) from January 12, 1857 New Hampshire 2. John P. Hale (R) from July 30, 1855 3. James Bell (R) from July 30, 1855 New Jersey 1. John Renshaw Thomson (D) 2. William Wright (D) new York 1. Hamilton Fish (W) 3. William H. Seward (R) North Carolina 2. David Settle Reid (D) 3. Asa Biggs (D) Ohio 1. Benjamin Wade (R) 3. George E. Pugh (D) Pennsylvania 1. Richard Brodhead (D) 3. William Bigler (D) from January 14, 1856 Rhode Island 1. Charles Tillinghast James (D) 2. Philip Allen (D) South carolina 2. Josiah J. Evans (D) 3. Andrew Butler (D) Tennessee 1. James C. Jones (W) 2. John Bell (W) Texas 1. Thomas Jefferson Rusk (D) 2. Sam Houston (A) Vermont 1. Solomon Foot (R) 3. Jacob Collamer (R) Virginia 1. James Murray Mason (D) 2. Robert Hunter (D) Wisconsin 1. Henry Dodge (D) 3. Charles Durkee (R)

Members of the House of Representatives

The following congressmen represented the interests of their respective states in the 34th Congress:

Alabama 7 constituencies 1. Percy Walker (A) 2. Eli Sims Shorter (D) 3. James Ferguson Dowdell (D) 4. William Russell Smith (A) 5. George S. Houston (D) 6. Williamson Cobb (D) 7. Sampson Willis Harris (D) Arkansas 2 constituencies 1. Alfred B. Greenwood (D) 2. Albert Rust (D) California state-wide election James William Denver (D) Philemon T. Herbert (D) Connecticut 4 constituencies 1. Ezra Clark (A) 2. John Woodruff (A) 3. Sidney Dean (A) 4. William W. Welch (A) Delaware state-wide choice Elisha D. Cullen (A) Florida State-wide Augustus Maxwell (D) Georgia 8 constituencies 1. James Lindsay Seward (D) 2. Martin Jenkins Crawford (D) 3. Robert Pleasant Trippe (A) 4. Hiram Warner (D) 5. John Henry Lumpkin (D) 6. Howell Cobb (D) 7. Nathaniel Greene Foster (A) 8. Alexander Hamilton Stephens (D) Illinois 9 constituencies 1. Elihu Benjamin Washburne (O) 2. James Hutchinson Woodworth (O) 3. Jesse O. Norton (O) 4. James Knox (O) 5. William Alexander Richardson (D) until August 25, 1856 Jacob C. Davis (D) from November 4, 1856 6. Thomas L. Harris (D) 7. James C. Allen (D) 8. James LD Morrison (D) from November 4, 1856 9. Samuel S. Marshall (D) Indiana 11 constituencies 1. Smith Miller (D) 2. William Hayden English (D) 3. George G. Dunn (O) 4. William Cumback (O) 5. David P. Holloway (O) 6. Lucien Barbour (O) 7. Harvey D. Scott (O) 8. Daniel Mace (O) 9. Schuyler Colfax (O) 10. Samuel Brenton (O) 11. John U. Pettit (O) Iowa 2 constituencies 1. Augustus Hall (D) 2. James Thorington (O) Kentucky 10 constituencies 1. Henry Cornelius Burnett (D) 2. John P. Campbell (A) 3. Warner Underwood (A) 4. Albert G. Talbott (D) 5. Joshua Jewett (D) 6. John Milton Elliott (D) 7. Humphrey Marshall (A) 8. Alexander Keith Marshall (A) 9. Leander Cox (A) 10. Samuel F. Swope (A) Louisiana 4 constituencies 1. George Eustis (A) 2. Miles Taylor (D) 3. Thomas G. Davidson (D) 4. John M. Sandidge (D) Maine 6 constituencies 1. John M. Wood (O) 2. John J. Perry (O) 3. Ebenezer Knowlton (O) 4. Samuel P. Benson (O) 5. Israel Washburn (O) 6. Thomas JD Fuller (D) Maryland 6 constituencies. 1. James Augustus Stewart (D) 2. James Barroll Ricaud (A) 3. James Morrison Harris (A) 4. Henry Winter Davis (A) 5. Henry William Hoffman (A) 6. Thomas Fielder Bowie (D) Massachusetts 11 constituencies 1. Robert Bernard Hall (A) 2. James Buffinton (A) 3. William S. Damrell (A) 4. Linus B. Comins (A) 5. Anson Burlingame (A) 6. Timothy Davis (A) 7. Nathaniel Prentiss Banks (A) 8. Chauncey L. Knapp (A) 9. Alexander De Witt (A) 10. Calvin C. Chaffee (A) 11. Mark Trafton (A) Michigan 4 constituencies 1. William Alanson Howard (O) 2. Henry Waldron (O) 3. David S. Walbridge (O) 4. George Washington Peck (D) Mississippi 5 constituencies 1. Daniel B. Wright (D) 2. Hendley S. Bennett (D) 3. William Barksdale (D) 4. William A. Lake (A) 5. John A. Quitman (D) Missouri 7 constituencies 1. Luther Martin Kennett (O) 2. Gilchrist Porter (O) 3. James Johnson Lindley (O) 4. Mordecai Oliver (O) 5. John Gaines Miller (O) until May 11, 1856 Thomas Peter Akers (A) from August 18, 1856 6. John S. Phelps (D) 7. Samuel Caruthers (O) New Hampshire 3 electoral divisions 1. James Pike (A) 2. Mason Tappan (A) 3. Aaron H. Cragin (A) New Jersey 5 constituencies 1. Isaiah D. Clawson (O) 2. George R. Robbins (O) 3. James Bishop (O) 4. George Vail (D) 5. Alexander CM Pennington (O)

New York 33 constituencies. 1. William Valk (A) 2. James ST Stranahan (O) 3. Guy R. Pelton (O) 4. John Kelly (D) 5. Thomas R. Whitney (A) 6. John Wheeler (D) 7. Thomas Child (O) 8. Abram Wakeman (O) 9. Bayard Clarke (O) 10. Ambrose S. Murray (O) 11. Rufus H. King (O) 12. Killian Miller (O) 13. Russell Sage (O) 14. Samuel Dickson (O) 15. Edward Dodd (O) 16. George A. Simmons (O) 17. Francis E. Spinner (D) 18. Thomas R. Horton (O) 19. Jonas A. Hughston (O) 20. Orsamus B. Matteson (O) until February 27, 1857 21. Henry Bennett (O) 22. Andrew Z. McCarty (O) 23. William A. Gilbert (O) until February 27, 1857 24. Amos P. Granger (O) 25. Edwin B. Morgan (O) 26. Andrew Oliver (D) 27. John M. Parker (O) 28. William H. Kelsey (O) 29. John Williams (D) 30. Benjamin Pringle (O) 31. Thomas T. Flagler (O) 32. Solomon G. Haven (O) 33. Francis S. Edwards (A) until February 28, 1857 North Carolina 8 constituencies 1. Robert Treat Paine (A) 2. Thomas Ruffin (D) 3. Warren Winslow (D) 4. Lawrence O'Bryan Branch (D) 5. Edwin Godwin Reade (A) 6. Richard Clauselle Puryear (A) 7. Francis Burton Craige (D) 8. Thomas Lanier Clingman (D) Ohio 21 constituencies 1. Timothy C. Day (O) 2. John Scott Harrison (O) 3. Lewis D. Campbell (A) 4. Matthias H. Nichols (O) 5. Richard Mott (O) 6. Jonas R. Emrie (O) 7. Aaron Harlan (O) 8. Benjamin Stanton (O) 9. Cooper K. Watson (O) 10. Oscar F. Moore (O) 11. Valentine B. Horton (O) 12. Samuel Galloway (O) 13. John Sherman (O) 14. Philemon Bliss (O) 15. William R. Sapp (O) 16. Edward Ball (O) 17. Charles J. Albright (O) 18. Benjamin F. Leiter (O) 19. Edward Wade (O) 20. Joshua Reed Giddings (O) 21. John Bingham (O) Pennsylvania 25 constituencies 1. Thomas Birch Florence (D) 2. Job Roberts Tyson (O) 3. William Millward (O) 4. Jacob Broom (A) 5. John Cadwalader (D) 6. John Hickman (D) 7. Samuel Carey Bradshaw (O) 8. Jehu Glancy Jones (D) 9. Anthony Ellmaker Roberts (O) 10. John Christian Kunkel (O) 11. James Hepburn Campbell (O) 12. Henry Mills Fuller (O) 13. Asa Packer (D) 14. Galusha A. Grow (D) 15. John Jamison Pearce (O) 16. Lemuel Todd (O) 17. David Fullerton Robison (O) 18. John Rufus Edie (O) 19. John Covode (O) 20. Jonathan Knight (O) 21. David Ritchie (O) 22. Samuel Anderson Purviance (O) 23. John Allison (O) 24. David Barclay (D) 25. John Dick (O) Rhode Island 2 electoral districts 1. Nathaniel B. Durfee (A) 2. Benjamin Babock Thurston (A) South Carolina 6 constituencies 1. John McQueen (D) 2. William Aiken (D) 3. Laurence Massillon Keitt (D) 4. Preston Brooks (D) until January 28, 1857 5. James Lawrence Orr (D) 6. William Waters Boyce (D) Tennessee 10 constituencies 1. Albert Galiton Watkins (D) 2. William Henry Sneed (A) 3. Samuel Axley Smith (D) 4. John Houston Savage (D) 5. Charles Ready (A) 6. George Jones (D) 7. John Vines Wright (D) 8. Felix Zollicoffer (A) 9. Emerson Etheridge (A) 10. Thomas Rivers (A) Texas 2 electoral districts 1. Lemuel D. Evans (A) 2. Peter Hansborough Bell (D) Vermont 3 constituencies 1. James Meacham (O) until August 23, 1856 George Tisdale Hodges (R) from December 1, 1856 2. Justin Smith Morrill (O) 3. Alvah Sabin (O) Virginia 13 constituencies 1. Thomas H. Bayly (D) until June 23, 1856 Muscoe Garnett (D) from December 1, 1856 2. John Millson (D) 3. John Caskie (D) 4. William Goode (D) 5. Thomas Stanley Bocock (D) 6. Paulus Powell (D) 7. William Smith (D) 8. Charles J. Faulkner (D) 9. John Letcher (D) 10. Zedekiah Kidwell (D) 11. John S. Carlile (A) 12. Henry A. Edmundson (D) 13. Fayette McMullen (D) Wisconsin 3 constituencies 1. Daniel Wells (D) 2. Cadwallader C. Washburn (O) 3. Charles Billinghurst (O)

Members of the House of Representatives who are not entitled to vote:

• Kansas Territory : John Wilkins Whitfield (D)
• Minnesota Territory : Henry Mower Rice (D)
• Nebraska Territory : Bird Beers Chapman (D)
• New Mexico Territory : José Manuel Gallegos (D) until July 23, 1856, then Miguel Antonio Otero (D)
• Oregon Territory : Joseph Lane (D)
• Utah Territory : John Milton Bernhisel
• Washington Territory : James Patton Anderson (D)

Web links

Commons : 34th United States Congress  - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

• bioguide.congress.gov (by entering 34 under Year OR Congress: you get a list of the members of the 34th Congress with a link to the official biographies; English)