34th United States Congress

Major events

Main article: 1855 in the United States, 1856 in the United States, 1857 in the United States

• March 30, 1855: Elections were held for the first Kansas Territory legislature. Missourians crossed the border in large numbers to elect a pro-slavery body.
• July 2, 1855: The Kansas territorial legislature convened in Pawnee and began enacting proslavery laws.
• November 21, 1855: Large-scale Bleeding Kansas violence began with events leading to the Wakarusa War between antislavery and proslavery forces.
• December 3, 1855 – February 2, 1856: The election for Speaker of the House requires 133 ballots, the longest and most contentious speaker election in House history.
• January 24, 1856: President Franklin Pierce declared the new Free-State Topeka government in Bleeding Kansas to be in rebellion.
• January 26, 1856: First Battle of Seattle: Marines from the drove off Indian attackers after an all-day battle with settlers.
• February, 1856: Tintic War broke out in Utah.
• February 18, 1856: The American Party (Know-Nothings) nominated their first Presidential candidate, former President Millard Fillmore.
• May 21, 1856: Lawrence, Kansas, captured and burned by pro-slavery forces (the "Sacking of Lawrence").
• May 22, 1856: Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina attacking Senator Charles Sumner, beating him with a cane in the hall of the Senate, for a speech Sumner had made attacking Southerners who sympathized with the pro-slavery violence in Kansas ("Bleeding Kansas"). Sumner was unable to return to duty for 3 years while he recovered; Brooks became a hero across the South.
• May 24, 1856: Pottawatomie massacre
• June 2, 1856: Battle of Black Jack
• August 30, 1856: Battle of Osawatomie
• November 4, 1856: 1856 United States presidential election: Democrat James Buchanan defeated former President Millard Fillmore, representing a coalition of "Know-Nothings" and Whigs, and John C. Frémont of the fledgling Republican Party.
• November 17, 1856: On the Sonoita River in present-day southern Arizona, the United States Army established Fort Buchanan to help control new land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase.
• January 9, 1857: The 7.9 Mw Fort Tejon earthquake affects Central and Southern California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent).

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation, 1789–1901#1821 to 1831

• August 18, 1856: Guano Islands Act, ch. 164,

Treaties

• January 26, 1855: Point No Point Treaty signed in the Washington Territory. (Ratified March 8, 1859. Proclaimed April 29, 1859)
• July 1, 1855: Quinault Treaty signed, Quinault and Quileute ceded their land to the United States. (Ratified March 8, 1859. Proclaimed April 11, 1859)

Party summary

The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of this Congress. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

During the elections for this Congress, opponents to the Democrats used the Whig party label inconsistently and not at all in some states. Hence in this Congress, and in accordance with the practice of the Senate and House, representatives not associated with the Democratic Party or the American Party are labeled as "Opposition." This is the first example in U.S. history of a form of coalition government in either house of Congress.

Senate

House of Representatives

The parties that opposed the Democrats joined a coalition and formed the majority. The Know Nothings caucused with the Opposition coalition.

Leadership

Senate

• President: Vacant
• President pro tempore: Jesse D. Bright (D), until June 9, 1856
  • Charles E. Stuart (D, June 9, 1856 – June 10, 1856
  • Jesse D. Bright (D), June 11, 1856 – January 6, 1857
  • James M. Mason (D), from January 6, 1857

House of Representatives

• Speaker: Nathaniel P. Banks (A), elected February 2, 1856, on the 133rd ballot
• Democratic Caucus Chairman: George Washington Jones

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and representatives are listed by district.

Senate

Main article: List of United States senators in the 34th Congress

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 ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1856; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1858; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1860. :Skip to House of Representatives, below

[[List of United States senators from Alabama|Alabama]]

: 2. Clement C. Clay Jr. (D) : 3. Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D), from November 26, 1855

[[List of United States senators from Arkansas|Arkansas]]

: 2. William K. Sebastian (D) : 3. Robert W. Johnson (D)

[[List of United States senators from California|California]]

: 1. John B. Weller (D) : 3. William M. Gwin (D), from January 13, 1857

[[List of United States senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

: 1. Isaac Toucey (D) : 3. Lafayette S. Foster (R)

[[List of United States senators from Delaware|Delaware]]

: 1. James A. Bayard Jr. (D) : 2. John M. Clayton (W), until November 9, 1856 :: Joseph P. Comegys (W), November 19, 1856 – January 14, 1857 :: Martin W. Bates (D), from January 14, 1857

[[List of United States senators from Florida|Florida]]

: 1. Stephen Mallory (D) : 3. David Levy Yulee (D)

[[List of United States senators from Georgia|Georgia]]

: 2. Robert Toombs (D) : 3. Alfred Iverson Sr. (D)

[[List of United States senators from Illinois|Illinois]]

: 2. Stephen A. Douglas (D) : 3. Lyman Trumbull (D)

[[List of United States senators from Indiana|Indiana]]

: 1. Jesse D. Bright (D) : 3. Graham N. Fitch (D), from February 4, 1857

[[List of United States senators from Iowa|Iowa]]

: 2. George Wallace Jones (D) : 3. James Harlan (FS), until January 5, 1857 :: James Harlan (R), from January 29, 1857

[[List of United States senators from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: 2. John B. Thompson (A) : 3. John J. Crittenden (A)

[[List of United States senators from Louisiana|Louisiana]]

: 2. Judah P. Benjamin (W) : 3. John Slidell (D)

[[List of United States senators from Maine|Maine]]

: 1. Hannibal Hamlin (D) to (R) on June 12, 1856, until January 7, 1857 :: Amos Nourse (R), from January 16, 1857 : 2. William P. Fessenden (W)

[[List of United States senators from Maryland|Maryland]]

: 3. James A. Pearce (W) : 1. Thomas Pratt (W)

[[List of United States senators from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: 1. Charles Sumner (FS) : 2. Henry Wilson (R)

[[List of United States senators from Michigan|Michigan]]

: 1. Lewis Cass (D) : 2. Charles E. Stuart (D)

[[List of United States senators from Mississippi|Mississippi]]

: 1. Stephen Adams (D) : 2. Albert G. Brown (D)

[[List of United States senators from Missouri|Missouri]]

: 1. Henry S. Geyer (W) : 3. James S. Green (D), from January 12, 1857

[[List of United States senators from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

: 2. John P. Hale (R), from July 30, 1855 : 3. James Bell (R), from July 30, 1855

[[List of United States senators from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

: 1. John R. Thomson (D) : 2. William Wright (D)

[[List of United States senators from New York|New York]]

: 3. William H. Seward (R) : 1. Hamilton Fish (W)

[[List of United States senators from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

: 2. David S. Reid (D) : 3. Asa Biggs (D)

[[List of United States senators from Ohio|Ohio]]

: 1. Benjamin Wade (R) : 3. George E. Pugh (D)

[[List of United States senators from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

: 1. Richard Brodhead (D) : 3. William Bigler (D), from January 14, 1856

[[List of United States senators from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

: 1. Charles T. James (D) : 2. Philip Allen (D)

[[List of United States senators from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: 3. Andrew Butler (D) : 2. Josiah J. Evans (D)

[[List of United States senators from Tennessee|Tennessee]]

: 2. John Bell (W) : 1. James C. Jones (W)

[[List of United States senators from Texas|Texas]]

: 2. Samuel Houston (D) : 1. Thomas J. Rusk (D)

[[List of United States senators from Vermont|Vermont]]

: 1. Solomon Foot (R) : 3. Jacob Collamer (R)

[[List of United States senators from Virginia|Virginia]]

: 1. James M. Mason (D) : 2. Robert M. T. Hunter (D)

[[List of United States senators from Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]

: 1. Henry Dodge (D) : 3. Charles Durkee (R)

]]

House of Representatives

Main article: List of United States representatives in the 34th Congress

The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

[[List of United States representatives from Alabama|Alabama]]

: . Percy Walker (A) : . Eli S. Shorter (D) : . James F. Dowdell (D) : . William R. Smith (A) : . George S. Houston (D) : . Williamson R. W. Cobb (D) : . Sampson W. Harris (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Arkansas|Arkansas]]

: . Alfred B. Greenwood (D) : . Albert Rust (D)

[[List of United States representatives from California|California]]

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . James W. Denver (D) : . Philemon T. Herbert (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

: . Ezra Clark Jr. (A) : . John Woodruff (A) : . Sidney Dean (A) : . William W. Welch (A)

[[List of United States representatives from Delaware|Delaware]]

: . Elisha D. Cullen (A)

[[List of United States representatives from Florida|Florida]]

: . Augustus Maxwell (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Georgia|Georgia]]

: . James L. Seward (D) : . Martin J. Crawford (D) : . Robert P. Trippe (A) : . Hiram B. Warner (D) : . John H. Lumpkin (D) : . Howell Cobb (D) : . Nathaniel G. Foster (A) : . Alexander Stephens (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Illinois|Illinois]]

: . Elihu B. Washburne (O) : . James H. Woodworth (O) : . Jesse O. Norton (O) : . James Knox (O) : . William A. Richardson (D), until August 25, 1856 :: Jacob C. Davis (D), from November 4, 1856 : . Thomas L. Harris (D) : . James C. Allen (D), until July 18, 1856, and from November 4, 1856 : . James L. D. Morrison (D), from November 4, 1856 : . Samuel S. Marshall (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Indiana|Indiana]]

: . Smith Miller (D) : . William H. English (D) : . George G. Dunn (O) : . William Cumback (O) : . David P. Holloway (O) : . Lucien Barbour (O) : . Harvey D. Scott (O) : . Daniel Mace (O) : . Schuyler Colfax (O) : . Samuel Brenton (O) : . John U. Pettit (O)

[[List of United States representatives from Iowa|Iowa]]

: . Augustus Hall (D) : . James Thorington (O)

[[List of United States representatives from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: . Henry C. Burnett (D) : . John P. Campbell Jr. (A) : . Warner L. Underwood (A) : . Albert G. Talbott (D) : . Joshua Jewett (D) : . John M. Elliott (D) : . Humphrey Marshall (A) : . Alexander K. Marshall (A) : . Leander Cox (A) : . Samuel F. Swope (A)

[[List of United States representatives from Louisiana|Louisiana]]

: . George Eustis Jr. (A) : . Miles Taylor (D) : . Thomas G. Davidson (D) : . John M. Sandidge (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Maine|Maine]]

: . John M. Wood (O) : . John J. Perry (O) : . Ebenezer Knowlton (O) : . Samuel P. Benson (O) : . Israel Washburn Jr. (O) : . Thomas J. D. Fuller (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Maryland|Maryland]]

: . James A. Stewart (D) : . James B. Ricaud (A) : . J. Morrison Harris (A) : . Henry Winter Davis (A) : . Henry William Hoffman (A) : . Thomas F. Bowie (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: . Robert B. Hall (A) : . James Buffington (A) : . William S. Damrell (A) : . Linus B. Comins (A) : . Anson Burlingame (A) : . Timothy Davis (A) : . Nathaniel P. Banks (A) : . Chauncey L. Knapp (A) : . Alexander De Witt (A) : . Calvin C. Chaffee (A) : . Mark Trafton (A)

[[List of United States representatives from Michigan|Michigan]]

: . William A. Howard (O) : . Henry Waldron (O) : . David S. Walbridge (O) : . George W. Peck (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Mississippi|Mississippi]]

: . Daniel B. Wright (D) : . Hendley S. Bennett (D) : . William Barksdale (D) : . William A. Lake (A) : . John A. Quitman (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Missouri|Missouri]]

: . Luther M. Kennett (O) : . Gilchrist Porter (O) : . James J. Lindley (O) : . Mordecai Oliver (O) : . John G. Miller (O), until May 11, 1856 :: Thomas P. Akers (A), from August 18, 1856 : . John S. Phelps (D) : . Samuel Caruthers (O)

[[List of United States representatives from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

: . James Pike (A) : . Mason Tappan (A) : . Aaron H. Cragin (A)

[[List of United States representatives from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

: . Isaiah D. Clawson (O) : . George R. Robbins (O) : . James Bishop (O) : . George Vail (D) : . Alexander C. M. Pennington (O)

[[List of United States representatives from New York|New York]]

: . William Valk (A) : . James S. T. Stranahan (O) : . Guy R. Pelton (O) : . John Kelly (D) : . Thomas R. Whitney (A) : . John Wheeler (D) : . Thomas Child Jr. (O) : . Abram Wakeman (O) : . Bayard Clarke (O) : . Ambrose S. Murray (O) : . Rufus H. King (O) : . Killian Miller (O) : . Russell Sage (O) : . Samuel Dickson (O) : . Edward Dodd (O) : . George A. Simmons (O) : . Francis E. Spinner (D) : . Thomas R. Horton (O) : . Jonas A. Hughston (O) : . Orsamus B. Matteson (O), until February 27, 1857 : . Henry Bennett (O) : . Andrew Z. McCarty (O) : . William A. Gilbert (O), until February 27, 1857 : . Amos P. Granger (O) : . Edwin B. Morgan (O) : . Andrew Oliver (D) : . John M. Parker (O) : . William H. Kelsey (O) : . John Williams (D) : . Benjamin Pringle (O) : . Thomas T. Flagler (O) : . Solomon G. Haven (O) : . Francis S. Edwards (A), until February 28, 1857

[[List of United States representatives from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

: . Robert T. Paine (A) : . Thomas H. Ruffin (D) : . Warren Winslow (D) : . Lawrence O'Bryan Branch (D) : . Edwin G. Reade (A) : . Richard C. Puryear (A) : . F. Burton Craige (D) : . Thomas L. Clingman (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Ohio|Ohio]]

: . Timothy C. Day (O) : . John Scott Harrison (O) : . Lewis D. Campbell (O) : . Matthias H. Nichols (O) : . Richard Mott (O) : . Jonas R. Emrie (O) : . Aaron Harlan (O) : . Benjamin Stanton (O) : . Cooper K. Watson (O) : . Oscar F. Moore (O) : . Valentine B. Horton (O) : . Samuel Galloway (O) : . John Sherman (O) : . Philemon Bliss (O) : . William R. Sapp (O) : . Edward Ball (O) : . Charles J. Albright (O) : . Benjamin F. Leiter (O) : . Edward Wade (O) : . Joshua R. Giddings (O) : . John Bingham (O)

[[List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

: . Thomas B. Florence (D) : . Job R. Tyson (O) : . William Millward (O) : . Jacob Broom (A) : . John Cadwalader (D) : . John Hickman (D) : . Samuel C. Bradshaw (O) : . J. Glancey Jones (D) : . Anthony E. Roberts (O) : . John C. Kunkel (O) : . James H. Campbell (O) : . Henry M. Fuller (O) : . Asa Packer (D) : . Galusha A. Grow (D) : . John J. Pearce (O) : . Lemuel Todd (O) : . David F. Robison (O) : . John R. Edie (O) : . John Covode (O) : . Jonathan Knight (O) : . David Ritchie (O) : . Samuel A. Purviance (O) : . John Allison (O) : . David Barclay (D) : . John Dick (O)

[[List of United States representatives from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

: . Nathaniel B. Durfee (A) : . Benjamin B. Thurston (A)

[[List of United States representatives from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: . John McQueen (D) : . William Aiken Jr. (D) : . Laurence M. Keitt (D), until July 15, 1856, and from August 6, 1856 : . Preston Brooks (D), until July 15, 1856, and from August 1, 1856, until January 27, 1857 : . James L. Orr (D) : . William W. Boyce (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Tennessee|Tennessee]]

: . Albert G. Watkins (D) : . William H. Sneed (A) : . Samuel A. Smith (D) : . John H. Savage (D) : . Charles Ready (A) : . George W. Jones (D) : . John V. Wright (D) : . Felix K. Zollicoffer (A) : . Emerson Etheridge (A) : . Thomas Rivers (A)

[[List of United States representatives from Texas|Texas]]

: . Lemuel D. Evans (A) : . Peter H. Bell (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Vermont|Vermont]]

: . James Meacham (O), until August 23, 1856 :: George T. Hodges (R), from December 1, 1856 : . Justin S. Morrill (O) : . Alvah Sabin (O)

[[List of United States representatives from Virginia|Virginia]]

: . Thomas H. Bayly (D), until June 23, 1856 :: Muscoe R. H. Garnett (D), from December 1, 1856 : . John S. Millson (D) : . John Caskie (D) : . William Goode (D) : . Thomas S. Bocock (D) : . Paulus Powell (D) : . William Smith (D) : . Charles J. Faulkner Sr. (D) : . John Letcher (D) : . Zedekiah Kidwell (D) : . John S. Carlile (A) : . Henry A. Edmundson (D) : . LaFayette McMullen (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]

: . Daniel Wells Jr. (D) : . Cadwallader C. Washburn (O) : . Charles Billinghurst (O)

Non-voting members

: . John W. Whitfield (D), until August 1, 1856, and from December 9, 1856 : . Henry M. Rice (D) : . Bird B. Chapman (D) : . José Manuel Gallegos (D), until July 23, 1856 :: Miguel A. Otero (D), from July 23, 1856 : . Joseph Lane (D) : . John M. Bernhisel : . James P. Anderson (D)

Changes in membership

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

Senate

Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy

|- | nowrap | New Hampshire (2) | Vacant | Charles G. Atherton (D) died during the previous Congress. Jared W. Williams (D) was appointed November 29, 1853, to continue the term, but his term was deemed expired July 15, 1854, and the legislature failed to elect a successor. A successor was finally elected July 30, 1855. | nowrap | John Parker Hale (R) | July 30, 1855

|- | nowrap | New Hampshire (3) | Vacant | Legislature failed to elect on time. Successor was elected. | nowrap | James Bell (R) | July 30, 1855

|- | nowrap | Alabama (3) | Vacant | Legislature failed to elect on time. Incumbent was then re-elected November 26, 1855. | nowrap | Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) | November 26, 1855

|- | nowrap | Pennsylvania (3) | Vacant | Legislature failed to elect on time. Successor elected January 14, 1856. | nowrap | William Bigler (D) | January 14, 1856

|- | nowrap | Missouri (3) | Vacant | Elected but took seat late on January 12, 1857. | nowrap | James S. Green (D) | January 12, 1857

|- | nowrap | California (3) | Vacant | Legislature failed to elect on time. Incumbent was then re-elected January 13, 1857. | nowrap | William M. Gwin (D) | January 13, 1857

|- | nowrap | Indiana (3) | Vacant | Legislature failed to elect on time. Senator elected February 4, 1857. | nowrap | Graham N. Fitch (D) | February 4, 1857

|- | nowrap | Delaware (2) | nowrap | John M. Clayton (W) | Died November 9, 1856. Successor was appointed. | nowrap | Joseph P. Comegys (W) | November 19, 1856

|- | nowrap | Maine (1) | nowrap | Hannibal Hamlin (D) | Resigned January 7, 1857, to become Governor of Maine. Successor was elected January 16, 1857. | nowrap | Amos Nourse (R) | January 16, 1857

|- | nowrap | Delaware (2) | nowrap | Joseph P. Comegys (W) | Appointment expired January 14, 1857, upon successor's election. | nowrap | Martin W. Bates (D) | January 14, 1857

|- | nowrap | Iowa (3) | nowrap | James Harlan (FS) | Owing to irregularities in the legislative proceedings the Senate declared the seat vacant January 5, 1857. Incumbent was subsequently re-elected January 29, 1857, to fill the vacancy caused by his ouster. | nowrap | James Harlan (R) | January 29, 1857

|}

House of Representatives

• Replacements: 6
  • Democrats: 2 seat net loss
  • Opposition: 4 seat net gain
• Deaths: 4
• Resignations: 5
• Contested election: 1
• Total seats with changes: 10 Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy --

Main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

|- | | Vacant | | James L. D. Morrison (D)

| | | John G. Miller (O) | | Thomas P. Akers (A)

| | | Thomas H. Bayly (D) | | Muscoe R. H. Garnett (D)

| | | Laurence M. Keitt (D) | | Laurence M. Keitt (D)

| | | Preston Brooks (D) | | Preston Brooks (D)

| | | James C. Allen (D) | | James C. Allen (D)

| | | José M. Gallegos (D) | | Miguel A. Otero (D)

| | | John W. Whitfield (D) | | John W. Whitfield (D)

| | | James Meacham (O) | | George T. Hodges (R)

| | | William A. Richardson (D) | | Jacob C. Davis (D)

| | | Preston Brooks (D) | Vacant

| | | Orsamus B. Matteson (O) | Vacant

| | | William A. Gilbert (O) | Vacant

| | | Francis S. Edwards (A) | Vacant | Not filled this term |}

Committees

List of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

• Agriculture (Chairman: Philip Allen)
• American Association for the Promotion of Science (Select)
• Atmospheric Telegraph Between Washington and Baltimore (Select)
• Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: Josiah J. Evans)
• Claims (Chairman: Richard Brodhead)
• Commerce (Chairman: Hannibal Hamlin then Henry Dodge)
• Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: Albert G. Brown)
• Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Jacob Collamer)
• Finance (Chairman: Robert M. T. Hunter)
• Foreign Relations (Chairman: James M. Mason)
• French Spoilations (Select)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: William K. Sebastian)
• Judiciary (Chairman: Andrew P. Butler)
• Library (Chairman: James A. Pearce)
• Loss of Original Papers of Mark and Richard Bean (Select)
• Mexican Claims Commission (Select)
• Manufactures (Chairman: William Wright)
• Military Affairs (Chairman: John B. Weller)
• Militia (Chairman: Sam Houston)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: Stephen Mallory)
• Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
• Pacific Railroad (Select)
• Patents and the Patent Office (Chairman: Charles T. James)
• Pensions (Chairman: George Wallace Jones)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Thomas J. Rusk)
• Printing (Chairman: Robert W. Johnson)
• Private Claims Commission (Select)
• Private Land Claims (Chairman: Judah P. Benjamin)
• Protection of Life and Health in Passenger Ships (Select)
• Public Buildings (Chairman: James A. Bayard)
• Public Lands (Chairman: Charles E. Stuart)
• Retrenchment (Chairman: Stephen Adams)
• Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Josiah J. Evans)
• Roads and Canals (Chairman: John Slidell)
• Sickness on Emigrant Ships (Select)
• Tariff Regulation (Select)
• Territories (Chairman: Stephen A. Douglas)
• Whole

House of Representatives

• Accounts (Chairman: Benjamin B. Thurston)
• Agriculture (Chairman: David P. Holloway)
• Claims (Chairman: John Hickman)
• Commerce (Chairman: Elihu B. Washburne)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: Orsamus B. Matteson)
• Elections (Chairman: Israel Washburn Jr.)
• Engraving (Chairman: William H. Kelsey)
• Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: Thomas L. Harris)
• Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: John Pettit)
• Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: Preston S. Brooks)
• Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: Henry Waldron)
• Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: Joshua H. Jewett)
• Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: Fayette McMullen)
• Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Alexander C. M. Pennington)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: Benjamin Pringle)
• Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Andrew Oliver)
• Judiciary (Chairman: George A. Simmons)
• Manufactures (Chairman: Ezra Clark Jr.)
• Mileage (Chairman: William H. Sneed)
• Military Affairs (Chairman: John A. Quitman)
• Militia (Chairman: John C. Kunkel)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: Samuel P. Benson)
• Patents (Chairman: Edwin B. Morgan)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Daniel Mace)
• Private Land Claims (Chairman: Gilchrist Porter)
• Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Edward Ball)
• Public Expenditures (Chairman: Sidney Dean)
• Public Lands (Chairman: Henry Bennett)
• Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Alvah Sabin)
• Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: David Ritchie)
• Revolutionary Pensions (Chairman: Jacob Broom)
• Roads and Canals (Chairman: James Knox)
• Rules (Select)
• Standards of Official Conduct
• Territories (Chairman: Galusha A. Grow)
• Ways and Means (Chairman: Lewis D. Campbell)
• Whole

Joint committees

• Amending the Constitution on Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections
• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Rep. James Pike)
• The Library (Chairman: Rep. William Aiken)
• Printing (Chairman: Rep. Matthias H. Nichols)
• San Francisco Disaster

Caucuses

• Democratic (House)
• Democratic (Senate)

Employees

[[List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress|Legislative branch agency]] directors

• Architect of the Capitol: Thomas U. Walter
• Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan

Senate

• Chaplain: Henry Slicer (Methodist), until December 4, 1855
  • Henry C. Dean (Methodist), until December 8, 1856
  • Stephen P. Hill (Baptist), elected December 8, 1856
• Secretary: Asbury Dickins
• Sergeant at Arms: Dunning R. McNair

House of Representatives

• Chaplain: None
• Clerk: John W. Forney, until February 4, 1856
  • William Cullom, elected February 4, 1856
• Doorkeeper: Nathan Darling
• Messenger: Thaddeus Morrice
• Postmaster: Robert Morris
• Sergeant at Arms: Adam J. Glossbrenner
• Reading Clerks:

Notes

References

References

1. "The longest and most contentious Speaker election in its history".
2. "The Opening of the 34th Congress".