36th United States Congress

The 36th 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, 1859, to March 4, 1861, during the third and fourth years of James Buchanan's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1850 United States census. The Senate had a Democratic majority, and the House had a Republican plurality.

36th United States Congress
35th ← → 37th
United States Capitol (1860)
March 4, 1859 – March 4, 1861
Members	66 senators 238 representatives 5 non-voting delegates
Senate majority	Democratic (until February 4, 1861) Republican (from February 4, 1861)
Senate President	John C. Breckinridge (D)
House majority	Republican-led coalition
House Speaker	William Pennington (R)
Sessions
Special[a]: March 4, 1859 – March 10, 1859 1st: December 5, 1859 – June 26, 1860 Special[b]: June 26, 1860 – June 28, 1860 2nd: December 3, 1860 – March 4, 1861

Major events

Main articles: 1859 in the United States, 1860 in the United States, and 1861 in the United States

See also: Secession in the United States

• June 8, 1859: Comstock Lode discovered in the western Utah Territory (present-day Nevada)
• August 27, 1859: First oil well was drilled in the United States, near Titusville, Pennsylvania
• October 16–18, 1859: John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
• December 2, 1859 John Brown executed.
• December 5, 1859 – February 1, 1860: The election for the House speakership takes 44 ballots
• April 3, 1860: Pony Express began its first run
• April 23 – May 3, 1860: Democratic National Convention held in Charleston, South Carolina.^[1] Unable to agree on a nominee, the delegates voted to reconvene in June.^[2]
• May 9, 1860: Constitutional Union Party National Convention held in Baltimore, Maryland, nominating John Bell for president.^[3]
• May 18, 1860: Republican National Convention held in Chicago, Illinois, nominating Abraham Lincoln for president.
• June 18–23, 1860: Democratic Party reconvened in Baltimore, Maryland, nominating Stephen A. Douglas for president.^[2]
• June 26–28, 1860: Southern Democrats held a convention in Richmond, Virginia, nominating John C. Breckinridge for president.^[2]
• November 6, 1860: U.S. presidential election: Abraham Lincoln beat John C. Breckinridge, Stephen A. Douglas, and John Bell.
• December 20, 1860: South Carolina Secession Convention enacted an Ordinance of Secession^[4][5]
• January 3, 1861: Delaware Secession Convention voted not to secede from the Union^[6]
• January 9, 1861: Mississippi Secession Convention enacted an Ordinance of Secession^[7][5]
• January 10, 1861: Florida Secession Convention enacted an Ordinance of Secession^[8][5]
• January 11, 1861: Alabama Secession Convention enacted an Ordinance of Secession^[9][5]
• January 18, 1861: Georgia Secession Convention enacted an Ordinance of Secession^[10][5]
• January 26, 1861: Louisiana Secession Convention enacted an Ordinance of Secession^[11][5]
• January 29, 1861. Kansas admitted to the Union as a free state.
• February 1, 1861: Texas Secession Convention enacted an Ordinance of Secession^[12][5]
• February 13, 1861: Joint Session of Congress certified the election of President Abraham Lincoln and Vice President Hannibal Hamlin.^[13]
• February 23, 1861: The people of Texas ratified its Ordinance of Secession^[12] President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived secretly in Washington, D.C. after an alleged assassination plot in Baltimore, Maryland.

Major legislation

Main article: Major legislation: 36th United States Congress

• June 16, 1860: Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860, ch. 147, 12 Stat. 41
• March 2, 1861: Morrill Tariff, ch. 68, 12 Stat. 178
• December 18, 1860 (introduced): Crittenden Compromise, rejected by the House of Representatives and the Senate

Constitutional amendments

• March 2, 1861: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution that would shield "domestic institutions" of the states (which in 1861 included slavery) from the constitutional amendment process and from abolition or interference by Congress, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification 12 Stat. 251
  • This amendment, commonly known as the Corwin Amendment, has not been ratified and is still pending before the states.

Treaties

• March 8, 1859: Quinault Treaty ratified, 12 Stat. 927
• March 8, 1859: Point No Point Treaty ratified, 12 Stat. 933

States admitted and territories organized

• January 29, 1861: Kansas admitted as a state, ch. 20, 12 Stat. 126
• February 28, 1861: Colorado Territory organized, ch. 59, 12 Stat. 172
• March 2, 1861: Nevada Territory organized, ch. 83, 12 Stat. 209
• March 2, 1861: Dakota Territory organized, ch. 86, 12 Stat. 239

Party summary

Senate membership Begin (March 4, 1859) End (March 3, 1861)

House membership Begin (March 4, 1859) End (March 3, 1861)

Senate

	Party (shading shows control)				Total	Vacant
	Know Nothing (A)	Democratic (D)	Republican (R)	Other
End of previous congress	4	42	20	0	66	0
Begin	2	38	25	0	65	1
End		25	26		53	15
Final voting share	3.8%	47.2%	49.1%	0.0%
Beginning of next congress	0	22	29	1[c]	52	16

House of Representatives

	Party (shading shows control)							Total	Vacant
	Know Nothing (A)	Democratic (D)	Anti- Lecompton Democratic (ALD)	Independent Democratic (ID)	Opposition (O)	Republican (R)	Other
End of previous congress	14	130	0	1	0	92	0	237	0
Begin	5	83	8	7	19	113	0	235	2
End		59	7		17	115		210	28
Final voting share	2.4%	28.1%	3.3%	3.3%	8.1%	54.8%	0.0%
Beginning of next congress	0	44	0	1	0	108	25[d]	178	62

Leadership

President of the Senate
John C. Breckinridge

Senate

• President: John C. Breckinridge (D)
• President pro tempore: Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D), until February 26, 1860
  • Jesse D. Bright (D), June 12–26, 1860
  • Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D), June 26, 1860 – December 2, 1860
  • Solomon Foot (R), elected February 16, 1861

House of Representatives

• Speaker: William Pennington (R), elected February 1, 1860, after 44 rounds of balloting^[14]
• Democratic Caucus Chairman: George S. Houston

Members

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

Skip to House of Representatives, below

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 in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1862; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1864; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1860.

Alabama ▌2. Clement C. Clay Jr. (D), until January 21, 1861 ▌3. Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D), until January 21, 1861 Arkansas ▌2. William K. Sebastian (D) ▌3. Robert W. Johnson (D) California ▌1. David C. Broderick (D), until September 16, 1859 ▌Henry P. Haun (D), November 3, 1859 – March 4, 1860 ▌Milton Latham (D), from March 5, 1860 ▌3. William M. Gwin (D) Connecticut ▌1. James Dixon (R) ▌3. Lafayette S. Foster (R) Delaware ▌1. James A. Bayard Jr. (D) ▌2. Willard Saulsbury Sr. (D) Florida ▌1. Stephen Mallory (D), until January 21, 1861 ▌3. David Levy Yulee (D), until January 21, 1861 Georgia ▌2. Robert Toombs (D), until February 4, 1861 ▌3. Alfred Iverson Sr. (D), until January 28, 1861 Illinois ▌2. Stephen A. Douglas (D) ▌3. Lyman Trumbull (R) Indiana ▌1. Jesse D. Bright (D) ▌3. Graham N. Fitch (D) Iowa ▌2. James W. Grimes (R) ▌3. James Harlan (R) Kansas 2. Vacant from January 29, 1861 (newly admitted state) 3. Vacant from January 29, 1861 (newly admitted state) Kentucky ▌2. Lazarus W. Powell (D) ▌3. John J. Crittenden (A) Louisiana ▌2. Judah P. Benjamin (D), until February 4, 1861 ▌3. John Slidell (D), until February 4, 1861 Maine ▌1. Hannibal Hamlin (R), until January 17, 1861 ▌Lot M. Morrill (R), from January 17, 1861 ▌2. William Pitt Fessenden (R) Maryland ▌1. Anthony Kennedy (A) ▌3. James A. Pearce (D) Massachusetts ▌1. Charles Sumner (R) ▌2. Henry Wilson (R) Michigan ▌1. Zachariah Chandler (R) ▌2. Kinsley S. Bingham (R)

Minnesota ▌1. Henry M. Rice (D) ▌2. Morton S. Wilkinson (R) Mississippi ▌1. Jefferson Davis (D), until January 21, 1861 ▌2. Albert G. Brown (D), until January 12, 1861 Missouri ▌1. Trusten Polk (D) ▌3. James S. Green (D) New Hampshire ▌2. John P. Hale (R) ▌3. Daniel Clark (R) New Jersey ▌1. John R. Thomson (D) ▌2. John C. Ten Eyck (R) New York ▌1. Preston King (R) ▌3. William H. Seward (R) North Carolina ▌2. Thomas Bragg (D) ▌3. Thomas L. Clingman (D) Ohio ▌1. Benjamin Wade (R) ▌3. George E. Pugh (D) Oregon ▌2. Edward D. Baker (R), from October 2, 1860 ▌3. Joseph Lane (D) Pennsylvania ▌1. Simon Cameron (R) ▌3. William Bigler (D) Rhode Island ▌1. James F. Simmons (R) ▌2. Henry B. Anthony (R) South Carolina ▌2. James Chesnut Jr. (D), until November 10, 1860 ▌3. James H. Hammond (D), until November 11, 1860 Tennessee ▌1. Andrew Johnson (D) ▌2. Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D), until March 3, 1861 Texas ▌1. Matthias Ward (D), until December 5, 1859 ▌Louis Wigfall (D), from December 5, 1859 ▌2. John Hemphill (D) Vermont ▌1. Solomon Foot (R) ▌3. Jacob Collamer (R) Virginia ▌1. James M. Mason (D) ▌2. Robert M. T. Hunter (D) Wisconsin ▌1. James R. Doolittle (R) ▌3. Charles Durkee (R)

Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 36th Congress in March 1859. The green stripes represent Know-Nothings.   2 Democrats   1 Democrat and 1 Republican   2 Republicans

President pro tempore Benjamin Fitzpatrick, until February 26, 1860 June 26, 1860 – December 2, 1860 President pro tempore Jesse D. Bright, June 12, 1860 – June 13, 1860 President pro tempore Solomon Foot, from February 16, 1861

House of Representatives

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

Alabama ▌1. James A. Stallworth (D), until January 21, 1861 ▌2. James L. Pugh (D), until January 21, 1861 ▌3. David Clopton (D), until January 21, 1861 ▌4. Sydenham Moore (D), until January 21, 1861 ▌5. George S. Houston (D), until January 21, 1861 ▌6. Williamson R. W. Cobb (D), until January 30, 1861 ▌7. Jabez L. M. Curry (D), until January 21, 1861 Arkansas ▌1. Thomas C. Hindman (D) ▌2. Albert Rust (D) California ▌At-large. John C. Burch (D) ▌At-large. Charles L. Scott (D) Connecticut ▌1. Dwight Loomis (R) ▌2. John Woodruff (R) ▌3. Alfred A. Burnham (R) ▌4. Orris S. Ferry (R) Delaware ▌At-large. William G. Whiteley (D) Florida ▌At-large. George S. Hawkins (D), until January 21, 1861 Georgia ▌1. Peter E. Love (D), until January 23, 1861 ▌2. Martin J. Crawford (D), until January 23, 1861 ▌3. Thomas Hardeman Jr. (O), until January 23, 1861 ▌4. Lucius J. Gartrell (D), until January 23, 1861 ▌5. John W. H. Underwood (D), until January 23, 1861 ▌6. James Jackson (D), until January 23, 1861 ▌7. Joshua Hill (O), until January 23, 1861 ▌8. John J. Jones (D), until January 23, 1861 Illinois ▌1. Elihu B. Washburne (R) ▌2. John F. Farnsworth (R) ▌3. Owen Lovejoy (R) ▌4. William Kellogg (R) ▌5. Isaac N. Morris (D) ▌6. John A. McClernand (D), from November 8, 1859 ▌7. James C. Robinson (D) ▌8. Philip B. Fouke (D) ▌9. John A. Logan (D) Indiana ▌1. William E. Niblack (D) ▌2. William H. English (D) ▌3. William McKee Dunn (R) ▌4. William S. Holman (D) ▌5. David Kilgore (R) ▌6. Albert G. Porter (R) ▌7. John G. Davis (ALD) ▌8. James Wilson (R) ▌9. Schuyler Colfax (R) ▌10. Charles Case (R) ▌11. John U. Pettit (R) Iowa ▌1. Samuel Curtis (R) ▌2. William Vandever (R) Kansas ▌At-large. Martin F. Conway (R), from January 29, 1861 (newly admitted state) Kentucky ▌1. Henry C. Burnett (D) ▌2. Samuel O. Peyton (D) ▌3. Francis Bristow (O) ▌4. William C. Anderson (O) ▌5. John Y. Brown (D), from December 3, 1860 ▌6. Green Adams (O) ▌7. Robert Mallory (O) ▌8. William E. Simms (D) ▌9. Laban T. Moore (O) ▌10. John W. Stevenson (D) Louisiana ▌1. John E. Bouligny (A) ▌2. Miles Taylor (D), until February 5, 1861 ▌3. Thomas G. Davidson (D) ▌4. John M. Landrum (D) Maine ▌1. Daniel E. Somes (R) ▌2. John J. Perry (R) ▌3. Ezra B. French (R) ▌4. Freeman H. Morse (R) ▌5. Israel Washburn Jr. (R), until January 1, 1861 ▌Stephen Coburn (R), from January 2, 1861 ▌6. Stephen C. Foster (R) Maryland ▌1. James A. Stewart (D) ▌2. Edwin H. Webster (A) ▌3. J. Morrison Harris (A) ▌4. Henry Winter Davis (A) ▌5. Jacob M. Kunkel (D) ▌6. George W. Hughes (D) Massachusetts ▌1. Thomas D. Eliot (R) ▌2. James Buffington (R) ▌3. Charles F. Adams Sr. (R) ▌4. Alexander H. Rice (R) ▌5. Anson Burlingame (R) ▌6. John B. Alley (R) ▌7. Daniel W. Gooch (R) ▌8. Charles R. Train (R) ▌9. Eli Thayer (R) ▌10. Charles Delano (R) ▌11. Henry L. Dawes (R) Michigan ▌1. George B. Cooper (D), until May 15, 1860 ▌William A. Howard (R), from May 15, 1860 ▌2. Henry Waldron (R) ▌3. Francis W. Kellogg (R) ▌4. Dewitt C. Leach (R) Minnesota Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. (2 Republicans) ▌At-large. Cyrus Aldrich (R) ▌At-large. William Windom (R) Mississippi ▌1. Lucius Q. C. Lamar (D), until December 20, 1860 ▌2. Reuben Davis (D), until January 12, 1861 ▌3. William Barksdale (D), until January 12, 1861 ▌4. Otho R. Singleton (D), until January 12, 1861 ▌5. John J. McRae (D), until January 12, 1861 Missouri ▌1. John R. Barret (D), until June 8, 1860 ▌Francis P. Blair Jr. (R), June 8, 1860 – June 25, 1860 ▌John R. Barret (D), from December 3, 1860 ▌2. Thomas L. Anderson (ID) ▌3. John B. Clark (D) ▌4. James Craig (D) ▌5. Samuel H. Woodson (A) ▌6. John S. Phelps (D) ▌7. John W. Noell (D) New Hampshire ▌1. Gilman Marston (R) ▌2. Mason Tappan (R) ▌3. Thomas M. Edwards (R) New Jersey ▌1. John T. Nixon (R) ▌2. John L. N. Stratton (R) ▌3. Garnett Adrain (ALD) ▌4. Jetur R. Riggs (ALD) ▌5. William Pennington (R)

New York ▌1. Luther C. Carter (R) ▌2. James Humphrey (R) ▌3. Daniel Sickles (D) ▌4. Thomas J. Barr (ID) ▌5. William B. Maclay (D) ▌6. John Cochrane (D) ▌7. George Briggs (R) ▌8. Horace F. Clark (ALD) ▌9. John B. Haskin (ALD) ▌10. Charles H. Van Wyck (R) ▌11. William S. Kenyon (R) ▌12. Charles L. Beale (R) ▌13. Abram B. Olin (R) ▌14. John H. Reynolds (ALD) ▌15. James B. McKean (R) ▌16. George W. Palmer (R) ▌17. Francis E. Spinner (R) ▌18. Clark B. Cochrane (R) ▌19. James H. Graham (R) ▌20. Roscoe Conkling (R) ▌21. R. Holland Duell (R) ▌22. M. Lindley Lee (R) ▌23. Charles B. Hoard (R) ▌24. Charles B. Sedgwick (R) ▌25. Martin Butterfield (R) ▌26. Emory B. Pottle (R) ▌27. Alfred Wells (R) ▌28. William Irvine (R) ▌29. Alfred Ely (R) ▌30. Augustus Frank (R) ▌31. Silas M. Burroughs (R), until June 3, 1860 ▌Edwin R. Reynolds (R), from December 5, 1860 ▌32. Elbridge G. Spaulding (R) ▌33. Reuben Fenton (R) North Carolina ▌1. William N. H. Smith (O) ▌2. Thomas Ruffin (D) ▌3. Warren Winslow (D) ▌4. Lawrence O'Bryan Branch (D) ▌5. John Gilmer (O) ▌6. James M. Leach (O) ▌7. F. Burton Craige (D) ▌8. Zebulon Vance (O) Ohio ▌1. George H. Pendleton (D) ▌2. John A. Gurley (R) ▌3. Clement Vallandigham (D) ▌4. William Allen (D) ▌5. James M. Ashley (R) ▌6. William Howard (D) ▌7. Thomas Corwin (R) ▌8. Benjamin Stanton (R) ▌9. John Carey (R) ▌10. Carey A. Trimble (R) ▌11. Charles D. Martin (D) ▌12. Samuel S. Cox (D) ▌13. John Sherman (R) ▌14. Cyrus Spink (R), until May 31, 1859 ▌Harrison G. O. Blake (R), from October 11, 1859 ▌15. William Helmick (R) ▌16. Cydnor B. Tompkins (R) ▌17. Thomas C. Theaker (R) ▌18. Sidney Edgerton (R) ▌19. Edward Wade (R) ▌20. John Hutchins (R) ▌21. John Bingham (R) Oregon ▌At-large. Lansing Stout (D) Pennsylvania ▌1. Thomas B. Florence (D) ▌2. Edward Joy Morris (R) ▌3. John P. Verree (R) ▌4. William Millward (R) ▌5. John Wood (R) ▌6. John Hickman (ALD) ▌7. Henry C. Longnecker (R) ▌8. John Schwartz (ALD), until June 20, 1860 ▌Jacob K. McKenty (D), from December 3, 1860 ▌9. Thaddeus Stevens (R) ▌10. John W. Killinger (R) ▌11. James H. Campbell (R) ▌12. George W. Scranton (R) ▌13. William H. Dimmick (D) ▌14. Galusha A. Grow (R) ▌15. James T. Hale (R) ▌16. Benjamin F. Junkin (R) ▌17. Edward McPherson (R) ▌18. Samuel S. Blair (R) ▌19. John Covode (R) ▌20. William Montgomery (D) ▌21. James K. Moorhead (R) ▌22. Robert McKnight (R) ▌23. William Stewart (R) ▌24. Chapin Hall (R) ▌25. Elijah Babbitt (R) Rhode Island ▌1. Christopher Robinson (R) ▌2. William D. Brayton (R) South Carolina ▌1. John McQueen (D), until December 21, 1860 ▌2. William P. Miles (D), until December 21, 1860 ▌3. Laurence M. Keitt (D), until December 1860 ▌4. Milledge L. Bonham (D), until December 21, 1860 ▌5. John D. Ashmore (D), until December 21, 1860 ▌6. William W. Boyce (D), until December 21, 1860 Tennessee ▌1. Thomas A. R. Nelson (O) ▌2. Horace Maynard (O) ▌3. Reese B. Brabson (O) ▌4. William B. Stokes (O) ▌5. Robert H. Hatton (O) ▌6. James H. Thomas (D) ▌7. John V. Wright (D) ▌8. James M. Quarles (O) ▌9. Emerson Etheridge (O) ▌10. William T. Avery (D) Texas ▌1. John H. Reagan (D) ▌2. Andrew J. Hamilton (ID) Vermont ▌1. Eliakim P. Walton (R) ▌2. Justin S. Morrill (R) ▌3. Homer E. Royce (R) Virginia ▌1. Muscoe R. H. Garnett (D) ▌2. John S. Millson (D) ▌3. Daniel C. De Jarnette (ID) ▌4. William Goode (D), until July 3, 1859 ▌Roger A. Pryor (D), from December 7, 1859 ▌5. Thomas S. Bocock (D) ▌6. Shelton Leake (ID) ▌7. William Smith (D) ▌8. Alexander Boteler (O) ▌9. John T. Harris (ID) ▌10. Sherrard Clemens (D) ▌11. Albert G. Jenkins (D) ▌12. Henry A. Edmundson (D) ▌13. Elbert S. Martin (ID) Wisconsin ▌1. John F. Potter (R) ▌2. Cadwallader C. Washburn (R) ▌3. Charles H. Larrabee (D) Non-voting members ▌Kansas Territory. Marcus J. Parrott (R), until January 29, 1861 ▌Nebraska Territory. Experience Estabrook, until May 18, 1860 ▌Samuel G. Daily (R), from May 18, 1860 ▌New Mexico Territory. Miguel A. Otero (D) ▌Utah Territory. William H. Hooper (D) ▌Washington Territory. Isaac Stevens (D)

House seats by party holding plurality in state   80+% to 100% Democratic   80+% to 100% Republican   60+% to 80% Democratic   60+% to 80% Republican   Up to 60% Democratic   Up to 60% Republican Speaker of the House William Pennington Group photo of the U.S. House of Representatives, in 1860, during this Congress.

Changes in membership

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

Senate

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate

• Replacements: 4
  • Democrats (D): no net change
  • Republicans (R): no net change
• Deaths: 1
• Resignations: 1
• Interim appointments: 1
• Withdrawals: 13
• Total seats with changes: 16

Senate changes

State (class)	Vacated by	Reason for change	Successor	Date of successor's formal installation[e]
Oregon (2)	Vacant	Successor elected late due to legislature's failure to elect.	Edward D. Baker (R)	October 2, 1860
California (1)	David C. Broderick (D)	Died September 16, 1859, after taking part in a duel he participated in, which he was unlucky. Interim successor was appointed to continue the term.	Henry P. Haun (D)	November 3, 1859
Texas (1)	Matthias Ward (D)	Interim appointee lost nomination to finish the term Successor elected December 5, 1859.	Louis Wigfall (D)	December 5, 1859
California (1)	Henry P. Haun (D)	Interim appointee lost election to finish the term Successor elected March 5, 1860.	Milton Latham (D)	March 5, 1860
South Carolina (2)	James Chesnut Jr. (D)	Withdrew November 10, 1860.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
South Carolina (3)	James H. Hammond (D)	Withdrew November 11, 1860.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Mississippi (2)	Albert G. Brown (D)	Withdrew January 12, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Maine (1)	Hannibal Hamlin (R)	Resigned January 17, 1861, to become Vice President of the United States. Successor elected January 17, 1861.	Lot M. Morrill (R)	January 17, 1861
Alabama (3)	Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Alabama (2)	Clement C. Clay (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Florida (1)	Stephen Mallory (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Florida (3)	David L. Yulee (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Mississippi (1)	Jefferson Davis (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Georgia (3)	Alfred Iverson Sr. (D)	Withdrew January 28, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Kansas (2)	New seat	New state admitted to the Union January 29, 1861 Senator was not elected until the next Congress.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Kansas (3)	New seat	New state admitted to the Union January 29, 1861 Senator was not elected until the next Congress.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Georgia (2)	Robert Toombs (D)	Withdrew February 4, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Louisiana (2)	Judah P. Benjamin (D)	Withdrew February 4, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Louisiana (3)	John Slidell (D)	Withdrew February 4, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress
Tennessee (2)	Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D)	Withdrew March 3, 1861.	Vacant	Not filled this Congress

House of Representatives

• Replacements: 7
  • Democrats (D): no net change
  • Republicans (R): 1 seat net loss
  • Anti-Lecompton Democrats (LD): 1 seat net gain
• Deaths: 4
• Resignations: 3
• Contested election: 1
• Withdrawals: 28
• Total seats with changes: 41

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

House changes

District	Vacated by	Reason for change	Successor	Date of successor's formal installation[e]
Illinois 6th	Vacant	Vacancy in term	John A. McClernand (D)	Seated November 8, 1859
Kentucky 5th	Vacant	Brown could not take seat because he had not yet attained age required by the US Constitution	John Y. Brown (D)	Seated December 3, 1860
Ohio 14th	Cyrus Spink (R)	Died May 31, 1859	Harrison G. O. Blake (R)	Seated October 11, 1859
Virginia 4th	William Goode (D)	Died July 3, 1859	Roger A. Pryor (D)	Seated December 7, 1859
Michigan 1st	George B. Cooper (D)	Lost contested election May 15, 1860	Francis P. Blair Jr. (R)	Seated May 15, 1860
Nebraska Territory At-large	Experience Estabrook	Lost contested election May 18, 1860	Samuel G. Daily (R)	Seated May 18, 1860
New York 31st	Silas M. Burroughs (R)	Died June 3, 1860	Edwin R. Reynolds (R)	Seated December 5, 1860
Missouri 1st	John R. Barret (D)	Lost contested election June 8, 1860	William A. Howard (R)	Seated June 8, 1860
Pennsylvania 8th	John Schwartz (ALD)	Died June 20, 1860	Jacob K. McKenty (D)	Seated December 3, 1860
Missouri 1st	William A. Howard (R)	Resigned June 25, 1860	John R. Barret (D)	Seated December 3, 1860
Mississippi 1st	Lucius Q. C. Lamar II (D)	Retired December ???, 1860	Vacant	Not filled this term
South Carolina 3rd	Laurence M. Keitt (D)	Retired December ???, 1860	Vacant	Not filled this term
South Carolina 1st	John McQueen (D)	Retired December 21, 1860	Vacant	Not filled this term
South Carolina 2nd	William P. Miles (D)	Retired December 21, 1860	Vacant	Not filled this term
South Carolina 4th	Milledge L. Bonham (D)	Retired December 21, 1860	Vacant	Not filled this term
South Carolina 5th	John D. Ashmore (D)	Retired December 21, 1860	Vacant	Not filled this term
South Carolina 6th	William W. Boyce (D)	Retired December 21, 1860	Vacant	Not filled this term
Maine 5th	Israel Washburn Jr. (R)	Resigned January 1, 1861, after being elected Governor of Maine	Stephen Coburn (R)	Seated January 2, 1861
Mississippi 2nd	Reuben Davis (D)	Withdrew January 12, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Mississippi 3rd	William Barksdale (D)	Withdrew January 12, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Mississippi 4th	Otho R. Singleton (D)	Withdrew January 12, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Mississippi 5th	John J. McRae (D)	Withdrew January 12, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Alabama 1st	James A. Stallworth (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Alabama 2nd	James L. Pugh (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Alabama 3rd	David Clopton (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Alabama 4th	Sydenham Moore (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Alabama 5th	George S. Houston (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Alabama 7th	Jabez L. M. Curry (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Florida At-large	George S. Hawkins (D)	Withdrew January 21, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Georgia 1st	Peter E. Love (D)	Retired January 23, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Georgia 2nd	Martin J. Crawford (D)	Withdrew January 23, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Georgia 3rd	Thomas Hardeman Jr. (O)	Withdrew January 23, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Georgia 4th	Lucius J. Gartrell (D)	Retired January 23, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Georgia 5th	John W. H. Underwood (D)	Withdrew January 23, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Georgia 6th	James Jackson (D)	Retired January 23, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Georgia 7th	Joshua Hill (O)	Resigned January 23, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Georgia 8th	John J. Jones (D)	Withdrew January 23, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Kansas Territory At-large	Marcus J. Parrott (R)	Kansas was admitted to the Union January 29, 1861	Seat eliminated
Kansas At-large	New Seat	Kansas was admitted to the Union January 29, 1861	Martin F. Conway (R)	Seated January 29, 1861
Alabama 6th	Williamson R. W. Cobb (D)	Withdrew January 30, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term
Louisiana 2nd	Miles Taylor (D)	Withdrew February 5, 1861	Vacant	Not filled this term

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

• Alter and Improve Senate Chamber (Select)
• Amendments to the Constitution (Select)
• Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: Andrew Johnson)
• Banks of the District of Columbia (Select)
• Circulation of Bank Notes in the District of Columbia (Select)
• Claims (Chairman: Alfred Iverson Jr.)
• Commerce (Chairman: Clement Claiborne Clay)
• Comptroller William Medill (Select)
• Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: Albert G. Brown)
• Duties of Imports (Select)
• Finance (Chairman: Robert M. T. Hunter)
• Foreign Relations (Chairman: James M. Mason)
• French Spoilations (Select)
• Harpers Ferry Invasion (Select)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: William K. Sebastian)
• Judiciary (Chairman: James A. Bayard Jr.)
• Memorial of Houmas Lands Settlers (Select)
• Military Affairs (Chairman: Jefferson Davis)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: Stephen Mallory)
• Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
• Pacific Railroad (Select)
• Patents and the Patent Office (Chairman: William Bigler)
• Pensions (Chairman: N/A)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: N/A)
• Printing (Chairman: N/A)
• Public Printing Investigation (Select)
• Private Land Claims (Chairman: N/A)
• Public Lands (Chairman: Robert W. Johnson)
• Retrenchment (Chairman: N/A)
• Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: N/A)
• Tariff Regulation (Select)
• Territories (Chairman: N/A)
• Thirteen on the Disturbed Condition of the Country (Select)
• Whole

House of Representatives

• Accounts (Chairman: Francis E. Spinner)
• Agriculture (Chairman: Martin Butterfield)
• Claims (Chairman: John Hickman)
• Commerce (Chairman: Elihu B. Washburne)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: Luther C. Carter)
• Elections (Chairman: John A. Gilmer)
• Engraving (Chairman: Garnett B. Adrain)
• Expenditures in the Interior Department (Chairman: N/A)
• Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: Robert Hatton)
• Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: George W. Palmer)
• Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: James B. McKean)
• Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: Dwight Loomis)
• Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: William Stewart)
• Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: William D. Brayton)
• Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Thomas Corwin)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: Emerson Etheridge)
• Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Reuben E. Fenton)
• Judiciary (Chairman: John Hickman)
• Manufactures (Chairman: Charles F. Adams)
• Mileage (Chairman: John D. Ashmore)
• Military Affairs (Chairman: Benjamin Stanton)
• Militia (Chairman: Cydnor B. Tompkins)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: Freeman H. Morse)
• Patents (Chairman: William Millward)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Schuyler Colfax)
• Private Land Claims (Chairman: Cadwallader C. Washburn)
• Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Charles R. Train)
• Public Expenditures (Chairman: John B. Haskin)
• Public Lands (Chairman: Eli Thayer)
• Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: John A. Logan)
• Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: George N. Briggs)
• Revolutionary Pensions (Chairman: John F. Potter)
• Roads and Canals (Chairman: Robert Mallory)
• Rules (Select)
• Standards of Official Conduct
• Territories (Chairman: Galusha A. Grow)
• Ways and Means (Chairman: John Sherman)
• Whole

Joint committees

• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Sen. Henry Haun then Sen. Willard Saulsbury Sr.)
• The Library (Chairman: Rep. John U. Pettit)
• Printing (Chairman: Rep. John A. Gurley)
• Making Arrangements for Inaugurating Washington's Statue

Caucuses

• Democratic (House)
• Democratic (Senate)

Employees

Legislative branch agency directors

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

Senate

• Chaplain: Stephen P. Hill (Baptist), until December 15, 1859
  • Phineas D. Gurley (Presbyterian), elected December 15, 1859
• Secretary: Asbury Dickins
• Sergeant at Arms: Dunning R. McNair

House of Representatives

• Clerk: James C. Allen, until February 3, 1860
  • John W. Forney, elected February 3, 1860
• Chaplain: None
• Doorkeeper: Robert B. Hackney, until February 6, 1860
  • George Marston, elected February 6, 1860
• Messenger: Thaddeus Morrice
• Postmaster: Josiah M. Lucas
• Reading Clerks: [data missing]
• Sergeant at Arms: Adam J. Glossbrenner, until February 3, 1860
  • Henry William Hoffman, from February 3, 1860

See also

• 1858 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
  • 1858–59 United States Senate elections
  • 1858–59 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1860 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
  • 1860 United States presidential election
  • 1860–61 United States Senate elections
  • 1860–61 United States House of Representatives elections

Notes

1. Special session of the Senate.
2. Special session of the Senate.
3. Unconditional Union
4. Unconditional Union & Constitutional Union
5. When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.