23rd United States Congress

The 23rd 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, 1833, to March 4, 1835, during the fifth and sixth years of Andrew Jackson's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Fifth Census of the United States in 1830. The Senate had an Anti-Jacksonian or National Republican majority, and the House had a Jacksonian or Democratic majority.

Major events

March 28, 1834: Senate censured President Andrew Jackson for defunding the Second Bank of the United States
January 30, 1835: Richard Lawrence unsuccessfully tried to assassinate President Jackson in the United States Capitol; this was the first assassination attempt against a President of the United States.
Major legislation

Party summary

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

Senate

House of Representatives

For the beginning of this congress, the size of the House was increased from 213 seats to 240 seats, following the 1830 United States Census.

Leadership

Senate

President: Martin Van Buren
President pro tempore: Hugh Lawson White, until December 15, 1833
* George Poindexter, June 28, 1834 – November 30, 1834
* John Tyler, from March 3, 1835
House of Representatives
Speaker: Andrew Stevenson, until June 2, 1834
* John Bell, after June 2, 1834
Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and Representatives are listed 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, requiring reelection in 1838; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1834; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1836.

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

2. William R. King
3. Gabriel Moore
[List of [United States Senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]
1. Nathan Smith
3. Gideon Tomlinson
Delaware">List of United States Senators from Delaware">Delaware
1. Arnold Naudain
2. John M. Clayton
Georgia">List of United States Senators from Georgia">Georgia
2. George Troup, until November 8, 1833
* John P. King, from November 21, 1833
3. John Forsyth, until July 27, 1834
* Alfred Cuthbert, from January 12, 1835
Illinois">List of United States Senators from Illinois">Illinois
2. John M. Robinson
3. Elias Kane
Indiana">List of United States Senators from Indiana">Indiana
1. John Tipton
3. William Hendricks
Kentucky">List of United States Senators from Kentucky">Kentucky
2. George M. Bibb
3. Henry Clay
Louisiana">List of United States Senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
2. George A. Waggaman
3. Josiah S. Johnston, until May 19, 1833
* Alexander Porter, from December 19, 1833
Maine">List of United States Senators from Maine">Maine
1. Ether Shepley
2. Peleg Sprague, until January 1, 1835
* John Ruggles, from January 20, 1835
Maryland">List of United States Senators from Maryland">Maryland
1. Joseph Kent
3. Ezekiel F. Chambers, until December 20, 1834
* Robert H. Goldsborough, from January 13, 1835
Massachusetts">List of United States Senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
1. Daniel Webster
2. Nathaniel Silsbee
Mississippi">List of United States Senators from Mississippi">Mississippi
1. John Black, from November 22, 1833
2. George Poindexter
Missouri">List of United States Senators from Missouri">Missouri
1. Thomas H. Benton
3. Alexander Buckner, until June 5, 1833
* Lewis F. Linn, from October 25, 1833
New Hampshire">List of United States Senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
2. Samuel Bell
3. Isaac Hill
New Jersey">List of United States Senators from New Jersey">New Jersey
1. Samuel L. Southard
2. Theodore Frelinghuysen
New York">List of United States Senators from New York">New York
1. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge
3. Silas Wright
North Carolina">List of United States Senators from North Carolina">North Carolina
2. Bedford Brown
3. Willie P. Mangum
Ohio">List of United States Senators from Ohio">Ohio
1. Thomas Morris
3. Thomas Ewing
Pennsylvania">List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
1. Samuel McKean, from December 7, 1833
3. William Wilkins, until June 30, 1834
* James Buchanan, from December 6, 1834
Rhode Island">List of United States Senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
1. Asher Robbins
2. Nehemiah R. Knight
South Carolina">List of United States Senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
2. John C. Calhoun
3. William C. Preston, from November 26, 1833
Tennessee">List of United States Senators from Tennessee">Tennessee
1. Felix Grundy
2. Hugh Lawson White
Vermont">List of United States Senators from Vermont">Vermont
1. Benjamin Swift
3. Samuel Prentiss
Virginia">List of United States Senators from Virginia">Virginia
1. John Tyler
2. William Rives, until February 22, 1834
* Benjamin W. Leigh, from February 26, 1834