Twenty-second United States Congress

Twenty-second United States Congress
Name	Twenty-second United States Congress
Meeting place	United States Capitol
Term start	March 4, 1831
Term end	March 3, 1833
Vice president	John C. Calhoun
Speaker	Andrew Stevenson
Senators	48
Representatives	213
Majority	Jacksonian Party (Senate: plurality; House: majority)
Session number1	1st Session
Session start1	December 5, 1831
Session end1	July 16, 1832
Session number2	2nd Session
Session start2	December 3, 1832
Session end2	March 3, 1833

Twenty-second United States Congress convened from March 4, 1831, to March 3, 1833, during the third year of Andrew Jackson's presidency and the vice presidency of John C. Calhoun. It met at the United States Capitol and presided over pivotal disputes involving the Bank of the United States, tariff policy leading to the Nullification Crisis, and the expansion of executive power embodied in the Spoils system. The Congress's composition reflected the rising influence of the Jacksonian Party and the fracturing of the National Republican Party and emerging Whig Party coalitions.

Background and Membership

The membership reflected state delegations from the Adams-Onís Treaty era states plus the recently admitted Missouri and western territories represented by delegates such as George W. Woodward and others. Senators included prominent figures like Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Thomas Hart Benton, William H. Crawford's contemporaries, and rising leaders such as Edward Livingston and Levi Woodbury. The House roster comprised representatives such as John Quincy Adams's allies, Davy Crockett's contemporaries, Henry Baldwin, John Randolph of Roanoke allies, and regional powerbrokers from Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Georgia. Delegates from territories including Florida Territory, Michigan Territory, and Arkansas Territory participated in debates without full voting rights. The period saw contested elections adjudicated by the House Committee on Elections and adjudication influenced by partisan realignments related to figures like Martin Van Buren and supporters of Nicholas Biddle.

Sessions and Legislative Activity

The 1st session convened December 5, 1831, and addressed appropriations for United States Army operations, Indian removal enforcement following the Indian Removal Act of 1830, and investigations into federal financial policy tied to the Second Bank of the United States. The 2nd session opened December 3, 1832, overlapping with the 1832 United States presidential election and produced laws affecting customs collection at ports such as Charleston, South Carolina and New Orleans, Louisiana. Committees like the Ways and Means and the Senate Finance Committee steered tariff debates toward the Tariff of 1828 aftermath and the Tariff of 1832 compromise. Congressional inquiries referenced testimony from figures such as Samuel Swartwout and banking officials aligned with Nicholas Biddle.

Major Legislation and Congressional Acts

Major enactments included revisions to tariff law embodied in the Tariff of 1832, measures touching revenue collection at ports including Boston, Massachusetts and Savannah, Georgia, and appropriation bills for the United States military and internal improvements contested by advocates like Henry Clay and opponents aligned with Jacksonian democracy. The Congress also considered legislation enforcing removal policies affecting Cherokee Nation claimants and debated charter-related provisions tied to the Second Bank of the United States and petitions from merchants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Baltimore, Maryland. Committees advanced bills concerning postal routes influenced by claims from Peter Cartwright's circuits and transportation interests in the Erie Canal corridor.

Leadership and Committee Structure

In the Senate, presiding duties fell to Vice President John C. Calhoun, with the chamber featuring majority and minority leaders among senators such as Daniel Webster (opposition) and Thomas Hart Benton (Jacksonian). In the House, Speaker Andrew Stevenson managed debates with aides and clerks drawn from the offices of John C. Calhoun allies and Jacksonian operatives. Key committees included the House Committee on Ways and Means, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senate Committee on Finance, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and the House Committee on Indian Affairs, chaired by members like Richard Mentor Johnson and Lewis Cass-aligned legislators. Subcommittees handled contested returns, petitions, and oversight tied to claims against the United States Navy and frontier militia provisioning.

Party Composition and Elections

The Jacksonian coalition held a working majority in the House and a strong plurality in the Senate, challenged by the National Republican Party and nascent Whig Party figures rallying around Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John Quincy Adams. Special elections and contested seats adjusted strength in states such as Kentucky, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The 1832 presidential contest between Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay energized congressional alignments, while party managers like Martin Van Buren and grassroots politicians including William Carroll influenced patronage and seat distributions.

Notable Debates and Controversies

Debates centered on the constitutionality and politicization of the Second Bank of the United States, with exchanges involving Nicholas Biddle, Andrew Jackson, and congressional proponents like Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. The tariff standoff escalated into the Nullification Crisis with John C. Calhoun and South Carolina legislators challenging federal tariffs, prompting debate over enforcement and remedies such as Force Bill-style measures and the Compromise Tariff of 1833 groundwork. Controversies included impeachment rumblings, allegations of patronage abuses tied to the Spoils system, disputes over Indian removal focused on the Cherokee Nation v. Georgia aftermath, and scandals involving customs officials in ports like Savannah and Charleston.

Adjournment, Succession, and Legacy

The Congress adjourned March 3, 1833, leaving a record that shaped subsequent measures in the 23rd Congress, influenced by the election of Andrew Jackson to a second term and the appointment of cabinet figures such as Martin Van Buren and Lewis Cass. Its legislative conflicts foreshadowed Whig Party organization, influenced judicial review in cases involving the Supreme Court of the United States's prior rulings, and informed later compromises such as the Compromise of 1833 trajectory. Members who rose to national prominence after service included lawmakers who became cabinet secretaries, governors, and Supreme Court justices, shaping antebellum political alignments and sectional debates that culminated in later crises.

Category:United States congressional sessions