Twenty-third United States Congress

Twenty-third United States Congress
Name	23rd United States Congress
Meeting place	United States Capitol
Term	March 4, 1833 – March 4, 1835
Vice president	Martin Van Buren
President pro tem senate	Samuel L. Southard; John Tyler; Littleton W. Tazewell
Speaker	Andrew Stevenson
Senators	48
Representatives	240
Majority senate	Jacksonian
Majority house	Jacksonian
Session1	December 2, 1833 – June 30, 1834
Session2	December 1, 1834 – March 3, 1835

Twenty-third United States Congress

The Twenty-third United States Congress convened from March 4, 1833, to March 4, 1835, during the presidential term of Andrew Jackson and the vice presidency of Martin Van Buren. Dominated by the Jacksonian majority, the body faced disputes over the Second Bank of the United States, the Nullification Crisis, and Indian removal, while interacting with figures such as Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster, Nicholas Biddle, and Roger B. Taney.

Background and Political Context

The 1832 election and the aftermath of Jackson's veto of the recharter of the Second Bank of the United States shaped the political terrain, pitting Jacksonians against the National Republicans and nascent Whigs led by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. The Congress operated amid the Nullification Crisis involving South Carolina leaders such as John C. Calhoun and federal officials including James K. Polk and Martin Van Buren. Economic debates over tariffs invoked the Tariff of 1832 and prompted legislative responses influenced by regional leaders like Robert Y. Hayne. Indian removal policies, propelled by the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and implemented by William Clark-era officials and Cherokee Nation litigants, underscored tensions involving the Cherokee Nation and the Worcester v. Georgia aftermath. Internationally, debates referenced relations with Great Britain and issues arising from Stephen F. Austin-era developments in Texas.

Membership and Leadership

Senatorial leaders included presiding officers such as Vice President Martin Van Buren and presidents pro tempore Samuel L. Southard, John Tyler, and Littleton W. Tazewell, while House leadership centered on Speaker Andrew Stevenson. Prominent senators encompassed Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, Henry Clay of Kentucky (though primarily a representative influence), John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri, and Nicholas Biddle-aligned critics of Jackson. House membership featured influential representatives like John Quincy Adams (recently out of the presidency but active in policy debates via allies), William C. Preston, Richard Mentor Johnson, George McDuffie, and Davy Crockett until his 1835 departure. Delegates from territories including Arkansas Territory, Michigan Territory, and Florida Territory participated in committee work and territorial legislation.

Major Legislation and Resolutions

Key legislative action engaged the aftermath of Jackson's bank policy with measures addressing federal deposits, the Deposit Act-era practices, and oversight of fiscal transfers involving Nicholas Biddle and the Second Bank of the United States. Tariff-related resolutions revisited the Tariff of 1832 and anticipatory compromises later associated with Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. Congressional measures impacted Indian affairs through appropriation bills and enforcement clauses tied to removal of tribes such as the Choctaw and Cherokee, intersecting with litigation in Worcester v. Georgia precedents referenced by advocates like John Ross (Cherokee). Military and naval appropriations affected expeditions and installations linked to figures such as Winfield Scott. Legislation also touched postal reforms linked to Postmaster General William T. Barry and internal improvements debated by proponents like Cyrus West Field-era investors.

Congressional Committees and Structure

Committees followed traditional arrangements with key panels on Finance, Ways and Means, Judiciary, Naval Affairs, Military Affairs, Indian Affairs, and Post Office and Post Roads. Senate committees chaired by figures like Thomas Hart Benton and John Quincy Adams-aligned senators handled appropriations and treaty advice with diplomats such as Edward Livingston in the background. House committees, under chairs such as Henry Wise-aligned members and Wiley Thompson supporters, oversaw petitions from Indigenous communities, territorial requests from Stephen F. Austin sympathizers, and infrastructure proposals advocated by Henry Clay. Committee reports influenced floor debates that featured orators including Daniel Webster, Robert Y. Hayne, and John C. Calhoun.

Sessions and Legislative Actions

The first regular session (December 2, 1833 – June 30, 1834) saw extensive debate on executive removal of federal deposits and confirmation matters surrounding Treasury officials like Roger B. Taney, whom President Jackson later nominated to the Supreme Court. The second session (December 1, 1834 – March 3, 1835) addressed supplemental appropriations, tariff enforcement, and treaty ratifications such as agreements with Mexico-adjacent interests and commerce accords involving Great Britain. Floor activity included prolonged speeches by Daniel Webster and procedural contests over cloture and quorum practices influenced by House rules championed by Speaker Andrew Stevenson.

Significant Events and Controversies

Controversies centered on the confrontation between President Andrew Jackson and the Second Bank of the United States under Nicholas Biddle, producing partisan investigations and print wars involving editors like Amos Kendall and Francis Preston Blair. The Nullification Crisis remained a flashpoint, with South Carolina threats, John C. Calhoun's theories of states' rights, and Executive responses culminating in the Force Bill debates. Indian removal and Cherokee resistance generated moral and legal disputes tied to litigants such as Samuel A. Worcester and advocates like John Ross (Cherokee), setting the stage for later events including the Trail of Tears. Scandals over patronage and the so-called "Kitchen Cabinet" brought criticism from Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, while international and territorial tensions foreshadowed conflicts in Texas and negotiations with Spain-successor authorities.

Category:United States Congress