To pass a resolution that it would be unwise to repeal the laws prohibiting the american slave trade. (p.125-3, 126-1)

On Dec 15, 1856, the House voted 183–8. Result: passed. By party: Others 123–1, Democrats 61–7, Republicans 1–0. 7 members voted against their own party.

During the 34th Congress (1855–1856), Franklin Pierce was president.

Yes: 183
No: 8
Did not vote: 45
Date: Dec 15, 1856

By party

Others123 yes · 1 no · 28 didn’t vote
Democrats61 yes · 7 no · 17 didn’t vote
Republicans1 yes · 0 no

Who broke with their party

Eli Sims Shorter D-AL voted no
Daniel Boone Wright D-MS voted no
Hendley Stone Bennett D-MS voted no
William Barksdale D-MS voted no
John Anthony Quitman D-MS voted no
Laurence Massillon Keitt D-SC voted no
Preston Smith Brooks D-SC voted no

How each representative voted: Yes

James Ferguson Dowdell D-AL
William Russell Smith O-AL
George Smith Houston D-AL
Williamson Robert Winfield Cobb D-AL
Sampson Willis Harris D-AL
Alfred Burton Greenwood D-AR
James William Denver D-CA
Philemon Thomas Herbert D-CA
Ezra Clark Jr. O-CT
John Woodruff O-CT
Sidney Dean O-CT
William Wickham Welch O-CT
Augustus Emmett Maxwell D-FL
Martin Jenkins Crawford D-GA
Robert Pleasant Trippe O-GA
Hiram Warner D-GA
John Henry Lumpkin D-GA
Nathaniel Greene Foster O-GA
Alexander Hamilton Stephens D-GA
Augustus Hall D-IA
James Thorington O-IA
Elihu Benjamin Washburne O-IL
James Hutchinson Woodworth O-IL
Jesse Olds Norton O-IL
James Knox O-IL
Jacob Cunningham Davis D-IL
Thomas Langrell Harris D-IL
James Cameron Allen D-IL
James Lowry Donaldson Morrison D-IL
Samuel Scott Marshall D-IL
Smith Miller D-IN
William Hayden English D-IN
William Cumback O-IN
David Pierson Holloway O-IN
Lucien Barbour O-IN
Harvey David Scott O-IN
Daniel Mace O-IN
Schuyler Colfax O-IN
Samuel Brenton O-IN
John Upfold Pettit O-IN
Henry Cornelius Burnett D-KY
Warner Lewis Underwood O-KY
Albert Gallatin Talbott D-KY
Joshua Husband Jewett D-KY
Humphrey Marshall O-KY
Alexander Keith Marshall O-KY
George Eustis Jr. O-LA
Miles Taylor D-LA
Thomas Green Davidson D-LA
Robert Bernard Hall O-MA
James Buffinton O-MA
William Shapleigh Damrell O-MA
Linus Bacon Comins O-MA
Anson Burlingame O-MA
Timothy Davis O-MA
Chauncey Langdon Knapp O-MA
Alexander De Witt O-MA
Calvin Clifford Chaffee O-MA
James Barroll Ricaud O-MD
Henry William Hoffman O-MD
John M. Wood O-ME
John Jasiel Perry O-ME
Samuel Page Benson O-ME
Israel Washburn Jr. O-ME
Thomas James Duncan Fuller D-ME
William Alanson Howard O-MI
Henry Waldron O-MI
David Safford Walbridge O-MI
George Washington Peck D-MI
Luther Martin Kennett O-MO
Gilchrist Porter O-MO
James Johnson Lindley O-MO
Mordecai Oliver O-MO
John Smith Phelps D-MO
Samuel Caruthers O-MO
William Augustus Lake O-MS
Robert Treat Paine O-NC
Thomas Ruffin D-NC
Warren Winslow D-NC
Lawrence O'Bryan Branch D-NC
Richard Clauselle Puryear O-NC
Thomas Lanier Clingman D-NC
James Pike O-NH
Mason Weare Tappan O-NH
Isaiah Dunn Clawson O-NJ
George Robbins Robbins O-NJ
George Vail D-NJ
Alexander Cumming McWhorter Pennington O-NJ
William Weightman Valk O-NY
James Samuel Thomas Stranahan O-NY
John Kelly D-NY
Thomas Richard Whitney O-NY
John Wheeler D-NY
Abram Wakeman O-NY
Bayard Clarke O-NY
Ambrose Spencer Murray O-NY
Rufus H. King O-NY
Killian Miller O-NY
Russell Sage O-NY
Samuel Dickson O-NY
Edward Dodd O-NY
George Abel Simmons O-NY
Francis Elias Spinner D-NY
Thomas Raymond Horton O-NY
Jonas Abbott Hughston O-NY
Orsamus Benajah Matteson O-NY
Andrew Zimmerman Mccarty O-NY
William Augustus Gilbert O-NY
Amos Phelps Granger O-NY
Edwin Barber Morgan O-NY
Andrew Oliver D-NY
John Mason Parker O-NY
William Henry Kelsey O-NY
John Williams D-NY
Benjamin Pringle O-NY
Thomas Thorn Flagler O-NY
Solomon George Haven O-NY
Francis Smith Edwards O-NY
Timothy Crane Day O-OH
John Scott Harrison O-OH
Lewis Davis Campbell O-OH
Matthias H. Nichols O-OH
Richard Mott O-OH
Jonas Reece Emrie O-OH
Aaron Harlan O-OH
Benjamin Stanton O-OH
Oscar Fitzallen Moore O-OH
Valentine Baxter Horton O-OH
Samuel Galloway O-OH
John Sherman O-OH
William Robinson Sapp O-OH
Edward Ball O-OH
Charles Jefferson Albright O-OH
Benjamin Franklin Leiter O-OH
Edward Wade O-OH
John Armor Bingham O-OH
Thomas Birch Florence D-PA
William Millward O-PA
John Cadwalader D-PA
John Hickman D-PA
Samuel Carey Bradshaw O-PA
Jehu Glancy Jones D-PA
Anthony Ellmaker Roberts O-PA
John Christian Kunkel O-PA
James Hepburn Campbell O-PA
Asa Packer D-PA
Galusha Aaron Grow D-PA
John Jamison Pearce O-PA
Lemuel Todd O-PA
David Fullerton Robison O-PA
John Rufus Edie O-PA
Jonathan Knight O-PA
David Ritchie O-PA
Samuel Anderson Purviance O-PA
John Allison O-PA
David Barclay D-PA
John Dick O-PA
Nathaniel Briggs Durfee O-RI
Benjamin Babock Thurston O-RI
William Aiken D-SC
James Lawrence Orr D-SC
William Waters Boyce D-SC
William Henry Sneed O-TN
Samuel Axley Smith D-TN
John Houston Savage D-TN
Charles Ready O-TN
George Washington Jones D-TN
John Vines Wright D-TN
Felix Kirk Zollicoffer O-TN
Emerson Etheridge O-TN
Thomas Rivers O-TN
John Singleton Millson D-VA
Thomas Stanley Bocock D-VA
Paulus Powell D-VA
Charles James Faulkner D-VA
John Letcher D-VA
Zedekiah Kidwell D-VA
Henry Alonzo Edmundson D-VA
Fayette Mcmullen D-VA
George Tisdale Hodges R-VT
Justin Smith Morrill O-VT
Alvah Sabin O-VT
Daniel Wells Jr. D-WI
Cadwallader Colden Washburn O-WI
Charles Billinghurst O-WI

How each representative voted: No

Did not vote

Other votes

From Voteview roll call records.

Cite or embed this page

Capitol Receipts, “To pass a resolution that it would be unwise…: House Vote, Dec 15…,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/34-H-542/to-pass-a-resolution-that-it-would-be-unwise (accessed 2026-10-15).