| style="font-size:80%" | House declared August 1, 1856, the seat vacant. He was subsequently re-elected to fill the vacancy | | John W. Whitfield (D) | Seated December 9, 1856 |- | | | James Meacham (O) | style="font-size:80%" | Died August 23, 1856 | | George T. Hodges (R) | Seated December 1, 1856 |- | | | William A. Richardson (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned August 25, 1856 | | Jacob C. Davis (D) | Seated November 4, 1856 |- | | | Preston Brooks (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died January 27, 1857 | Vacant | Not filled this term |- | | | Orsamus B. Matteson (O) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned February 27, 1857 | Vacant | Not filled this term |- | | | William A. Gilbert (O) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned February 27, 1857 | Vacant | Not filled this term |- | | | Francis S. Edwards (A) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned February 28, 1857 | Vacant | Not filled this term |} Committees List of committees and their party leaders. Senate Agriculture (Chairman: Philip Allen) American Association for the Promotion of Science (Select) Atmospheric Telegraph Between Washington and Baltimore (Select) Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: Josiah J. Evans) Claims (Chairman: Richard Brodhead) Commerce (Chairman: Hannibal Hamlin then Henry Dodge) Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select) District of Columbia (Chairman: Albert G. Brown) Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Jacob Collamer) Finance (Chairman: Robert M. T. Hunter) Foreign Relations (Chairman: James M. Mason) French Spoilations (Select) Indian Affairs (Chairman: William K. Sebastian) Judiciary (Chairman: Andrew P. Butler) Library (Chairman: James A. Pearce) Loss of Original Papers of Mark and Richard Bean (Select) Mexican Claims Commission (Select) Manufactures (Chairman: William Wright) Military Affairs (Chairman: John B. Weller) Militia (Chairman: Sam Houston) Naval Affairs (Chairman: Stephen Mallory) Ordnance and War Ships (Select) Pacific Railroad (Select) Patents and the Patent Office (Chairman: Charles T. James) Pensions (Chairman: George Wallace Jones) Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Thomas J. Rusk) Printing (Chairman: Robert W. Johnson) Private Claims Commission (Select) Private Land Claims (Chairman: Judah P. Benjamin) Protection of Life and Health in Passenger Ships (Select) Public Buildings (Chairman: James A. Bayard) Public Lands (Chairman: Charles E. Stuart) Retrenchment (Chairman: Stephen Adams) Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Josiah J. Evans) Roads and Canals (Chairman: John Slidell) Sickness on Emigrant Ships (Select) Tariff Regulation (Select) Territories (Chairman: Stephen A.