the thirty-sixth 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, 1859, to march 4, 1861, during the third and fourth years of james buchanan's presidency. the apportionment of seats in the house of representatives was based on the seventh census of the united states in 1850. the senate had a democratic majority, and the house had a republican plurality.