The bulk of the Belcher papers consists of letters from constituents during his two years in the U.S. House. Many of the letters deal with common constituent services, like requests for official documents, help with patent applications, and inquiries into civil service appointments. Much of the correspondence concerns the major issue of the day: the Kansas-Nebraska Act (referred to in the correspondence as the Nebraska Bill). The Act was enormously unpopular with Belcher's constituents, even as many of them expressed at least some tolerance for slavery. Other letters describe the evolving political atmosphere in Connecticut, as the Know Nothings (a far-right anti-immigration, anti-catholic, and xenophobic group) and temperance movement began to gather strength in the months prior to the 1855 elections.