From George Washington to the United States Senate, 27 December 1793
To the United States Senate
United States
27th Decemr 1793.
Gentlemen of the Senate,
I nominate the following persons to fill the offices annexed to their names respectively, to which, having fallen vacant during the recess of the Senate, they have been appointed.
John Fitzgerald, of Virginia, to be Collector for the District of Alexandria; vice Charles Lee, resigned.
John Hobby, of Maine District, to be Marshal of and for the said District; vice Henry Dearbourne, resigned.
Nicholas Fish, of New York, to be Supervisor for the District of New York; vice John Armstrong, who declined accepting.
Hardy Murfree, of North Carolina, to be Inspector of the Revenue for Survey No. 2. in the District of North Carolina; vice Samuel Tredwell, resigned.1
Joseph Tucker, of Massachusetts, to be Collector for the District of York; and Inspector of the revenue for the port of York; vice Richard Trivett, deceased.
Daniel Delozier, of Maryland, to be Surveyor for the District of Baltimore, and Inspector of the revenue for the port of Baltimore; vice Robert Ballard, deceased.
Samuel Hitchcock, of Vermont, to be Judge of the District Court in and for Vermont district; vice Nathaniel Chipman, resigned.
Robert Forsyth, of Georgia, to be Marshal of and for the Georgia District; continued: the legal term of his former appointment having expired.2
Samuel McDowell, of Kentuckey, to be Marshal of and for the Kentuckey District; continued, the legal term of his former appointment having expired.
Thomas Lowry, of New Jersey, to be Marshal of and for the New Jersey District; continued: the legal term of his former appointment having expired.
Allan McLean, of Delaware, to be Marshal of and for the Delaware District; continued, the legal term of his former appointment having expired.3
Nathaniel Ramsay, of Maryland, to be Marshal of and for the Maryland District; continued, the legal term of his former appointment having expired.
Philip Bradley, of Connecticut, to be Marshal of and for the Connecticut District; continued; the legal term of his former appointment having expired.
David Lenox, of Pennsylvania, to be marshal of and for the Pennsylvania District; vice Clement Biddle, resigned.
Vincent Gray, of Virginia, to be Surveyor for the District of Alexandria, and Inspector of the revenue for the port of Alexandria; vice Samuel Hanson, resigned.
David Austin, of Connecticut, to be Collector for the District of Newhaven; vice Jonathan Fitch, deceased.
John Brakenridge, of Kentuckey, to be Attorney for the United States in & for the District of Kentuckey; vice George Nicholas resigned.4
Robert Scott, of Pennsylvania, to be Engraver for the Mint.
William McPherson, of Pennsylvania, to be Naval Officer for the District of Philadelphia; vice Frederick Phile, deceased.
I also nominate
John Randall, to be Collector for the District of Annapolis, and Inspector of the revenue for the port of Annapolis; vice Robert Denny who declined accepting.5
Go: Washington
LS, DNA: RG 46, Third Congress, 1793–95, Senate Records of Executive Proceedings, President’s Messages—Executive Nominations; LB, DLC:GW. On 30 Dec. the Senate approved all of these nominations except that of Philip Bradley, “postponed on supposition of a mistake in the Christian name Philip, for Philip Burr” (, 143–44). GW resubmitted that nomination with the full name on 2 Jan. 1794.
1. Hardy Murfree (1752–1809), a Revolutionary War officer, had been a member of the North Carolina convention that ratified the federal Constitution in 1789. In February 1790 GW appointed him to be surveyor of the port of Murfreesboro. Samuel Tredwell (1763–1826) was a nephew of North Carolina governor and senator Samuel Johnston. GW appointed Tredwell to be collector and inspector of the revenue for the port of Edenton and inspector of Survey No. 2 on 19 February 1793 (DS, Nc-Ar). In 1821 he was appointed collector of the customs for the district, and inspector of the revenue for the port of Edenton, and he served in that post until his death.
2. Robert Forsyth (c.1754–1794), a Revolutionary War officer and commissary of purchases, was first appointed to be marshal for Georgia in September 1789, and he was killed while serving court papers in January 1794.
3. Allen McLane (1746–1829), a Revolutionary War officer, was appointed marshal for Delaware in September 1789 and served until 1797, when he became collector at Wilmington, a post he retained until his death.
4. John Breckinridge (1760–1806), who had just moved to Kentucky from Virginia, declined this post. Breckinridge served as attorney general of Kentucky, 1795–97, United States senator, 1801–5, and attorney general of the United States from 1805 until his death.
5. John Randall (c.1752–1826) was an Annapolis merchant who had served as commissary of stores and clothing for Maryland troops during the Revolutionary War. He remained collector and inspector of the revenue at Annapolis until his death, adding after 1810 the post of navy agent. Randall also served three terms as mayor of Annapolis between 1813 and 1818. GW had written a commission for Robert Denny as collector at Annapolis on 23 Nov. (, 257).