To Thomas Jefferson from Albert Gallatin, 22 February 1804
From Albert Gallatin
22 Feby. 1804
Dear Sir
The enclosed is the only answer which could be obtained from Mr M’Creery.
Can the N. Orleans revenue law be transcribed in order to have it ready by Monday’s mail. I presume that, if it cannot be done immediately in Mr Madison’s office, I may have the loan of it to morrow for that purpose.
I enclose the first return from Mr Trieste, which you will have the goodness to return as it belongs to the files of the office. It does not appear to me, especially taking into view that Sect. of the law now before you which repeals the duties on exports, that those duties (on exports to U.S.) which shall have been collected before the law is in force can be remitted by any but legislative authority. But I doubt the legality of having collected that on exports to Spain.
Respectfully Your obedt. Servt.
Albert Gallatin
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received from the Treasury Department on 22 Feb. and “Molier. N. Orleans revenue bill. Trist’s return” and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: William MacCreery to Gallatin, 22 Feb. 1804; responding to the Treasury secretary’s query of 21 Feb., the Maryland congressman notes that “in the capacity of Notary Public, of money Broker, of Merchant and Shopkeeper” at Baltimore, Henry Molier “was uniformly unfortunate,” causing MacCreery to conclude “that his talents for business are very limited”; he thinks, however, that Molier would be “very usefull in a subordinate capacity”; MacCreery admits: “As to his morals, I know nothing—nor do I remember to have heard his honesty impeach’d” (same). Other enclosure not found.
repeals the duties on exports: see Section 3 of the 24 Feb. revenue act (, 2:252). In his 27 Feb. instructions to Hore Browse Trist, Gallatin noted that articles exported from New Orleans to spain before 25 Mch., the day the revenue law would commence, “ought not to have paid the export duty.—In case where that duty may have been levied on such exportation to Spain, it must therefore be refunded” (, 9:192-3).