To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas McKean, 25 April 1802
From Thomas McKean
Washington April 25th. 1802.
Dear Sir,
If the Bill, altering the mode of appointing commissioners of bankrupts, shall pass into a law, I will name two more gentlemen for that office to your consideration, Messrs. Alexander James Dallas & Robert Mc;Kean—My son has had a college education, and, tho’ bred a merchant, he has studied the laws relating to policies of insurance, bankrupts, bills of exchange & the law-merchant, and understands them as well as most practitioners; so that I think him qualified for the place.
The sickness of one of my horses has detained me here some days longer than I expected, but I intend to set off for Baltimore this afternoon.
Adieu, my dear Sir; may you long enjoy health and happiness. Your most obedient and very humble servant
Tho M:kean
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR); at foot of text: “His Excellency Thomas Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 25 Apr. and “his son & Dallas to be Commrs. of bkrptcy” and so recorded in SJL.
TJ appointed ALEXANDER JAMES DALLAS a bankruptcy commissioner for Pennsylvania in June 1802 (National Intelligencer, 18 June 1802; Appendix II, Lists 1 and 2). McKean had earlier applied to TJ for a position for his son (see Vol. 32:434–5).