To Thomas Jefferson from Albert Gallatin, 29 July 1801
From Albert Gallatin
July 29th 1801
Dr Sir
I enclose the hospital money statement which ought to have accompanied my letter of this morning, and add a letter, on the subject of repairs of Gosport hospital, received from the Collector of Norfolk who acts as Agent. I really do not know out of what fund the repairs can be paid.
I forgot to mention that a blank commission will be wanted for Inspector of the internal revenues for the Survey forming the new District North of the Ohio. No person is yet recommended, although I wrote in order to obtain information as to the proper person. Sproat of Marietta the inspector of the same territory, goes out of course as his Commission becomes vacated by the new arrangt. He was an indifferent officer & his place of residence is extremely inconvenient.
I am with sincere respect Your obt. Servt.
Albert Gallatin
In relation to the blank commission, it will only be necessary that you should direct Wagner to deliver me one. This case will not admit of delay & as soon as proper information is received the vacancy should be filled. In every other instance I foresee no possible inconvenience to send you by mail the commissions & wait for your answer. Those which are contemplated are for Collectors of Savannah, Hampton, Cherry Stone, Cincinnati Ohio Erie & Illinois—& for surveyorship of Petersburg. To whom should application be made for information on this last? It is worth only 3 or 400 dollars.
RC (DLC); addressed: “The President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ: “Marine hospital.” Enclosure: William Davies to Gallatin, Norfolk, 18 June 1801, reporting that it was estimated that $1,125.17 would be needed to make the repairs required at the hospital to “accommodate the sick in the wing of the building now occupied by them,” and that an additional $2,092.33 would be needed for repairs in the other parts of the hospital “to prevent further destruction, and to keep it in order for completion, when the number of patients” would render it essential, noting that the whole of the expense might have been avoided if $200 had been expended for the preservation of the building, and warning that “If not now properly secured against further injury, a great increase of expence will be the inevitable consequence, if the Hospital in the extent of its plan is ever to be completed” (RC in DLC; addressed: “Albert Gallatin Esquire Secretary of the Treasury Washington City”; franked and postmarked; endorsed in part: “cost of repairs to the Hospital”). Statement noted at preceding letter.
Direct Wagner to Deliver Me One: on this day, Jacob Wagner sent the president a blank commission “adapted to the office of Inspector of a Survey.” Uncertain of the name of the survey, he left that blank, but noted that he would inquire about it at the Treasury office the next day. Wagner also informed TJ that earlier that day he had “put up for conveyance, the commissions of the new District Attornies for Massachusetts and Maine” and inquired “whether the former Attornies should receive a notification of their being superseded, thro’ the Department of State” (RC in NHi: Gallatin Papers; addressed: “The President of the U. States”). On 3 Aug. the National Intelligencer reported the appointment of Silas Lee as district attorney for Maine in place of Daniel Davis, appointed to a judgeship in Massachusetts, and George Blake as district attorney for Massachusetts. Blake replaced Harrison Gray Otis (Vol. 33:677).
For the removal of the collectors at Savannah, Georgia, and Hampton and Cherrystone, Virginia, see Gallatin’s Report on Delinquent Collectors, 9 June 1801.