To Thomas Jefferson from Albert Gallatin, 26 March 1804
From Albert Gallatin
Monday morning [26 Mch. 1804]
Dear Sir
I will loiter to day about Congress to attend to some bills, vizt that respecting lands south of Tenessee, and that laying specific duties, to which last an important clause has been added giving to the Govr., until the new Govt. shall be in operation, the powers of a district court in revenue cases, & also that of remitting forfeitures usually exercised by the Secy. of the Treasury: that clause will not only assist in securing the revenue but tend to conciliate the people by granting immediate relief in cases where, from ignorance, the forms of our laws shall not have been adhered to by merchants &a.—A single veto may destroy both bills in the Senate. As I will not be in the office, please to have the goodness to write in case any thing should require my attendance at your house—
Respectfully Your obedt. Servt.
Albert Gallatin
RC (DLC); partially dated; addressed: “The President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as received from the Treasury Department on 26 Mch. 1804 and “revenue laws N.O.” and so recorded in SJL.
lands south of tenessee: for Gallatin’s cooperation with Joseph H. Nicholson to design legislation to meet the requests of the land commissioners in Mississippi Territory, see Gallatin to TJ, 4 Jan. 1804. Section 7, the last paragraph of a bill “for imposing more specific duties on the importation of certain articles,” gave the governor of Orleans Territory the powers of a district court in revenue cases, along with the powers vested in the secretary of the Treasury to remit fines and forfeitures. On 27 Mch., the last day of the session, the House agreed to both bills as amended by the Senate ( , 2:299-300, 303-6; , 13:304, 305, 306, 1241-2).