To Thomas Jefferson from John Breckinridge, 13 March 1804
From John Breckinridge
Senate Chamber 13. March 1804.
J. Breckinridge now incloses to the president, the within for his Inspection.—There are two Characters there, perhaps both well known to the president; who I believe have no expectation of the office, and against either of whom, there cannot be a good exception: George Gilpin a man of fair character, a revolutionary officer, & above 60 years of age: & Colo. F. Payton, of good Character, & well qualified to fill the office
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR); endorsed by TJ as received 13 Mch. and “Sims Charles. to be removd.” and so recorded in SJL with notation “Alexa.” Enclosure not identified.
TJ received an undated and unsigned memorandum on the office of customs collector at Alexandria, Virginia, held by Charles Simms. The report described Simms’s position, which drew a salary of “at least” $4,000, as “a perfect Sinecure, the duties being performed by a Deputy, while he attends his profession as a lawyer in the Courts of Washington, Alexandria and the adjacent counties in Virginia.” Salaries of the deputy, weigher and measurer, gauger, and four inspectors totaled somewhere between $3,100 and $5,100. The collector also appointed “persons to keep a look out boat &ca.” The memorandum concluded: “It is impossible to estimate the influence which may be exercised in the collection of the large sums of money payable for duties in a commercial town” (MS in DNA: RG 59, LAR, 10:0287; in an unidentified hand). Congressmen John Smith, Matthew Clay, and Thomas Mann Randolph of Virginia and John Fowler of Kentucky wrote Gallatin on 13 Mch., recommending Dr. Alexander Rose to replace Simms (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR; in Smith’s hand, signed by all; endorsed by TJ: “Rose Alexr. to be Collectr. Alexa. Smith & others to mr Gallatin”).
As TJ’s appointees, George gilpin and Francis Peyton (payton) both served as justices of the peace and bankruptcy commissioners at Alexandria (Vol. 37:154-5, 618, 699, 705). Peyton was one of 15 Alexandria Republicans who addressed TJ on the subject of the collectorship on 3 Mch.