From Thomas Jefferson to the Senate, 2 February 1803
To the Senate
Gentlemen of the Senate
I nominate John Martin Baker of New York to be Consul for the islands of Minorca, Majorca, and Yvica.
Marien Lemar of Maryland to be Consul for Madeira.
William Patterson of New York to Commercial Agent of the US. at Nantes in the place of Francis L. Taney deceased.
<Vale of New York to be Commercial Agent at Lorient instead of William Patterson transferred to Nantes.>
William Henry Harrison to be Governor of the Indiana territory from the 13th. day of May next, when his present commission as Governor will expire.
Thomas T. Davis of Kentucky to be a judge of the territory of Indiana, in the place of William Clarke deceased.
Jesse Spencer of Ohio to be Register of the land office for the district of Chillicothe, instead of Thomas Worthington resigned.
William Henry Harrison of Indiana, to be a Commissioner to1 enter into any treaty or treaties which may be necessary with any Indian tribes North West of the Ohio2 & within the territory of the US. on the subject of their boundaries or lands.
Isaac3 Illsley junr. of Massachusets to be Collector of Portland in Massachusets instead of Nathaniel F. Fosdick removed.
Zachariah Stevens of Massachusets to be Surveyor & Inspector of Gloucester in Massachusets instead of Samuel Whittermore removed.
Joseph Story of Massachusets to be Naval officer for Salem & Beverley in Massachusets instead of William Pickman removed.
Jabez Pennyman of Vermont to be Collector and Inspector4 of Allburgh on Lake Champlain instead of David Russell removed.
John Heard of New Jersey, who is Collector for the District of Perth Amboy in N. Jersey to be Inspector of the revenue for the same.
William Brewer of North Carolina to be Surveyor and Inspector of revenue for the port of Nixinton in the district of Cambden in N. Carolina in the place of Hugh Knox resigned.
Joseph Doyle of Columbia to be an ensign in the 2d. regiment of infantry.
John Miller of Maryland to be an ensign in the 2d. regiment of infantry.
Pallus P. Stuart of Ohio to be an ensign in the 1st. regiment of infantry.
William Lee of Vermont to be an ensign in the 1st. regiment of infantry.
William C. Smith of to be a surgeon’s mate in the army of the US.
Joseph Goodhue of Vermont to be a surgeon’s mate in the army of the US.
Th: Jefferson
Feb 2. 1803
RC (DNA: RG 46, EPEN, 7th Cong., 2d sess.); endorsed by Senate clerks. PrC (DLC); lacks one emendation (see Note 3); TJ added check marks in the left margin at the 11 nominees approved by the Senate on 8 Feb. (see below). Recorded in SJL with notation “nominations genl.”
john martin baker: for his qualifications and recommendations, see Madison to TJ, 20 Aug. 1802, and enclosures.
consul for madeira: Marien Lamar, partner in a mercantile firm in Madeira where he settled about 1790, competed for the consulship with Lewis Searle Pintard, cousin of John Marsden Pintard, consul at Madeira since 1790 (see , 1:546–7; , 1:47, 49). John M. Pintard wrote Madison from Richmond on 3 Dec. that he had hoped to remain consul, “unless It was thought Proper” to appoint his kinsman Lewis S. Pintard. Understanding that the president planned to appoint someone else, Pintard recommended Lamar as a Republican who was well qualified to fill the office. Pintard also applied for the position of commissioner under the convention with Spain (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR, endorsed by TJ: “Pintard John M. to mr Madison to be commr. to Spain”; Madison, Papers, Sec. of State Ser., 4:176). On 14 Dec., Pintard once again wrote Madison offering James Monroe and Pierce Butler as character references who would convince the administration that he merited some mark of confidence, either to “receive the appointment I ask for, or be continued in the one I at present hold” (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR; endorsed by TJ: “Pintard John Marsden to mr Madison to be commr to Spain”). For earlier recommendations for Lamar as consul, see Vol. 33:667–8n.
Robert R. Livingston supported the transfer of william patterson to Nantes. Thomas T. Gantt resigned as commercial agent there in October 1802. francis l. taney, whom TJ had appointed commercial agent at Ostend or Dunkirk in 1801, died of yellow fever in Georgetown in September 1802. Patterson’s move allowed TJ to appoint Aaron Vail as consul at L’Orient, a position he had sought for more than a decade (Madison, Papers, Sec. of State Ser., 3:596; Vol. 37:527n; Madison to TJ, [on or before 9 Sep. 1802]). For Vail’s separate nomination, see TJ to the Senate, 14 Feb.
Meriwether Lewis delivered this message to the Senate on 3 Feb., where it was read the next day and ordered to lie for consideration. On 8 Feb., the Senate consented to all of the appointments except Baker, Patterson, Ilsley, Stevens, Story, Miller, Stuart, and Smith. Their nominations were referred to Uriah Tracy, Robert Wright, and Dwight Foster for consideration. Tracy brought in a report on 1 Mch. and the same day the Senate approved the remainder of the list (, 1:440–2, 446).
1. TJ here canceled “treat” and wrote “enter” over partially erased “with.”
2. Entry from this point to “US.” interlined.
3. Interlined in place of “Daniel.” PrC not altered.
4. Preceding two words interlined.