Executive Order on Revenue Districts, 29 July 1801
Executive Order on Revenue Districts
An Order
Of the President of the United States—
making certain Alterations in the Districts therein mention’d, and erecting a new Revenue District, to be denominated “the No West District”—
| Sect. 1. | In pursuance of divers Acts of the Congress of the United States, vesting in me certain powers and Authorities, in relation to the internal Revenues thereof, the following Alterations of, and Additions to, the Arrangements heretofore made, for securing and collecting the said Duties, are hereby adopted and established.— |
| Sect. 2d. | The Districts of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina, shall, from and after the thirtieth day of September next, severally form, each one Survey; and the Duties of Inspector of each of said Surveys, shall be perform’d by the Supervisor of the District, comprehending the same.— |
| Sect 3d. | The several Counties of the District of Virginia, originally and heretofore contain’d within, and forming the first, second, third and fourth Surveys of the said District, shall, from and after the thirtieth day of September next, be contain’d in, and form but one Survey, (to be thereafter denominated the first,) and the Duties of Inspector, in and for the same, shall be perform’d, by the Supervisor of the said District |
| Sect 4th. | The second Survey, of the District of Ohio, according to it’s present Limits, heretofore established, by the President, of the United States, shall be, and is hereby, erected into an entire new District, to be denominated “the No West District”1 |
| And the said District shall consist of one Survey, and may from time to time, be divided into such, and so many Divisions, as by the Supervisor thereof, shall be found, expedient and necessary. | |
| Sect 5th. | The Collectors of Revenue, in the Districts of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and in the first second third and fourth Surveys, of the District of Virginia, shall render their Accounts of Duties, arising from and after the thirtieth day of June last, and pay over the monies, arising from the same, to the respective Supervisors, of the said Districts— |
| Given under my Hand, at The City of Washington On the twenty ninth day of July, one Thousand eight Hundred and One.— |
Th: Jefferson
MS (InHi); in a clerk’s hand, signed by TJ; endorsed: “Order of the President, ‘making certain alterations in the Districts therein mentioned, and erecting a new Revenue district, to be denominated the North West District.’ dated July 29. 1801.” FC (Lb in DNA: RG 233, TRC, 7th Cong., 1st sess.); at foot of text: “A true copy of the original on file at this office. Wm. Miller. Revenue Office, Decemr. 30. 1801.” Tr (PHi: Tench Coxe Papers); in an unidentified hand; endorsed. Tr (ViW); in an unidentified hand; endorsed. Tr (PHi); lacks Sections 3 and 4; endorsed.
The order of the president appeared in the National Intelligencer on 19 Aug. Using information supplied in Albert Gallatin’s Report on Collection of Internal Revenues of 28 July, Samuel H. Smith explained the importance of the changes. He pointed out that by the order revenue collectors would report directly to revenue supervisors, eliminating the revenue inspectors and thereby increasing efficiency and accountability in the collection of the direct taxes. For the decision to publish the order, see Gallatin to TJ, 10 Aug., and TJ to Gallatin, 14 Aug. 1801.
Divers Acts of the Congress: see Gallatin’s report, 28 July.
1. Closing quotation mark supplied by Editors.