Memorial from Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey, 14 December 1803
Memorial from Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey
State of New Jersey
Great-Egg-Harbour. Gloucester County
December 14th. 1803
To Thomas Jefferson Esqr.
President of the
United States of America
Whereas the Collector of the Port of Great-Egg-Harbour, Namely Alexander Freeland Esqr., has become so dilatory and Negligent in Performing his Official duty as a proper Officer, that we deem it absolutely Necessary to lay before your Excellency, a statement of his Conduct, praying he may be dismissed from his office, being well assured that it will be highly conducive to the Welfare of the public in particular.
He has for several months back taken to excessive hard drink & still remains so1 and is frequently intoxicated, so that oftentimes he is by no means Capable of performing his official duty when its required of him, and we regret that we have not made Application, for redress at an earlier period, but we hope that your Excellency will take our Grievances into Consideration, and by his Removal from office we shall conceive ourselves abundantly Retrieved.
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR, 4:0366-7); in David Mason’s hand (see Great Egg Harbor petition at 15 Dec.), signed by all, Job Ireland with his mark; addressed: “To His Excellency Thomas Jefferson Esqr. President of the United States of America”; endorsed by TJ: “Freeland Alexr. Collector to be removed for sottishness. Winner Joseph to be appd.” Enclosure: Certificate signed by Peter Steelman, master of the sloop Rover, and Holmes, captain of the schooner Rebecca, with same dateline as the petition above but with a blank for the day of the month, testifying that “we the Subscribers have actualy received ill treatment and sustained considerable Damage by the Wilfull and Obstinate Neglect of Alexander Freeland Esqr. Collector of the Port of Great Egg-Harbour” and “We have frequently been Disappointed and imposed on by his illegal Conduct and unfaithfullness in the Discharge of his office as Witness our Hands” (MS in same, 4:0368).
TJ’s endorsement indicates that he received this call for the removal of alexander freeland at the same time he received the petition from Great Egg Harbor, dated 15 Dec., recommending the appointment of Joseph Winner. TJ entered both petitions as a single entry in SJL as received on 7 Feb. 1804 (see Petition from Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey, 15 Dec.).
application, for redress: Benjamin B. Cooper had informed TJ of problems at the custom house at Great Egg Harbor in his letter of 7 Sep.
1. Preceding three words and ampersand interlined.