Robert J. Walker Letters
Scope and Content
The letters in this collection were all signed by Walker as Treasury Secretary, between 1846 and 1848, and were addressed to Mr. C.W. Lawrence, who was the Collector of Customs at the Port of New York during this period. They deal primarily with interpretation of tariff acts and enforcement of customs regulations as applied to specific cases at the port. Included are details about payments of import duties and drawbacks, and information regarding expenses for maintaining of a warehouse on the "Atlantic dock" that was used by the customs district, and an account of an appraiser being fired for "irregularities in performance of his duties." Walker also authorized several payments for work done on a new revenue brig that was under construction in 1848. Numerous references are found to the tariff acts of 1842 and 1846. There are description of articles being imported into New York, and the names of many revenue schooners and steamers are also mentioned.
Dates
- Creation: 1846 - 1848
Language of Materials
English Latin
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Manuscripts Division.
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restrictions apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.
Biography of Robert J. Walker
Born July 19, 1801 in Pennsylvania, Walker had a distinguished career as a United States Senator, Secretary of the Treasury (1845-1849), and Governor of the Kansas Territory. In the Senate he was considered an ardent supporter of American expansion and Texas independence. As Secretary of the Treasury, appointed by President Polk, he worked for a more independent treasury system, and the tariff bill of 1846 was largely a product of his "tariff for revenue only" philosophy. A major development of Walker's term was the establishment of a warehousing system for the various customs districts to handle imports.
Extent
1 box(es) (ca. 255 items)
Abstract
Letters to C.W Lawrence, Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, dealing with the interpretation of tariff acts and enforcement of customs regulations, including information concerning import duties, drawbacks, expenses for maintaining revenue vessels and customs property, and the names of many vessels.
- Title
- Robert J. Walker Letters (Coll. 180)
- Subtitle
- An Inventory of The Letters at the G.W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts Repository
G. W. Blunt White Library
Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
112 Greenmanville Avenue
Mystic CT 06355 United States
860.572.5367
collections@mysticseaport.org
