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.
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.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Manuscripts Division.
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Persons:
Lawrence, C.W.–Correspondence
Corporate Entities:
United States. Dept. of the Treasury
Places:
New York (N.Y.)
Subjects:
Customs administration–New York (State)–New York
Customs administration–Officials and employees
Customs administration–United States Embargo
Revenue
Tariff–United States
Document Types:
Correspondence
Occupations:
Public officers
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Administrative Information
Coll. 180, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Correspondence; 1846-1848.
| Box | Folder | |
| 1 | 1 | Correspondence. Images |
| 2 | Correspondence. Images | |
| 3 | Correspondence. Images | |
| 4 | Correspondence. Images | |
| 5 | Correspondence. Images | |
| 6 | Correspondence. Images | |
| 7 | Correspondence. Images | |
| 8 | Correspondence. Images | |
| 9 | Correspondence. Images |