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Partly-printed DS as president, signed “Go: Washington,” one page, 15.5 x 12.5, December 15, 1795. President Washington appoints a collector of customs: "Know Ye, That reposing special Trust and Confidence in the Integrity, Diligence and Discretion of Joseph Grayson of South Carolina, I have nominated, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, Do appoint him Collector for the District of Beaufort." Boldly signed at the conclusion in ink by President George Washington, and countersigned by Secretary of State Timothy Pickering. The white paper seal affixed at the lower left remains intact. In very good to fine condition, with a few small stains, and professional repairs to fold splits and small areas of edge loss.
This 1795 appointment reflects the federal government’s effort under President George Washington to build and regulate the young nation’s revenue system. Customs duties were the chief source of federal income in the 1790s, and collectors of customs held important local offices responsible for overseeing imports, enforcing tariff laws, and protecting government revenue at American ports. By appointing Joseph Grayson as collector for the District of Beaufort, South Carolina, Washington was filling a key post in a commercially active coastal region tied to Atlantic trade. Notably, the document also illustrates the constitutional process for federal appointments, noting that Grayson had been nominated by the president and confirmed “by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate.”
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