Rare 1793 Treasury Report Signed Three Times in Type by Alexander Hamilton

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By Early American History Auctions

Aug 21, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-08-21 12:00:00 2021-08-21 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Autographs - Historic & Political Americana - Militaria & Guns https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/early-american-history-auctions/autographs---historic-political-americana---militaria-guns-7321
335 Lots of Rare, Historic Autographs, Americana, Civil War Era, George Washington, Revolutionary War Era, Colonial America, Federal Period, War of 1812, Colonial Currency & more... Early American History Auctions auctions@earlyamerican.com

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• Lot Description
  Autographs
  February 13, 1793 Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the U.S. Treasury 6-Page Report on Foreign Loans Issued per an Attempt by Giles, Madison & Jefferson to Impeach Hamilton
  (ALEXANDER HAMILTON) (January 11, 1757 - July 12, 1804). A Founding Father of the United States, Revolutionary War Soldier, Economist, Political Philosopher, one of America's first Constitutional Lawyers, and the First United States Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington, Killed in his famous Duel with Aaron Burr.
  February 13, 1793-Dated Federal Period, Official Printed United States Treasury Report, Signed in Type Three Times by Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury, 6 pages, complete, measuring 13.5" x 8.5". This is a very rare historic very early Treasury report signed in text by Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, Alexander Hamilton three times, including at its conclusion. This report is original string bound in its light blue paper wraps, lacking about a third right side portion of the front cover whereas the back cover is fully complete. Each of the individual pages are moderately water-stained and have light age tone; the upper right corner of the first leaf has suffered loss due to varmint damage; while all pages have some marginal chipping and were probably never originally trimmed.
  History records the fierce opposition to Alexander Hamilton's Bank of the United States and his strong central government agenda. This movement was led by Virginia Representative William Branch Giles (1762-1830) an Elector for Jefferson (and Aaron Burr) in 1800, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. They attempted to dominate Hamilton's plan with a series of January 23rd accusations, then demanding complicated answers prior to the end of the Legislative Session of March 3rd. Giles accused Hamilton of financial improprieties with foreign loans and in dealings between Treasury and the Bank of the US. Despite being embroiled in the Maria Reynolds affair, Hamilton quickly produced a series of impressive official Treasury reports filled with charts, tables, dates, amounts, etc. of which the subject Report on Foreign Loans is one.
  The report explains and details the foreign loans, contains a section showing Hamilton's authority signed in type by President Washington and Sec. of State Jefferson. Most impressive is Hamilton's recitation of his authority according to the August 4 and 12, 1790 Acts to restore the public credit. Hamilton signs in type 3 times.
  Hamilton's timely and authoritative rebuttal here astounded his opponents but Jefferson and Giles pressed on and filed nine resolutions for Hamilton's censure which failed just prior to the end of the Second Federal Congress. Hamilton faced a continuous attack on his agenda and the division led to the formation of official partisan political parties. During this first period in Congress, Giles fervently supported his fellow Virginians James Madison and Thomas Jefferson against Alexander Hamilton and his ideas for a national bank preferring Jefferson's idea of an agrarian Republic. Working with Jefferson and Madison, he introduced three sets of resolutions in 1793, which attempted to censure Hamilton's "administration of finances" as Secretary of the Treasury to the point of accusing him of misadministration in office under the Funding Act of 1790 to force the US to repay America's debts to France following the French Revolution.
  In accordance with this goal, he opposed the pro-British Jay's Treaty and resisted naval appropriation to be used against France during the Quasi-War. In the same year, he voted for the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions in the House of Delegates in order to declare the "Alien and Sedition Acts" unconstitutional. This very rare original Treasury Report by Hamilton, though not in the best of condition, it clearly demonstrates Hamilton's timely skills as well as the powerful authority he received from President George Washington and the 1st Federal Congress. Even more, Hamilton demonstrates the competence with which he executed that authority. Extremely rare.
  William Branch Giles (August 12, 1762 - December 4, 1830), was an American statesman, long-term Senator from Virginia, and the 24th Governor of Virginia. He served in the House of Representatives from 1790 to 1798 and again from 1801 to 1803; in between, he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, and was an Elector for Jefferson (and Aaron Burr) in 1800.
  He served as United States Senator from 1804 to 1815, and then served briefly in the House of Delegates again. After a time in private life, he joined the opposition to John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay, in 1824; he ran for the Senate again in 1825, and was defeated, but appointed Governor for 3 one-year terms in 1827; he was succeeded by John Floyd, in the year of his death.
  
  
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