The Washington times., 1901-08-07
THE NATIONS FIRST TREASURER

AhI NhllON - Il iIlOI L lItEhDO0Clt
controversy has been in progress for
some time among historical specialists as
TO who was the first Treasurer of the
United States Samuel Meredith Is the
man whose name stands at the head OF
the commonly accepted lists and whose
/ portrait figures on one of the notes is
| sued by the Government. Whether he
! was actually the first Treasurer of the
United States depends upon whether we
consider that the United States had any
! existence in those stages of colonial un-
lon which preceded the Constitution.
! Michael Hillegas, who served during the
| earlier period and bridged the gulf be-
tween. Is his rival for the honor II styles
and titles count for anything the United
States and the Treasury and Treasurer
thereof antedate considerably the formal
launching of the Government as we now
| know 1t. The Declaration of indepen-
dence, for instance, refers to its trainers
as the representatives of the United
States of America in general congress
| assembled. The preamble of the Articles
of Confederation. adopted two years later.
refers to their trainers as 'the delegates
of the United States of America, in con-
gress assembled" On September 10. 11ss.
'the United States in Congress assemb-
| led" resolved that the Constitution had
been ratified in manner sufficient for
the establishment of the same.
The Treasury Department began its
growth as far back as 1775, acting under
a variety of titles from that date until
the permanent Government was set in
operation. when 1t was merely re-estab-
| lished by law. On July %. 1TI5. the Con-
| tinental Congress resolved that Michael
Hillegas and George Clymer, Esquires. be
| joint treasurers of the United Colonies
| by the same resolution they were styled
| Continental Treasurers. On August 8.
| 1776, Mr.. Clymer, having meanwhile been
| appointed a delegate 10 the Congress from
| Pennsylvania. the same body resolved
| that for the future there be only one Con-
tinental Treasurer. On February II. 1776,
the Congress had adopted a resolution for
| the appointment of a standing committee
of five for experimenting "the Treasury,
and detailing their duties. On April l,
| 1716. they had resolved that a Treasury
office of accounts be established. and
kept in the place where Congress assem-
bIed. under the direction and superinten-
dence of the standing committee of the
Treasury" On September g. IN, addi-
| tional compensation was allowed to Mr..
| HilIegas, treasurer of the United
| iStates.' from the date of Mr.. Clymer's
resignation as joint treasurer. On Sep
| tember g. 117S, the offices of Comptroller.
Auditor, Treasurer and two Chambers OF
Accounts, to consist of three commission
| ers each. were established. On February
| IL. 1779, the office of Secretary Of the
Treasury was created, with salary Of
5000 year. but lived only a few months.
| On July 30 of the same year an ordi-
nance was passed establishing Board of
| Treasury of five commissioners, an Au-
| ditor General, and six Auditors of the
Army, and dropping the Secretary of the
Treasury. This ordinance was lin turn
| swept aside on September Ii, 1871, and
| Superintendent of Finance was author
lied, witch his assistant secretary and
clerks, Comptroller, a Treasurer, Reg
| ister an Auditor, etc. The Superinten-
| dent of Finance was superseded on May
| IS, 1854, by a Board of Treasury, consist
| ing of three commissioners appointed by
Congress.
Mr.. Hillegas held Office continuously
| from July 20, 1775, to September IL 1883,
when the commission of Mr.. Meredith
was issued, the last entry on the original
| ledger accounts being under the date of
August 2s. I7se. In the meantime. on the
| I'd of September. nearly six months after
| the formal beginning of the Government
under the Constitution, an act was passed
establishing the Treasury Department as
a
the Treasury, Comptroller. an Auditor.
a Treasurer, and an Assistant to the
Secretary. 1t appears, therefore. that
Mr.. Hillegas was recognized by the title
of Treasurer of the United States, and
actually served for half year after the
Constitution had gone into effect There
has been talk of putting his portrait
upon some of the paper currency, but
Secretary Gage says that he has no
knowledge of any serious movement in
that direction yet.
1t may be of interest to know who and !
what manner of man this first Treasurer
was. He appears to have been born in
Philadelphia on April % 1T29, old style. |
He was the son of German-born parents, |
Michael and Margaret Htlegas, whose.
monuments are still to be seen in one of !
the old churcnyards OF Philadelphia. AS
merchant and sugar refiner, with d con- |
siderable interest In the manufacture OF |
iron, he d man of no small local /
prominence. He was fond of science and |
the arts. became a member of the Ameri- |
can PhiloSophic Society. and was a cor |
respondent of Benjamin Franklin His |
letters and other remains show him to |
have been man of good general educa- |
tiOn and excellent business training Sue |
cess in trade brought him an ample for |
tune. from which ne contributed iberally. |
by gift and loan, to the support of the |
army during the struggle for indepen- |
dence- He was one OF the commissioners |
appointed to locate and erect Fort Miflin. |
As member of the Provincial Assembly |
of Pennsylvania, representing Phiiadel-
phia from 1865 TO LIS, he served on the |
committee to audit and settle accounts |
of the general loan office and other pub |
lie accounts He was a member OF the
Committee on Observation for PhiIadel-
phia for 1I14, and on June 80, l775. was
made Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Com
mittee of Safety. on May 80. I1I6, he was |
appointed Provincial Treasurer. In June, |
llS0. when the revolution was passing |
through its darkest hours. he joined, with /
a number of other public spirited citizens, |
in organizing the Pennsylvania Bank, |
rx-l,t ,t,.T, H. 1F-k,ax
nishing IA supply of provisions for the |
armies of the United States" Mr.. HiIle- |