Solicitor of the United States Treasury explained

The Solicitor of the Treasury position was created in the United States Department of the Treasury by an act of May 29, 1830, which changed the name of the Agent of the Treasury.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Function

The Solicitor of the Treasury served as legal advisor to the department, and examined Treasury officers' official bonds and related legal documents. He also supervised all legal proceedings involving the collection of debts due the United States. In addition, he established regulations to guide customs collectors, issued distress warrants against delinquent revenue collectors or receivers of public money, and administered lands acquired by the United States in payment for debts.^[4]

Predecessor agencies

• Comptroller of the Treasury (1789–1817)
• First Comptroller of the Treasury (1817–20)
• Agent of the Treasury (1820–30)^[5]

Position abolished

The position of Solicitor of the Treasury was abolished by an act of May 10, 1934 (48 Stat. 759).^[6]

Successor agency

The Solicitor of the Treasury's position was succeeded by the Office of the General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury.^{[7] [8]}

List of Solicitors of the Treasury

Virgil Maxcy of Maryland, from May 29, 1830

Henry D. Gilpin of Pennsylvania, from June 16, 1837

Matthew Birchard of Massachusetts, from January 16, 1840

Charles B. Penrose of Pennsylvania, from March 17, 1841

Seth Barton of Louisiana, from March 25, 1845

Ransom H. Gillet of New York, from May 27, 1847

John C. Clark of New York, from October 31, 1849

George F. Comstock of New York, from November 15, 1852

Gilbert Rodman of Pennsylvania, from March 30, 1853 (interim)

John Carroll LeGrand of Maryland, from April 8, 1853

Albert Constable of Maryland, from May 2, 1853

Farris B. Streeter of Pennsylvania, from June 3, 1853

Junius Hillyer of Georgia, from December 1, 1857

Benjamin F. Pleasants of Kentucky, from February 13, 1861 (interim)

Edward Jordan of Ohio, from March 28, 1861

E. C. Banfield of Massachusetts, from April 15, 1869

Bluford Wilson of Illinois, from June 22, 1874

George F. Talbot of Maine, from July 24, 1876

Kenneth Rayner of North Carolina, from July 1, 1877^[9]

Henry S. Neal of Ohio from July 2, 1884^[10]

Alexander McCue of New York, 1885 to 1888

Charles S. Cary of New York, 1888 to 1889

William P. Hepburn of Iowa, 1889 to 1893

Felix A. Reeve of Tennessee, 1893 to 1897

Maurice D. O'Connell of Iowa, 1897 to 1910^{[11] [12]}

William T. Thompson of Nebraska, 1910 to 1913^{[13] [14] [15]}

Felix A. Reeve of Tennessee (acting solicitor), 1914^[16]

Lawrence Becker of Indiana, 1915 to 1922^{[17] [18]}

Richard Randolph McMahon of West Virginia, 1922 to 1926^{[19] [20]}

Robert J. Mawhinney of Maryland, 1926 to 1932^{[21] [22]}

Notes and References

1. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eflRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1XMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4264,1867460&dq=solicitor-of-the-treasury&hl=en Newspaper article, Congress
2. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K6NiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GHgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1740,2175284&dq=solicitor-of-the-treasury&hl=en Newspaper article, Solicitor of the Treasury
3. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XIdCAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2LkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4431,271432&dq=solicitor-of-the-treasury&hl=en Newspaper article, Twenty-first Congress in Session; In Senate, January 7, 1831
4. The Treasury Department and its Various Fiscal Bureaus,Their Origin, Organization, and Practical Operations, by Robert Mayo, 1847, page 255
5. https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/206.html Records of the Solicitor of the Treasury
6. https://books.google.com/books?id=3G7H56q6oVAC&dq=%22solicitor+of+the+treasury%22+position+created&pg=PA634 The United States Government Manual, 2009-2010
7. https://web.archive.org/web/20121106232004/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1671456292.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+31,+1934&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=PRETTYMAN+OUSTED+FROM+REVENUE+POST&pqatl=google Newspaper article, Prettyman Ousted From Revenue Post
8. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qp8iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Xq8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4504,7044901&dq=department+of+the+treasury+office+of+general+counsel&hl=en Newspaper article, Congress Aims to Take Back Former Power
9. Book: Poore, Benjamin Perley. Benjamin Perley Poore

   . The political register and congressional directory: a statistical record of the Federal Officials...1776-1878. Benjamin Perley Poore. 230 . 1878 . Houghton, Osgood and Company . Boston .

10. https://archive.org/details/registerdepartm00statgoog/page/n13 Register of the Department of Justice and the Judicial Officers of the United States
11. https://books.google.com/books?id=m5QGAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22solicitors+of+the+treasury%22+wilson+neal&pg=PA216 Register of the Department of Justice
12. http://www.onlinebiographies.info/ny/fra/oconnell-brothers.htm Biography of Maurice D. O'Connell
13. https://web.archive.org/web/20121106234125/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/284848852.html?dids=284848852:284848852&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jul+01,+1910&author=&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=NEW+SOLICITOR+FOR+TREASURY.&pqatl=google Newspaper article, New Solicitor for Treasury
14. https://books.google.com/books?id=xWxMAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22William+T+Thompson%22+nebraska+solicitor&pg=PA21 Bender's Lawyers' Diary and Directory for the State of New York, 1912
15. https://www.nytimes.com/1939/06/21/archives/william-t-thompson-nebraskan-once-solicitor-of-the-united-states.html Newspaper article, William T. Thompson; Nebraskan Once Solicitor of the United States Treasury
16. News: Congress Reasonable with Bank Directors. The Ottawa Daily Republic. December 3, 1914. 1. Newspapers.com. October 30, 2017.
17. http://www.hammondindiana.com/hammond_mayors.html#Becker Hammond Mayors Past entry, Lawrence Becker
18. https://www.nytimes.com/1947/03/14/archives/lawrence-f-becker-retired-jurist-in-indiana-once-mayor-of-hammond.html Newspaper article, Lawrence F. Becker; Retired Jurist in Indiana Once Mayor of Hammond
19. https://books.google.com/books?id=vLYUAAAAYAAJ&dq=richard+mcmahon+treasury&pg=PA699 Prominent Men of West Virginia
20. https://books.google.com/books?id=S4ILAQAAIAAJ&dq=robert+mcmahon+solicitor+treasury&pg=PA572 State of Iowa Official Register
21. https://books.google.com/books?id=LYMLAQAAIAAJ&dq=robert+mawhinney+treasury&pg=PA491 State of Iowa Official Register
22. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/11/19/archives/robert-mawhinney-lawyer-and-author.html Newspaper article, Robert Mawhinney, Lawyer and Author