Collector of the Port of New York


The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at the Port of New York.
The best-known individual to hold the position was Chester A. Arthur, who served as collector from 1871–1878 and who later served as the 21st President of the United States.

History

The first Collector, John Lamb, was appointed by the Congress of the Confederation in 1784. Afterwards, the Collectors were appointed by the U.S. President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The office was described as "the prize plum of Federal patronage not only in this State but perhaps in the country, outside of positions in the Cabinet." Customs collections at US ports were overseen by three political appointees—the Collector, Surveyor, and Naval Officer. Because they were originally paid based on a percentage system that factored in both customs collected and fines levied for those who attempted to evade payment, these appointments were very lucrative, especially those at the Port of New York, by far America's busiest port. New York's Collector was the highest paid official of the federal government; as Collector from 1871 to 1878, Chester A. Arthur's compensation exceeded the modern equivalent of $1 million annually. The custom house staffs, especially at New York's Custom House were also political appointees, and were expected to contribute a portion of their salaries to the party to which they owed their appointments.
Disputes over patronage at the Port of New York led to an ongoing feud from the 1860s to the 1880s between the party faction led by Roscoe Conkling and reformers who counted Rutherford B. Hayes and James A. Garfield among their number. The attempts at reform that began in the 1870s led to the political appointees at each port being placed on salaries rather than the percentage system. The annual salary in 1920 was $12,000 plus about $8,000 in fees.
The position was abolished in 1966 when the structure of the United States Customs Service was changed. The last Collector, Joseph P. Kelly, was kept on as a consultant some time after.

Others

The customs collection districts include the Collector of the Port of Newark and Collector of the Port of Perth Amboy. They became the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

List of Collectors

PortraitNumberCollectorNominated byStart dateEnd dateComments
1Congress of the
Confederation		17841797
2John Adams17971801Confirmed May 19, 1797
3Thomas Jefferson18011820
4James Monroe18201829
5Andrew Jackson18291838Confirmed March 29, 1830.
6Martin Van Buren18381841
7Martin Van Buren18411841
8William Henry Harrison18411844
N/AJohn Tyler--Rejected by the U.S. Senate
9John Tyler18441845
10James K. Polk18451849
11Zachary Taylor18491853
N/AFranklin Pierce--Declined nomination
12Franklin Pierce18531853
13Franklin Pierce18531857Resigned July 1, 1857
14James Buchanan18571861
15Abraham Lincoln18611864Resigned
16Abraham Lincoln18641865
17Andrew Johnson18651865Committed suicide
N/AN/A18651866Acting
18Andrew Johnson18661869
19Ulysses S. Grant18691870
20Ulysses S. Grant18701871
21Ulysses S. Grant18711878
N/ARutherford B. Hayes--Rejected by U.S. Senate
22Rutherford B. Hayes18781881
23James A. Garfield18811885Nominated March 24, 1881
24Grover Cleveland18851886
25Grover Cleveland18861889
26Benjamin Harrison18891891
27Benjamin Harrison18911891
28Benjamin Harrison18911893
29Grover Cleveland18931897Died in office
30William McKinley18971902
31Theodore Roosevelt19021907Resigned due to ill health
N/AN/A19071907Acting
32Theodore Roosevelt19071909
33William Howard Taft19091913
34Woodrow Wilson19131913Elected Mayor of New York City
35Woodrow Wilson19131917
36Woodrow Wilson19171921
37Warren G. Harding19211922Died in office
N/AN/A19221923Acting
38Calvin Coolidge19231933
39Franklin D. Roosevelt19331953
40Dwight D. Eisenhower19531961
41John F. Kennedy19611966