Maryland. Intendant of the Revenue

In 1781 Maryland was saddled with a combination of war debt and high inflation. In an attempt to reign in the chaotic economy, the state created the office of Intendant fot eh Revenue (Laws of 1781, ch. 27), to oversee the state's finances. The intendant's duties included supervision of the treasurers, the auditor general, the Commissioners to Preserve Confiscated Property, and the Commissioner to Settle and Adjust Pay Due Officers and Soldiers of Maryland in the service of the United States. Daniel of St. Jenifer served as intendant for the duration of the office. Hanson's Laws of Maryland assert that the powers conferred upon Jenifer were deemed too "great and extraordinary to be delegated to any man for more than one year."

By 1784, the intendant's authority had expanded to the point that he had nearly absolute power over all Maryland public revenue (Laws of 1784, ch. 70). The same act made the intendant the only officer who could draw on the Treasury, an authority that had been vested in the Executive. Only the requirement that he reported to the General Assembly and consult with the Executive on the management of the revenue checked the intendant's power. Instead of renewing the office in 1785, the legislature mandated the Governor and Council appointed an agent to finish the transactions and sales of the late Intendant of the Revenue and the Commissioners to Preserve Confiscated British Property (Laws of 1785, ch. 88).

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