The Memorial of Peter Wikoff Respectfully Sheweth

That in the month of April last, Your Memorialist had the honour to receive from your Honorable Board, a Commission to exercise the Office of Auctioneer for the City of Philadelphia; That Although he accepted the appointment with Gratitude, it was far from being Solicited on his part in a manner that could possibly give cause of Offence to his predecessor, having avoided even to mention his Willingness to accept it untill he was assured that he should not in the least degree interfere with the former occupant.

That the Information which your Memorialist has received, that he has been thus early displaced, has been not less surprizing than mortifying. Surprizing because from a Consciousness of having exerted his best endeavors to give perfect Satisfaction both to the Public, and to his employers, he had flattered himself that he had been Successfull; and Mortifying because it will probably subject him to great disadvantages in his endeavors to resume other Modes of business which he relinquished in Consideration of this Office, from an opinion that the World can hardly fail to Imbibe, that a removal from Office so Sudden, and so unexampled, Must have been occasioned by some default, or demerit on his part, which he is not conscious of having ever given the least foundation for. If other Personal considerations respecting your Memorialist should be deemed worthy of Notice, he doubts not but that it will occur to your Honorable Board, that to exercise with propriety the Office which has been conferred upon him, other pursuits must be relinquished which are not easy to be resumed even in the best of times, and that to make the necessary preparation for Conducting the business with due regularity and order requires an Extraordinary Expence of considerable amount, in House Rent, fitting up the Store for that particular purpose, Clerks Wages and other matters usually contracted for by the year, which a Single year’s occupancy of the Office would hardly induce a person to incur, and which the small number of months which your Memorialist has enjoyed it would barely reimburse; and that under such complicated Evils as a removal so early and so unexpected, must subject him to, the placing him in Office, which he presumes was intended as a favor, cannot fail to operate as an Injury which he had fondly hoped, that neither his Conduct in Office nor his Character as a Citizen have deserved.

Your Memorialist therefore Prays, that the Honorable Board will be pleased to take the promisses into serious consideration, and grant him such Redress, by reconsidering their Vote of yesterday, or otherwise, as they in their Wisdom and Justice shall think proper.