▁service ▁Th ayer ▁was ▁a ▁commission er ▁to ▁rev ise ▁the ▁re venue ▁laws ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁a ▁Republican ▁to ▁the ▁Th irty - e ighth ▁and ▁Th irty - n inth ▁Congress es , ▁during ▁which ▁he ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁committee ▁on ▁the ▁bank rupt ▁law ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁House ▁Committee ▁on ▁Private ▁Land ▁Cla ims . ▁ ▁He ▁decl ined ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁candidate ▁for ▁re - e lection ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁and ▁res umed ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁law . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁Congress , ▁Th ayer ▁critic ized ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁port ra its ▁of ▁living ▁persons ▁on ▁US ▁currency , ▁suggesting ▁that ▁the ▁Tre as ury ' s ▁privile ge ▁of ▁portrait ▁selection ▁for ▁currency ▁was ▁being ▁ab used . ▁Spe ar head ed ▁by ▁Th ayer , ▁on ▁April ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁Congress ▁en act ed ▁legisl ation ▁specifically ▁stating ▁" that ▁no ▁portrait ▁or ▁li ken ess ▁of ▁any ▁living ▁person ▁here after ▁eng ra ved , ▁shall ▁be ▁placed ▁upon ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁b onds , ▁se cur ities , ▁notes , ▁fraction al ▁or ▁postal ▁currency ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ." ▁ ▁Th ayer ▁was ▁judge ▁of ▁the ▁district ▁court ▁of ▁Philadelphia ▁from ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁judge ▁of ▁the ▁court ▁of ▁common ▁ple as ▁of ▁Philadelphia ▁from