New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-04-21
nation shall be happy to attend you whenever you

oi Mr.. Dudley there was not prima tsce proc
Nv the tiznre Of tie vessel On Jui! - 60 ~ -
Edwards wrote again 70 the Comi-iSS'oN''' w
oms az follows: , c.,..,r,. riv,rs,oI
he C5mmisson,rs q Cu'torDs dated b''eiP'' July
,t ~; ncDc Sin: TIE United States Conful,
-, 81 b. bis solicitor, Mr.. Squarev, hss Ju't
Zen here with the winesses Z" hose alhGaFIs are
ro,sd ree Nesting me - seHe we Eunoo"s sliST'
.o i'm your honois' order oil the I0' lsl, NO 'fo'
80 me evidence adduced by him thai the gnnDoa1
NV bse, lifted cut by Meiss Laird OF B!rkenLead,
H'r he Confederate Government Of the Southern
% Tne only evidence OF importance as appears to
lane. ia that of William PasNl0re, who had engaged
limsel as sailor to serve in the vessel
." ! shall feel obliged by the Board being pleas ga
20 instruct me, ly Telegraph, how I'm 10 act, astIe
ship appears to be reacy for sea, and may leave any
hoor she pleaSes. . ,,,,or r,,,,..,rs
! "Eothng has been done 20 her suc' ny Former
representation nor has anything OesiGe Goals been
| Vlsced in her. S. P. E..
TIE mopt important of the incosei aiidayits is
the following:
u, william Passmoro of Bikenheai, in the
County Of Chester, mariner, make oath and say as
.Ollows:
liam seaman, and have served as such 90
board her MsjeStys sLip Terrible during the
CriRean war.
! 49, Having been informed that hands were
wanted for q fighting vessel, built oy Messr@ Lsird
| & Co. of Birkerhead applied on Saturday-which
was, believe, the 2lst day of June last-to Capt.
1 Butcher, who, was informed, wHs engaging men
/ Tor the said vessel for berth on boa.d her.
80. Capt. Butcher asked me if knew where the
weasel was going. 10 rel ly 10 which told hun /
Gid not rightly understand about 1t. He then told
| NE tie yosscl was going out 20 the Government OF
/ the Confederate States Of America. esled him II
there would he any fighting, 10 which ne replied
wee, they were going to fight Tor the Southern Gov
,umCnt. told him l had been used 10 fighting
vessels, and .howed him my papers. asked bin TO
make me siguGInal on board the vessel and IN re-
ply he ssd that no articles would 10 signed until the
weasel got outside but be would make mt signal
nun, if they required one, when they got outside.
"a. Tie said Captain Butcher then engaged ne
Gs ab o-bodied seaman on board the said vessel. at
1.-The WAGES Of "a l0s. per month; and II was ar
ranged that should Join ,he slip III Messrs Laird
* Co.'S yard on the following Monday. To enable
ne TO get On board Captain Butcher gave me- pass
word, the number 800
:" 5. On tho following Monday, which was be-
eve the sd day of june last, joined Tho sid YES
sci in Messrs. Laird & Co.'S ysrd, at Birkenhead,
md reinaiaed by her I'LL Saturday lsDt.
! 80. The said vessel Is u screw steamer OF about
100 tuns burden AS far Us can Jedge, and Is built
and f,ltd up as lighting ship 10 al resfectsi she
Iss magazine anu shot aud canister racks on deck,
and pierced for guns the sockets Tor the bots o.
which are laid Gown. The said vessel has u large
Gusnity OF stores and provisions ON board, aud she
is now lying at the Victoria Warf In the Great Float
at BirkeDhead. whtre the has taken III about 3UU
tuDs Of cOal.
-. There are now about thirty hands on board
her, who have engaged TO 90 out in her. Most OF
them are men who have previously teryed on board
fighting ships, and one Of them If man who served
I on board tho Confederate steamer Sumter. IL 10
well known by the hands on board that the vessel
is going ont ss priyateer for the Confederate Gov
ernment 10 act against the United States, under d
commission from SIR. Jefferson DAVIS. Three Of the
crew are. believe, engineersi and there are also
some fireuen on board.
rs. Cant. Butcher and smother gentleman have
been on board the ship almost every day. Ii IL re-
ported on board the chip that Capt Butcher Is TO DO
The sailing master, and that the other gentleman
whore name beneve Ii BULLOCK, - 70 De thc
fighting captain.
80. 1ro the best Of my information and belief, The
aforementioned vessel, which have hesrd 10 TO be
called tho Florida is TO lie equipped ana hted out II
order that she may be employ ed IN the service OF The
Confederate Government In America, 20 cruise anc
commit kostiIities against tie Government and peo-
f'' - Wv '''''N WILLIAM PAssMoRE.
"Sworn before me, at the Cu,tom-House, Liver
IS. PRltE EDWARDS. Collector"
On the 22d Of July the Commissioners Of Customs
reply to Mr. Edwsrds's letter Of the 2lst:
1--WE sequaint you that We have communicated
with our solicitor the subject who has advised III
that the evidence submitted s not sufficient to justify
any steps being taken against the vessel under ethel
the 9th or 7th Sec Of Act SO Geo. Ill, cap. g. aDo
you are to govern yourself accordingly. The solic
tor has however, stated that # there should be suh
cient evidence 10 satisfy court VI enlis Of III
diyiduas, they would be liable 10 peeuuary penal
ues for security Of which, If recovered, ibs depart
ment might detain the ship until those penalties axe
satisfied or good bail glven but there IL nol suiAc
ent evidence 70 require the Customs to prosecute il
is, however, competent for the United States Consul
or any other person 10 do 50 81 their own risk, n
they SEQ IT."
Then comes the following correspondence in tie
erder in which il is given:
Copy Of letter from The United State. Consul to the Coz
l lsctor Of Customs, Liverpool
! UNITED STATES CONSULATE.
4 LivKHFooI, July 80, 1862 s
"SlR Referring to my previous comTunieAi ion'
to you the subject Of the gunboat No. $50 lifted
out by Mr.. Lard at Brkenhead, beg now 10 10
form you that left the BiIkenhesd dock on Mon.
day night and yesterday morning left the river nc
cempauied by the steam-tug Hercules.
"rhe Hercules retuIned last evening, and her
master stated that The gunbOat was cruising of
Point Lynas, that che had six guns on board con.
cealed below, and was taking powder from another
vessel
"Ihe Hercules is now alongside the Woodsiie
landing stage taking On board men l4Oor 5O, besms
evidently tor gun carriages and other things TO con-
vey down to the RuIDoat.
"a quantity Of cutasses were taken on board on
Friday last.
tThe circumstances all 70 to confirm the repre-
seDtatlons heretofore made 10 you about this vessel,
in the face Of which cannot but regret she has
been permitted to leave the port, and report them
to you that you may take such iteps az you may
deem necessary to prevent this fragrant violation OF
neutrality. / am, sir,
/ THOMAS II. DUDLEY, Consul"
Copy Of letter from MI Morgan. Surveyor to the Col.
lector' Liverpool
| SUkvEYORs OFFICE, July 30, 1852
"SIR Referring 10 the steamer built by the
Messrs. Laird, which is suspected 10 be gunboat
intended for some foreign Government
beg to state that since the date OF my last re-
port concerning her she has been lying in the Biz.
keuhead Docks fitting for sea, and receiving on