The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-05-05

poOl-.-A Etipyard hnder Surveillance.
Considerable excitement was created In
Liverpool on the 6h ult By the seizure of the
gunboat Alexandria by the custom-hous au-
thori.iss, On Suspicion that she was intended
for the eervice of the Confsderates. A Liver
pool letter in the London Dail, Ners gives
the following particulars of the seizure:
1t had been we'll known for. some weeks
past that one gunboat, if not MOI Q, " q 1t ing
ont in some Of the minor docks in Liverpool,
and those employed about tiem mads no Sc
cret of tho destination for which they wers
intendet; o. the facts coming to the knowl
edge Of Mr. Dndley, tie United States Consul
st Liverpool, he at oGce c,mmunicatei with
the AMsriean Minister in london, aud Ske re-
suit was taat inquiries We're Instituted into the
whole Of tho Proceedings bea'iag upca the
building Of the vessel seiz ID Tn 80 inquiries
appear to have been 60 far success .f,1 that the
British Government ssnt down orders to ssizs
the vessel, and at sn early hour yesterday
morning April y Mr. r. Morgan, one of the
Customs Surveyors, went on board the Alex
antria-thas being, like "29J,' the first chris
fening of the gunboat, as no doubt had sne got
clear off she would have undergone rechris.
tening-and took possession of her.
Tae Alexandria i3 a wooden screw steamer
of atout ons hun1rsd and twenty tons and q
Miller & Coz, of the South Eod. for Messrs.
Frazer, Trenholm l. Co., of Liverpool, the
'ds positaIies 10 Liv verpool (in conjunction with
Mr.. James Speuce| OF the Confederate Gov
erpment At the time the vessel Was ss,zsd
che was lying in the Toxtsth dock, a quiet, cut
Of the way place.
An iron sbip-buiding firm, near the build.
boat, Of about twelve hundred tons, on The
stocks for the Confederate G G,vernment bus
it is now stated that our Government has
issued instructions to the Officials here that in
all cases where there is the slightest sus picion
that ships are being built here for other than
neutral powers, they are to seize such vessels
and await the decisions Of the legal authori.
ties
Since writing the above We have heard that,
although there Yves every appearance OF TT
tings-np for guns, there were actually no guns
ou board the Alexandria. The vessel, how.
ever, is now in charge Of Government: eff
cia's, ard no doubt the investigation which is
to take place win elccidate whether there
were guns on board or not The excitement
ameng the gentlemen OF Southern psoclivities
10 very great
Lairds famous sbipyard, at Liverpool,
where the ALBANIA was built it would seem
from the following paragraph of Liverpool
letter, published In the Manchester Guardian,
IL also to be watched:
The Govsnmsnt, in addition to the seizure
Of the Alexandria on the Liverpool side of the
Mersey, are about, if they have not already
done 90. to put ths building yard Of Mossrs.
L. ,ird e. Brothere, ut Birksnhsad, under q
kind of surv eilIancs, 90 longer doubted In
LIVERPOOL thatthe two 9unboats now in course
OF construction at tae Blrkenhesd IrQp Works
are intended for the Confederate Government
Information, We know, has been received in
Lvespool Of the above intention Of the Gov
ernment.