Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-16
Secretary of the Urea
Tnr EIEsr snIput
HTR PRINATEERS

The London correspondent OF the New York Irib-
uae thus refers to our priyateers:
Those best informed ON these matters think that
Semmes was recalled because the Richmond Gov
eminent has been dissatisfied with him since the
loss Of the Alabama-; that 1t proposes employing
him ia some other branch oUthe naval service,
giving him the berth OF Comma ,Ore Buchanan or
something Of the kind But it hardly intends aban-
dOning piracy. Here is somc news in Confederation
1T has recently purchased the RattleSnake, a
double screw steamer, sister to the Tallahassee now
lying in the Victoria Dock at this port Nof London.
The vessel built by DEdge0n, the great man for
double screw and Government gimboats' is very
fast, having Made seventeen Knots an hour There
is no doubt she is owned by Rebel agents here
She may he intended either for blockade runner
pirate; IN The latter case receiving Ler arna
meut when away from an English port, in. accordance
with had almost said the suggestion of the Attor
nCv General, when defending the Government for
ermjttmg the Georgia to>take refuge in Liverpool.
They have also at Mayors yard, Grdvesend, thirty
lies down the river and very nearly completed, the
Viper a Sidc-whcel steamer wide and of shallow
lraugh admirably calculated for blockade-running.
The evidence Isl perhaps, less papable in this case
| than that of the Rattlesnake, but warrants much
more than suspicion. Perhaps the only person be-
sides the Rebel agent thoroughly well informed on
| the subject is our Consul, Mr. Morse, who conld,
imagine, write curious volume on the Secret His
| tory of British Neutrality as concerns the United
States during tue Shareholders Rebellion. But for
| that odd YunEee"-l am quoting the euloglum
passed upon him by the Omiable Ma on when moved
to wrath by the stoppage'of the Rappahanpock-w
should have just many Anglo-Rehel pirates atoat
| and preyng commerce as the purses OF our
enemies at home and abroad could compass. British
| maritime law is hideously. defective. that You
might almost sail ne-of- battle ship through 1t
Ionly, happily, we have Jealous quiet, hard work
ing Consul to bring all the faculties of his busy brain
i TO bear on the subject. ~
/ A few additional items. Sailed from Liverpool
Just two weeks ago, the brig BabthQrpe, with car
/ 20 of arms and ammunition; among the former a
number of GS and 50 FOUNDERS, sufficient indeed to
| arm and it out two vessels. Purchased by rebel
agents; destination unknown.
| The Shanghai and San Francisco, built in French
ship-yards for the rebels, have been definitely dis
posed to a neutral government. Our enemies never
could get them out. They lay at st. Nezarc, neal
Bordeaux until last week. since which time one has
departed on an honest voyage.
The rebel agent at Queenstown, one Dawlng, Q
naturalizcd American citizen, once United States
Consul to that port has been obliged to run of II
consequence Of debts and mpecuniosity lie manu-
featured the charge of ''federal recruiting hrough
against the kearsage, and was very active III gettn;
up signatures TO the peace address