Connecticut western news., 1888-08-01
IS THIS PROPERTY OURS? Confederate Ships and Ships Furni-
 ture Being Used by England.

The Secretary of the Treasury has sent to the Senate reports from various officers relat- ing to the existence of property formerly be- longing to Xne Confederate Government, and hence to the United States, but now held by other persons. H. B. Littlepage, an agent of the Treasury Department, told in his report about some large items. He says that in 1864 he was ordered to the Confederate ship the Texas. alias the Pampeiro. This vessel was built at Glasgow as 8 No. 1 sloop-of-war, and was to have received her armament and equip ment off England from another vessel. Capt. Henry Sinclair of the Confederate States navy superintended the construction of the vessel, her cost being $1, 100000, all of which The vessel started to sea, but having been reported as Confederate cruiser was seized. Capt. Sinclair, rather than carry her through the courts, secured her release by guaranteeing that she should not go into the hands of the Confederacy until they should be entitled to have her. He then chartered her, and when, few months afterward, the Con- federacy collapsed, she was sailing under the same charter. This vessel was fully paid for by the Confederate Government, and should belong to the United States. She is still valu- able, and is now trading between Edinburgh and Copenhagen. He adds that there are sev- eral other Clyde built steamers constructed by the Confederate Government similarly dis should now belong to the United States There were also two powerful rams built by Laird < Go. on the Mersey, ostensibly for the Chinese Government, but inspected and tested by Con- federate officers. They were, he says, seized by the British authorities, and were filsally dis posed of by the Confederate agents in charge, and are now in the British navy, having re- gently been seen by Admiral Luce at Bermuda, flying the British flag.
 MT. Littepage also speaks of certain power ful Clyde built steamers and rams built in France for the Confederate government. and says that persons who recently visited Captain Sincar's house found that it's linen, crockery and cutlery bore the letters 70. 8. N." which articles are supposed to have come from the Texas. He adds that two new Clyde-built steamers, the City of Pittsburgh and the Old Dominion, which were built by the Confeder- ate government and paid for by it, are now run- ming between Liverpool and Dublin. He ap- bends to his report an itemized statement of steamers, ships, furniture, and merchandise which in similar ways have passed into the hands of Europeans, but which were paid for by Americans, and ought now to be turned over to the United States Their cost value aggregates S19329, 625. Much of this, MT. Littlepage says, can be traced to it's present possessors. There is also an item of money de- posited to the credit of the rebel Government in Vienna, Brussels, Frankfort-on-the-main, Amsterdam, Paris and London, amounting as can be shown to our Government, to $11,- OOO, 900. In the United States there arc vari- ous kinds of property rightfully belonging to the United States, but held by people who got it during or just after the war by hocus pocus from the Confederate Government. These items amount to $6. 00O,O00 Besides there was large amount of cotton shipped by the Confederates for which nothing has ever been received.