St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-28
BELONG TO THE GOVERNMENT
Property of the United States
Which is in the Hands of Out
Siders.

siders.
WASHINGTON, July 21.-In response
to a senate resolution calling upon him
for evidence in the treasury depart
ment relating to property of the United
States, or to which the Unithd States
has valid claim, which is held in adj
verse possession, the secretary of the
treasury to-day transmitted to the SEN
ate reports of the solicitor of
the treasury. and the COM
missioner of internal revenue on
the subject. The acting solicitor in his
report says there is no personal prop
erty in charge of his Office, but it has
been suggested that there is personal
property now held in adverse possession
to which the United States has a valid
claim. If this be true it would probably
be advisable to recommend an apprOpri-
alton for its
DETECTION AND RECOVERY.
The commissioner says the only prop
erty in charge of his Office is real estate
acquired under the internal revenue
law. He can furnish such statement,
but he says it will take some time, and
as he is doubtful whether the object of
the resolution was to obtain such
statement he asks for more def
mite instructions. According to
letter from Mr.. Littlepage, lately
employed as an agent of the treasury
department, to the solicitor of the treas
ury, dated Oct. 10, 1887, it seems that he
was employed ito assist in the preven-
ton and detection of frauds upon the
customs revenue" Continuing he says:
AFTER my several conversations with
you, infer that
MY ESPECIAL ASSIGNMENT
will be to recover such property belong
ing to the late Confederate states as
has been fraudulently or improperly
diverted or concealed" In concluding
he says: above all, desire that my
special assignment shall be kept pro-
found secret"
In a letter dated Nov. II, 1887, he
says he went to his home in King Will
liam county, Va, to examine his old
Confederate papers, made and received
while in Europe, under the orders of
the then Confederate states govern
ment, to obtain accurate data. He
1864 he was ordered to the Confederate
ship 1.-The Texas" (alias 1.-The Pam
peierio.") This vessel was built at Glas-
gov as No. slOop of war, and was to
have received her
ARMAMENT AND EQUIPMENT
while lying off the coast of England, by
another vessel. Capt. Henry Sinclair,
of the Confederate States navy, super
intended the construction of the vessel,
its cost being s1.400,000 all of which
was fully paid by the Confederate gov
eminent. The vessel, he says, started
to seabut having been reported as
Confederate cruiser, was seized. Capt.
Sinclair, rather than carry her through
the courts, secured her release by guar
anteeing 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, a few months
THE CONFEDERACY COLLAPSED,
she was sailing under the same charter.
He adds that this vessel was fully paid
for by the Confederate government, and
should belong to the United States.
She is still valuable and is now trading
between Edinburgh and Copenhagen.
He adds that there are several other
Clyde built steamers. constructed by
the Confederate government, similarly
disposed of by their agents or
captains, which should now be-
long to the United States. There
were also two powerful rams,
built by Laird 81 Co., on the Marsey, os-
tenSibly for the Chinese government,
but inspected and tested by Confeder-
ate officers. Ihey were, he says, seized
by the British authorities and were
finally disposed of by the Confederate
agents in charge, and are
NOW IN THE BRITISH NAVY,
having recently been seen by Admiral
Luce at Bermuda flying the British flag.
Mr.. Littlepage also speaks of certain
powerful Clyde built steamers
and rams built in France for
the Confederate government and
also states that parties who recently
visited Capt. Sinclair's house found that
its linen, croekery, cutlery, ETC., bore
the letters sc. S. NJ" which are sup
posed to have come from the Texas.
He adds that two new Clyde-buiIt
steamers, the City of Petersburg and
the Old Dominion, which were built for
the Confederate government and paid
for by it, are now running between
Liverpool and Dublin.
Mr.. Littlepage files an itemiZed state
ment of Confederate property unrecov-
cred by the United States government,
amounting to S30,000,000, most of which
is in English hands. He estimates that
there are 100000 worth in the United
States, not including the value of many
millions of dollars worth of cotton be-
longing to the Confederate government,
| shipped from Brownsville, Galveston
and MatamOras since the war.