Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-08-17
Uncle Sam Lost Millions.
MANY MEN ENRICHED BY THE DOWN
FALL OF THE CONFEDERACY.

| Washington Cor. OF New York World.
Some time ago the Senate called
upon the Secretary OF the Treasury for
evidence in the Treasury Department
relating to properly OF the United
States, as to which the United States
has valid claim, which is held in ad-
verse possession. The Secretary OF
the Treasury to-day transmitted to the
Senate reports of the Solicitor of the
Treasury and the Commissioner Of In
ternal Revenue on the subject and also
the report II. b. Littlepage, lately
employed as an agent of the Treasury
Department.
The first two reports are not OF spe-
cial interest, but the latter is exceed
ingly interesting. Littlepage inferred
that he was to look up and recover
such properties belonging TO the late
Confederate States as have been fraud
ulently or Improperly diverted or con-
cealed. In Il letter dated November
II, 1887, Littlepage says he went to
his home in King William county,
Virginia, to examine his old Confeder-
ate papers, made and received while in
Europe, under the orders Of the then
Confederate States Government, to OBJ
tain accurate data. He says he found
in the winter of 1864 he was ordered
to the Confederate ship Teras alias
Pampciro. This vessel was built at
Glasgow as sloop of war and was to
have received her armament and
equipment while lying off the coast of
England from another vessel.
Captain Henry Sinclair, Of the Con-
federate States Navy, superintended
the construction OF the vessel, her cost
being 81 400, 900, all of which was paid
by the Confederate Government. The
vessel, he says, started to sea, but hav-
ing been reported Il Confederate cruis-
| er, was seized Captain Sinclair,
rather than carry her through the
Courts, secured her release by guaran-
teeing 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 Confederacy
collapsed, she was sailing under the
same charter. lie adds that this YES
sci was fully paid for by the Confeder-
ate Government, and should belong to
the United States. She is still valua-
Bile, and is now trading between Edin-
burgh and Copenhagen.
He adds that there are several other
Clyde-built steamers constructed for
the Confederate Government similarly
disposed of by their agents or captains,
which should now belong to the United
States. There were also two powerful
rams built by Laird & Co., on the Mer-
sey, ostensibly for the Chinese Govern
ment, but inspected and tested by the
Confederate officers. They 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 re-
Gently 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 Confeder-
ate Government, and also states that
parties who recently visited Captain
Sinclair's house found that its liEen,
crockery, cutlery, etc, bore the letters
&C. & N.," which articles are sup
posed to have come from the Texas.
He adds that two new Clyde-built
steamers, the City of Petersburg and
the Old Diminion, which were built for
the Confederate Government and paid
for by it, are now running between
Liverpool and Dublin.
He adds: Il beg to file an itemized
statement of Confederate properties
unrecovered by the United States Gov
ernment, but which must have been
recovered had proper steps been taken.
believe that large amount OF the
property described may yet be recov-
cred, although SO many years have
elapsed since"
The statement embraces forty items.
The largest one is: "No. 34-MOney
deposited to the credit of the Rebel
Government at Vienna, Brussels
Frankfort-on-the-Main, Amsterdam
Paris and London, amounting, as can
be shown to our Government, to SILL
600, 600" Then there were vessels,
cotton, specie, merchandise, machin-
cry, iron works in Scotland, army and
navy stores and an immense amount
of other property, both in Europe and
the South, worth nearly $4,000, 900
which rightfully belonged to the United
States at the close of the war, but
which was taken by private parties
who had no just claim.ts 4 dollar.
| worth