Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-28
IN ADVERSE POSSESSION.
Property to Which Uncle Sam Has
Valid Claim.

WASHINGTON, July 27.-In response to
the Senate resolution, calling on him for
evidence in the Treasury department, re-
lating to the property of the United
States, to which the United States has
valid claim, and which is held in adverse
possession, the Secretary of the Treasury
to-day transmitted to the Senate the re-
port of the Solicitors of the Treasury and
Commissioners Of Internal Revenue on
the subject. The most interesting of the
documents returned is letter from Mr..
Littlepage, lately employed as an agent
of the Treasury to assist in the preven-
ton and detection OF frauds upon
customs revenues. In letter
dated November IL. 1887, he says
he went to his home in Virginia
to examine his old Confederate papers
made and received while in Europe un-
der an order of the then Confederate
States Government, to obtain accurate
data. He says he found in the winter of
1884 that he was ordered to the Confed-
crate ship, The Texas, alias The Pom.
peiro. This vessel was built at Glasgow,
and was No. sloop- of-war, and was to
have received her armament and equip
ment while lying off the Coast of England
by another vessel. Cap ain Henry Sin
clair, Of the Confederate States Navy,
superintended the construction of the
vessel, her cost being 81 400, 900, all of
which was fully paid by the Confederate
Government. The vessel, he says,
started to sea, but having been reported
as a Confederate cruiser, was seized
Captain Sinclair, rather than carry her
through the courts, secured her release by
guaranteeing she would not go into the
hands of the Confederacy. He then
chartered her, and when a few months
after the Confederacy collapsed, she was
sailing under the same charter. He adds
this vessel was fully paid for by the Con-
federate Government, and should belong
to the United States. She is still valuable,
and is now trading between Edinburg
and Copenhagen. He adds their other
Clyde steamer, constructed by the Con-
federate Government, was similarly dis
posed of by their agents or Captains,
which should belong to the United States.
There were two rams built by Baird &
Co., on the Mersey, ostensibly for the
Chinese Government, but inspected and
tested by Confederate officers. They
were, he said, seized by the British au-
thorities, and were finally disposed of by
Confederate agents, and are now in the
British navy, having recently been seen by
Admiral Luce at Bermuda, flying the
British flag. Littlepage also speaks OF
certain powerful Clyde-built steamers
and rams built for the Confederate Gov
ernment, and also states that parties
who recently visited Captain Sinclair's
house, noticed its linen, crockery, cut
lery, etc., bore the letters G.. S. N,
which are supposed to have come from
the Texas. He adds that two ne W Clyde
built steamers, the City of Petersburg
ard the Old Dominion, which were
built for the Confederate Government
and paid for by it, are now running be-
tween Liverpool and Dublin. Littlepage
files ali itemized staten ent of Confeder.
ate property uncovered by the United
Government. amounting to 10000, 900,
most of which is in English hands.