The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-22
GOVERNMENTS CLAIMS AGAINST
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS OR IN
DIVIDUALS
DOT UP OVER $4o,OoO,ooO.
FOOT
Interesting story Told by the Genial
Joe Miller, Commissioner of
Internal Revenue.

the form of relief and claim bills be-
fore congress. These claims are re-
ported favorably from year to year,
but are never acted upon, and never
will be acted upon. Some of them are
just. The majority of them are I'M
just. 1t is almost impossible to select
the wheat from the chaff.
Nobody stops to inquire whether or
not the United States government has
claims against nations or individuals.
But some years ago a senate resolution
was passed, calling upon the secretary
of the treasury for information con-
corning property to which this govern
ment has valid claims, but which is adj
versely possessed. The secretary of
the treasury replied by sending a
voluminous transcript of treasury ac-
counts, amounting to upwards Of $40
100000, due this government from vari-
Gus sources. The printed matter makes
an immense volume, and the most in
teresting part of it all is the report Of
Special Agent H. B. Littlepage, COW
ering the civil war period. He says
that the Confederate ship Texas, other
wise the PamperiO, was built at Glas
gov as a No. 1 sloop-of-war, and was
to have received her armament and
equipment while lying off the coast of
England. The Confederate govern
ment paid 81, 400, 900 for the vessel, and
Capt Henry Sinclair superintended the
construction.
The Texas started to sea, but, hav-
ing been reported as a 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 afterward, the Confederacy
collapsed, she was sailing under the
same charter. He adds that his 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 Edin-
! burgh and Copenhagen.
He adds that there were several 9TH
er Clyde-built steamers constructed by
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
Mersey, oStensibly for the Chinese gov
eminent, but inspected and tested by
Confederate officers. They are now in
the British navy, having recently been
seen at Bermuda flying the British
! flag
| Mr.. -Littlepage also speaks of certain
! Clyde-built steamers and rams built in
ment, and adds that there are two new
! Clyde built steamers, the City of Pc
tersburg and the Old Dominion, which
were built for the Confederate govern
ment and paid for by it, and now run
ming between Liverpool and Dublin.
| He files an itemized statement of
| Confederate properties unrecovered by
| the United States government, but
| which, he thinks, might have been re-
! covered had proper steps been taken,
and a large amount Of which, he says,
may yet be recovered, including money
| deposited to the credit of the Confed-
crate government in Vienna, Brussels,
! Frankfort on the-Main. Amsterdam,
| Paris and London, amounting, as can
be shown, to 81 100000.
The property in the United States
| consists of iron works and lands, to-
! gether with Touring mills, machine
| shops, foundries and railroads in Mar
ion and Davis counties, Texas, cost
to the Confederate government $780,
| 600; two steamers and proceeds of / 400
bales of cotton, together with other
goods in and around Memphis, estimat-
ed at $1,000,000; property not described
| but alleged by responsible party in
| Baltimore to be worth $1,000,0 600; rail-
| roads, railroad iron and saw mills and
warehouses and merchandise in store
all in Alabama; cotton that belonged
| to the Confederate government shipped
from Brownsville, Galveston and Mata-
moras, amounting to many millions OF
| dollars since the termination of the
| war.
CHEERFUL JOE MILLER.
The office of the commissioner Of in
! ternal revenue is located in one OF
| the most cheerful rooms in the treas
ury building. During the past -four
! years it has been particularly cheerful
| because Joseph Miller has been commits.
SiOner, and he is one of the most cheer
full of all genial men. He has made q
| picture gallery of his office room, anG
| it will become historic. The walls are
decorated with excellent groups of per-
traits of men whose features indicate
intellectually and strong individuality
! NThey are all of them ex-internai
| revenue commissioners" said Mr.. Mil.
ler land comprise an almost complete
set of my predecessors"
The portraits are all large photo.
| graphs, well executed and handsomely
! framed. Continuing Mr.. Miller said:
1.-THE Office Of commissioner of inter
| nal revenue was established, or rather
| re-established. in 1862, Mr.. George S.
Boutwell,, of Massachusetts,, afterward
senator. and secretary OF the treasury
| being the first appointed to the Office
| entering on its duties July II. 1852 You
| will notice from the picture that Bout
| we'll is a typical Northern man, having
! the keen inciSive glance of natives OF
Massachusetts, and he was we'll select
ed as the first incumbent of a new
| office. From him it received an i'm
petus in the way Of system and ar
| rangement that has lasted through the
whole time of the existence Of the of
fice''
Then, lighting fragrant Havana
! Mr.. Miller continued his retrospect ap-
| parently drawing inspiration from the
| light clouds of smoke that f1oated
through the room.
MIR. Boutwell, only remained In the
Office until the Sd of March of the next
year, when he was succeeded by Joseph
J. Lewis, whose picture hangs just
there beyond that of Mr.. Boutwell,
The writer, on looking at the picture
| found it that of a rather stern-lookins
man with strong expressive features
Lewis died shortly after leaving the
Office" said Mr.. Miller, land I hardly
know just what business he engaged in.
If in any. He remained here from
March Is, 1863, until June 80, '65. and
did much to perfect the system of work
already in effect.
His immediate successor was Will
| liam Orion, of New York an intelli-
1 Eent and systematic worker as Won