Laird Brothers to her Majesty’s Treasury.
Sir: We have the honor to reply to your letter of the 19th instant, (received and acknowledged yesterday,) informing us that circumstances have come to the knowledge of her Majesty’s government giving rise to an apprehension that an attempt may be made to seize our iron-clad steam vessel on her trial trip, and stating that authority had been given to Admiral Dacres to place, with our concurrence, a sufficient force of seamen and marines on board her to defeat any such attempt.
We are not ourselves aware of any circumstance to induce us to entertain any such apprehension, but we beg to thank her Majesty’s government for the protection thus placed at our disposal, of which we shall gladly avail ourselves.
Owing, however, to what you have brought under our notice, and the incomplete state of the vessel, and also the present crowded state of the river Mersey, it will be desirable to defer the trial trip for some days; and, in the mean time, we trust that her Majesty’s government will be able to obtain further information as to any project that may exist to deprive us of our property.
We propose to communicate the substance of your letter to Messrs. A. Bravay & Co., of Paris.
We are, &c.,
Hon. H. Brand.