Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.
Sir: Messrs. Laird & Sons have sold the iron-clad rams to the British government. The fact was formally stated in the Globe of the 24th instant, though it has never been officially announced to me. In conversation with the attorney general last evening, I learned that two successful offers had been made by Messrs. Laird. The first had fixed a price considered so high as to have been at once declined. The last had proposed to abide by any reasonable adjustment, and had therefore been acceded to. I understood him to say that he intended to move a discontinuance of the suit in the court to-day.
This relieves the immediate pressure of a delicate and difficult question between the two governments. But it determines nothing for the regulation of their future relations. Opinion is taking so strong a form here on the impolicy of further countenancing these rebel operations, that my impression is that, hereafter, the base will be substantially transferred to the other side of the channel. The proceeds of the respective sales of the Georgia, the Glasgow ram, and these iron-clads will be, probably, applied to the outfit of the four vessels now in process of construction in France. They are not, to be sure, ships of the same formidable character with the rams, but they are, perhaps, the best which they can under present circumstances command. The fact is certain that they are still enlisting men and sending them over, whilst officers continue to come from America. Information from one of the crew of the Alabama, dated at Singapore so late as the 12th of April, discloses an expectation prevailing on board that she was to come to France about the middle of July. The Florida is now there. What this assembling of the vessels means, or whether it means anything, I do not pretend to say. I content myself with calling the attention of the government to it.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.