Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 24th ultimo, relative to cotton claimed by British subjects and seized by the military authorities at Savannah,
In that note you do me the honor to observe that there exists no sufficient reason for departing, in this instance, from the course which this government pursues in securing property in the insurrectionary districts and ascertaining and liquidating any claims of lawful owners thereupon by judicial investigation, and I doubt not that such is the full intention of the United States government.
At the same time, in view of what Mr. Greene observes in his letter of the 19th ultimo, a copy of which I took occasion to lay before you in my note of the 30th ultimo, it would appear difficult, if not impossible, for the rightful [Page 68] owners to show their right and title to the property if, as this gentleman states the military authorities of Savannah decline to give any receipt or record of the property they take away.
The good intentions of the American government would thus be rendered nugatory, unless, indeed, orders have been already given that a different course shall be adopted, and the owners be debarred by acts over which they had no control of bringing forward any claims which should allow this government the opportunity of fairly investigating them by judicial means. This, it appears to me, can only add to the perplexity of the question and lay the good faith of this government open to criticism.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.