RAWSON, Governor to J. H. Burnley, April 3, 1865

Governor Rawson to Mr. Burnley

SIR: In reply to your despatch of the 10th instant, enclosing a letter from Mr. Secretary Seward, relative to the movements of five blockade-running steamers which are stated to have recently cleared from Nassau, and which are suspected of being engaged in illegal and hostile operations against the commerce of the United States, I have much satisfaction in reporting that there is no reason for believing that there is any truth in the information which he has received.

From the date of Mr. Seward’s letter, 8th March, I presume that he must refer to steamers which left this port in the month of February. If so, I find that all the blockade-running steamers which cleared from Nassau to St. John’s,, New Brunswick, in that month, have returned hither, and were in port when his letter was written, except two which were captured in Charleston harbor, one which returned to this port, after having attempted unsuccessfully to run the blockade, and one which is now at Havana.

If Mr. Seward refers to vessels which cleared for St. John’s, New Brunswick, in January, I find that every one of them have returned to this port with cargoes of cotton, proving that they were not employed in the manner suspected by Mr. Seward’s informant.

I am very glad of this. The anxiety expressed by the United States government regarding the equipment of vessels within this colony, and the rumors afloat on the subject, have made me very desirous of ascertaining whether there were any real grounds for either. After careful inguiry and a strict watch, I am led to believe that up to the present time nothing of the kind has been done or attempted in this harbor since the beginning of the year.

With regard to the Ajax, which was the subject of your despatch of the 16th February, she was under observation during her stay here, until her departure on the 29th ultimo, when she left for Bermuda in ballast, with a moderate number of seamen and firemen. Nothing took place during her stay here to excite suspicion with regard to her, and I have reason to believe, on very good information, that she was neither intended nor adapted for a war vessel, but for a tug only, for which employment she was fitted up.

I have, &c.,