Cars are readily destroyed by burning. On this subject no instructions are necessary. The destruction of more than 400 cars by your own troops within the last six months proves that in the work of destroying such property perfection has been attained, and no room left for winning fresh laurels in this field.

The superintendent of the Orange and Alexandria Military Railroad has instructions to furnish specimen torpedoes to officers who may order them. Address J. H. Deveraux, Alexandria.

H. HAUPT,

Brigadier-General, in Charge of U. S. Military Railroads.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, November 1, 1862.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: I have the honor to inclose a copy of correspondence between the French consul and myself in relation to certain blankets which the necessities of my command require me to have.

The tone of the letter of the Count Mejan is insufferable, but I have taken no further notice of it than that shown in my letter. I suppose the matter will be made a subject of correspondence with the State Department, and I have forwarded this correspondence for information.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General, Commanding.

[Inclosure No. 1-Translation.] NEW ORLEANS, October 31, 1862.

Major General B. F. BUTLER,

Commanding Army of the Gulf, New Orleans, La.:

SIR: I have just been informed that by virtue of an order issued by the provost-marshal-general, Colonel French, and approved by you, ten bales of blankets belonging to Messrs. Barriere Brothers, French merchants residing in this city, have been taken away from the custom-house, where these goods were stored, without even informing the owners thereof.

This arbitrary act is more than an attempt against the property of a French citizen; it is a flagrant violation of a trust confided to the good faith of the Government of the United States under the flag floating over the custom-house, and placed under the protection of the authority at the head of the custom-house administration.

In the midst of your important occupations the gravity of this fact has, without doubt, not presented itself to your mind, and I hope these remarks will be sufficient to induce you to order the restitution of the goods thus illegally seized.

If a violation of a trust is by itself not justifiable, it is the more so by the fact that Messrs. Barriere Brothers have not been advised of what was intended and accomplished.

All the important importers are interested in this question. The commerce cannot exist without security, and how can business in New Orleans, already so dull, take a rise which has formerly characterized this city if one is exposed to see his goods confided to the custom-house seized without notice, without reason or right? Already