governor desires to know if his State is to be
put on the same footing with private speculators.

He also demands some thousands of bales of cotton, loaned the
government--and which the government cannot now replace at
Wilmington--and his complaints against the government are bitter. Is it
his intention to assume an independent attitude, and call the North
Carolina troops to the rescue? A few weeks will develop his intentions.

Mr. Hunter is in the Secretary's room every Sunday morning. Is there
some grand political egg to be hatched?

If the government had excluded private speculators from the ports at an
early date, we might have had clothes and meat for the army in
abundance--as well as other stores. But a great duty was neglected!

Sunday as it is, trains of government wagons are going incessantly past
my door laden with ice--for the hospitals next summer, if we keep
Richmond.

JANUARY 11TH.--The snow has nearly vanished--the weather bright and
pleasant, for midwinter; but the basin is still frozen over.

Gen. E. S. Jones has captured several hundred of the enemy in Southwest
Virginia, and Moseby's men are picking them up by scores in Northern
Virginia.

Congress recommitted the new Conscript bill on Saturday, intimidated by
the menaces of the press, the editors being in danger of falling within
reach of conscription.

A dwelling-house near us rented to-day for $6000.

JANUARY 12TH.--Hundreds were skating on the ice in the basin this
morning; but it thawed all day, and now looks like rain.

Yesterday the President vetoed a bill appropriating a million dollars to
clothe the Kentucky troops. The vote in the Senate, in an effort to pass
it nevertheless, was 12 to 10, not two-thirds. The President is
unyielding. If the new Conscription act before the House should become a
law, the President will have nearly all power in his hands. The act
suspending the writ of _habeas corpus_, before the Senate, if passed,
will sufficiently complete the Dictatorship.

Gen. Jos. E. Johnston writes in opposition to the organization of more
cavalry.

Mr. J. E. Murral, Mobile, Ala., writes Judge Campbell that a party there
has authority from the United States authorities to trade anything but
arms and ammunition for cotton.

Gen. Winder being directed to send Mr. Hirsh, a rich Jew, to the
conscript camp, says he gave him a passport to leave the Confederate
States some days ago, on the order of Judge Campbell, A. S. W. Col.