people.

I saw Brig.-Gen. Chilton to-day, Chief of Gen. Lee's Staff. He says,
when the time comes, Gen. Lee will do us all justice. I asked him if
Richmond were safe, and he responded in the affirmative.

I am glad the Secretary of War has stopped the blockade-running
operations of Gen. Winder and Judge Campbell, Assistant Secretary of
War. Until to-day, Gen. W. issued many passports which were invariably
approved by Judge Campbell, but for some cause, and Heaven knows there
is cause enough, Mr. Secretary has ordered that no more passports be
granted Marylanders or foreigners to depart from the Confederacy. I hope
Mr. S. will not "back down" from this position.

To-day I returned to the department from the Bureau of Conscription,
being required at my old post by Mr. Kean, Chief of the Bureau of War,
my friend, Jacques, being out of town with a strangury. Thus it is; when
Congress meets I am detailed on service out of the department, and when
Congress adjourns they send for me back again. Do they object to my
acquaintance with the members?

A few weeks ago I addressed the President a letter suggesting that an
alphabetical analysis be made of letter and indorsement books, embracing
principles of decisions, and not names. This I did for the Bureau of
Conscription, which was found very useful. Precedents could thus be
readily referred to when, as was often the case, the names of parties
could not be recollected. It happened, singularly enough, that this
paper came into my hands with forty-nine others to-day, at the
department, where I shall wholly remain hereafter. The President seemed
struck with the idea, and indorsed a reference on it to the "State,
Treasury, War, and Navy Departments," and also to the Attorney General.
I shall be curious to know what the Secretary thinks of this plan. No
matter what the Secretary of War thinks of it; he declined my plan of
deriving supplies directly from the people, and then adopted it.

APRIL 29TH.--Gen. Beauregard is eager to have completed the "Torpedo
Ram," building at Charleston, and wants a "great gun" for it. But the
Secretary of the Navy wants all the iron for _mailing_ his gun-boats.
Mr. Miles, of South Carolina, says the ram will be worth two gun-boats.

The President of the Manassas Gap Railroad says his company is bringing
all its old iron to the city. Wherefore?

The merchants of Mobile are protesting against the impressment by
government agents of the sugar and mol