I was engaged in writing letters, and in finishing a draught of what was to be said on the New Mexican proposition in the report, which Mr Corwin requested me to furnish I called upon him on my way to the Capitol, but found that he had removed his lodgings from Willard’s Hotel, so that I could not find him. At the Capitol it seemed rather strange to be coming back to my seat in the House to mix with the ordinary business. The expected message of the President came in. It by no means answered to the calculations, but still it was sufficiently explicit as to his immediate position. How long he will remain in it admits of serious doubt. The House then went into the consideration of the Appropriation bill and spent a great while in discussing two or three pages, so that we could not be said to have made48 much progress. This was a little flash of excitement only once during the day, caused by Mr Howard, who moved his resolutions of enquiry upon the commitment of the President’s message. At first it looked as if they would dispute it, but the measure was too well taken and the numbers to sustain it too clear to admit of a struggle. We adjourned and I returned home. A visit from Mr Ruggles of New York, who talked more like a man of sense than I ever knew to do before.