Snow of three or four inches. I called to see Mr Everett at the house of his daughter Mrs Wise. He has come with four others at the bearer of a petition from the city of Boston. in favor of some arrangement. The peculiarity of it is that it comes from every other source than the dominant party. Of course its authority here is correspondingly weakened from that cause. From thence I went to the House. The debate went on as usual. Mr Gilmer of North Carolina made a warm and earnest speech favorable to settlement of some kind. His manner is rough, but there is strength and heartiness and some pathos in his style. He evidently affected our side of the House. Mr Alley followed. He made a very sound, sensible speech not very direct to the question in hand. This brought the adjournment late so that I did not get home to dinner until nearly six. Governor Seward and Dr Palfrey dined with me. After their departure, I worked until late at night on my speech. It wears me a good deal.