by John Beauchamp Jones
JANUARY 28TH.—The beautiful, pleasant weather continues.
It is said Congress passed, last night, in secret session, the bill allowing increased compensation to civil officers and employees.
Mr. Davidson, of fifty years of age, resigned, to-day, his clerkship in the War Department, having been offered $5000 by one of the incorporated companies to travel and buy supplies for it.
Mr. Hubbard, of Alabama, suggests to the Secretary to buy 500,000 slaves, and give one to every soldier enlisting from beyond our present lines, at the end of the war. He thinks many from the border free States would enlist on our side. The Secretary does not favor the project.
Gen. Whiting writes for an order for two locomotive boilers, at Montgomery, Ala., for his torpedo-boats, now nearly completed. He says he intends to attack the blockading squadron off Wilmington.
The weather is still warm and beautiful. The buds are swelling.
