I have been to the Secretary's Office within the last hour; and find things precisely as you left them—no new arrivals of returns on either side— Douglass has not been here since you left— A report is in circulation here now, that he has abandoned the idea of going to Washington; though the report does not come in a verry authentic form, so far as I can learn— Though, by the way, speaking of authenticity, you know that if we had heard Douglass say that he had abandoned the contest, it would ^not^ be verry authentic—2 There is no news here— Noah, I still think will be elected verry easily—3 I am afraid of our race for Representative— D^r Knapp has become a candidate; and I fear the few votes he will get will be taken from us—4 Also, some one has been tampering with old Esq^r Wycoff, and induced him to send in his name to be anounced as a candidate— Francis refused to announce him without seeing him, and now I suppose there is to be a fuss about it—5 I have been so busy that I have not seen M^rs Stuart since you left, though I understand she wrote you by to day's mail, which will inform you more about her than I could— The verry moment a Speaker is elected write me who he is—6