The Provost-Marshal-General has issued no proclamation at all.  He has in no form announced anything recently in regard to troops in New York, except in his letter to Governor Seymour of October 21, which has been published in the newspapers of that State.  It has not been announced or decided in any form by the Provost-Marshal-General, or any one else in authority of the Government, that every citizen who has paid his three hundred dollars commutation is liable to be immediately drafted again, or that towns that have just raised the money to pay their quotas will have again to be subject to similar taxation or suffer the operations of the new conscription, nor it is probable that the like of them ever will be announced or decided.

Telegram to W. H. Seward. 
War department, Washington, D. C., November 1, 1863.

Hon.  W. H. Seward, Auburn, N.Y.: 

No important news.  Details of Hooker’s night fight do great credit to his command, and particularly to the Eleventh Corps and Geary’s part of the Twelfth.  No discredit on any.

A. Lincoln.

TO POSTMASTER-GENERAL BLAIR.

Executive Mansion,
Washington, November 2, 1863.

Hon.  Montgomery Blair.

My Dear sir:—­Some days ago I understood you to say that your brother, General Frank Blair, desires to be guided by my wishes as to whether he will occupy his seat in Congress or remain in the field.  My wish, then, is compounded of what I believe will be best for the country; and it is that he will come here, put his military commission in my hands, take his seat, go into caucus with our friends, abide the nominations, help elect the nominees, and thus aid to organize a House of Representatives which will really support the Government in the war.  If the result shall be the election of himself as Speaker, let him serve in that position.  If not, let him retake his commission and return to the army for the benefit of the country.

This will heal a dangerous schism for him.  It will relieve him from a dangerous position or a misunderstanding, as I think he is in danger of being permanently separated from those with whom only he can ever have a real sympathy—­the sincere opponents of slavery.

It will be a mistake if he shall allow the provocations offered him by insincere time-servers to drive him from the house of his own building.  He is young yet.  He has abundant talents—­quite enough to occupy all his time without devoting any to temper.

He is rising in military skill and usefulness.  His recent appointment to the command of a corps, by one so competent to judge as General Sherman, proves this.  In that line he can serve both the country and himself more profitably than he could as a member of Congress upon the floor.