WASHINGTON, February 21, 1862.

To the Senate and House of Representatives: 

The President of the United States was last evening plunged into affliction by the death of a beloved child.  The heads of the Departments, in consideration of this distressing event, have thought it would be agreeable to Congress and to the American people that the official and private buildings occupied by them should not be illuminated in the evening of the 22d instant.

  WILLIAM H. SEWARD. 
  S.P.  CHASE. 
  EDWIN M. STANTON. 
  GIDEON WELLES. 
  CALEB B. SMITH. 
  M. BLAIR. 
  EDWARD BATES.

WASHINGTON, February 25, 1862.

To the Senate and House of Representatives: 

I transmit to Congress a copy of an instruction from Prince Gortchakoff to Mr. De Stoeckl, the minister of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia accredited to this Government, and of a note of the Secretary of State to the latter, relative to the adjustment of the question between the United States and Great Britain growing out of the removal of certain of our citizens from the British mail steamer Trent by order of the commander of the United States war steamer San Jacinto.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

WASHINGTON, February 26, 1862.

To the Senate and House of Representatives: 

In transmitting to Congress the accompanying copy of two letters, bearing date the 14th of February, 1861, from His Majesty the Major King of Siam to the President of the United States, and of the President’s answer thereto, I submit for their consideration the question as to the proper place of deposit of the gifts received with the royal letters referred to.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

WASHINGTON, February 27, 1862.

To the Senate of the United States: 

Lieutenant-General Scott has advised me that while he would cheerfully accept a commission as additional minister to Mexico, with a view to promote the interests of the United States and of peace, yet his infirmities are such that he could not be able to reach the capital of that country by any existing mode of travel, and he therefore deems it his duty to decline the important mission I had proposed for him.  For this reason I withdraw the nomination in this respect heretofore submitted to the Senate.  It is hardly necessary to add that the nomination was made without any knowledge of it on his part.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

WASHINGTON, March 3, 1862.

To the Senate and House of Representatives: 

I transmit to Congress a copy of a dispatch to the Secretary of State from the minister resident of the United States at Lisbon, concerning recent measures which have been adopted by the Government of Portugal intended to encourage the growth and to enlarge the area of the culture of cotton in its African possessions.