STEAMER PACIFI,

Baker's Bay, Wash. Ter., January 18, 1861.

Captain JAMES A. HARDIE,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Headquarters Deaprtment of Oregon:

SIR: I would respectfully state that as the field opertions of the military road from Fort Walla Walla to Fort Benton will be resumed by the 1st of April that an escort of not less than eighty men aqnd two officers be granted me, under the instructions from the War Deaprtment, to protect my work and its operatins, and that they may be provided with subsistence and clothing for fifteen months. I desire to leave Walla Walla by the 1st of April.

I am, sir, truly and respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN MULLAN,

First Lieutenant, Second Artillery, in Charge of Mil. Road Expeditin.

HEADQUARTERS OFT HE ARMY,
Washington, January 19, 1861.

Brigadier General A. S. JOHNSTON,

Commanding Deaprtment of the Pacific:

GENERAL: The General- in- Chief desires that you will order down from Fort Vancouver two companies of artillery to the posts near San Francisco, and that the fort at the entrance of the harbor be occupied by one company with as little delay as practicable.

I have th honor to be, sier, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. THOMAS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S SHIP TOPAZE,

Esquimault, January 24, 1861.

Colonel G. WRIGHT,

Headquarters Deaprtment of Oregon, Fort Vancouver:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt on the 22nd instant of your letter of the 20th of December, with inclosures, on the subject of the military reserves on San juan Island. I perfectly concur with you that an arrangemetn resepcting the extent of each reserve would be advisable, and also that as little land should be closed to settlers as may be compatible with the maintenance of discipline and the otehre requirements of each camp. I therefore beg to propose that the two officers I command of the detachments of U. S . troops and of Her Majesty's be instructed to meet, and keeping in mind the foregoing considerations, should conjointly settle and arrange the extent of the reseptice reserves, a plan of which, when agreed upon, should be exchanged. With regard to that paragraph of your letter wherein you propse "that whatever amount of land Captain Pickett shall now or hereafter include within his special military jurisdiction, CaptaiN Bazalgette shall be at liberty to include an equal amount within his camp limits, and no more. " I cannot r efrain from observing that such an arrangement would seem to be at variance with the terms of the joint occupancy, which provide for perfect equality of rights in all resepcts, not that t eofficer commanding the troops of Her Majesty is to be guided in every particular by the actins of the officer in command of the troops of the united States. It is with this view that I propose a