the President the same or any part thereof should be advisable". I respectfully recommend that the President order commencement of such defenses.

I desire also respectfully to urge that the War Department will request the Navy Department to have an iron-clad vessel built for and sent to the Columbia River. In view of the contigneccies of foreign war these preparations should be made early; it takes so long to forward anything around Cape Horn. Fort that reason those portions of the United State most remove should be first provided for. Arrangements made to-day in Washington City will not be efficient for defense here in much less than a twelvemonth. thus, early and prompt steps should be taken. On the 1st of September last I wrote to the honorable Secretary of the Navy on the subject of an iron-clad vessel for this river, but have had no response. By the newspaper slip hereto annexed you will preceive that designs upon our commerce exist across the line int the British Possession north of us. Their projects deserve attention and proper preparation. The new discoveries of gold in this region, covering such a wide extent of territory, show that we have here a second California. The population of Washington and Oregon was increased 20,000 inhabitants last year. The rush of emigrants and miners will be still lager next summer. The commerce and importance of the country are constantly increasing, justly claiming the attention of the Government.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. ALVORD,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding Distric.

[Incloruse.]

News from the British Possessions and th Northwest.

PORTLAND, OREG,

Tuesday Morning, Febraury 24, 1863.

We collect the following itmes from the Victoria Chroncile of late date:

A PLOT TO SEIZE THE SHUBRICK.

Withim the past few days a plot, having for its subject the seizure of the U. S. revenue cutter Shubrick and her conversion into a privateer, has come to light. The facts, we are told were fully known to Lieutenant Selden, commanding the cutter, before he left here on Thursday in his vessel for the sound to bring down the mail. The names of three conspirations who belonged to his crew were furnished him, and our informat says that he had made every arrangement to place them in irons on arriving at Port Angeles. The plot was to seize the cutter before she had reached Port Townsend, on her way up the sound, overpower her officers and send them ashore. The cutter was then to he headed for this port, and, after taking on board a new crew and supplies in the outer harbor, she was to steer away for the southern coast to intercept the mail steamer. The fiends of the Confederacy expected her yesterday morning, and the new crew was in readiness to embrak, but as she had not arrived as a late hour last night it is believed that the scheme has failed. Lieutenant Shelden is a Virginia by brith, but is said to be as true as steel in his devotion to the United States Governemnt.

THE CONFEDERATE PRIVATEER.

From a communication published in the Chronicle of the 7th instant, it appears that the story of an attempt to purchase the British steamer