FORT WARREN, Boston Harbor, January 1, 1862.

Honorable W. H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington.

SIR: I have the honor to report that I delivered Messrs. Mason, Slidell, Macfarland and Eustin into the custody of Mr. E. D. Webster this morning at half-past 10, and they left in a steam tug at one-quarter before 11 a. m. and proceeded to sea.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. DIMICK,

Colonel First Artillery, Commanding Post.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

London, January 2, 1862.

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington.

SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt last evening of dispatch from 141 to 146, both inclusive.

Under the continued suspense as to the issue of the difficulty respecting the Trent I know not that there is much necessity for adverting to topics of minor importance. I shall therefore content myself with transmitting copies of the further correspondence* that has taken place between to believe that the supervision of the outfit of that vessel on the part of the Government has been faithful and thorough.

The temper of the people of Great Britain has been undergoing a sensible amelioration during the past week. Great efforts have been

made to include the Government to consent to a proposal of submitting the difference to arbitration in case it should be offered by the United States. The obstacle to it is, however, that almost every Government in Europe has already committed itself. If it were not for this so confident have ministers become in the correctness of their position that I think they would not object to that course could they gracefully retreat from their somewhat precipitate demals. There is growing distrust of the appropriateness of the mode adopeted to obtain a remedy. The prevailing idea that they have heretofore submitted too often to indignities and that there is an absolute necessity to adopt summary measures in order to deter the United States from a repetition of them has somewhat faded under the growing conviction that at least in this case nothing of the kind had been intended. at present there is a lull in opinion which the news by the Africa has done much to bring about. Should the later news confirm the impression now received I am very much inclined to doubt whether a declaration of war would ht the men should not be at once surrendered.

Yet should it come to this I cannot give much encouragement in regard to the state in which affairs will be left between the two countries for the future. That there is a party desiring war here can scarcely admit of a doubt. That the Confederate emissaries failing in their hope from this last difficulty will in their utter desperation do all in their power to give that party full activity upon other question is equally certain. To conteract this policy requires great prudence as well as energy on both sides of the water. In this connection it may be held as one good result of an otherwise unfortunate incident that the friends of peace and of the restoration of order in America have been roused to a sense of the motives which impel this hostility. I am

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* Omitted as irrelevant.

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