the products of the labor of the inhabitants or other merchandise to any port in a loyal State?

4th. May not the commander of the military department under the laws of war authorize the introduction into Norfolk of such necessaries of life as are required to save the inhabitants from suffering by hunger and cold?

When these questions are decided I respectfully request that the naval commander may receive such instructions as to prevent any conflict or misunderstanding with the commander of the military forces. I request, further, as a matter of more pressing necessity, that such instructions may be given to him as to obviate the existing conflict with the Treasury and War Departments.

In the mean time I desire to apprise you that as I put on the regulations of the 28th of August, which have your sanction, a construction entirely different from that apparently given to them by the Secretary of the Navy, under which he has instructed Admiral Lee to allow no traffic with the people of Norfolk, I shall consider it my duty if supplies come here with your permit and that of the Secretary of the Treasury to allow them to go to Norfolk, notwithstanding the seemingly conflicting instructions referred to from the Secretary of the Navy.

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

JOHN A. DIX,

Major-General.

UNITED STATES FLAG-SHIP MINNESOTA,

Off Newport News, Va., October 8, 1862.

Major General JOHN A. DIX, U. S. A.,

Commanding Seventh Army Corps, Fort Monroe,, Va.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt yesterday of your communication dated the 6th instant.

I see no difficulty in executing my instructions from the Navy Department (the substance of which I have communicated to you under dates of September 18 and 23 and October 4) in connection with the printed regulations to which you refer.

Permits given by the Secretaries of the Treasury, War, or Navy will be respected, but not if given by any other officer.

No vessel will be allowed to pass the guard vessel with merchandise until her permit and manifest have been examined by me - in my absence, by the senior officer - and found to be duly authorized. A vessel attempting to pass under an unauthorized permit will be seized and the facts reported to the Navy Department.

Vessels with army supplies will be passed under a certificate from headquarters that they contain only army supplies and no merchandise; this certificate to be left with the guard vessel.

In either case the papers justifying admission will be forwarded to the Navy Department.

By my communication to you of October 6 you were informed that the Navy Department, after seeing a copy of your letter dated October 1, and of its inclosed copy of Secretary Chase's letter of September 27 to Mr. E. H. Cutting, decided that the Marblehead was not authorized to take a return cargo. The report made to me from the guard vessel, whose commander has since been detached from the squadron, was that the Marblehead passed out in ballast. I am now surprised to learn from your letter of October 6 that this vessel "was allowed to return from