The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

666 THE LIFE, PUBLIC SERVICES, AND
tives fiom, Louisiana and Arkansas was brought up in both
Houses, but was not pressed to a vote, though reports
were made in favor of such recognition and admission.
The Tariff Bill was modified, a bill for a loan of $600,000,000 was passed, with many other bills of less importance, and on the 3d of March Congress adjourned sine die.
The Senate, however, was at once convened in extra
session, by a proclamation issued by the President on
February 17th, as follows:DEPABTIENT o0 STATI
PROCLAMATION.
By the President of the United States.
Whercas, objects of interest to the Ulnited States require that the Senate
should be convened at twelve o'clock on the 4th of March next, to receive and act upon such communications as may be made to it on the part
of the Executive:
Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States,
hblae considered it to be my duty to issue my proclamation, declaring that
an extraordinary occasion requires the Senate of the United States to convene for the transaction of business at the Capitol, in the City of Washington, on the 4th day of March next, at noon on that day, of which all
who shall at that time be entitled to act as members of that body, are
hereby required to take notice.
Given under my hand and the seal of the United States, at Washington, this seventeenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
[L. S.] one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, and of the independence of the United States of America the eighty-ninth.
ABRAuAM LrNOOLr.
By the President:
WM. H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
The military operations during February continued to
furnish cheering successes. The peace conference had
not been suffered to interfere in the least with military
movements. The rebel commissioners were hardly within
their lines before General Grant made another movement,
taking and holding, though not without severe loss,
another of the roads leading southwardly out of Petersburg, called the Vaughan Road, and giving our troops
command of yet another called the Boydton Plankroad.
A very encouraging symptom of the situation was the
increasing number of desertions from the rebel ranks,