The more liberal men in both Houses at Washington were from the beginning in favor of the cable bill, and worked untiringly for its passage. The President and Secretary of State, desiring to remain friendly to both sides, took no active part in the discussion. Mr. Field talked with almost every member of Congress, and tried to persuade those who were opposed to him to drop their petty objections and think only of the greatness of the work. Extracts from a Washington newspaper of January 31, 1857, give some idea of other trials to which he was subjected. On the arrival of the steamship _Arago_ it was published that "great dissatisfaction exists in London at the manner in which the Atlantic Telegraph Company has been gotten up," and that "a new company has been formed to construct a submarine telegraph direct to the shores of the United States." He answered: "To this I may add that the object of this movement at this time is well understood by those who know the parties promoting it. I believe no such company can have been really organized in London as represented, because none of my letters by the same steamer from directors and parties largely interested even allude to such a movement, which must of necessity have been made public and well known to them if true. It cannot be believed that capitalists in London or elsewhere can now be found to take stock in a submarine line of telegraph of over three thousand miles in length, passing over the banks of Newfoundland or across the deep waters of the Gulf Stream, when it was by great exertion that subscriptions were obtained to a line of little more than one-half of that length, and that, too, upon a route the practicability of which had already been fully demonstrated by actual survey to be possible. CYRUS W. FIELD." On the 19th of February the Atlantic telegraph bill passed the House by a majority of nineteen; but it was not until the 3d of March that it passed the Senate, by a majority of but one, and then it was said to be unconstitutional. Mr. Field sought Caleb Cushing, the Attorney-General, and begged him to examine the bill and give his opinion. It was favorable. The date affixed to the bill is the 3d of March, but it was not until the morning of the 4th at ten o'clock that the President put his name to it as Mr. Field stood by his side. This was, therefore, one of the last official acts of President Pierce. The government at Washington had now united with that of Great Britain in agreeing to give all that was asked. The frigate _Niagara_, the largest and finest ship of our navy, was ordered to England. The New York _Herald_ of Saturday, April 25th, says: