The chief clerks, such as M’Clintock Young of the treasury department, Mr. Moore of the general land office, Wm. B. Randolph of the treasurer’s office, Mr. Pleasants, Thos. L. Smith the Register, and M. Nourse, his chief clerk, are always at their posts, attending to their duties. Without just such men, the public business could not be done. In the state department, Messrs. Winder and Carroll and Pleasonton are always engaged in their proper business. Perhaps there is not an idler in that department. Major Lewis and all his clerks, James Eakin, his chief clerk, Josiah Polk and all, are very industrious and attentive to their duties. So in the general post office, M. St. Clair Clarke and all his clerks, the several assistant postmasters general, and Judges Smith and Hotchkiss, S. B. Beach, Stone, Gen. Allen and all the clerks labor hard all day long. In the offices of the war department and in the naval office, I am not sufficiently informed to tell the reader anything about them. Generals Towson, Abert, Bomford, Gibson and all the officers of their grade are always industrious, always attentive to their business. In all these stations no changes could be made for the better I am sure. Judge Blake of the general land office deserves an honorable mention, for having appointed Wm. Darby and several others like him, clerks; and for his kind treatment of all his subordinates. The changes of heads of department, which are more and more frequent of late years than formerly produce changes among the clerks. No sooner is any new head of department inducted into his office, than he seeks forthwith a place for some relative or dependant. If there be any vacancy, this creature fills it; if there be no vacancy, the new head of department creates a vacancy and puts his creature in it. When any secretary leaves his office, he endeavors to keep his dependant still on the list of office holders. James Madison Porter left three relatives in offices, two Porters and a Wolf. These secretaries being changed very often of late years, renders the tenure of office very uncertain, very precarious. In looking back on the last few years, we see changes of heads of department so frequent as to render it almost ludicrous for a secretary to undertake to get personally acquainted with his clerks, before he goes back into private life again. Why is it the ambition of any man in this country to be a secretary or a head of department? And yet, it is evident enough that those who fill these stations, think highly of them--their gait, their air and address prove this. Looked these gentlemen on their stations, as the whole nation does, these offices would not be coveted at all. Such men as Calhoun are exceptions, because they act as if they knew what they were doing and felt all their responsibility and all the cares of office. In his manners and industry Mr. Calhoun naturally reminds one of old times, when men in high stations were beloved by all who had any business