I had a short visit from Bishop McIlvaine this morning, as usual for the purpose of getting such explanations as I could give him. One in regard to the slave trade on which I told him the substance of my conversation yesterday with Lord Russell on that subject. Part of it, indeed, I find in the newspaper as repeated in his speech in the House of Lords. The other question was about our finances. I explained what I knew, which is not quite up to what I could wish. I confess this view of the matter is a little dark. At two I drove down to Messrs Barings to see about raising the money to pay the demand of the Perthshire. There is a difficulty as the agreement is to pay in dollars, and the sum is specified by act of Congress. They gave me a memorandum of the cost in Spanish dollars and in gold, neither of which exactly squared with my authority to draw the sum in gold bill on the United States. I decided to write at once to the Government here offering to pay, and leaving the choice to them. Home directly to go out with Mrs Adams paying more visits. In the evening I went over to see Mr Parkes who has been ill at home for a week. He said he was better, but I thought him a little dull, or rather languid. He had nothing new.