Washington City June 30. 1848Harriet,

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I have been sometime indebted to you a letter but take this time rather to acknowledge the debt than to repay it. I am very much occupied with duties which upon me as a member of the committee on Public Lands and the weather has become most oppressively hot and I am not inclined to put forth any very severe efforts, but as far as practicable, consult my health.

I am as well as usual but I long for the green hills of Vermont & the lights of the countenances of my wife & children. I dare not promise to visit home until the session closes, the time of which close is entirely uncertain, but there is no good reason now to expect it will be until August, but it is not improbable that I may visit home in July.

I cannot without going at great lengths now explain the difficulties and objections to my leaving here before the close of this session, but the difficulties are great, & I may not be able to overcome them.

Much to my surprise Mr. Billings appeared here the other day, and is still here. He has been to see me every day but is entirely occupied in relation to the business on which he came here & he is already very sick of the city, but I leave him to tell his own story express & his own opinions.

I feel more curiosity than anxiety to see & know the feelings of the people of Windsor County & of the State of Vermont as to their political course but of this I know you will realize little & I ought perhaps not to mentioned it to you.

You must be sensible that the atmosphere around me is entirely political and therefore I cannot, sitting at my desk, at this moment, in the house of Representatives, with gentlemen debating on warmly exciting political topics around me sequester my thoughts to such suggestions as might be interesting to you. Nor have I anything of news to write.

I therefore close with the usual but with the sincere expression of my love to my wife and children and friends.

Your fatherJ. Collamer