The Diary of Edward Bates, 1859-1866 Is the title which Edward Bates himself applied to his diary. The portion here printed is the property of Miss Helen Nicolay, but has been deposited by her in the Manuscripts Division of the Library of Congress. It consists of five volumes. The first one is large but only half filled, and covers the period from April 20, 1859, when Mr. Bates was already seriously discussing the possibility of his nomination for the Presidency, to February, 1861, when he was about to depart for Washington to enter Lincoln's Cabinet. The second volume, smaller in size, contains Notes of Business in Cabinet from February, 1861, to November 5, 1862, when Mr. Bates apparently abandoned entirely the idea of describ ing the proceedings of Cabinet meetings, which he had found time to do only spasmodically at best. The third and fourth volumes are small, closely written, leather-bound books including the period from November 1, 1861, to June 4, 1862, and that from November 7, 1862, to September 30, 1868. The final volume is a large one badly worn and bulging with newspaper clippings and other insertions. There is an earlier portion of Mr. Bates's diary in the possession of the Missouri Historical Society covering the years 1846 to 1852 which could not be secured for inclusion in this publication.