assent to the Convict Prevention Bill, under which
convicts with conditional pardons are prohibited all
entrance into Victoria. It will be remembered that a
similar bill has been already disallowed by the Imperial
Government. In consequence of abuses which have
crept into the administration of every branch of government,
Sir Charles Hotham has issued commissions of
inquiry into the finances, the police, the gold–fields, and
the squatting question. The estimates for the year,
laid before the Legislative Council on the 23rd, had
astonished the public. A sanguine estimate of revenue
for 1855 places it at £3,015,683. The expenditure is put
down at £4,801,292; the deficiency being £1,785,609.
There was a general impression two years ago that the
attractions of the gold–fields would deprive the wool–
growers of labour to an extent to cause a very considerable
decrease in the production of wool. This fear
has not been realised; for the quantity exported has
increased from 21,705,104 pounds in 1853 to 22,598,088
in 1854.

            NARRATIVE OF FOREIGN EVENTS.

THE Siege of Sebastopol progresses slowly. The
following despatches have been received from Lord
Raglan:—

                              "Before Sebastopol, Jan. 13th.
"The weather continues very severe, and to–day it
blows a gale of wind, with drifting snow. Although I
have not received the official report from the officer
commanding the 4th Division, the officer of the Quarter–
master–General's department, whose duty it is to visit
the advanced posts at daylight, has brought in an
account of a sortie made by the Russians in the course
of last night upon our right and left attack, the enemy
advancing, under protection of a heavy cannonade,
along the Woronzow road and the ravine on our extreme
left. The enemy succeeded in driving in the troops in
the advanced trench, which was not re–occupied until
the reserves were brought forward from the second
parallel. A party in pits on the right of the advanced
trench, consisting of one sergeant and thirteen rank and
file, are missing, and one officer and thirty–six privates
are stated to be wounded. The time for the despatch
of the mail being at hand, I am very sorry that I shall
not be able to send your grace to–day a more accurate
statement of this affair.

"I enclose a return of casualties between the 8th
and 11th.

"Great progress is making in disembarking and
issuing to the troops vast quantities of warm clothing of
all descriptions, and I believe I may assert that every
man in this army has received a second blanket, a Jersey
frock, flannel drawers, and socks, and some kind of
winter coat, in addition to the ordinary great coat. The
provision of fuel is still a great difficulty. Every effort
is making, and with tolerable success, in landing and
putting up the huts; their great weight (two and a
half tons each) is a serious obstacle to their conveyance
to the camp, with our limited transport. Each hut
requires three stripped artillery waggons, with from
eight to ten horses each, or 180 men. Much sickness
continues to prevail."

"Jan. 23:—Nothing has occurred of importance in
our front; but the enemy has occasionally opened a fire
upon our left attack, and Mr. Spalding, a fine young
man, an acting mate of her Majesty's ship London, and
in charge of the battery, was unfortunately killed by a
round shot the day before yesterday. His loss is deeply
deplored. I enclose the return of casualties to the
21st instant.

"The weather has become milder; but the country
is in a dreadful state from melted snow. The army is
well supplied with warm clothing; and if the commissariat
were adequately provided with transport, and the
huts could be at once brought up, there would be no
other cause of suffering than the severity of a Crimean
winter, and the duties imposed of carrying on a siege in
such a climate at this season of the year."

"Jan. 27:—I have the satisfaction to acquaint your
Grace that the weather continues fine. There are
severe frosts at night; but the sun shines brightly
through the day, and there is an absence of wind, which,
whilst it continued, added considerably to the sufferings
of the troops. Every exertion is making, by public
transport and individually, in getting huts up; but this
is a most difficult operation, and the ground is still so
rotten that it is a most arduous labour to pass along it.
The extremely confined space of Balaklava, and the vast
accumulation of stores, has obliged me to erect huts at
some distance outside the town for their reception. I
enclose the list of casualties to the 25th instant inclusive."
In a further despatch, dated the 3rd instant, Lord
Raglan says that "Nothing has occurred in front of
the British lines" since the 27th of January. In front
of the French lines, however, there had been some stir,
for Lord Raglan goes on to say:—

"Before daylight, on the morning of the 1st, the
enemy made a vigorous sortie on the most advanced
works of the French right; they were repulsed, after a
sharp contest, in the most gallant manner by our ally,
who, however, sustained some loss."

The rest of Lord Raglan's despatch is as follows:—
"The weather, which had latterly been fine, broke
yesterday; and, after a rainy evening, there was a fall
of snow during the night, and there is again a frost,
with an exceedingly cold wind. The materials for the
railway continue to arrive, but I fear it will not be
possible for me to supply the amount of military labour
which Mr. Beatty would seem to require. Nearly 200
Croatians, who were hired at Constantinople, have
arrived, and been handed over to him, and more are
expected, and, as a matter of experiment, I have
obtained 400 Tartars from Eupatoria."

On the 6th of February Lord Raglan writes as
follows:—

"I mentioned to your Grace on Saturday that the
weather had broken. The frost was very severe on that
night, and the thermometer down at 13, and the wind
was very high and piercingly cold. Sunday was rather
milder, and yesterday was fine. To–day the glass has
fallen and there is every appearance of rain. I am
happy to state that the medical officers consider that the
general condition of the men has improved, although
apparently there is no diminution in the number of the
sick.

"The enemy has made no movement of importance,
but great convoys of waggons have been observed to go
into Sebastopol, laden either with ammunition or provisions.
I enclose the casualties to the 4th instant.
Lieutenant–Colonel Collingwood Dickson, of the Royal
Artillery, an excellent officer, whom I have before had
occasion to bring to your notice, was slightly wounded
on the 4th inst., when making a reconnoissance in
company with some French officers."

The following despatch has been received from Sir
Edward Lyons, dated January 27th:—

"Sir—I have the honour to report, for the information
of the the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that
since my last general letter of the 23d inst. (No. 60), the
weather has been particularly fine. The health of the
army has been much benefited by the change. A good
deal of progress has been made in hutting the troops, and
distributing the clothing which has been so liberally
sent out from England; so that the men express
themselves as being comfortable. The health of the fleet
and of the naval brigade is excellent. The men are
well supplied with fresh meat and vegetables, and also
with oranges sent from Malta by Rear–Admiral Stewart.
The fire from the batteries of the allies has increased
during the last week, and that of the enemy has not
slackened. New guns have been mounted in our
batteries during the last four days. On the 24th inst.
I passed the day at Balaklava to superintend the service
going on there, and to make inquiries and examine into
matters connected with the duties of the port and the
transport service. I met Lord Raglan there, by appointment;