Summary Of News For February.

it was explained it could not well have been more vigorously enforced in the early part of the war , without detriment to British subjects , who had paid for merchandise , but a more vigorous blockade would take place in the coming season . The enlistment bill was brought in , and read a first time , and on the following day for a second time . On the 23 rd , it passed through committee , and Lord Palmerston informed the House of the resignation of three of his colleagues . The bill was read a third time , on the 23 d , and the ex-ministers entered into

various explanations of their reasons for withdrawing from the Government , because they could not agree to the appointment of Mr . Roebuck ' s committee . After some discussion , the committee was appointed as follows , by consent of the Premier : Mr . Roebuck , Mr . Drummond , Sir John Pakington , Colonel Lindsay , Mr . Layard , Mr . Eilice , Lord Seymour , Sir George C . Lewis , General Peel , Mr . Bramston , and Mr John Ball—the quorum to be seven . The House was engaged in Committee of Supply on the 26 th , passing Army Estimates .

THE AVAR . AU the accounts from the Crimea show that though no operations of importance have taken place , everything is much improved , the troops being better clothed , fed , and housed , than for some time previously . The navvies were proceeding rapidly in their work of making a railway to the camp . Tlie health of the troops appears to be improving , and the Russians , who are stated to have received considerable

reinforcements , have made several sorties which the French have successfully repulsed , though upon one occasion a French mine had been destroyed . Omar Pacha , with his troops , had arrived at Eupatoria , and a telegraphic despatch from Lord Raglan , dated the 18 th , states that , on the previous day , he was attacked by the Russian troops , 40 , 000 strong , but the Turks beat them back with great loss . The Turkish loss is said to be inconsiderable , but Selim Pacha , commanding the Egyptian brigade , was killed . The British men of war , under the Hon . Captain Hastings , covered both flanks with great effect .

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES . A verlict of wilful murder was returned by a Coroner ' s jury at Chatham , on the 6 th , against Elizabeth Laws , a servant aged seventeen , for having destroyed her Mistress , Mrs . Bacon , a widow lady aged 79 , by beating in her skull . The girl alleged that the crime was committed by two men , and to give a colour to her story , had slightly cut her own throat .

The AVill o' the AVisp , a screw steamer was wrecked at Lambay , on the Coast of Ireland , during a storm on the 8 th , ancl her crew ancl passengers numbering about 20 individuals , all lost . A dilapidated house in Lower Road , Islington , fell on the night of the eleventh , and killed seven persons . The Coroner's jury have returned a verdict of accidental death , but censured the owner for having had repairs executed by an incompetent person without giving notice to the district surveyor .

The screw steamer Mauritius , belonging to the General Screw Navigation Company , was destroyed by fire in the Southampton Docks , on the 16 th . She was of 1800 tons burthen , and valued at between £ 70 , 000 and £ 80 , 000 . During the month there have been various bread riots in the lower parts of London , Liverpool , Birmingham , ancl other parts of the country , owing to the severity of the weather having thrown large numbers of the working classes out of employ . Fortunatelno serious damage was doneancl as the frost after six weeks duration

y , very , appears now to have passed away , so with the return of employment will all incentives to violence . A disastrous fire occurred on the night of the 16 th , at the Steam Saw Mills of Samuel Routledge & Co ., Holland-street , Blackfriars-road , which rapidly extended to the adjoining buildings , causing the destruction of property to the estimated value p f £ 150 , 000 . Mr . Jackson , one of the Surveyors of the Sun Fire Office , was killed by the falling of a stack of burning timber .