The Press.
London, England, 1855-02-10 00:00:00

CONVOCATION.

On Monday the Earl of Sii.krrEseußv inquired if
the meeting of Convocation, fixed for the next day,
was intended to be then held? The sanction of the
Queen was necessary before it undertook its delibe-
rations, and there was no Ministry through whom
that sanction could be given.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY and the Bishop
of LONDON explained that it was not intended to in-
troduce any new business, but simply to discuss the
reports of committees which had been prepared on
important subjects, with the view of making them
the basis of an address to her Majesty.
HARBOUR OF BALAKLAVA.

Admiral BERKELEY read extracts from letters re-
ceived tiom Admiral Lyons, in which testimony was
borne to the energy of the officers under his com-
mand in providing boats, landing cargoes, and ar-
ranging for the ingress and egress of the shipping in
the harbour, and especial praise was given to the
pilotake of the harbour. It had been alleged that
wood and hay had been left to float about the har-
bour, and the report admitted the fact, but explained
that the hay had been damaged by salt water, so
that the cattle would not eat it, and the wood—only
useful for firing—had been allowed to drift, till it
could be collected and distributed, as the best pre-
servative against pilfering

THE sick and wounded landed from various ships
lately at Portsmouth, and quartered in the new garri-
son hospital, are doing well under the skilful and un-
remitting attention of Dr. Lawson, Ordnance Medical
Officer, and Assistant-Surgeon Henry Bishop, of the
Royal Wilts Militia (a volunteer.) It will be pleasing
to their friends and the service to know that the
wounded are most assiduously and tenderly cared for.
There are many badly wounded from Alma and
Inkermann, as well as Balaklava, and these are going
on very favourably towards convalescence. The dysen-
teric and fever invalids are much the worse looking
of the whole, but all are most grateful for their treat-
ment at the hands of their medical attendants, and
especially for the kindness of Lady Smith and Major-
General Sir Frederick Smith, &L., Acting Lieute-
nant-Governor of Portsmouth, who go repeatedly,
and with their own hands dispense liberally such
luxuries as jellies, custards, blanc-mange, rusks,
biscuits, buns, sponge-cakes, die. Lady Smith also
gives those who can write, memorandum-books,
pencils, postage-stamps, and paper to write to their
friends.
THE FOREIGN LEGION, it has been decided, will
assemble for drill and training at Heligoland; and
Lieutenant Lempriere, with a detachment of royal
sappers and miners, has left Woolwich fot' that
island, to erect huts, and prepare other accommoda-
tion for the recruits.
THE ACCOUNTS OF THE STATE OF TRADE in the
manufacturing towns during the past week indicate
a partial increase of depression from the political
crisis, but are on the whole satisfactory, since the
prevailing heaviness continues to be unattended with
any number of important failures. At Manchester
the market has been very inactive, not only from the
absence of export orders, but from the home demand
having been much below expectation. At Birming-
ham the appearance of the iron trade seems to justify
the confidence recently expressed by some of the
leading manufacturers that priceNould not continue
to decline. Better accounts from the United States,
low stocks in Canada, and Government contracts for
war purposes, have tended to promote confidence.
The Nottingham advices describe no revival. Trans.
actions are limited, but the state of affairs generally
is not unhealthy. In the woollen districts there has
been diminished firmness, and the Irish linen mar-
kets are again worse.