ifortign an Colonial.

FRANCE.—In the Assembly, on Tuesday, M. Learn-Rollin questioned the Government on the subject of Italy, and the rumour that Sardinia and Naples were to combine for the restoration of the Pope. M. Drouyn de Lhuys, Minister for Foreign Affairs, declared that he could make no reply concerning the alleged combined attempt, as the matter

had not come to the knowledge of the French Government; but he gave some indications of the Government policy.

The French Government did not by any means allow that it was to be con- sidered conjointly responsible for every insurrection that might burst out in cer- tain parts of Europe. It had first to see what was the nature of the republic established, and then it would decide whether it would acknowledge the power so created. It defended its own republic' but no other at present. He desired it to be perfectly well understood that the French Government by no means intended to follow in the wake of the Constituent Assembly of Rome. It knew nothing of that body, and by no means countenanced its acts. (Loud exclamations on the kit) The situation of the Pope was one which excited the greatest interest in every country of Europe, and it might be well imagined that France had not remained indifferent when all were anxious. It had sought with eagerness for every remedy suggested to restore a normal state of things in the territory of the Sovereign Pontiff, alike injurious to the interests of religion and of the mainte- nance of peace in Europe. (Loud exclamations on the Left)

A Voice—" And the result, where is it?"

The Minister of Foreign Affairs—" The result is in the heart of every man present." (Exclamations.) The French Government, he repeated, was most anxious to restore the Pope to such a position as was fitting to the head of the Church; but as to the means, he called on the Assembly to protect him in the official reserve which he considered it his duty to maintain.” M. Ledru-Rollin maintained that the Constituent Assembly of Rome, which the Minister appeared to treat so lightly, was a body just as respectable as that which he now addressed. (Loud laughter.) It had been the result of universal suffrage, and stood in the mind of every Republican just as high as any other. (Renewed laughter.) The Assembly resolved to pass to the order of the day.

ITALY.—The "Glorious Roman Republic" was proclaimed in the Na- tional Assembly of Rome, at one o'clock on the morning of the 9th instant, after a debate of many hours. Mamiani spoke at great length against the immediate proclamation, as difficult to maintain in the present state-of Europe; but his speech was impatiently listened to, and he sat down amidst groans of disapprobation. Garibaldi was carried into the As- sembly from a bed of sickness, to participate in the triumph of the pro- clamation. Of the 144 Representatives, 136 voted that the Popedom has fallen in fact as well as law from the temporal government of the States; and 120 voted for the immediate proclamation of the Republic. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the flag of the Republic was hoisted on the tower of the Cepitol, amid the cheering of thousands of spectators; and the young Republic was saluted at its birth by the firing of 101 guns from the Castle of St. Angelo.

Letters from Porto Santo Stefano, of the 13th, state that the Grand Duke of Tuscany is still there. The inhabitants of Grosseto have broken up the road leading to Porto Santo Stefano; and the whole of the Ma- remme are up in arms.

In the Turin Assembly, on the 10th, Gioberti declared that the Insur- rection of Italy has, like every other revolution limits beyond which, "in- stead of progressing, it would retrograde." The Ministry rejected as Uto- pian the plan of a Military and Republican Italy; regarded the principle of unity as impracticable; and preferred a constitutional Monarchy to a Republic.

"Do not think, however," said Gioberti, "that we reject the Italian Constitu- ent Assembly at Rome. We have only abstained from taking part with it at the moment, because its origin, the mandate it has to fulfil, as well as circumstances, render it dangerous, and because it would be imprudent to participate in an act the issue of which cannot be foreseen."

Istnia.—The overland India mail has brought news from Bombay to the 19th of January.

Moultan has been taken, after one of the most obstinate defences ever encountered by our Indian army. The account of the Bombay Times, with a few additions, forms a good condensed narrative of the affair.

"The Bombay troops joined General Whish on the 21st December. The be- sieging army now amounted to 15,000 British troops, the allies amounting to about 17,000, or 32,000 in all. The artillery amounted to about 150 pieces of ordnance, of which nearly one half were of the largest calibre. On Christmas-day and the day following, the force changed ground: on the 27th, the troops. advanced in four columns to the attack; and, clearing the suburbs and driving in the enemy on all sides, established themselves within five hundred yards of the walls. Bat- teries were constructed in every direction, and on the morning of the 28th a ter- rific cannonade and bombardment commenced. By the 29th, so close had the besiegers arrived to the city-walls, that their heavy guns were breaching them at a distance of no more than eighty yards. Tremendous damage was caused in the town by our shot and shell practice; and in the fort a granary was set fire to, and several small magazines exploded. "On the morning of the 30th, the principal magazine in the fort blew up with a terrific explosion—(nearly 800,000 pounds of powder are reported to have been stored in it)—blowing a vast column of dust a thousand feet into the air. It is said the most fearful devastation was caused by this occurrence. The Dewan's mother' and several of his relatives, with many of the Birders, and a great num- ber of troops and people, were blown up into the sky; while mosques and houses and huge masses of masonry came tumbling down, in destructive confusion. The first surprise over, the effect of this terrific explosion was hailed with the greatest delight by the besiegers ; and the artilleryman who had levelled the mortar was rewarded by General Wffish on the spot, while the men of his company also re- ceived a present of money. A mighty conflagration' supposed to be that of the principal stores, was now spreading in the town: 50,0001. worth of grain were afterwards found to have been destroyed. The enemy's artillery slackened their fire, but still continued unsileuced.

"By the night of the 30th, a breach had been made in the Delhi gate of the city, and next day another breach was reported at the Behar gate. Daring the two next days the cannonade continued; shells were thrown sometimes every Minute, sometimes at intervals of ten minutes, and fearful salvos were from time to time discharged from the heavy batteries. On the 31st, the Moultanees made a sortie from the South-west gate, and assailed the troops under Major Edwardes and Lieutenant Lake; when Sir IL Lawrence and a Mr. MMahon ca volunteer) headed an attack, and beat them back with great loss. A large tire broke out in the fort on this day, and continued blazing fiercely till the morning following. "On the morning of the 2d January, a column of Bengal troops, commanded by Colonel Franks, consisting of her Majesty's Thirty-second and the Forty-ninth and Seventy-second Native Infantry, pushed forward to a breach near the Delhi gate; but on arriving at the breach, it proved impracticable: so the troops retired, and moved round to the opposite side of the town, where the entrance of the Bombay column had already been effected. The breach stormed by them had been much more complete than the other, and the enemy defending it were driven off at the bayonet's point. The Fusiliers entered first, and speedily placed their standard within the walls of the town. The Bengal column followed them; and the city of Meehan which was captured about three p.m., was before sunset filled with British troops. The fire from the fort, which had for a time slackened, was meanwhile renewed. In the coarse of the night a mine was sprung on us,

which occasioned some mischief. Moolraj seemed determined to maintain him- self to the last, and showed no sign of fear amidst all his reverses. "On the morning of the 3d, the cannonade was again resumed by us; and the Dowlut gate, the last hold of the enemy, destroyed. A daring exploit was here performed by Captain Young, who commanded a small reserve of three com- panies of the Tenth Regiment. He perceived, as he thought, an opportunity of seizing the Dowlut gate, which the enemy still retained possession of. Guided by some judicious suggestions from Lieutenant Maunsell of the Engineers, be dashed at the gate with his handful of men, who scrambled up by the aid of ropes, blew it open with powder-bags, charged the enemy in the nar- row passage, and thus completed the capture of the city, and brought the be- sieging force within a few hundred yards of the fort. Large quantities of pillage were being collected ; and the bankers were said to have offered 31,0001. if we would leave their establishments alone. The citadel still held out on the 7th: our engineers were mining it with the object of throwing the couuterscarp down into the ditch, so as to make an attack by storm practicable."

The statements of our total loss are very discrepant; they vary from 100 killed and wounded during the whole operation, to 400 killed and wounded during the attack of the 27th December only—with a proportionate addi- tion for the equally fatal affairs on the 29th December and the 2d January. The larger numbers are probably nearest to the truth.

Up to the 5th January, the casualties reported amongst the officers of the Bombay column were the following— Killed. On the 27th December—Major John Gordon, H. M. 60th Rifles ; Lieutenant E. Younghuzband, 9th N. I.

Wounded. On the 27th December—Lieutenant R. W. Brooke. H. M. 60th Rifles, se- verely; Lieutenant J. BM, Engineers, severely ; Captain B. Bailey. Artillery, arm lost ; Surgeon J. P. Malmeolmson, 3d N. I., slightly ; Lieutenant N. W. Dyet, 3d N. I., slightly ; Ensign Napier, 3d N. t.. slightly. On the 291h December—Lieutenant C. R. Baugh, 9th N. I. On the 2d January—Major M. G. Dennis, IL N. 60th Rides, slightly; Captain R. W. D. Leith, 1st Fusiliers, severely—arm lost ; Captain T. Tapp, 1st Fusi- liers, severely ; Lieutenant E. A. Law, tat Fusiliers, severely ; Lieutenant W. Gray, 1st Fusiliers, severely—arm lost ; Lieutenant W. H. Mules, 1st Fusiliers; Lieutenant E. Dance)', hat Fusiliers; Lieutenant W. S. Furneaux, lot Fusiliers; Lieutenant W. C. Anderson, lot Fusiliers; Ensign Shaw, 3d N. I.; Lieutenant T. S. Warden, 4th Rifles, severely ; Ensign Gordon, 19th N. I.

There are no authenticated returns of the casualties in the Bengal force: but Lieutenant Playfair of the 52d N. I., and Ensign Gillen of the 72t1 N. I., are those mentioned as killed.

In the North-west, matters remain nearly unchanged. Attock it still in our possession, and is now deemed likely to continue firm.

A report reached Bombay on the 19th January, that a force of 12,000 Affghans, under a nephew of Dost Mellowed, had marched on the Scinde frontier, with a view of aiding the revolted Sikhs by a diversion.

CEYLON papers to the 15th January have been received. Lord Tor- rington had found it necessary to issue a proclamation contradicting pre- valent rumours of another approaching insurrection ; still, as it is stated, taking great precautions against the possibility. The Natives are described as greatly exasperated by the executions and confiscations which followed the late disturbances. The papers publish many petitions from priests and others, demanding reparation of the Government. One of these, by Ratdagodde Unanse, complaining of the robbery of his temple by the sol- diers, says- " He [the petitioner] has received from the Government agent only Si. Os. 11d. out of TM. worth of property of which he has been deprived; and he therefore joins in the prayer of Kownalle Unanse, either to receive fair and just compensa- tion, or else that he may be ordered to be shot, as Cadahapolle llnanse was in Kandy." The Colombo Observer alludes to reports of disagreements between the heads of the local Government-

" It is said that Sir Emerson Tennent had actually engaged a passage home in the steamer; but Lord Torrington having expressed some doubts of remaining, Sir Emerson's movements are uncertain."