(From the Melbourne Herald's Correspondent.)

Taranaki Herald, Volume II, Issue 89, 12 April 1854, Page 3

(From the Melbourne Herald's Correspondent.)

January 9, 1854.

The actual course of the Turkish war since my last has been of a desultory kind. No engagement of magnitude has taken place either in Europe or Asia, yet such incidental warfare as we have hnd any intelligence of appears to have turned in favour of the Russian arms. At the same time our information from the seat of war is most defective, whilst the Russian accounts are greatly exaggeiated. The Turkish troops are not wanting in valour and devotion, but are sadly at fault as regards discipline, and their generals seem to have no definite plan of action. Large bodies of Russian ti'oops havi. been constantly on the move, hut lately the setting in of the winter season has completely suspended operations, and thus nature has virtually forced an armistice on the belligerents. On the Black Sea, however, something more has been done The combined as well as the- Turkish fleets, have been riding in the Bosphorus. A few frigates, however, and some Turkish transports ventured out with troops and arms for a distant part of the dominions of the P»rte, and on their way to the north, took shelter in the b,iy,of Sinope, some three hundred miles from the capital. Here they werp observ<d by Russian cruisers Advice of their position having been given to the Russian admiral at Sebastopol, the whole Imperial fleet of line of battle ships and frigates, twice or thrice thn strength of the Turks, sailed out, and under cover of a fog reached Siiiope before the latter were aware of their approach. The struggle was long and desperute. The aim of the Russ'aus was slaughter, not victory, and regardless of mercy their lsir«e vessels continued to pour whole broadsides into the little Turkish vessels long after they were incapable of any defence. The Turks stood io their guns manfully, and did great damage to their cowardly assailtmts, Itut all was in vain agaiost such fearful oddn, After five hours of murder not a vestige of the Turkish shipn remained, save one in a sinking state, A few hundreds only of tlio thousands on board saved themselves by swimming to the s-horc. Amongst the vessels sunk was a British mcichaniman, whtoh was destroyed with the " Union Jack" at her mizen. One small steamer managed to escape and took intelligence of the slaughter to Constantinople. On hearing this, Admiral Dundee, with the honest indignation of a Brni-.li sailor, proposed to sail out and chastise the Russians, but, strange to say, the offer was opposed by the French admiral, and thus nothing was ■done but to send two steamers to Sino|>e to look uf'er the wounded. The accounts brought in by them fully bore out t tie reports of the needless massacre perpeiiated. A great sensation has been pioduced by the news of the bloody affair at Sinope,

nnd not a journal in England or France but cues out Miaiue upon the Ru*aians. Dur<ng .ill thi« lime the Cz,ir has be<-n pliyinp nnd coquetting with tho • Western Powers' hv fresh ' notes,' and so has gamed time lor the mniurity of his plans. The country becarnp impatient und or all this bantering, and amidst the g 'owino; discontent Lord Palmerston resigned. The ministerial oigans stated tbnt this occurred in reference to the new Reform Bill, but nobody believed this ; the Eastern question ami the ministeiial incapacity and inactivity were known to be the true cause, and this was borne out by what followed. — Lord Palmerston withdrew his resignation and the ministers adopted an energetic policy towards Russia by ordering our fleet to at once enter lUe Black Sea, >md blockado the Russian port vf bebastopol, to prevent any further collisions. Another report from good sources tells us tlut the immediate cause of Lord P.'s resignation was the circumstance of important despatch having been submitted by Lord Aberdeen to her M.ij"sty and Prince Albert before having b( en laid before Ministers a most unconstitutional step. We have, long heard of an improper interference of the Piince in our foreign affiiis, and when we hear that the Queen wrote a letter in her own hand to Lord P., begnine; him to teeall his resignation, the story seems more than probable. An " explanation " in Parliament would have been very awkwatd to all parties. At li ngth a more determined course has bctn adopted, and it now n mains Io bo seen how tlie Czar will view the thuttint, up of his fleet in Sebantopol. No one here expects anything but war, and it 19 pretty generally known thai gicnt efforts aic being made both here and in France to meet tbe. emergency. France is preparing 200,000 men for Turkey, whilst we aio hasioning on the equipment of a number of war steamers of large power. Austria nnd Prussia nro playing a quiet but deep game of hypoeriity, Sweden and Denmark remain neutral. The Germnn states , will do nt Austria commands them, and Portugal are nonentities Italy Hungary, and Poland await the moment when war shull call them to arise and shake off foreign despotiim.

Alexandria, January 16, IBS'!.

The intermediate Australian steamer arrived today from Constantinople, 'and brings in the news that the combined English und Frenoh fleets enlerril the Black Sea on the 3rd und 4th, being thirty five sail, of which eighteen ships of the line left ihe Bosphorus, together with five Turkish steam fr iCates and three transports, carrying 10,000 men. Tho two admirals.; with the bulk of theirr forces, wero lying at Sinope, nt single anchor. The Retribution, steam frigate, has gone to Sebastopol, to demand the liberation of two English engineers taken from out a private steamer. She penetrated to the middle of the harbour, although two cannon shots were fired to stop her progress.

She only found five Russian sail of the line ia port out of fifteen, and on his roturn to Sinopo, the Agamemnon, (bearing the flug of Sir E. Lyons,) London Chmlcmagne, and some steam frigates escorted tho Turks to Baioom to lund the troops and munitions of war, and in tho vicinity of which place the Russian ships wore presumed to be. The Descarte, French steamer, was sent to cruise for them. Sebastopol vim defended by four f or tg — mounting 250 guns. By Und there seems to have been only skiimishCß.

The Rus'ians attacked tho Turks with a large force at Kalafat, and were repulsed with great lost.