AMERICA. [From the Melbourne Argus.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 780, 22 January 1853, Page 4

AMERICA. [From the Melbourne Argus.]

We are^indebted to Messrs. Burford & Co.'s Express for very complete files of New York journal! to Anguit 28th, from which we gather the following items : — Considerable business was done in Congress, the most noticeable item of which was a speech in the Senate by Charles Sumner, on an amendment offered by him to an amendment reported by a Senate Committee, in reference to the Fagitire Slate Law. Mr. Sumner made a three hoars' speech in favour of the immediate repeal of the law. Senators Clements, Badgers and others spoke strongly against the speech. Mr. Sumner's amendment was rj|6cted by a vote of 47 to 4.

Dreadful Disaster.-— The Cleveland Heraid letrns that the Selkirk settlement was visited on the 2nd May with a devastating flood, and the spectacle witnessed there is thus described : — Twenty- two miles in length of the colony are now under water. For a distance of four miles the water has spread over the plain for six miles on each side of the river, and in all that distance not a house has escaped. Loaded boats may be seen sailing on far beyond the habitations. The sight is as melancholy as it is novel. Of the population, 3500 had to fly before the torrent, and abandon all. The. loss of property is already estimated at £150,000 sterling. A valuable discovery of lead ore has been made three miles north west of Dubuque, (Wis.) Mess. Stoat, Hough & Co. have taken from their leads recently discovered, upwards of 500,000 pounds of mineral, and it is yet yielding well. It is half a mile west of Dubuque. Tbe Lincbburg Virginian states that Mr, J. Dickens, of Fendlelon, connty, Ky., after some three years study, has discovered perpetual motion, Mr. D. hat written on to Congress, and vteps will soon be taken to apply it to machinery. He bas been offered as high as five hundred thousand dollars for his discovery, but will not ■ell. The St. Joseph (Cal.) Gazette says that gold lias been discovered at Carson Valley, and se-venty-five men were at work, having built a railroad three, miles in length—making the rails of waggon lire gathered from tbe desert— on which to convey their dirt to water. The Gazette says, Carson Valley is one of the most beautiful, and fertile places between the two oceans.

Dreadful Steamboat Accident. — On the morning of August 20, when about four miles off

Long Point, on the Canadian shore, the steamer Atlantic, bound from Buffalo to Detroit, with tbout four hundred and fifty persons on board, came iv collision with the propeller Ogdensburgh, and was so badly crippled, that she sunk in about ten minutes, so at to cover her main and upper decks. The bow of the propeller struck the larboard side cf the steamer, about ten feet forward of the wheelhouse, and immediately let the water rush into the steerage cabin, where were a large number of passengers mostly Norwegian emigrants. The steamer kept on her course, and the officers, finding thai she was too badly injured to float, immediately set about measures to calm the fears of the passengers and provide means for their escape from a watery grave. The coolness of the officers bad a striking effect upon the majority of the cabin passengers ; and all who could understand their words of soothing and encouragement, availed themselves of the stools which were furnished with life preservers, and other articles of furniture, and as the water gradually arose, ascended to the hurricane deck, where they were mostly picked off safe. But the poor emigrants, who , could not understand one word of what was said by ihe officers, being waked from their slumbers by the shock of the collision and the succeeding rush of waters, were panic struck, and threw themselves, without the least preparation, into ihe Lake, where many of them perished. Probably many were drowned iv the hold of the steamer, unable to reach the companion way. The steamer kept on her way for a few moments, when her fires were extinguished by the rapidly gaining waters. In getting out the life-boat, Captain Pettey accidentally fell from the hurricane deck against the boat, injuring himself severely, The life-boat was filled with water, and upon recovering from the stunning effect of the fall, Captain P. swam off to the propeller, about half a mile, and requested it to come alongside to take the passengers from the steamer, which it did, taking from the boats of the Atlantic all who could be picked up from the lake, and those who had remained on the hurricane deck and about the rigging. Some ladies were thus transferred' to the propeller without even wetting their feet. The number of passengers including the crew, is estimated at about 450 ; and the loss at over 200 souls. College Ruined bt a Storm. — On the afternoon of the 27th ulr., Cambridge, Ohio, was visited by a storm of great severity. The large three story College Building is a mass of ruins, le roof being blown off, and with it the wall of the third story. i The papers contain records of many other serious disasters by flood and fire. The election excitement wts becoming fiercer than ever. In the House of Representatives two members quarrelled on the subject, and the word ' "liar" was freely excbsnged between them. The scene was shockingly disgraceful. The builders of Ericson's Caloric ship intend- ' ed to have her ready for sea by the middle of September. '