THE ELECTION FOR BRUCE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 557, 2 August 1862, Page 8

THE ELECTION FOR BRUCE COUNTY.

THE NOMINATION. Pursuvnt to aimoiuicc.-icnt, the Nomination of thu Candidates for the representation of the County of Bruce, took plaeo on Monday at the Court II ni»e. In consequence of the Resident Magistrate's Court being occupied with the public business, tho proceedings wore held at the front of the Gomt House. At 12 oVlock, the lioiir appointed, for the nomination, but few elector Irid coiigre-J sated, but by the thus tiie Returning Officer (.Mr 1 Gillies) had taken his post, a larger number of persons lwl collected The Returning Officer having read the writ convening the election, called upon the meeting to propose a candidate to lepresent the Counry of Bruce in the General Assembly. Alter ths lapse of a few minutes, Mr. 1\ C. Fulton proposed the nomination of Captain William Baldwin: Mr. Andrew PodJ, M- I?.C. «econded. The Returning Oifieer then :iskcd if there was any other candidate to be pioposM, upon wiiich Mr. W. 11. ltejU'ihte proposed Mr. E'l.vard B. Cargill, as a candidate. Ln proposing Mr. Cirgill, it was unnecessary fur him (Mr. Reynolds) to make any remarks a-> tv t!ic qualifications possessed by that gentleman. Mr, Cargill was too well known and too highly respected to render necessity any eulogiuin on his part. Although there were several questions of a public character, on which there was a difference of opinion between himself and Mr. Cargill, one of which w,is tiie question of Separation, yet so much difficulty had been experienced ii> finding suitable men to repiescnt the electors in the General Assembly, that they were induced to waive any Might diiFeiences of opinion, and select a person in regard to whom a general feeling oi" approval existed. lie believed that this was the ca&c with Mr. Cargill, and he therefore had great pleasure in proposing Edward B. Cargill, Esq., as a fit and proper person to represent the County of Bruce in the General Assembly. Mr. John Jones seconded the nomination of Mr. Cargill. On the Returning Olncer inquiring if there were any other candidates to be proposed, Mr. Itedra lynu proposed tl.e nomination of Mr. John Cargill. Mr. John Cargill, who was evidently surprised at having been proposed, begged to decline being nominated. No oilier candidate appearing, the Returning Officer called upon the candidates to address the meeting — upon which Captain William Baldwin requested the inciulgpnee and forbearance of the meeting while he made a tew remarks. He did not intend to detun them long, but on an occasion like the present, custom required that something should be said by the candidates, and custom he supposed must be obeyed. About twelve months ago they had assembled for a similar purpose to the present, but the period between had been pregnant with very momentous matters in connection with the Province of Otago. A mighty change had since that time occurred ; goMfields had been discovered, and an immense increase to the population had been nude in oonscqueuee. Tiie Middle Island of New Zealand had increased and spread in every direction, and many serious questions affecting the relations of the Colony had come into existence. Foremost among those, mid one which might luvo been expected, was the question of Separation. The cry for Separation was no cry for the moment, and not got up to benefit my particular class of (lie community or any particular Province. It had arisen from the natural course of events. It had been shown that different sections of the Colony, having distinct and diilWent interests, , could not be bound by one common tie. In fact, the two Islands should never have been in partnership. As it was, a most unsuitable partnerj ship)existed. The colonists of the Middle Island might say, " We bring more capital into the business than you do and you get the most benefit, and our energies are swamped. Tiie senior partner lives at too great a distance fro.ii die place of business, and cannot be expected to devote that time and attention to the business that is necessary for success ; added to which, he might have business of his own that would engross his whole time aud attention." What was the fact ? Why, on the gold fields '-springing, .up, thousands of persona were left without the protection of a

magistrate. Disturbances of the most serious character might havu arisen, and blood have been sbci b'lt for fortunate circumstances. This was no idle assertion, fo*\ but for the assistance rendered to the authorities by- the orderly disposed diggers, and the presence of an admirable police forc<-, suddenly called into existence, the evils mentioned might, and avouUl doubtless have occurred. Look at it ns they might, Separation was an absolute necessity. It other means had been suggested, better calculated to bring about a proper state of things, Separation would not have been proposed, hut then* h;ul not. True, suggestions had been made — such as removing thu seat of Government 10 Wellington — but would that meet the question, or remedy the existing evils ? Then there w:ls the native question, and there lay the great stumbling block iv the way of edition t G o*v eminent, as the colony was at present constituted. The interests of both Xorth and South had been made to give way before it, and ail other interests were sacrificed to it. If they elected him as their representative, he should j^ive the question of Separation bis unqualified support. It was the sre.it divi liny; question between Mr. Cargill and himself, and the present contest was one betwfen Separation and Anti-Separation. There was another suVject to which he would refer— the Panama, route. The time had now arrived for this question being entertained. The progress of the colony, and its rapid growth in wealth and importance, was such as to justify their turning j their aUeiuion to increased postal communication ( with England. Tho advantages of the Panama i route were many and great. The West Indian mail steamers alrauty ran for half the distance. The Government of Ne>. South Wales had set apart . £so,ol)o for tin's service, and New Zealand could well afford her share. The Panama route strongly recommended iiseU'to their adoption, for by it New Zealand would be brought 2,000 miles nearer in communication with England. There was only one difficulty in the w:iy, and that was the dinuince between New Zf aland and Panama, about 0,000 mile's, without coaling stations, but even that difficulty might be obviated by means of large nnd powerful steamers. In conclusion, if they fleeted him, he would endeavor to perform his duties upiightly, honestly, and perseveringly. (Hear, hear.) If any present wished to put any questions, he was prepared to answer. In reply to a question, if he had resigned his eommsiionorship or, the cold fields, Captain Raid win stated that if elected he should go to the House neither as a Gold Commissioner nor on leave of absence. Mr. John Jones enquire'l if the General Government had not agreed to give him (Capt. Bal Iwin) six weeks leave of absence, if required for his private affairs ? Captain Baldwin apprehended that there was some confusion in Mr. Jones's mind on the subject ; it was a question which, in his official capacity, he (Capt. Baldwin) could not entertain. As ho had before state 1, he should, not go to the General Assembly either on leave of absence or as a Gold Commissioner, but as a free and independent member. I'l reply to further questions — Captain Baldwin stated, that ho w.is prepared to vote for an amendment ot the Minor's Licensing Act : he considered the la»vs regirdiug. Insolvents oppressive, nnd required remedy in«^ ; and was of opinion that a resident Ju li^e should he appointed for more effectually dealing with oases of debt. He was iv favor ol'as-siKteJ Immigration. Mr. K. B. Cargill then came forward, and addressed the meeting : lie did not attach much importance to hn.itinfjs speeches, and considered that they did not have much influence upon the minds of the electors, but supposed however it was coiibideied necessary tluit he should make one. Until within the last few days, he had not had any intent ioii of seeking the honor of reprebe.iting them in the General Assembly, and had consented to do :-o with great diffidence. He only trusted that his friends had not over-estimated his abilities. The requisition presented to him, had boen so extensively signed by his townsmen, that he could not refuse. lie believed that he was cousideivd to staud beforu them .is the opponent of Separation. lie confessed he could not sec that the time had arrived for so sweeping a measure as was proposed by the advocates of Separation, and thought thai there wcie other means by which the evils complained of could be obviated. lie believed that the leadiug persons ii the Separation movement, themselves deplored the supposed necessity for Scpaiarion, and arrived at the conclusion of that necessity with feelings of reluctance. New Zealand would be much more powcifui as n whole them if split up into separate colonies. Allusions had been made to Australia, and comparisons h.vl been instituted between this Province and Melbourne, but ho thought there was a good (leal of confusion on the matter. New Zealand was not iike the United States of America, where the immense extent of the empire rendered it advisable to create a number of separate States. Nor was it like the continent of New Holland. New Zealand was not too large, and, with increased steam communication, telegraphs, roads, and railways, it would be absurd to suppose that it could not be properly legislated for uii-l-r thG existing form of Government. Besides, there was another, and a very wide difference between New Zealand and the Australian colonies. Hen 1 , tlie growth of the colony and the rapid increase of its wealth, and population had tended, and would tend, to draw the various sections of the colony to cms common centre of interest. In New Holland it was not so. There the tendency was a parting one, Queensland and New South Wales, for instance, had immense tracts (f country lying beyond their setJecl disdiufs, and the tendency of the increase of population, wis to part them wider aud wider from each other. Ii w.is there absolutely necessary that there should be distinct, legislatures. Bat New Zealand was comparatively small hi extent and sea-girt, and had eve y possible reason for being unitca. A great deal had been said, and a great deal had been written, about Separation. Some persons wanted separation because of bad roads; and another because it was to give him cheap mutton, aud so on, for various other objects, but the fact was, that many of the grievances complained of would not be cured by Separation, which, however, might, and possibly would, bring other evils into existence which they could not vow foresee. The question had as yet been argued only on one side. He should have liked to see a move stable and conservative feeling. People s-oincd to look upon Government too much in the light of an automaton, which if anything we/at wrong, was to be immediately Woken up and east aside. lie thought it depended however, mucli more on the performance of individual duty than with the Government. The constitution of New Zealand was one of the most liberal and popular in existence. There was scarcely a limit to the powers that could be accorded to the Provincial Governments — in fact, they vrere only debarred from legislating on a few subjects which were reserve J for the General Government, such as interfering with the Criminal Laws, the Customs, a few matters connected with the lighting of coasts, &c., and he for one shonld be sorry to see it broken up. In de/ilii)? with separation, they should look beyond. If they got U, what form i of Government would be adopted ? Was tho Middle Island to be erected into a separate Government? if so, wlwe was to be the seat of Government? There? were not a few who expected to see it established at Dune Un, but that was a narrow and selfish view, and even supposing the legitimacy of those expectations, ho could tefl them that they would not succeed, for if the slighest inkling of such views became known to the other Provinces, there would be raised an opposition which they could not contend againsc. lie would rather see the colony strong and united, but if it did become separated it would become weaker. There was one great difficulty he admitted, tho Native Question, and no doubt, an unf ur share of the attention of the Government had been given it to tho prejudice of other interests. But it wa3 a very delicate question to deal with, and opened up other questions, and hi thought they had better leave it alone. No small portion of the revenue of the Provinces was derived from their land fund, and if they were clamorous to tho General Assembly, they might raise u 4 ly questions a<? to the continued enjoyment of that laud fund. He threw this out as a hint. He was aware that he had incurred considerable odium in respect to his opinions on the postal service. His views were simply these, he desired to see New Zealand enjoy the most liberal advantages in respect to postal facilities, and thought that end would be bettor ami more advantageously attained by the stie.iuth of Now Zealand, which could only be done by the General Government. Ho might be wrong, and would he quite content to modify his views, if it should appear that it would be better for the Provinces to deal with the question. All he had desired was to see the service carried out in,j)ie most efficient manned l?or the Test, many matters would Wubtle^ be 'brought 'btfor^tUs-

General Assembly of great importance, which would demand great attentiou. He could only say, further, that if elected he would discharge the duties imposed upon him to the utmost of his ability. In reply to questions, Mr. Cargill said he should be happy to see the Panama route established, but not for New Zealand to take the responsibility. He feared some of the advocates of t lie scheme were somewhat too sanguine. Severe lessons had been experienced by mercantile men in connection with similar schemes. Nog long ago a company was formed by some of the first houses in London, to establish a steam service with Melbourne with a capital of half-a-milliou, and a subsidy ot £180,000 per annum, but in two or three years they failed and lost ail their capital. In lcspccfc to the expenditure in connection with native aftiurs, supposing Separation to t ike place, he understood that the advocate.-! of Separation did not intend to repudiate the fair share ot those expense^; for future cost be should be puided by circumstances; he thought that in a few years there would be no Native question at all. The duty. on gold ho considered a very fair impost, and coi'ld not see how any one could object to it In rjspecfc to the admission of Chinese into the colony, he did not apprehend that any great number would visit New Zealand; in any case he could not see the consistency of battering down Chinese cities because they would not admit the English, and refusing to admit Chinese to our own country. Australia had derived no little scandal in her departure from law in that respect, but he was glad to see that the prohibitory regulation had been rescinded. As to the extension of the representation in the Provincial Councils, the Provincial Governments were bound to allot members in proportion to the population of the districts. In respect to assisted immigration he was prepared to support it to tlio fullest extent ; it was to the interest of all, miners included, that the fixed population should be increased. He desired to see the miners fully represented in the Assembly, and thought they should have special representatives. Mr. Vogel enquired whether recent experience had not taught him the fallacy of his view that it was safe for Otago to entrust to the General Government the sole control of the Postal Service — whether Mr. Croshie Ward's late arrangements did not in fact, shew that Otago was wholly disregarded ? Mr. Cargill admitted Otago had cause to complain, but considered that it had brought it on itself, probably by the reception it had accorded to Mr. Ward and his propositions. Mr, Vogel.— Was he to understand that Mr. Cargill considered Mr. Ward justified in taking retaliatory measures on the province? Mr. G'rgill said he did not go to that extent. Mr. Vogcl understood that under certain circumstances Mr. Cargill might become an ardent Separationisc. Was he prepared to state what these were ? Mr. Cargill could only see that possibility, in the Native question. ! Mr . Vogcl. — If the Imperial Government should propose to throw the responsibility of Native affairs upon the colony, what course was ho (Mr. Cargill) prepared to take, as ho (Mr. Vogel) understood that was the proposed policy of the Government ? Mr. Cargill said that it was very difficult to define the line of demarcation between the Governor as representative of her Majesty and as head of the Executive. The Stafford Ministry had kept clear on that point. The responsibility of Native affairs was understood to rest wholly with the Governor, and they had refused to have any share in that responsibility, but the present ministry had departed from that policy, and had to a certain extent shared iv tlie responsibility. He was not prepared/to say how he should vote on the question, but approved of the policy of the late, rather than the present Ministry. Mr. Vogcl said Mr. Cargill admitted that it was not in accordance with the Constitution Act, that Otago with a larger population should have only five members, while Auckland had fifteen. Would he consider a refusal to give Otago more, sufficient to justify his becoming an advocate for Separation ? Mr. Oargill said that in accordance with the Constitufion Act, representatives must be increased. Mr. Vogel pressed him : If the Assembly refused to give the increased representatives to Ot.tgo what course would he take ? Mr. Cargill said, he could not answer hypothetical questions. As to the tariff, he thought it inconvenient in its present shape and that it pressed hard upon certain classes , he was nevertheless opposed to one based upon an ad valorem piineiple, the evil eff jets of which he had seen, lie was of opinion that one bused similarly to that of Australia, charging the duty upon a few of the articles more geuerdlly consumed, offered the most advantages. Tiie Returning Officer then proceeded to take the show of hands, which was decided in favor of Mr. Ciirgill, the numbers being respectively, eigiit, and forty- two. A poll was demanded on behalf of Captain Baldwin.

TOWN BOARD Tne quarterly meeting of tha Board was held at tlie offices in Princes-street, on Monday. Present: Messrs. Cargill, Jcnkinson, Hardy, Shand, and Dr. llulme in the clmir. The Clerk to tho Board read a letter, signed by several of the inhabitants of Cunongate, iv whirh they objected to contribute £20 towards repairing the road. It was dcci led to adhere to the former resolution, calling- upon Sir. Kilgour and others to pay one-third of all necessary expenses. A letter was then read from the Secretary of the Dunedin Gas Light and Coke Company, the purport of which was, a request that the Town -Board would secure to the Company for a term of seven years the sole right of opening the public streets of Dunedin for gas lighting purposes. The Board declined to grant the monopoly appliod for. A letter was then read from Mr. P. S. Ciiavanncs, urging upon the Board the advisability of adopting the Macadam system of. roadraaking, and offering his services if the Board decided to make aa experiment in the raannei' suggested. Kesolved— That Mr. Chavannes be thanked for the suggestion, and that the letter be ordered to lie on the table. A letter was then read from the Provincial Secretary, stating that immediate application would be made to the General Government for a Crown grant of the Cattle Mirket Tleserv., when the Provincial Government would be in a position to deal with the application of the Town Board, requesting that the management of the Keserve be handed over to them. A memorial was then read, subscribed by a number of the inhabitants of Forth-street, Uuionstree*, Clyde-street, David-street, and Dundasstreet", praying the Board to improve Forth-street, which was at present the main and only line of access to that ueighborhood. Ordered to Ho o r i the table. A letter was then read from John Anderson, in which he offered the Town Board a depot for nvinure -on sections 15 and 22, block Vll. situated at Cavershatn, about two miles from town. The offer was accepted. TCNDERS. Tenders were opened and read for the erection of the Cemetery House. There being only two, it was resolved that they lie over ami advertisements for tenders be inserted in the daily dapers. Tenders were opened for the laying of the footpath in Manse-street, at the bide of the AthenoQiim. The following accounts were then ordered to he paid, if found correct :— J. Currie and Co ; Ll 4s. 61.; llobertson and M'Lcod, Lls 03. lOd. : Thos. Gow, L 7. ; Lonnie and Co., L' 29 1 5s. 6d. The Board adjourned at 6 o'clock, until Wednesday, the Gth pros.

As tho Viceroy of Egypt was embarking for Europa ; a person requested permission to present to him to him a national air for Egypt, which, he said he had composed i'ov the occasion. The composer wot liberally rewarded. When Victor Emmanuel visited the Egyptian squadron at Naples, tlii-i National Air was pliiyed, and it turned out to bo nothing more nor less than the prohibited air of Francis IL, which had been palured ott" on the Viceroy as a new composition. A person named Milne, of respectable standing at Burton-on-Trent, was detected the other day in the not of committint; suicide in a railway train, at the Birmingham Station. He wa3 convoyed to tlie hospital in a precarious state. On his way to tho hospital the man made many vague statements, to the general effect that eight or nine people would by that time be dead at Burton, and that he felt himself in some way to be the cause of it. He added, however, that itliad all arisen from a mistake on his part, as lie hod' takeni gome . one-«ka take. his wife. i

THE GREAT FLOOD IN THE FENST (From the London Times, May 16.) _ The hill-country public, accustomed only to occasional overflows of brooks and the wiuter-floading of river-martuu meadows, cau have no idea of the dismay and consternation which have fallen upon a large portion of the Fen population, through the disaster to the middle level sluice. The great plain of peat fans and marine marshes, stretching 70 miles from Lincoln almost to OarabrHge, -wiHi an. area of nearly 700,000 acres, lies so low and horizontal that its surface id beneath fche level of the eea at high water, though above the datum, line of low water mark. On ths map it appeara like an enlargement of the great bay of the Wash ; and a shallow inland bay it would be if the ocean were not held out by massive barrier banks. The Ouse, Nene, and other large rivers, bringing down the diainage of an upland tract five time 3 larger than the Feu plain User, have reached the sea level when they enter this district, and are conducted acros9 it (a distance of 20 to 35 miles) botwoen lofty embankments, which give the surfnes O the slu£gish streams a fall of some few inches per mile. The downfall or drain water of the flat land ia collected and carried to the seaward channels and estuaries in artificial cut 3 issuing through sluicea having valve-doors, which exclude the rising tide, but open when this has fallen below the head of drain-water inside. So that (excepting a few insular high lands) the whole of this immense district of rich land in the highest state of cultivation, with ifci erop3, flock*, herds, its farmyards, innumerable villages, and thickly-peopled towns, exists upon, the ability of its banks to withstand the hj'drostatic pressure of hia;h rising fresh waters and the assault of stormy spring tides, and also upon the security of the capacious sluices which pour OUfc its drainage into the large tidal rivers. In the prosent accident of the burstinc; of an important sluice the consequences are already extensive and alarming, and the danger of most widespread ruia is becoming painful apparent. The site of the sluice is four miles south of Lynn, at the junction of the middle level main drain with the broad and deep Ousej and this drain is a straight cut from the sluice 11 miles 1 in a south-western direction to the district of the middle level, 140,000 acres in extent, of which it is the main artery, and outfall. But the tract of country flanking the cut for 11 miles above the sluice does not drain through the cut, having outfalb of its own into the Ouse, and this neutral district is' at present the greatest sufferer. Three or four miles from the destroyed sluice, the we 4 bank of the cut gave way, precipitating the rapidly inflowing tide upon the feu land ; and, though some of the minor holes were cleverly " taken," or stopped up with sacks of earth, the main breach continues open, being on Tuesday 40 yards in width. Such, is the volume of water poured through this gap that on Tuesday night the extent of ground inundated was estimated at 15.000 acres ; and two tides since then have probably spread the deluge over 20,000 acres. The districts at present flooded are " Marshland Fen," : "the Sineeth," "Broad and Short Fens," and parti ! of " Magdalen Fen" and "Bardolph Fen." Farmyards are full of water, th" straw floating about ; barns have been hastily cleared of grain, and, where possible, ricks of wheat and beans are being carted "to the higher spots of ground about the Marshland villages. Here also the sheep and cattle from the threatened or drowned fens have been collected. Cottagers have been driven at short notice from their homes, some moviug their downstairs furniture into the chamboi'o ; otlicis b- u ins; able to c-irryoff moat part of their movaables in carts, an 1 house after housa is to bo seen with waves lapping at the brick walUi and wetting the door-handles, while hedge tops denote the site of the garden and its submerged vegetables. Where the flood is deepest ths rows of pollard, willow, or thorn-bushes and the top bars of gates indicate where enclosures of cropping lie ; and on the outskirts of the bright sheet of water you see fine wheat crops with their rank green flags, forward peas and beans, riflges -where the potatoes are but lately planted, fallows h;df prepared for mangold and turnip sowing, — overall of which the water is stealthily creeping and killing all with its deep irrigation of brine. The loss of property it is impossible to calculate, — perhaps £o to £10 an acre for the cropping, now totally destroyed j but who can value the whole damage except by saying that scores of farmers have had suddenly swept away every vestige of vegetable produce on their farms, and of course have all the year's expenses to meet with no haytirae and no harvest. The greater portion of occupiers of the flooded fieldj have other land not likely to be reached, by the salt deluge ; but nevertheless it is probable thnt the greatness of the destruction will ruin hundreds of families. That the breach will nob be closed for some time is probable, because it operates as a safety-valve, relieving the drain of the incoming tides, and, by thus diminishing the pressure, preventing more destructive breaches of the eastern bank and further inland. Piles are being driven at the first bridge above thi sluice, -with, a view of checking the inflow of the tide and forming a dnm ; but when the cut hasjbeen thus stoppe 1 up, it will only be the tidal enemy that has been sat at bay. The Marshland feus, having outfalls and steam-engines of their own, will soon bale out the present flood ; but the cut is the means of egress for the mid' He lnvel drain-waters far inland to the dried Wlrithlnsea Mere and the foot of the Huntingdonshire Hills ; and in a rainy season the delay unavoidable ia securing a drainage pro tern, will slowly, but not the less surely, swell the quantity of v/ater in. main drains and ditches, and soak aud then overspread the magnificent crops now pushing forward and aim st spindling for the ear. The rebuilding of the sluice at a cost of some L 40.000 is an insignificant item in comparison with the pro* digioiid sums that will be sacrificed in case a wet time should now ensue. In the year 1841 the inner portions of the middle level were flooded owing to imperfect draina:v, the damage sustained exceeding LI 50,000 ; and by Acts of Parliament of 1844 and 18-18, L 150,000 were raised by taxation of the lands for executing the pvesant cut, erecting the sluice, and remodelling the entire system of clrainsige. The results were so satisfactory, in giving many localities a drainage by natural fall in lieu of costly steam aud fitful windmill drainage, in lowering the head of water against which the few still necessary wheels had to throw, and in reclaiming Whittlesea Mere, that the old lines of drain have been neglected, the old mam arteries are muf h choked up, and it fa now a diffioult question by what meaus the immense boJy of drninwater in the 140,000 acres is to be discharged while the sluice is baing rebuilt. In auy case it seems nece>siry to r>reci very powerful steam pumps or wheels; and woe b° to the middle level population if a cloudy summer should sympathise with their woes by undue weeping. The fen districts, which are nowxmder water, have no claim upon the middle level for re-, dross ; and thn letter will probably suffer with little 1 ss severity ; anl whether or not any charge of dila» toriness or nnskiifuluess may be brought home to those who had tho watching and repairing of tho sluice, tho existing and prospective distress of thia sudden visitation is extensive and profound enough to receive a share of public sympathy. FURTHER DISASTBUS. Lynn, Thursday. As would be gathered from the report in The Tiinet of to-day, an attempt was made to form a barrier to the tidal waters at St. Mnry's-brWge, the first bridge above (not below) the site of the destroyed sluice. Ponderous piles, averaging 45 feet in length and of proportionate thickness, were driven deep into the clayey soil of the drain, in front of the bridge on the s>ifle < facing the sea. The other side of the bridge was fortified by other piles and by two massive "6hores.'' The stability of the work, it was thus hoped, waa *• secured, and it was intended, after driving down a double row of piles, to sink harges and bags of clay, and so to form a permanent dam, until the sluice could be rebuilt, lb was thought that the engineers had at last hit upon a practicable plan of defence, and more security was felt in the district than since the sluice burst. These hopeful anticipations, however, have all been falsified. The tide last night came up with even greater violence than on the previous night, and the obstructions which hid already been plaoea in the stream haviug i'upocled tho reflux, it rose to a still greater hoight. One of the sunken bargea whioh had been used in the construction of the abortive dam lower down the stream was raised by the tide and arried w ibh. irresistible force against the bridge and am. Somo of the piles were broken, and the bridge was swept away. To day all 1b inaction and blank dismay. Those in chars e of the works await further instructions from London, where the commissioners are still detained by Parliamentary business. It is almost needless to add that the extent of damage and the area of land inundated by the tides are being increased almost tenfold in the meantime. It is pitiable to look upon the vast expanse of water where a week ago flourish.^ ing crops and rich pasture lands wore lo bo seen, and to think that one master mind, or one clear practiool bend to govern and direct the eftn-ts which thus tar have nil been fruitlessly employed, could have pro* vented this terrible and disastrous destruction. To, night's and to-morrow's tides will be higher still, and the results even more lamentable. TIIK FT,OOH3 IN ,THH PEN COUNTRY. Mr. Fcllowes, the member for Huntingtoushiro, and Chairman of the Middle Level Commissioners (May 22), in answer to a question trom Mr. Bentinek, respecting the inundations caused by the giving way of the middle level sluice, on the" borders of Norfolk, said that, on hearing of the event, he com--municated with Mr. Walker, the engineer of the * works, and Mr. Hawkshaw, and it was determined to erect an earth dam, and instructions were given to prevent inundations at any expense, and great exertions were made to pet it done; but it was not possible to get. the earth dam ready before the spring tides, and an inundation took place, so that6oOO acres of land were under water. Complaints had been made of apathy on the part of the Middle Level Comiaissioneis," but a report of Mr. Hawkshaw (which was read) showed that all that could have been done by human agency lwd been doae, and it was hoped thut the measures adopted would be successful. , .