VICTORIA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1488, 11 January 1861, Page 4

VICTORIA.

By way of Otago, we havo received papers from Melbourne up to the 22ud ult., from which we make the following extracts: —

The New Ministhy. —A Gazette Extraor dinar)/, announces that his Excellency has a«cepled the resignation of the Nicholson Ministry, and has appointed Richaid Heales, Esq , M.L.A., to be Chief Secretary; the Hon. Richard Davis Ireland, MX A., to be the Attorney-Ge-neral , George Frederick Verdon, Esq , ML. A., to be Treasurer; John Henry Brooke, Esq., M L.A., to be President of the Board of Laud nud Works, and the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey ; James Stuart Johnston, Esq., M.L.A., to be Vice President of the Board of Land and Works, and the Commissioner of Public Works ; ftobert Sterling Anderson, Esq., M.L.A., to be Commissioner of Trade and Customs ; Thomas Loader, Esq., M.L.A., to be the Commissioner of Bail ways; John Basson Hum ffray, Esq., M.L.A., to be the Commissioner of Mines. These gentlemen were sworn in yesterday as Members of the Executive Council. — Argus

One of the severest storms which has visited Melbourne for many years took place on the Bth and 9lh nit. Early on Saturday evening the clouds began to gather, and distant thunder w.ts heard. As the evening advanced the thunder became tyare distinct, and short showers prevailed at frequent intervals. A little before midnight the storm burst, and a perfect deluge of r»in poured down, and it Bontinued to do so with hardly any intermission, until. about 11 a.m. next day, when the rain gradually decreasl ed in violence, though it still continued to falalmost during the whole day. The appearance of Melbourne during the evening was as if it had been subjected to an inundation. The whole of Elizabeth-street, from the Bush lan, south, was one mass of water, and Fliudersstreet was the same. Many of the stores and shops were flooded to a considerable depth, and great damage must have been occasioned. In Collins and Bourke streets, betweeu Elizabeth and Swainstou streets, the water was high, and Messrs. Buckley and Nunn's shop, the lower part of which is below the level of tl^ street, was some eighteen inches under water, Messrs. W. Nicholson and Co. 's store, in Fliudersrstrect, was amongst those inundated. The height of the Yarra was considerably raised by the Emerald Hill embankment* which drove the water over to the other side, but without flooding it. The culvert at the foot of Queens-street was completely backed up by the water in the Yarra, and kept up the flood in Flinders-street, which for some time could find no outlet. The im- J meuse mass and force of the water in various ' parts may be imagined from the fact that the ' streets in many places were completely torn up, ' the water washing away the whole o( the earth, aud leaving merely the bluestone metal underneath. At the foot of Elizabeth-street, near the Kail way Station, the metal itself seems to have torn away, for large holes are left in all directions. Here the flood was peculiarly strong, and was one large stream. In the channel io front of the station the water rushed past in a torrent. One individual, unacquainted with the loeale,and ignorant of the existence of the channel, the biidge across in front of the station being crowded, essayed to cross the street, but, when attempting to get through the channel, was carried i.ff his legs aud down the stream. One of the porters and a carman rushed forward to stop him, and succeeded ; but whilst doing sj), the horse in the latter'a vehicle, being left unprotected, moved a little way, and getting caught in the flood, was home down a couple of hundred yards before it was stopped. The noise, however, was drowned befoie it could be extricated, and. the car was in the same position yesterday eveuing. Amongst the damage done by the rain was the slipping of a mass of earth in the deep culling on the Hawthorne brauch of the Suburban .Railway, aud, in consequence, the tiains were unable to run further than Churchstreet. It is expected, however, that the obstruction will be removed in time to prevent any interference with the ordinary traffic. On the otbor lines, too, the rain produced a flood ; and we wero informed that the train that left Geelong at nine a.m. had been compelled to return. About the Chapel-street station, Pmbran, the line was about eighteen inches under water for some hundred yards. The St. Kilda-road, be low the Immigrants Home, was completely cohered, aud the floodrusbed over it iv a torrent to the southern side. Along the Hobson's Bay line, through the park, the ground was almost completely covered by the water; and where the review was held last Monday tbere seemed far more water than earth. The ranges at the butts were like so many islands in a lake. Lithe river itself, large pieces of earth, covered with high grass, and lookiug like smail islands, that had apparently been torn from the banks higher up, were to be seen floating down, whirled round

in the stream. The embankment on the eastern side, below Prince's Bridge stood well, although fully exposed to the strength of the flood. The bridge over the falls was also subjected to as strong a test as it is probably likely to endure. Fortunately, however, for the debris that was carried down was not of such a nature as to get caught in the crossbeams, and help to stay the passage of the current. Had. this taken place the bridge would have been it, considerable danger, and .such, also, would have been the case had a strong southerly breeze been blowing, which would have backed up (he water. During the afternoon, whilst the rain had either stopped, or was coming down but lightly, many persons were to be seen looking at the damage, and doing what they could to remedy it. Peeping in at the doors of some of the shops, one couid see the people, either with their stockings off, or provided with, waterproof boots, using their best endeavours to get the water out, in some cases of no small depth, that lay upon the floors. It was diffioult yesterday,, however, to: ascertain th*e. amount of damage done; but in addition to that which private individuals suatained, the public loss will be great, through the injury done; to the streets, especially in North Melbourne, where notwithstanding the elevated position it occupies, the force of the water was such as completely to tear, up so ma of the streets. The floods have been very serious up the country. The Geelong Railway is not likely to re open for a fortnight. — Argus.