The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-07 00:00:00

THE MIDDLE LEVEL COMMISSION.

An important meeting of the Middle-level Com-
missioners was held yesterday at the George Hotel,
Chaterie, in the Isle of Ely, at which there was the
fullest attendance that was ever remembered in con-
nection with the Middle Level.

Ed ward FeHowes, Esq., of Ramsay Abbey, was
elected chairman of the commission for the ensu-
ing year, on the motion of Mr. Chilvers, which was
seconded by Mr. Heathcote.

Mr. FELLOWES,
accepted this appointment
with considerable gratitude as the decision of a large
meeting. On looking back at the occurrences of the
last few months, it was impossible but to feel that
the appointment had been and might be again at-
tended with considerable responsibility, but he
would not shrink from trouble and responsibility.
(Cheers.) Alluding to the works rendered neces-
sary by the late inundationg, he said that a few
months ago considerable anxiety was felt with re-
ference to the possibility of getting shut off the
Middle-level water during the coming winter.
The engineers stated as their opinion that the
syphons might be got to work early enough to
relieve the district before the winter. This had
been accomplished to some extent, for a portion
of them were fixed and had been tried with
complete success. On the previous day the
committee went and saw the syphons at work, and
to their gratification they saw eleven at work ; and
from the way in which they discharged the water
he felt perfectly justified in believing that for the
coming winter the Middle Level was safe from in-
undation. They might therefore with perfect safety
pursue their agricultural avocations. He was led
to anticipate that in the course of another Month
the whole of the syphons would be fixed in position,
and that all impediments which at present existed
would be removed out of the way, and they would
freely discharge the water. The hon. gentleman
went on to remark on the necessity of electing a
new board, under the act of Parliament of last ses-
sion, which board could not consist of more than 15
members. As they had done him the honour of
showing their appreciation of his efforts in the past
by re-electing him as their chairman, he hoped they
would give him as coadjutors some useful and prac-
tical men.

REPORT OF THE INUNDATION COMMITTEE.
The Clerh read the report of the special commit-
tee appointed to take steps to repair the mischief of
May last, from which it appeared that the engineers
estimated the expense of fixing 16 syphons at£l3,ooo
or £14,000 ; 11 of them were fixed, and five more
would be so by the end of the month. They had
been tested three times, viz., on Sept. 30, Oct. 18,
and Oct. 25. On the first occasion they lowered the
water 2 feet throughout the level.—Adopted.

ENGINEERS' REPORT,
The Engineers' report, which was dated Oct. 25,
stated that nine syphons were fixed, and when
tested on Oct. 18, on the three tides, they had low-
ered the water 7 feet 6 inches between the doors at
Wellcreek and the syphon dam. They hoped the
whole of them would be fixed by the latter end of
the month of November. The breach was filled up
and the banks were being repaired. They esti-
mated that whole expense that would have to
be incurred to put the drainage on a safe footing at
£62,600. The engineers who signed the report
were Mr. John liawkehaw and Mr. Thomas Harri-
son.—Adopted.

ELECTION OF THE NEW BOARD.

Various matters of a routine character having
been disposed of,
The CHAIRMAN called the attention of the meet-
. ing to the necessity that existed for them now to
appoint a new board, under the act of last session.
As the board could only consist of 15 members, it
was advisable that there should be a fair division of
ft
ehier
llye v e
rel, at
ehtnate
dalt. parts omf
itdhdel
ec otu ne
vt refy seheonut
al di n
ebde
113,126 acres, and therefore there would be one
member of the board to every 7,000 acres, and it
was therefore proposed to divide the level into six
divisions, with representatives for each division ac-
cording to acreage.
The following gentlemen were elected members
of the first board :—Messrs. Fellowes, Heathcote,
Wells, M. Lawrence, D. Martin, Major Fryer, C.
Tebbutt, A. Ruston, C. Sheppherson, J. Culledge,
J. Brown, T. Richards, C. Townley, H. Wooll, and
C. Wool.

It was agreed that powers be taken for borrow-

ing on mortgage, at 41, per cent. interest, the sum of
£52,000, under the provision of their act of 1844.
The CHAIRMAN expressed a hope that they would
be able to do without going to parliament for powers
to raise more money during the next session. The
bonds were executed for £32,000, £20,000 of it be-
ing supplied by Mr. Fellowes, M.P.
In consequence of it being possible under the new
act to abolish some and consolidate other offices un-
der the board, it was agreed that notices should be
given to all the officers at Lady-day next.
After the transaction of some other business a
vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Fellowes, on the
motion of Mr. Councillor PRYME, seconded by the
Rev. A. PEYTON, and the largest, most important,
and most unanimous meeting ever held in connec-
tion with this commission was brought to a conclu-
sion. •

THE SEIZURE OF BRITISH PROPERI Y
ONBOARD FEDERAL VESSELS.

--
The council of the Liverpool Chamber of Com:
merce had a long and animated discussion on this
subject on Wednesday, in connection
with the
recent seizure and destruction of the
Tonawanda
Ala-
and Manchester by the Confederate steamer
Ala-
bama. The commercial law committeeofthe cham-
ber, to whom the subject had been remitted for
.
consideration, brought up for confirmatio acts in
strong resolution, protesting against the n a very
question as a flagrant violation
of international
law, and calling upon the Government to obtain
redress. This resolution some
that all the cham-
of the members
thought, went too far, and urged that
ask
the opinion
ber was called upon to do wae.nt%
of the Legislature upon the po!itlwas
unreasonable
Mr. CAMPBELL thought 1
to suppose that a belligejore_
roperty worth thou-
aninigitiwapould avoid capturing
enemy's vessel
boardcontaining
merely from the fact that
sands of pounds on
of
neutral property also on
their minds to
10 worth make make up
there was £
board. Neutrals must in war.
suffer more or e injury
observed that according to one
The CilAiugtherities, wherever neutral property
wagh best au
deetroled f"111 exposure in an enemy's ship
the neutral
.must bear his own loss exactly in the
same Wig as
-
if a cannon ball were to kill a neutral
ho happened to be on board an enemy's
passenger -
..
in
The only question in the present case was,
ethr. ~,,,
whether the Confederate Government was bound
to p 57 for British property destroyed. It was one
peculiarly of international law, and he thought the
chamber was therefore not called upon specially to
interfere in the matter. If the Alabama had fired
upon the Manchester and sunk her, there could
have been no claim sustaihed on the part of neu-
trals.

Mr. S. RATIMONE informed the chamber that his
firm had suffered by the seizure and destruction of
the Manchester, and had communicated with the
Foreign-office on the subject.
After further discussion the resolution of the
commercial law committee was considerably modi-
fied, in fact reduced to a motion to request that the
opinion of the Government upon the position and
means of redress of the owners of British property
which had been destroyed under the circumstances
might be made known to the chamber.