The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-12 00:00:00

THE PUBSTING ()I, A SLUICE IN 2HE
ENS.

On Saturday Mr. E. Fellow es, M.P., chairman of the
Middle Level Drainage
Commis, sioners, and other members
of that body, visited the scene of the disaster which has
happened to the great sluice at the outlet of the middle
level drain into the river Ouse,, at St. Germains. Mr.
Hawkshaw, C.E., had previously received a carte blanche
to adopt all possible measures to secure the protection of
the extensive tract of country • which is threatened with
inundation, and all last week pi 'ecautionary measures were
actively carried on. The irri tption of the tidal water
threatened injury to the banks ot 'the drain, which, though
substantially constructed, were me ver intended to sustain
such a pressure, especially as the _soil of the fens is of a
loose spongy nature. It was consic lered necessary, there-
fore, to take immediate measures for damming up the
drain, and between 200 and 300 mu were up to yesterday
working by shifts day and night, under the immediate
superintendence of Mr. Lunn, who thas the assistance of
Mr. Leather, contractor of Wisbezh. With the view of
forming a dam, Mr. Lunn sel f;cted a spc:t about 300 yards
above the outfall, upon which a, large number of men were
at once set to work upon both sides of the drain. The re-
sident farmers have sent all the men they could, and a
large quantity of earth has been collected and thrown ov
ar
I the sides of the banks to forma dam. A considerable
number of sacks have also been filled' with earth, and sunk,
as a portion of the loose earth is washo d away as fast as it
is thrown in. Some lighters have also been sunk, as fasten
and consolidate the formation of the darn ; but unless it is
completed by to-day (Monday) great feats are entertained
for the safety of the surrounding country, as the spring
tides will be at their height on Wednesday. In order, in
the meantime, to lessen the danger in the uwer part of the
drain other sluices have been drawn, so as to allow the
tidal water to pass freely to and fro. Some persons contend
that it will not be possible to P top the drain by the mode
now adopted, but that it will be necessary, commencing at
a point higher up the drain, to construct a series of sluices
one below the other, upon the " throttling" system. Even
if the dam is successfully completed by the time required,
the restoration of the sluice will probably be a more pro-
tracted and expensive operation than its original construc-
tion ; and another difficulty will result from the present
state of things, viz., that the drainage of the middle lever
will be brought to a standstal utiless powerful pumping
machinery is erected and another outlet found for the water.
The ruined sluice was erected about 15 years since by Mr.
Brogden, of Manchester. It is stated that various altera-
tions have been made in it since it lefi the contractor's
hands, and it probably suffered in conseque.rice.

COUNTRY

-

LEICESTER-31,1Y 10.
An average supply of wheat tO- day at market, which
found buyers languidly at is to 2s ner quarter decline in
previous prices. White, 62s to 65.. ; red, 59s to 62s ;
old red, 50s to 57s per 36 stone. Barley was in short sup.
ply—grinding, 32s to 34s ; malting, 39s to 42s per qr.;
oats, 24s to 27s per 24 stone. Beans were a fair sale—..
new, 37s to 40s ; old, 42s t. 47s per 38 stone.
Fine flour, 45s I Seconds, 42s I Thirds, 40s per sack.

NOTTINGHAM—MAY 10.
At this Corn Exchange to-day there was plenty of wheat
shown, but trade ruled very dull at is under former rates
—White, from 61s to 66s ; red, 42s to 60s. Barley was
in small show, with a quiet trade • prices barely as high
—malting, 37s to 42s ; grinding, 29s to 31s. Oats were
steady at 30s to 355, old ; 24s to 28s new. Beans were sold
at 40s to 50s per qr, Flour, 40s to 435.

NORWICH—MAY 10.
The supply of wheat to-day was tolerably fair, with a
rather thin attendance of farmers. Sales were very slow,
and sold at about is under the prices of last week.. Oats,
beans, and peas unaltered. Four 6d to is per sack down.
The quantity of barley shown was scanty, and prices were
the same as last week.
White wheat 58s to 61s Red wheat
64s to 57s
Malting barley...4os to 41s Chevalier barley 39s to 405
New do .. .... .... —s to —s Oats.. 25% to 30s
Flour, 39s 6d to ----s Od per sack from the miller.

YORK—MAY 10.
We had more wheat on offer to-day than has been tile
case for some time past, both of red and white qualities.
The demand ruled inactive, and late prices declined is to 2s
per qr. Barley an inactive business:, and scarce ; former
prices were not exceeded. Oats in demand, at extreme
prices. Beans at late currences.
Wheat, red 56s to 60s Oats..... . 22s to 24s
.22s to 44
White do .60s to 64s Beans ....... .s
Barley .32s to —s Peas .. • ....• .—s to —3
Malt, 66s to 68s per qr.:; rye, 34s per qr. ; flour, 433
to 45s per sack.

.FO.R.EIGN MAIL PACKET MT.

MAILS DUE.

Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton ..May 19.
via Marseilles May 1.3.
.drazil and Cape Verde, by British packet. June 4..
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena June 1.
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton May 19.
via Marseilles May 13.
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar, via Southampton May 19.
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton May 191.
via Marseilles May 13.
India (Bombay), via Southampton May 26.
via Marseilles May 20.
Lisbon May 11.
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton May 19.
via Marseilles May 14.
Newfoundland ,,....May 11.
Oporto and Vigo ..
,
U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... , May 14.
by U.S. packet....
by Canadian packet. May 14.
W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe .. 1v; ay 10.
Bahamas, via New York
Mexico .... May .QQ.,
All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, Im— .
it,.
,
California, and British Columbia. May

TWENTY YEARS SINCE.—The census returns show
that between 1841 and 1861 the population of the United.
Kingdom increased by more than 2,000,000—from 27,000,000
to above 29,000,000, notwithstanding the famine which de-
solated Ireland in 1847, and notwithstanding also that there
left our shores 4,000,000 emigrants, the vast majority of
them natives of this kingdom. An annual publication of
the Board of Trade gives with official accuracy and autho-
rity an account of the progress of the country in these 20
years. Wars and rumours of wars have compelled us to add
considerably to our national debt, but we have so far reduced
the addition that the £790,874,608 of 1841 is no more than.
£799,949,807 in 1861. The close of the 20 years sees ua
better taxpapers than the beginning, The net revenue in.
1841 was but £48,084,359; in 1861 it was £63,905,884. The
Customs' duties, notwithstanding the millions of taxatien
repealed or reduced, actually rose from £21,898,845 to
£22,765,338. The expenditure advanced from £50,185,729
to £66,120,092, and this although the interest of the debt
was reduced from £29,450;145 to £26,090,260. The expen-
diture for the defence of the country had to be raised front
£14,722,628 in 1841 to £28,317,341 in. 1861, nearly double
the former amount; and the civil charges are also stated
as rising from £6,012,956 to £11,712,491. Happily. with
so much more taxation to pay, we are now doing a very-
much larger business. In 1841 the exports of British and
Irish produce were of the value of £51,545,116, and in 1861
they were £125,115,133; the exports to foreign countries
rose from £36,541,691 to £82,854,163, and to British
possessions from £15,003,425 to £42,260,970. In 1841
we imported 487,992,3551 b. of raw cotton, in 1861,
1,256,984,7361 b. ; and the export of cotton manufactures,
twist, and yarn rose from £23,499,478 to £46,836,749. In
1841 we imported 56,170,9741 b. of wool, and exported
woollen manufactures and yarn of the value of £6,300,821;
in 1861 we imported 147,172,8411 b„ and exported to the
value of £14,687,316. In 1841 we exported iron and steel
(in addition to
fesu7t6thl.eer y)
value
eetrhdoeaf
svxhalel
,ur
y2el7o(,fb9e:ss2i),dBew7s7al,si2n7eeBxnp;
oairnntdeldsBi:
"l 1
in
ItB7lwnlau;sfaicnltuolB3°64Bl it was £5,577,064. To carry all these piles
of goods British and foreign vessels of the following ton-
nage entered and cleared from our ports :—ln 1841, British
6,790,490; foreign, 2,628,057. In 1861, Eritish, 15,420,532;
foreign, 11, 175,109 tons. We imported in 1841 3,627,562
qrs. of grain and m.o. in 1001, 10,001,014 Lps. Tlie price.
of wheat was 645. 4d. in 1841 ; Os. 4d. in 1861: The mar..
riages in England were 122,496 in 1841, and had risen to
165,250 in 1861; and the excess of births over deaths from
168,311 in the former to 260,232 in the latter. Between
1847 and 1851 our railways were more than doubled in
length, and the number of passengers and the traffic receipts
were more than trebled, These are a few examples of the
figtres that show the progress made between 1841 and
we nsay add with honest pride that there are items which
cannot be put into figures.