MARLBOROUGH.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 375, 28 May 1861, Page 2

MARLBOROUGH.

[By the Storm Bird we received the Marlborough Press, of May 11 and 18: the debates in Council are of the usual character. The Superintendent and those wh\< made him such have it all their own way, as, the. three opposition members—sick of being Pictonised, we presume—have left the senatorial field.l

[from our own corresponoent.]

May 18, 1861. Our province has, since last I wrote to you, been, in seafaring phrase, "all adrift." We have been at sea, and no mistake. A friend of mine in the lower Wairau fairly thought he and his family off for Old England. This last flood was, on an average, 18 inches higher than last year. J It has done, one way and another, a great deal of damage: a very considerable loss has been sustained by parties who had their late potatoes still in the ground; fencing and ditching has been:greatly; injured, and some of t^e Government works have suffered; the foot-bridge at Blenheim was carried off its fastenings; the approaches to the punt crossing the Wairau river were blocked up and the cuttings injured, the punt itself was thrown out .of working order for a time, and the ferryman had his little boat moored to the verandah posts. The sluice,at the steam wharf has come to, grief, and even atthe Boulderbank they suffered from the extra water.

The Picton road has not been so much disturbed as might have been expected; certainly;near Mas-sacre-hill it did some damage to the bridge over Blind-creek, but, with the exception of that and some few places here and there on the.way towards Picton, nothing of any consequence has gone wrong. The weather has again cleared off, the roads are drying, the bridges are being put to rights, and men are busy at work once more. The weather of late has been open and mild. No frost as yet, and the farmers are busy turning over the soil and preparing for cropping. The wheat of last season has been mostly all thrashed out; it looks well, and is a fair average crop. ;., The Government, as you know, now domicile a* Pictori/and great improvements are goirtg on there. The Council sit. without the opposition of the members from the Lower Wairau, and consequently 'do the amiable' to their own feelings. If they manage to make the spoon they certainly/ have all the credit; if they spoil the horn, ditto. The Opposition but once showed face at Picton,to give their blast anent this grand railway project, and, that "done, retired from the ' Hall of Science, in disgust.

The diggings in your Wangapeka district has caused great cry here, and several have packed up and left us; but generally the men prefer waiting till the spring sets in, and then if good prospects still hold out many intend to try their luck. ■;■[ Business is at present rather quiet; a good many buildings however are going up 'in Picton, -the Wairau, and the Awatert. The cart-bridge at Blenheim has been commenced, and will be a great

boon to thatplace.

Our Press here,. that could boast with some pride—and very justly too, I think—of neutrality, •has at la&t shown symptoms of wavering. .It casts its bread upon the waters, and behold it floats Pictonward I

We hear but little of the war now. Our volunteers however aire still in high feather, the drill goes on briskly, and the roll, considering the place, is pretty considerable. .