The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-06 00:00:00

S UN, LONDON,

The intelligence from all parts of the
Kingdom in reference to the prospects of the potato
'
crop is of a very gloomy character. It is said that
disease
unequivocal indications of the formidable disease
which has occasioned such fearful misery and
already suf-
fering
to the less wealthy classes are United
per-
ceptible, and that—more especially in Ireland—no
doubt can exist but that a large proportion of the
crop will be totally lost. This is, inched, a melan'
choly prospect, requiring that every possible precau.
tion should be taken while there is yet time to prevent
results almost as deplorable as those which followed
the mysterious visitations of 1846 or 1847.
We would not, however, while urging the neces-
sity of the utmost vigilance and the adoption of
suitable remedial measures, have it supposed that the
danger is quite so imminent as has been repre-
sented, or that, even if such were the case,
the consequences could La so fatal as on the
former occasion. We must, in the first place,
make ample allowance for the tendency to
magnify existing dangers without any deliberate
intention of exaggeration or misstatement. Those
who have sustained heavy pecuniary losses will be
easily frightened, and matters which would have been
disregarded, or treated as of trivial importance, a
dozen years since, will now be regarded in a very
different point of view. " The burnt child dreads the
fire," and the Irish farmer or the Irish landlord may
well tremble at any appearance of a blight. The
first symptom induces many to try to dispose of
their produce at any price, while it is yet fit for
consumption, and serious damage is occasioned by
the very panic produced by the alarmists.
It must not be forgotten that a much greater ex-
tent of land -was planted this season than for several
years, so that even if a large quantity should be lost,
much would still remain available for general use.
We have had statements quite as alarming
in 1849, 1850, and 1851, as to the appear-
ance of the terrible epidemic, and yet, al-
though the disease was unquestionably in
existence, and portions of the crop were destroyed
and rendered valueless in each year, there was Limn-
dance remaining for the wants and exigencies of the
people. We may then still entertain a reasonable
hope that, although the alarmists are earlier in the
field, the proportion of loss will not be larger than it
has been during the last three years, and if that be
the case we may encounter the difficulty without any
undue apprehensions.
But, even if the destruction be so complete as that
of 1847, we are now so far prepared, that we
could meet the danger without anything like the
injuries formerly sustained. The poor-law has been
brought into practical operation, and there is now in
every district an organized staff, by means whereof
the necessary relief could be administered. It is also
a melancholy fact that the classes who might require
assistance are greatly reduced in numbers through
the combined operation of famine, pestilence, and
emigration. There must, therefore, be much less to
do, and better means with which to do it. And
we say it advisedly, that it is utterly impossible
that the fatal scenes of 1847 could again be paral-
leled, or that we could now have a monetary con-
vulsion similar to that which occurred in that fatal
year. There are now no less than twenty-two millions of
pounds sterling in the coffers of the Bank of England,
besides a much larger sum in general circulation.
Even if eight or nine millions sterling should
be abstracted from the amount, it could not lead to
the lamentable deficiency in the currency
which formerly paralysed the national in-
dustry, and rendered the circulating medium inade-
quate to the wants and exigencies of the community.
The supply from Australia and California would
speedily fill up the vacurthe if any should arise.
There is, therefore, no prospect of a monetary panic,
such as that which produced by far the larger pro.
'portion of the mischief of 1847.

There is, therefore, nothing to fear; but
Government should closely regard the pro-
r;ress of the disease with a view to alleviat-
img its consequences as much as practicable.
Let them consider how fer the steps taken by Sir
..IRODERT PEEL mitigatfd the evil in 1846, and be
prepared to follow the example set by that great
statesman, if the neceasity for so doing should
unfortunately arise.

DEATH OF MR. GRANGER, M.P. FOR DURHAM
CITY.—It is our melancholy duty to record the death of
Mr. Granger, the valuable &ember for the city of Durham.
the melancholy event took place: in York yesterday
i,Thursday) very suddenly. The Hon. Member had been
'an the northern circuit at the Durham assizes, and arrived
marked change for the
xmosTovrk on Saturday evening. Feeling himself unwell, he
few dto remain quiet in the ancient city of York for a
bilnatissaYs. hoping that a relaxation from the excitement of Worth,
aweuld be beneficial. Ha consulted Mr. B. Dods-
the lion. Member
to irnprovsurgeon of considerable practice, and he continued
e under his treatment until Wednesday, when a
the railway
Granger was called an experieneid worse presented itself. Dr. Simpson,
baffled every etrol3P3'Bieinn, was called in, but the disease
breathedterday morning, at eight o'clock,
statiou,his last at Scawin's Hotel, near
counsel, a bencher tot re he had taken apartments. Mr.
of
the bar in 1830. He wag a Queen's
the borough of Hull.
has represanted Darham in three
1847, and a third time in 18e5e2ted in
1811'
Parliaments, having deolniliner
--nre_manoadveirl6.3f7;om York this
Temple, and Recorder for
He was an unsuccessful
uacgcaeisnsfuinl
candidate at the elections in 183. e
the vaults of the
of the Hon. Member will be
(Friday) morning, for, interme t, 1 The remains
with he: M
Temple Church.
YN --e annual
NEw ZEALAND COMPANY.---Yestorda ,f,
meeting of this company was held at the George Ly al ewZealand
sided. The object of the meeting, in addition t'e Esq., pre-
enordinary annual business, the trans-
actions of the Less, was to hear a '
House, Broad-street Buildings—
from the Committee appointed to negotiate
Government as 8.
/
go the mode in which a sum of 2f- .
toe comany should be repaid,as the are
ajesty s
,0,000/. due to
comPanYs affairs were
in
_,
winding up; and
,also, to hear what steps had
process of
ed on be-
A Association by the
half of the Canterbury New Zeeland
ssaid the directors were taken place for the liquidation of the debts incurred
Company. The chairman gaged in
an end. IP°P37l'°d-
tion, and their labours were nearly at . e thought
the shareholders there ought to be a larger attendance of proprietors to hear
endeavouring to get the company out of their unhappy
could be expected at the present season ; and, therefore, it
the report and the negotiations with the Government than
was deemed advisable to propose an adjournment of some
weeks, when the report would, no doubt, be complete, and
affairs,
Mr. Currie 1
He moved a resolution to that effect.
secouded the proposition and it was unam.
mously agreed to of the chairman,
ers be enabled to see the exact position of their
to. The meeting then separated.

happy conclusion may be safely predicated. For the
Crystal Palace Company itself the result cm scarcely
be otherwise than satisfactory. For th 3 Croyclen
Railway it must, consequently, be a source of emolu-
ment and gratulation. For the inhabitants of the
metropolis it must, moreover, be a very singular and
indeed unprecedented advantage. Situated as the
site is at a distance in all respects peculiarly conve-
nient, it must be found sufficiently accessible by the
aid of steam, and sufficiently removed from the
grimy scene of the great "brick and mortar invasion,"
to be almost sylvan, and certainly picturesque. It
must have been a source of unalloyed sa-
tisfaction to Mr. LAING, the distinguished chair-
man of the company, and recently invested with
ctohtleanagd,reteonbalsesurmespeobnysibriilgithyt
ooffprheissidoifiing-
the dignity of a legislator by the electors of the Wick
Burghs
i aulr gpboss iitni oSn
over the initiative proceedings of yesterday. He
can scarcely call those
proceedings to remembrance
henceforth without feelings of
a somewhat enviable
character. Neither could he have been altogether
without some such emotions of honest pride when
depositing under the first pillar of the Crystal Palace
the glass vase, not merely containing the coins of the
realm, but bearing the inscription that the "first sup-
port" of the new edifice—.
"A Building of purely English Architecture destined for
the recreation and instruction of the Million,
Was erected on the sth day of August, 1852,
In the 16th year of the reign cf her Majesty Queen
Victoria,
By Samuel Laing, Esq., M.P.,
Chairman of the Crystal Palace Company."
When completed—as the building will be before
many months have advanced—the advantage secured
by it to the people of the metropolis is
almost beyond the reach of calculation. Hap-
pily the attempt of the Sabbatarians to
close the Crystal Palace on Sundays is certain of
being worsted altogether. The citizens of London
and Westminster will not then be precluded from
participating in the forthcoming feast of innocent and
intellectual enjoyment. On the contrary, we mk°
now confidently anticipate that when once the pro-
posed scheme has been carried into active operation
the day of rest will be peculiarly dedicated, after the
hours of "Divine service," to the visiting (by the la-
bouring classes of the capital) of the princely gardens
and palatial structure now being
summoned into ex-
istence,by the genius of Fox, and JONES, and PAXTON,
by the activity of WYATT, by the presiding abilities
of LAING, and by the munificence of the Crysta'
Palace Company, among what are still in some mea-
sure the verdant solitudes of Sydenham.