The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-14 00:00:00

ROME.

A profound alarm still occupied the imagination
of the Romans when the last dispatches I..ft that city.
It would appear, indeed, from a private letter received
from the capital of the Papal States, that most of
this alarm has originated in a blunder as to the
events transpiring in Lombardy. On the 29th ult.
says this correspondent, a report was afloat that the
Italians had gained a glorious victory, and that RA..
DETZKY was killed. " The great bell of the capital,"
lie continues, " was rang, and all the other bells in
Rome answered it; muskets were fired here and
there; and in a group more agitated than the others
there were loud cries of Long live CHARLES ALBERT,
only King of Italy!' A body of the people went to
the Minister MAMIANI, who declared to them that the
news of the victory of the Italians was true. They
then went to the Sardinian Ambassador's, where a
person appeared on the balcony, and alio announced
that the intelligence was correct, after which he cried
Long live CHARLES ALBERT, the victorious !' The
people were so impatient to ring the bells, that they
did not wait for the keys of the churches, but broke
open the doors ; and, as they were not accustomed to
bell ringing, some, instead of ringing peals of joy,
clanged the death hells, and others sounded the
tocsin. This, added to the discharge of muskets, and
the_ excitement of the people in the streets, caused
great dismay. By the discharge of the muskets se-
veral persons were wounded."
When the fallacy, of these impressions became known

the Chamber of Deputies issued the address already
published by ourselves, in which the Parliament re-
mhledthe SOVEREIGN PONTIFF of "the Divine words
addressed by him to the ALMIGHTY, who," said they,
" does not desire that his empire should repose only
on the sword." From a blunder in the wording and
punctuation of the original copy, from which our
translation of Saturday evening was taken, the sub-
stance was made to have reference to diabolical rather
than to Carlistial influences, to the Austrian Est•
PEROEt instead of to OMNIPOTENCE.
A letter from Rome, addressed to the Ornivers,
says,—" We are in a state of complete anarchy; at
the moment at which I write to you it is said that
the civic guards are making common cause with the
heroes of Vicenza and the other factions : that they

have rejected and trampled under foot the Pontifical

cockade, &c. GOD only knows what He reserves to
Rome. Many persons are taking measures for put-
ting themselves out of danger, and already have se-
veral of the Cardinals, who were most threatened,
left the city. Still, I believe, that 1,000 faithful

soldiers, commanded by an energetic man, iwould
suffice to maintain order."

Intelligence of a later date, describes the city as
restored to tranquillity by the paternal address of the
SOVEREIGN PONTIIT.

NAPLES.

Excepting a slight collision between a S wigs patrol
and the Lazzaroni, the capital was calm. A minis-
terial crisis is. however, shortly expected, as a de-
claration of BOZZELLI in the Chamber, that he would
no longer drag his heavy chains, is considered not to
have been the result of the pique of the moment, but
of previous deliberation.

MARLBRO'-STREET-7(THIS DAY.)

Thero has not a single charge of any public interest
at this court this morning.
BENEVOLENCE.—The sum of 20s. has been received
by the magistrate from a gentleman, undsr the initials
of J. 8., for the use of Mrs. Wetterton, the particulars
or whose case appeared in this journal last week.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
WOLVERHAMPTON, SUNDAY NIGHT.
The following horses have arrived:—Lahore, Capsi-
cum, Never Mind, Sponge, Ribaldry, Wolverhampton,
Novel, Miss Stephenson, The Empress of Russia,
Shrewsbury, Shropshire Witch, Inheritress, Yardley,
Lazarillo, Pottinger. Counterfeit, Luly of the Luno,
Dough, Wanota, Roma, Westow, Woolwich, Martin
Chuzzlewit filly, Marlow, The Dart, Brandyface, and
Sheraton.
The course is very heavy.

POTATO DISEASE.
The Council of the Royal Agricultural Society have
received the following statement from Lord Portman, in
reference to the potato crop in Dorsetshire, viz.:—
"Bryanstone, July 31, 1848.—0 n the Ist of July my
gardener observed the potatoes looking rather fading,
and day by day found the symptoms of disease increasing.
I desired him to dig those which were most affected on
the 19th and 20th. We found one-half were too bad for
the pigs to eat, and the other half sound. The hot
rain set in and stopped our work. Tho rain ceased on
the 27th, and we resumed the digging on the 28th.
We then found nineteenths rotten, and so offensive
to the smell that I directed them to be buried. The
remaining one-tenth were sound, and I hare placed
them on dry soil in long shallew heaps, and I have
carefully dusted them with quick lime, and covered them
slightly, hoping to preserve them for food. I have
heretofore tried all ttie experiments suggested, and I
have found all to be useless except the plan which I
have now adopted, because it alone has heretofore inva-
riably succeeded. The disease is very bad all around
me. The cottagers who planted late in the spring have
quite lost their seed and labour, for the haulm is dead
and the tubers not larger than marbles; but those planted
in January, early in February, and in the autumn, are
most valuable, because though now entirely checked,
they have obtained an edible size, if they happen to be
fit to eat, and may be stored with lime for future use.
The crop is very large and fine, and would, but for this
visitation of Providence, have given a great supply of
tubers. Here we are filling the plots cleared of potatoes
with turnips and cabbages.
(Signed) PORTMAN."
The disease has this week been fed by the close at-
mosphere,
and frequent rains, accompanied by electric
influence from reperted thunder storms ; the tops or •
haulms have died away rapidly, even where the bulbs
have not half arrived at maturity; yet upon examining
the roots the disease has not far extended. Some growers
are still hoping that the crops will escape; others entertain
fearful forebodings. Some are pulling up the tops and
leaving the bulb in the ground, others are digging and
selling at any price, while a third party leave them to
take their chance. On making our weekly inquiry in the
markets of the metropolis, in the Borough we found the
salesmen abundantly supplied with very fine potatoes
from the counties of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Essex, and
Middlesex, which met a ready sale at about the prices
of the Saturday previous. The growers up from the
country admit that, although they found some diseased
potatoes when digging, there were not so many as some
represented. Many fields are entirely free, others have
about one sack in twenty slightly touched. The yield
is immense, particularly of the second early. The late
or general crop is still green, and hopes are entertained
that such will escape.—Spitalfields : Sales were brisk at
the prices of last week.—Covent Garden : The salesmen
bad large consignments, not only from the counties near
London, but also from the northern and eastern coun-
ties.—Farringdon and Portman Markets on Friday :
Best Shaws and Regents sold at 41. a ton ; iaferior at
3/. ditto.'

POTATO CROPS.
TO THE EDITOR OE THE SUN.
Sin,—Considering it of great importance that the
public attention should b© directed to the actual condi-
tion of the potato crops, I take the liberty of addressing
this communication to you in reference to these districts,
including Carnarvonshire and Anglesey. I make my state-
ment from actual observation, and from facts with which
I am personally cognizant, so that you may rely upon
the correctness of what is stated. Throughout these
districts the potato crops are universally dis-
eased. The rapidity with which the disease
has manifested itself generally throughout these coun-
ties within the last fortnight is calculated to produce
the most melancholy and distressing results. To judge
from the appearance of the haulms, and the effluvia
which is offensively appreciable on the adjoining roads,
the disease is this year more extensive and more viru-
lent than it has ever been since its first appearance in
1845. Indeed the appearance of the malady
is so universal as to convince me that inde-
pendently of any exciting atmospheric cause, there must
exist some material elementary defect in the physical
organism of the potato itself. As an instance of the
rapid progress of the disease, I will mention a case
Which is within my own knowledge. On last Thursday
week five American flour casks full •f sound potatoes
were taken up. At that time there were some diseased
ones picked out. On Thursday last, from the same
measure of land, in the same field, and of the same
kind of potatoes, the quantity of sound potatoes
was only three casks full, showing a loss,
within ono week, of forty per cent. If the
crops be similarly affected throughout the kingdom as
they are in the districts with which I am acquainted,
and unless something occurs to check the process of de-
composition, the industrial and poorer classes will, be-
tween this time and the harvest of next year, be exposed
to severe trials. Ought not some official steps to be
taken by those in authority with a view to obtain such
information as would prove the actual state of this crop
throughout every part of the kingdom?
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
0. 0. ROBERTS.
Castle Hill, Banger, Aug. 13, 1848.

ERRATIIM.—By some extraordinary oversight in
our impression of Saturday, the name of Lord Pal:,
merston was printed for that of "Lord Norman*
The announcement which was contained in our intelli-
gence from the French Republic was, obviously, to the
effect that the British Ambassador bad a lengthened in-
terview with General Cavaignac on Thursday last, in
the Rue de Varenncs.
Jenny Lind is engaged for the Theatre Royal,
' Dublin. The arrangements are on a ()Teat scale, and
include Balletti, F. Lablache, Roger, and the orchestra
and chorus from her Majesty's Theatre. The operas to
be given are La Figlia, Lucia, Puritani, and Sonnain
hula. The first week in October is fixed for the first
opera.
In Scotland at present there is but one regiment °f
cavalry and two of infantry.
NOILTII AMERICAN MAILS.—The steamship Bri-
tannia, Captain Lang, sailed from Liverpool on Saturdal
afternoon, for Halifax and Boston, with the usual maill
and a large number of passengers. The hornewar
nivi!s by the steam-ship Hibernia, Captain Shannon,
which would leave New York on the 2d, and Halifax 011
the sth inst., are due this day.