The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-24 00:00:00

TVANDSWORTH.

DANGEROUS EFFECTS OF SHOOTING IN BATTERSEA-
FIELDS.—On Saturday Major-Gen. Parlby, accompanied
by another gentleman, .vaited upon Mr. Paynter, to
obtain his advice and assistance in a matter affecting
the lives of her Majesty's subjects. The latter, whose
name did not transpire, stated that on Thursday after-
noon they were on board the Bride, iron steam-boat,
making for the British Flag Pier, Battersea fields, when
three men, who had apparently just emerged from a
shooting gallery erected within a few yards of the
steam-boat pier, fired at some birds on the shore; a
number of the shots passed over the deck of the Bride;
one struck the major-general in the face, making a
puncture just below the left eye, and another gentleman
was wounded in the navel. Applicant immediately
landed, and went to the British Flag, where he had seen
one of the men run in, but the people of the house denied
that any one was secreted there. lie and Major• General
rarlby then went into the shooting gallery, and saw the
same man, who said his name was Nicholson, but denied
having fired a gun that day.
Mr. PAYNTER asked who belonged to this shooting
gallery ?—lnspector Creed said a man named Dore was
the ostensible proprietor, and he had another at the
Tivoli. They were a great nuisaace, and much com-
plained of, and guns were furnished from them to fire in
(he field.

Major-General Parlby said it was absolutely unsafe
for a steam-boat to touch at or near Battersea-fields, the
firing was so constant and reckless. He believed that if
he had not been reading a newspaper at the time, he
should have lost the sight of one of his eyes.
Mr. PAYNTER said he would grant a summons against
Nicholson for firing in a public thoroughfare. The
pimalty in the Police Act was only 405., which was a
very inadequate punishment for the offence. The
magistrate observed that the shooting gallery might be
indicted as a nuisance.

Major. General Parlby thought that an application to
the Home Secretary might be productive of some good.
Mr. PAT NTER was of the same opinion, and recom-
mended it by all means.
The summons was thou granted against William
Nicholson, and appointed for hearing on Thursday next,

THE POTATO DISEASE.
TOTAL FAILURE OF THE POTATO CROP IN

WARWICKSHIRI';.

BIRMINGHAM, FRIDAY.—" The potato crop has failed,
totally failed. Three months hence we doubt much if
there will be a good potato in England." Such was the
startling statement made to us yesterday by a gentleman
moat extensively engaged in the corn trade, and inti-
mately acquainted with the state of the crops in every
part of England. In as far as regarded the condition of
his own crop, he said, " I have tried them, and found
that two out of every three were gone."
Such a startling announcement has been confirmed to-
day by several of our most extensive potato growers;
and the high and increasing price of potatoes in our
market affords another proof that it is but too well
founded.

In almost every case the destruction has been rapid
and general. We have examined several large fields in
the district, and found the roots in most cases reduced to
a pulpy mass. Previous to the late rains the stems and
branches were luxuriant and promisiag—now they are
lying dead on the ground and appear as if they had been
killed, not so much from any taint from a poisonous
atmosphere as from the effects of some cankerous dis-
ease at the roots. The smell emitted from the fields, in
several instances, is most offensive, and sufficient in low-
lying marshy grounds to produce a pestilence. This
was more particularly observable to-day, when there
was strong sunshine and heat, the action of which on
the ground, saturated as it has been with rain, produced
a species of fermentation among the diseased roots, and
a kind of smoke which rose from the surface like a thick
ground mist.

The only potatoes in this neighbourhood we have yet
seen that have entirely escaped the disease are growing
in a field in South Staffordshire, from seed which lay in
the ground all winter. The farmer m this eallb did not
lift his last year's crop Wall: A gr,oid many of the po-
tatoes were then diseases : and he thought if he left the
whole in the ground,
those that might withstand the
frost in winter would be free from disease, and grow up
in the spring. The field in May was covered with early
plants. These he carefully cleaned and hoed up ; they
now promise an abundant crop, and should the experi-
ment succeed, it may prove highly useful.
Concurrent with the progress of the disease in this
quarter has been a growing increase of English cholera
amongst the population, not in the town merely, but in
the country around. The impression now is, that the
bad quality of potatoes in use occasions English cholera.
This is a difficult point, and should be carefully con-
sidered. One thing is clear, there has not been so much
English cholera in Birmingham for many years as at
the present time.--Warwick Advertiser.

THE POTATO CROP IN WALES.—It is with extreme
regret that we are obliged to add to the testimony of many
of our contemporaries, that the disease, which was so
destructive to this vegetable last year,
is again making sad
ravages. Until last week, we were sanguine in hoping that
the Principality had escaped the infliction. On inspecting
the crops in Anglesey, Carnarvonshire, Denbighshire,
Merionethshire, and Montgomeryshire, they then appeared
healthy and luxuriant ; now, in many localities, whole
patches of the earlier crops are blackened and withered;
and, from indications which show themselves in the later
CLOPS) we fear the result will be more disastrous than last
season.— Carnarron Herald.
CITY POLICE COMMITTEE.-013 Saturday upwards of
twenty men were summoned to the Court and fined by
Alderman Wilson for having acted as drovers in Smithfield-
market without having been licensed by the clerk of the
market.

Dr. Bowring and Dr. Gilkrest had an interview with
the Earl of Clarendon on Saturday, at the Board of
Trade. The Chairman of the Customs had also an in-
terrieW With On LsToble Earl on OaturdPY,