The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-29 00:00:00

THE POTATO CROP.

The last accounts from the north are not so unfa-
vourable as they had been for the fortnight previous.
The Belfast Whig says :
" Our reports from the country, in regard to the pro-
gress of the disease, aro not so unlavourable as they were
last week. Those now being dug out are not so much
affected as the ones formnly raised; and there are 301130
hopes that the contagion is stayed in its progress. -
the injury already done is quite equal to our furraer com-
StatiP) and, it one-half MI be aeound in a late cm.

THE NAVIGATION OF THE THAMES.
The following memorial has been presented to the
Lord Mayor, as conservator of the Thames, by the
different steam-boat companies navigating the river,
and states, " Your memorialists are possessed of up-
wards of sixty steam-vessels, all of which are engaged
the whole day in running to and from Hungerford-
market or the adjacent pier, to or from London-
bridge, and thereby passing in their way under
Waterloo-bridge about sixty times in every hour of
the day. Your memorialists in the course of their
daily running have found the second and third arches
of Waterloo-bridge to be the only working arches
through which they can pass at all times of the tide.
Independently of the steatn- boat traffic alluded to under
Waterloo-bridge, the general traffic by barges and
smaller vessels, as well as some few other occasional
steam-boats, is very great, and which at certain times
of the tide is confined entirely to these two working
arches, whereby your memorialists have found that
the water-way under those two arches is barely
sufficient, and requiring great care and skill to pre-
vent accidents by collision. Your memorialists have
lately observed considerable quantities of large loose
stones to have been thrown into the river entirely round
the south pier of the second arch of Waterloo-bridge,
the consequence of which is that not only the water-
way is already very much narrowed, but at low water
there is considerable danger of the steam-vessels striking
on the sharp edges of these stones and sustaining
serious damage, which may lead to the risk, if not the
loss of life; and if, as your memorialists have been
informed, it is intended shortly to throw more loose
stones and gravel into the river around the same pier,
the navigation will be entirely stopped through that
arch, and at certain times of the tide it will be impos-
sible to prevent collisions by reason that the whole
traffic for want of depth of water at that spot on the
river both up and down being confined to the single
remaining arch of the bridge. Your memorialists
beg to annex a drawing of the bridge to this memo-
rial, showing not only the partKular site where the
stones have been thrown down, but that on the
northern side of the same arch there-are.peveral piles
extending beyond the bed of the river visible at low
water, ,rendering it especially dangerous to approach
near to the inner abutment of that arch, whilst the
centre is being gradually blocked up by the large
loose stones thrown into the river, and which must
naturally find their way to the lowest part of the bed
of the river under that arch. That in consequence of
this serious impediment to the naviwation, your me-
morialists determined to petition the Navigation Com-
mittee cn the subject, but from the circumstance of
that committee having no meeting until the month of
October next, your memorialists have deemed it abso-
lutely re cessary to bring the matter before your
Lordship's notice without delay, trusting that your
Lordship, as conservator of the river, will give instruc-
tions for this serious impediment to be discontinued,
before accident shall occur—at least until the Navi-
gation Committee shall have had an opportunity of
examining the premises and deciding upon the proper
course to be pursued."