The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-21 00:00:00

TIIE NEW POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS.

The trade report of the Freeman's Journal has
the following reference to the long-promised im-
provement in the cross channel postal and passen-
ger arrangements :
"We regret to learn that as yet no practical
advance has been made towards carrying out the
new postal arrangement between England and
Ireland. Statements were not long since very
confidently made to the effect that the contract was
already signed, and that the ships were being built
for the new service. From inquiries which we
have made we are in a position to state that the
contracts are not signed, that the ships are not
being built, and that theie is no probability
of the contracts being signed by the Chester and
Holyhead directory, who, in fact, have the
key to the whole project. We believe it is a fact
that the active and able Secretary to the Treasury,
Mr. G. A. Hamilton, has written to the secretary of
the Holyhead line to ask him to sign the contracts,
and that an absolute refusal has been forwarded by
that company in reply to the application. Thus
the matters stand at present, and thus it is said they
are likely to remain for some time to come. The
Holyhead parties justify themselves by saying that
while the new contract would improve consider-
ably the condition of the Great Northern and of
steam-packet companies, it would seriously injure
them ; that they have at present a good contract for
a long term ; that the new contract would be but
for a short term, and would be less productive,
while it would involve enormous penalties, aad that
they are entitled to some consideration in reference
to these points.

THE HARVEST.
Later reports from the provinces show that the
thunder and rain storms of last Thursday and
Friday were far more severe, and likely to be pro-
ductive of more mischief, than was expected from
the tone of the first accounts. In Galway and
Limerick the fall of rain was quite out of the
common course ; it was more like the bursting of a
waterspout, the flood rising to the height of 3ft. on
some roads. In Galway two bridges were entirely
carried away, and Bianconi's car, from Clifden, was
well-nigh swamped in the rush of waters. The thun-
derstorm was übiquitous, but its chief fury seems to
have been sent on the Wexford coast. Nothing
approaching to it in violence has been witnessed
since June, 1822. In the north the alarm-cry has
been again raised with regard to the potato crop,
the condition of which is said to have undergone an
unmistakeable change for the worse towards the
end of last week. it is, however, admitted that the
vast yield of this season must dissipate all idea of
scarcity, even supposing the blight to prove more
extensive than that of 1857.

FIRE AT THE BANK OF IRELAND.
Between 12 and 1 o'clock this morning large
volumes of smoke, accompanied by showers of sparks
were seen to issue from the north-western end of
the Bank of Ireland. The police were promptly in
attendance, and it was soon ascertained that the
only cause of alarm was a chimney, communicat-
ing with a flue leading to the cash-office, that had
taken fire. Ina few minutes the fire was extin-
guished, and all danger at an end