The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-24 00:00:00

iv ling It

LONDON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 1845.

The intelligence brought by the Overland Mail from India,
possesses little interest. The country was perfectly tranquil,
the Punjaub remained in the same state, Sinde was healthy,
and preparations were in progress both at Bombay and Cal-
cutta for constructing important lines of rail Way, and connect-
ing by that means of communication some of the chief
towns in our Indian possessions. The accounts from China, how-
ever, are important. A general impressien prevails among the
British residents in that quarter that Hong-Kong and its
new governor, Mr. DAVIS, have Wined out complete failures ;
that he is unable to compete with the representative of
F►ance, and that unless a successor is speedily appointed, or
some other effective step taken to counteract foreign in-
fluence, the inland of Chusan will in a short time
be handed over to the French Government. It is therefore
proposed that negotiations should be entered into with the
Chinese, with a view to keep pusession of that valuable
island. We know nothing of the charges brought against the
French agent, but we are confident the British Government
will take no steps without mature consideration, and that they
will observe with strict faith all the conditions of the treaty
entered into with the Emperor of CHINA. We never thought
Hong-Kong a fit station, but if it is to be given up in ex-
change for another, that must be done by friendly and honour-
able negotiation. We must at the same time observe, that
the letters, English as well as French, which come from
Canton are deeply tinged by party feeling, and ought, there-
fore, to be received with caution.

The potato " murrain,"—as the disease which so fatally
infects the most important of bread stuffs is well termed, we
see, in the north—is assuming every day a more formidable
character. Its ravages are manifesting themselves in a still
enlarging circle, and with the running out of the season the
disease assumes a more virulent and dangerous aspect. The
phenomena of the disease itself are as various as their origin
ia doubtful. The only certain and invariable condition ap-
pears to be that the presence of the disease is always accom-
panied by the indication of a fungus (referred by Professor
MonnKx, according to a Brussels paper, to the genus of
" botrydis," or chutes). But whether this fungus be the
original cause or the organic effect of the disease,
(notwithstanding - the minute investigation to which
the question has been submitted in this country,
in Belgium, in France, and in Holland), is still an unresolved
problem. We know, at any rate, that were it even satisfac-
torily determined, it would now be too late to attempt the
application of any remedy that could arrest the progress of
this vegetable malady in respect of the present year's crop,
wherever it has exhibited itself. It is fortunate that the
earlier portions of the potato crop, especially that which was
sown in dry and new Soils, or well drained lands, yielded re-
markably fine and abundant fruit. But for this circum-
stance that season of privation, that extent of misery, to
which we fear the labouring poor of so many fine districts
, in Europe have yet to pass, would have been prolonged by
some two or three months. Lamentable, however, it is to
-
reflect on the mournful prospects of the approaching winter.
What is to be done for our hard-working, well-conducted,
i but ill-paid poor in the manufacturing and rural districts?—
! in all the densely crowded thoroughfares, in our swarming po
I ' pulation ? What is to be done for the poor of Ireland, whom
1 a century of frequently recurring visitations of famine or
scarcity.,haa not been able to wean
_from their improvident
preference for and dependence en the potato crop ? What is