The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-23 00:00:00

IRISH LINES.

The Ulster Railway Company have advertised for tenders
for loans in sums of not less than 1,000/. each, at 4 per cent.
NEW NORTHERN.—A railway is projected to join Bally-
castle with the Belfast and Coleraine Junction, by way of
Dervock and Ballymoney. This line would encourage the
working of the only coal-beds in county Antrim.
The Belfast and Ballymena Company have advertised for
contracts for larch or Scotch fir sleepers.
ULSTEd EXTENSION.—BELFAST TO DUBLIN, BY BAN-
BRIDGE TO NEWRY.-it will be in the recollection of our
readers that at the last general meeting of the proprietors of
the Ulster Railway Company, resolutions were adopted
authorising the Board of Directors to take the necessary steps
for extending their line by way of Banbridge to Newry and
Dublin, and to make such arrangements in relation to it,
with the committee of the Newry, Banbridge, and Belfast
Junction Railway Company, as they might deem expedient.
We are gratified to be able to state that an agreement was on
Wednesday entered into between the committee of the
Directors of the Ulster Railway Company and the managing
committee of the Newry, Banbridge, and Belfast Company,
settling the terms upon which the project of the latter com-
pany is to be carried on, under the direction of the Ulster
Company, as an extension of their line under the above title.

CONTINENTAL LINES.
MAYENCE AND LUDWIOSUAFEN.—MAYENCE, Oar. 10.—
The first general meeting of the shareholders took place here
the day before yesterday. Neatly the whole of the share-
holders were present. The zeal and attention with which the
Provisional Committee had transacted the affairs of the com-
pany was highly lauded. All hindrance in the way of its
construction have been removed, and everything is ready for
its eommencement. The expenses hitherto also have been
exceedingly small, for even the interest of the 50,000 florins
placed at the disposal of the committee has hardly been ex-
pended.
ST. PETERSBURGR, MOSCOW, AND WARSAW.—It is said
that the Emperor purposes not only to connect Warsaw by a
branch line with the trunk line at present in construction
from St. Petersburg to Moscow, but also to extend it to the
Odessa, so that the trade of Poland will extend itself to the
Black and Caspian seas.
GREAT NORTHERN LINE.—The council of administration
has been finally constituted. The following are the names :
—The Baron James de Rothschild, Vice-Admiral Rosamel,
Philippe Hottinguer, Charles Laffitte, Pepin Lehalleur,
Adolphe d'Eichtal, Emile Pereire, Auguste Thurneyssen,
Marc Caillard the elder, Delebecque, Gouin, Duke de..
Galiera, Jameson, Edward Blount, Baron Nathaniellile
Rothschild, Jules Mallett, Duke de Monchy, Marquis Da-
lon, Francis Baring, Thomas Baring, John Moss, Baron
Lionel de Rothschild, John Masterman, W. Chaplin, F.
Mills, T. 0. Powles, Weguelin. The Baron James de Roths-
child is the president, and M. Delebecque the vice- president.
In conformity with the 27th article of the statute, the general
management has been delegated to a committee of five—
namely, MM. Philippe Hottinguer, Emilie Pereire, Auguste
Thurneyssen, the Marquiss Delon, and Marc Caillard the
elder. The committee will have the management of all
affairs; there will be no directors. The capital of the com-
pany has been fixed at 200 millions of francs, divided into
400,000 shares of 500 francs each. The extent of calls upon
the shareholders for the construction of the works is not to
exceed 875 per share, without a unanimous resolution to the
contrary by the shareholders. The first instalment of 125
francs per share has been eff--cted by the originll subscribers,
producing a sum of 50 millions of francs, of which sum 20
millions have been reimbumed to the Treasury for their ad-
vances. A further sum of four millions of francs has been
lodged as a guarantee for carrying out the works of the
branch lines from Lille to Calais and to Dunkirk, whiCh are
to be immediately carried into execution by the company.
The advances made by the Chambers, forthe execution of tile
line fr.,m Paris to Lille and to Valenciennes, amount to 90
millions of francs, which sum, according to the decree of the
15th July, ought to be reimbursed in five payments; the
first, in a sum of 20 millions, has already been made, and
the remainder is to be returned in four annual payments
commencing January, 1847, of 17,500,000 francs each. The
company further will have to expend a sum of 20 millions of
francs in perfecting the branch lines from Lille to Calais and
Dunkirk ; to meet this outlay there remains to the company
a sum of 30 millions out of the 50 millions they have re-
ceived. This sum will be more than sufficient to meet the
necessary outlay for this and the succeeding year; therefore,
according to this statement, there will be no occasion for a
further call upon the shareholders for a period of fifteen
months, that is, when the next instalment will become due
to the State in 1847.
NAMUR AND LIEGE.—Mr. Rennie, the engineer who has
been engaged in tracing out the plans for the above line, has
been occupied for several days in putting the works into
active operation. The Minister of Public Works has been
put in possession of the plans, &c, for that portion com-
prised between Seraing and the bridge of Val Benoit.
CHARLERoY AND ERQUELINOES.—The President of 'the
Council of Administration, M. Gordales paid a visit lately to
the Chateau de Misericorde, near Marchiennes-au-Pont, for
the purpose of pressing forward the works which are being
carried on there.

THE POTATO MURRAIN NEAR MANCHESTER.—we
ave made inquiries of intelligent agriculturists and scientific
friends, who have visited different districts in this immediate
neighbourhood, and the result is a conviction that the dis-
ease exists here, though as yet in a very modified form. It
is, however, exceedingly difficult to arrive at any precise
conclusion at present, for a great quantity of potatoes in this
neighbourhood are not yet gathered, and it is found that
the murrain is later in making its appearance in some places
than others. An intelligent friend, who has extended his
inquiries in every direction around Manchester within a
few miles, informs us that he believes the murrain to be
more or less in every district in the neighbourhood, except
in that about Cheetham-hill, which exemption he supposes
to be owing to its very light and sandy soil. Indeed, the
potatoes on the light, dry soils, are generally more free from
murrain than those on the cold, heavy. lands. Careful
microscopic observation has led several scientific gentlemen
here to the belief that the disease is the same as that de-
scribed by Professor Morren, in a communication to the
Brussels paper the Independence, as having nearly destroyed
the potato crop of Belgium, and which the Professor de-
scribesw,mcsavtopoaeanpeaf:socroutsa
appearance.
found in
ete.fanhiyi
oifungusnlussingnleoeasunsound
prlpidopeaoettiavipotato,
ten:
lo)oe,heardaps,
considerations.d rfy afterat tinmip laoaa de fceuelvnafpe gnoeeocrkreul,
advanced
dearndtothtiess
test
appeared esatriel di
further, the
all fsuarmtheer t
ato decomposition.was
p u
t
into wet earth for ten days, and even this renewal of
moisture did not appear to cause the further spread
of the disease. There is some difficulty in determininc,
whether the brown fungus which overspreads the potato is
the disease itself, or a natural consequence of previously-
existing disease. Professor Lindley, Dr. Lankester, and
other botanical and physiological authorities, are of opinion
that no pa asitic fungus ever attacks a healthy vegetable
structure: that disease must previously have commenced
before fungus could find a habi'at. The. practical importance
of this question may be thus stated :—lf the disease is
caused by the fungus, then the potato may be liable to it to
any time, and fir several seasons successively. If the fungus
is not the cause, but a natural consequence of disease, then
in dry and genial seasons there is no reason to apprehend the
ravages of this murrain.—Manchester Guardian.