The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-11 00:00:00

POOR-LAW UNIONS.

KELLS.—On Saturday the guardians, after considering the
alarming consequences that may result to the people from
the failure of the potato crop, passed a resolution, " imploring
the Executive Government to devise means to give extensive
employment to the people, and to provide food for the en-
suing spring and summer at a moderate price, in order to
avert famine and disease."

DROGIIEDA.-At a meeting of the guardians of this union,
on Thursday, a resolution was passed, appointing a committee
to devise measures for providing temporary hospitals, in con-
sequence of the extensive spread of fever in the suburbs of
Drogheda.
The Drogheda Argus of yesterday contains the following
melancholy announcement :

" SPREAD OP FFXRR.-It is with deep pain we have to
state that fever is unusually rife in the suburbs and lanes of
this town. We are assured by one of our Catholic clergymen
that he has, during the week, witnessed several instances of
most awful destituton—in many cases two or three sick in
one apartment of the wretched cabins, in some instances two
or three in one bed! The board of guardians are compelled to
seek the temporary loan of the hospital in North George's-
street, until a fever hospital is erected. If disease already
makes its appearance, what may we expect if measures be
not taken to prevent famine, or even an insufficiency of
food ?"

The following additional report has been forwarded to the
Lord Lieutenant by the commissioners of the potato dis-
ease :

" My Lord—We take occasion to mention to your Excel-
lency some facts regarding the action of • peat or turf upon
diseased potatoes, which we are anxious to make known
without delay, although at the present moment we do not
wish to put forward a formal report, or official recommenda-
tion.

" We had early fixed our attention on the preservative
action of turf, and in our first report gave some directions
for its use, since which time we have received accounts of
its decisive utility in many cases. We had also obtained
very distinct evidence that in wet bog land the disease was
in reality milder and less extensive than in drier and more
fertile soils. Upon these grounds we proceeded to institute
experiments on the action of bog water on diseased potatoes,
and we find that certainly, when immersed therein, the dis-
ease appears to be arrested, andithe substance of the potato
does not appear in any way to suffer.
" Our tnals having been made in Dublin, and on a small
scale, and also the pressure of circumstances forcing us to
make known every plan likely to prove useful without loss
of time, we do not wish to have this notice considered as de-
cisively stating that steeping in bog.water will stop the pro-
gress of the disease; but we consider it highly important that
the plan should be tried by persons residing in bog 'districts,
where circumstances render a possible failure in a certain
quantity an object of no importance. We have accordingly
applied to several gentlemen to institute trials on a large
scale, and shall, when we learn the results, at once proceed
to lay them before your Excelleney.—We remain, your Ex-
cellency's obedient and faithful servants,

" ROBERT KANE.
" JOHN LINDLEY.
" LYON PLAYFAIR.

" Royal Dublin Society, Nov. 8."

PUBLIC PRAYERS IN THE ESTABLISHED CHURCHES.—The
second prayer appointed to be used in time of famine has
been ordered by the Primate and several Bishops to be offered
in the churches during the present month.
THE NEW COLLEGES.

The Government surveyors have already commenced ope•
rations in Galway, where the site of th,! new college, consist
ing of about eight acres, is at the rear of the school of Eras
mus Smith's foundation.

It is stated that the Rev. Dr. Henry, Presbyterian minister
of Armagh, has been appointed principal of the New Ulster
College, to be established in Belfast. Dr. Henry was ap-
pointed by the late Government one of the Commissioners of
National -Education, and by the present Government a mem-
ber of the Board formed under the Charitable Bequests Act,
both of which offices, without salary, he retains. The prin-
cipals of the other colleges: are the Rev. Dr. Kirwan, parish
priest of Onterar , Galway College; and Professor Kane,
the distinguished chemist, and author of the "Industrial Re-
sources of Ireland," for the Munster College at Cork.