AllisttlIantous.

The reports of the potato-crop have varied, but upon the whole they continue to be of a complexion as gloom/ as they were last week.

• The most important, of course, relate to Ireland. The Lord-Lieutenant NW intimated that Government Lave caused the fullest inquiry to be made

in every district of that country as to the state of the plant, and that the in quiries will be continued. A special meeting of the Royal Agricultural' Improvement Society of Ireland was held on Saturday, and several com- munications were made on the subject. A Committee reported that they had undertaken a series of experiments, with a view to ascertain how the tubers could be preserved, and the available parts of the diseased roots be turned to the best account. Mr. Edward Bullen, the Secretary, said that

returns had been received from about forty local societies: in most of the districts the disease existed more or less; for though it was stated in some which he had received at an early period that there was no appearance of

the malady at that time in the district, yet in some cases he had received supplemental returns, stating that since they had begun to dig the crops,

the disease had appeared; and at present there was hardl.ya county in /re- land which could be considered free from it. From other accounts we learn, that in some places whole fields are spoiled.

In Scotland and the North of England the complaints multiply; the taint being every now and then detected ill new places.

The disease, or at least the detection of it, is extending on the Continent. In Denmark it is said to be spreading more and more. It is beginning to

show itself in Sweden; and as the crops there are late. very had conse- quences are expected. It is said not to have done much mischief in Ha- nover; but the export is forbidden in those provinces bordering on Holland. It has also been detected in Italy ; where it is imputed to drought!

A correspondent obliges us with the following extract of a letter from Nova Scotia, which sadly confirms our fears respecting the potato-crop in America-

" This has been a most unfortunate year for the farmers. A most disastrous disorder in the potatoes has made them utterly fail. Everybody, all over the provinces, has suffered. The potatoes looked beautiful, and in one night some were completely spoiled, and even actually unwholesome—the smell dreadful. In St. John they have been ordered to bury them, in fear of creating disorders. They have been examined by a powerful microscope, but no insect is seen. No one's potatoes are saved. The wheat is blighted very much."

We subjoin some further gleanings on the subject— "A farmer in the neighbourhood of Worcester, who had a Imny of about fifty sacks of potatoes, discovered that they had been attacked with the prevailing

epidemic. To such an extent had the ravages of the disease prevailed, that only six bags out of the lot were thought worth saving; and they being more or less affected, he sold them to a tradesman in Worcester for his pigs. Tlas latter gen- tleman had them emptied by accident, into an outhouse, which was dry, and to which there was a free access of air; and in a very short time lie found that the diseased parts were completely dried up, and the remainder fit for culinary pur- poses. This suggests the propriety of keeping the potatoes out of the damp, and in places where there is five ventilation."—Correspondent of the Morning Chronicle.

"We give it as our decided opinion that 'potato-disease' and 'potato-murrain I are merely idle terms, that bear no direct relation whatever to existent things Thereis no disease,' no murrain,' properly so called; the potatoes are just rotten, and that is the long and the short ot it. 1 he discoloumtion, commencing in this spot and extending to that, the softness, the waxiness, the fetor, all these things and many more such like, we have seen a score times in potatoes that have spon- taneously rotted in a damp dark cellar. We can confirm what the microscopists and chemists say about appearances and reactions, and tell them plenty of untold truths besides: but not potatoes only, any vegetable of similar composition, will give like results when in a state of decay. These acids, alkalies, atomic defects, sporules, granules, ruptured cells, dust, dirt, &c., are a consequence of the potato mischief, and not a cause of it. There is nothing new in the circumstance; we have been familiar with it from childhood, and so have many simple observers who are older in the art of taking notice than ourselves are. It is no novelty in this country, any more than elsewhere; it attracts attention because of the almost universality of its prevalence. And has not the cause been as universal ? Cold water is the fountain-head! Take our word for it, there is no mystery in the af- fair; cloudy skiesand drenching rains have done it all !"—Medical Times.

We are happy in being able to state that the Right Honourable Earl Ducie, owing to the failure of the potato-crop, has most generously returned two-thirds of the rent of the allotments on L6 estates; and thus he has gladdened the hearts of more than one hundred and fifty mangers, by his great and well-timed libe- rality.— Worcester Chronicle.

Much discussion has been occasioned by Admiral Sir Samuel Pym's re- port on the ships-of-the-line engaged in the last experimental cruise—which assigned the superiority to the ships Queen and Albion. It is objected, that the report is absurdly positive in its terms, although the cruise was so short as to wiurant no such definite conclusions: it is observed that this favourable report is published at once, and, aceording to the Standard, "sur- reptitiously"; while less favourable reports of the former cruise were not at all so hastily obtained. "The whole report is denounced as extremely incorrect and unfair, and cal . culated to lead to a very mean opinion of the gallant Commander-in-chiefs judg- ment; for it is well known that the diagrams which accompanied the report of the Admiral induce a very different conclusion as to the order of merit due to each ship. That the Admiralty question Sir Samuel Pym's infallibility of judg- ment, is quite plain; as their Lordships have called for and received on Satur- day morning, the reports of the respective Captains of hie fleet; the majority of which, we are well assured, contradict the report of the Admiral, and coincide in stating' as is universally admitted at Plymouth, that the Rodney and Campus proved themselves the best ships, and not only that the Queen and Albion were consequently not the best ships, but that the Queen was in most instances third, and the Albion fourth. In some trials the Queen occupied even an inferior position to the Albion; and invariably there was a long distance between the three first ships and the others of the fleet.'

The same journal reports the existence of some disaffection on board the Albion, "arising, it is said, from the stoppage of leave; the crew having had more liberty granted to them than the men of the other ships "—

" On Wednesday night, a spirit of insubordination prevailed: many on board by some means got intoxicated, and became very obstreperous when spoken to. They were making a great noise about seven p.m., when the officer of the watch failing in an attempt to quell it, called all hands. This order was disobeyed; and the result was that some of the crew were seized and put in irons,—not, however, before they had cut the breeching of two of the guns, and committed several other' acts approaching to mutiny. Their grievance was, the liberty-men were not re- turned, and they were not allowed to go on shore. The crews both of the Albion and the Vanguard have been sadly tormented in working their ships. They were constantly shifting shot, removing their foremost guns aft, lashing them there, then anuclships, and there securing them, and then again close aft to the cabin- door; and sfifl no use, as the Vanguard continued astern."

Dr. John Grant Stewart, Surgeon, R.N., who volunteered his services on board the ill-fated Eclair, has been promoted to the rank of Deputy-In- spector of Hospitals; and Dr. William Rogers, Additional Assistant-Sur- geon of the Ocean, now convalescent from fever contracted on board Qin

Eclair, to the rank of Surgeon in the Navy. Dr. Coffey, late Assistant- Surgeon of the Growler, who volunteered at Madeira, will also be promoted.

The Times states that a difficulty is experienced at the present time in procuring a sufficient number of recruits for the Royal Artillery, and that the regiment is greatly short of the required strength-

" An officer of the corps has been in Scotland since the early part of August for the purpose of recruiting, and be has not succeeded in obtaining a single recruit. kormerly, and as long as the retiring pension was Is well-educated young men were found in Scotland willing to join that branch of the service; but of late, and since the reduction of the pension to 6d. a day, this has been less the case. That the inadequacy of the inducement is the reason of the result, may be concluded from the fact that the Sappers and Miners, where the men are allowed to earn pay for working in addition to their pay as soldiers, obtain recruits in Scotland without difficulty."

A notice issued at the General Post-office announces a reduction in the postage to Heligoland- " On and after the 1st November next, the postage on all letters posted in the United Kingdom and addressed to the island of Heligoland, and eke versa, when such letters are conveyed direct, or by way of Hamburg or Bremen direct, be- tween these two places and the United Kingdom, will be reduced to the uniform rate of 6d. on a letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight; is. not exceeding one ounce, and so on. The postage on these letters must be paid in this country."

Mr. Parker has resigned his office of Assistant-Poor-law Commissioner, and his resignation has been accepted.—Globe.

The Obserrateur Franca;s of Saturday published a letter by Lord Brougham to a French nobleman, whom the writer addresses as "My dear Count." Its general style is characterized by Lord Brougham's easy fluency; though the particular phrases are not so recognizable—probably from having originally been written in French. Its object corresponds with Lord Brougham's often-expressed sentiments in favour of peace—to show that the entente cordiak is with the English a national feeling, and not merely an affair between one Sovereign and another. Even if the feel- ing should only exist between the two Sovereigns, that would be "most important for the good cause "—

" The great qualities of the Prince you possess, and who, happily for Europe, governs you, are well known; and as regards our Queen, I can assure you that she has known how to attract the most profound respect, and has merited the greatest confidence on the part of all men of any consequence hem whose support is worth anything, from the admirable talent she has shown for business, and for that firm and loyal character which is so seldom met with in princes, and still more rarely (pardon my want of gallantry) in princesses. • • • Still I con- fess, that my uneasiness as regards several persons in your country—men who stand high, and who are in reality not bad men—has not entirely disappeared. I am of your opinion; and I believe that these same persons, some of whom I ad- mire and esteem sincerely, if they were in the Ministry would never be the insti- gators of a warlike policy. That is quite simple. But after having excited the mercurial spirits of Paris (excuse the phrase)—after having driven the cafés, the salons, the journalists, the half-pay officers, the agitators and the agitatresses, (you must again forgive me,) to desire war—how can we be sure that their power would be sufficient to calm the storm raised by their spirit of faction? It is only for the purpose of upsetting the Ministry (you say) that these gentlemen preach hatred to England—to that England who loves and respects France, and who has never ceased to do full justice to all her military and civil glories. But who will be the guarantee that in upsetting the Ministry they shall not destroy that pacific existence which they themselves would be sorry to destroy, and which they wish only to inherit? • * • As to what you say about Ireland, your thunderbolts of war need not reckon upon that part of our empire—nothing can be more weak than the Anti-English party there. Our Government has shown itself resolved to permit no outrage of its authority there; and we know here, (a thing of which you are profoundly ignorant in France,) that all these harangues and these meet- ing in Ireland are nothing but sound and smoke. The agitators want to get money, and the other chiefs love noise; but none of them will move a single step; and I can assure you that no one thinks of it the least in the world. In the meanwhile, our Government has done much to give contentment to the people of Ireland: on the other hand, their priests are divided among themselves; whilst the agitators do not know what to do. That that country has grievances, is quite true; but the greater part of them arise from abuses which legislators know not how to remedy. These evils have their source in the social system, and in the distribution of property—evils which the very maddest of their agitators themselves have never &red to attempt to touch."

From Hanover we hear of a practical discovery of a kind so curious as to require some further explanation before we can quite understand it ; and we are rather suspicious, inasmuch as we have, or fancy we have, some recollection of a somewhat similar story making the round of the Continental papers several years ago. It is given, however, m this instance, with an imposing detail and the guarantee of names—if there be no borrowing of these for the occasion. The report is, that two young men, one a Swede and the other a Norwegian—taking the hint from that sort of foot-gear of fir-planks called skies, by means of which, in those Northern countries, the inhabitants pass through vallies and ravines filled with snow with- out sinking—have been exhibiting in that capital the exploit of walking on the water by means of skies—made, however, for the latter purpose, with iron plates hollow within. Backwards and forwards, much at their ease, according to the report, did the exhibitors walk and run, going through the military exercise with knapsacks at their backs, and finally drawings boat containing eight persons, all without wetting their shoes. The Minister of War has, it is said put a portion of the garrison of Hanover under the training of these gentlemen, for the purpose of learning what might prove so useful a military manceuvre; and as MM. Kjellberg and Balcken propose carrying their invention into other countries, our readers will probably suspend their opinion till they have a nearer view of this novel meeting of sky and water.—Mechanics' Magazine.

A letter from Sebastopol, written on the 30th September, announces the presence of the Emperor at that port, surveying some naval preparations, and holding an interview with Prince Woronzoff ; and mentions that he bad set out to join the Empress in Italy. A letter dated at Milan, on the 14th instant, announces his expected arrival there with the Empress-

" It appears that the journey of the Emperor has been as rapid as that which he made in his visit to London. He studiously avoided Vienna; and would not, it is said, pass through Prague, where is the Archduke Stephen, Governor of Bohemia, who declined, as is well known, the honour of entering the Imperial Family of Russia, by refusing to marry the Grand Dutchess Olga, an alliance which the Emperor desired so ardently. His coming to the Empress, however unex- pected it might be, has probably surprised neither the Empress nor the persons of her suite; for these sudden visits of the Emperor are not unusual. He some- times even comes in disguise, and has himself; as a courier, handed a letter to the Empress. He has assumed the dress of a private brigadier of gendarmerie; and it is said that once, when the Empress went with her suite to visit the cabin of a military colonist, in a country where she happened to be for the first time, she was struck with astonishment at beholding under the coarse cloak of a private soldier the Emperor, holding by the hand his two children, also disguised. Hence, when travelling, the Empress and all the persons who accompany her are always

on their guard. A courier who arrives, a stranger presenting himself suddenly; a cloud of dust on the road, give birth to conjectures relative to the Emperor'i, arrival; and this continual expectation of surprise causes an anxiety and emotion to every one, which embarrasses considerably the courtiers and household of the Imperial Family of Russia."

A French telegraphic despatch announces that the Emperor of Russia and the Emperor of Austria arrived at Milan on the 18th instant.

Letters from Genoa, of the 10th October, state that Don Carlos and the Princess of Beira arrived there on the 9th, from Nice, accompanied by their two sons, who are officers in the Sardinian Army. The passport given by the Sardinian Government to Don Carlos gave him the title of " Ma- jesty "; and he was always addressed by the Government-officers and the public functionaries in the Sardinian States as a crowned head.

A letter from Florence states that the family of Prince Jerome Bona- parte had just been afflicted with a painful calamity: the Prince De Mont- fort, eldest son of the ex-King of Westphalia, has been suddenly struck with insanity. He held the rank of Colonel in the army of the King of Wirtem- berg, his uncle, and was taken ill at Stutgardt. He has been removed from Germany to Florence to his family; but there is not, it is said, much hope of cure.

M. Thiers left Mivart's Hotel on Wednesday morning, for Paris. It is said that M. Thiers had a lengthened interview with Viscount Palmerston on Tuesday afternoon.

The report of Mr. Albany Christie, Fellow of Oriel College, having resigned his Fellowship, is confirmed. This makes a third vacancy in that society within a week. Mr. 1Voodmason, of Littlemore, and his family, have joined Mr. Newman in his secession to the Romanist communion. It is believed that other secessions are on the point of taking place. The report of Mr. Crawley's conversion is pre- matare.—Oxford Correspondent of the Standard.

The Reverend J. Walker, M.A. of Brasenose College, Oxford, has been received into the Roman Catholic Church. The number of members of the University who have recently left the Church of England now exceeds twenty, and is con- tinually increasing.—Globe.

The Leeds Mermay tells a creditable anecdote of Mr. Hamer Stansfeld. "Several years since, the firm of Stansfeld, Briggs, and Stansfeld, of which Mr. Hamer Stansfeld was a junior partner, became unfortunate. Ever since that period, this gentleman has contemplated the payment, if Providence should prosper him, of his share of the debts owing by the above firm; and just pre- vious to his marriage, which took place a few weeks since, he sent round a circu- lar to all his former creditors, accompanied by 20s. in the pound on his propor- tion of every debt. Such instances of mercantile honour as this should be widely known, in order that they may be both admired and imitated."

The expedition to the North Pole, consisting of the Erebus and the Terror, Captain Crozier, under the command of Captain Sir John Franklin, was spoken by the Enterprise, Martin master, arrived at Peterhead: the ships were lying at an iceberg, in latitude 730 12' North, longitude 62° West, on the 28th July.

The work entitled "Vestiges of Creation," which has excited so much atten- tion, and which has been attributed to so many different authors we have good reason to believe, is the production of Sir Richard R. Vyvyan, Bart., M.P. for Helston. We hear that the honourable Baronet is preparing for the press ano- ther philosophical work, to be entitled "The Harmony of the Visible Creation," which, we believe, will command equal attention in the scientific world.—Fal- mouth Packet.

The Earl of Derby has presented two large alligators to the Zoological Society, to be placed in the Gardens at the Regent's Park.

The Manchester Guardian quotes a letter of the 21st July, which mentions a report current at Valparaiso, that the Queen's steamer Salamander had been sunk at Tahiti, by the French frigate Urania; but adds, that the rumour deserves little credit, especially as "a letter of the 28th gives no further information." The report appears to be baseless.

It is reported that yellow fever has been introduced into Malta; and that the Health Oft* at Naples have resolved to exclude vessels from the island from free pratique. A notice, signed by all the innkeepers in the place, has been affixed to the church-door of the parish of Forden, Montgomeryshire, stating that they will not draw any ale, wine, or spirits, &c. on Sundays, Christmas-days, and Good Fridays.

As many as 17,000 newspapers have been found in the General PostAffice with their covers burst. The reason of the newspapers bursting is accounted for by the fact that they contain so many railway bubbles.—Punch. Freeman, the American giant, a well-known pugilist, is no more. He expired in Winchester Hospital on Saturday last. His complaint was consumption, we might almost say atrophy : he was wasted to a complete skeleton.—Globe.

During the first three days of this week the Atmospheric Railway be- tween the Dartmouth Arms station and Croydon has been tested very fully; many trains full of visiters having passed along the line. The result of the experimental trips appears to have been highly successful, both as regards the great speed attained and the facility with which trains were stopped at an intermediate station by the application of the breaks.

We are glad to find that the Directors of the London and Brighton Railway have adopted the plan of setting apart a carriage in every train for ladies only.— Brighton Gazette.

An improved locomotive engine has been constructed for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company, by their superintendent engineer, Mr. Durance.

"The improvements," says the Irish Railway Gazette, "consist in having a double fire-box; the combustible gases being consumed in the second, which would otherwise escape in an unconsumed state. By this means, a considerable increase of heating-power is obtained, and consequently. an increased speed. The most important feature of the new engine however, IS, that in addition to in- creased power and speed, the fuel used is vial instead of coke, and a considerable saving in expense is thereby obtained. This is perhaps the greatest im- provement, as regards the economy of railways in Ireland, that could have been suggested. Coke, the fuel used in England, must ever be a costly fuel in Ire- land, particularly in the interior, inasmuch as the description of coal from which it is produced is not imported into this country; whereas ordinary coal of good quality is to be had on reasonable terms in all our sea-ports. The Condor, DOW plying on the Manchester line, draws a greater number of waggons, at a higher velocity and at less expense, than any other engine."