The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-02 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, May 1.

The Memorial Diplomatique of to-day says:—
"Among the rumours current during the last
few days which have attained a certain degree of
consistence, we feel bound to notice one which
asserts that the London Conference would decide
upon prolonging its deliberations under the form
of a Congress.
" At present, however, the full powers with which
the representatives of the signitaries of the London
Treaty are furnished only authorise them to take
part in the Conference for the settlement of the
Dano-German conflict. The convocation of a Con-
gress must form the subject of special negotiations
between the Governments, and could in no case
emanate from the Conference, which, as we have
just said, is confined to the settlement of the Dano-
German difficulty.
" Thus, those suppositions are entirely gratuitous
which attribute to the London Conference the
faculty of enlarging at will its sphere of action, and
ineluding in its programme either the question of
a general disarming, or the affairs of Italy, Poland,
or Roumania."
The France of this evening says :—" We have
reason to believe that at the next elections of the
third of the members of the General Councils the
Government will not maintain absolutely the prin-
ciple of official candidates. The prefects will, it is
stated, be invited to remain neutral when the con-
test is between men equally honourable and devoted
to the principle of which the Empire is the expres-

sion."
The Moniteur in its edition of this evening says :
--" No official confirmation has been received of the
despatch of a French sqtadron to the Baltic. In
any case this measure, shoo lit it be taken, could have
no other character than that of a demonstration des-
tined to support the request made to the bellige-
rents for a suspension of hostilities."
The Moniteur also contains the following :
" The Government of the Emperor has received from
that of the United States satisfactory explanations
relative to the sense and bearing of the resolution
passed by the House of Representatives at Wash-
ington with regard to Mexico. It is known that
the Washington Senate has indefinitely adjourne
the examination of the resolution, which, in and
case, has not been sanctioned by the Executive
power."
BOURSE, April 30.—The reponse de primes
(option) has been made at 66f. 75c. The market
has been firm, but quiet. Threes, for the Account,
are now at 66f. 75c. Mobilier have improved to
1,225. Railway Shares heavy, and some of the
lines rather lower. The market closed as follows :
Italian Loan 6B 70
Do. end month 6B 70
New ditto —
Do. end month —
Russian
Austrian .. Bl
Spanish Threes 5l 75
Rome Debt ..
Deferred -
TAY%
Cash. Account.
Orleans
Northern 977 60 .. 977 50
Lyons and Mediterranean 938 75 .. 90
New ditto BB2 50
Southern 657 50 .. 655
Western
Eastern .... 4Bl 25 .. 480
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard
North of Spain
Saragossa.. 568 75 .. 567 50
Ditto to Barcelona „ 270

4t per Cents .. 94 50
Do. Brad month....
3 per Cents
Do. end month 66 65
Credit Mobilier 1205
Do. end month 1206 25
Bank Shares 3350
Credit Fancier l2BO
Roman

Naval and Military Intelligence,

THE NAVY.

In consequence of the order for the Channel Squadron to
go to the Downs, officers on leave of absence at Plymouth
and elsewhere have been requested by telegram to join
their ships with as little delay as possible.
The Warrior, 40, iron screw frigate, Capt. Hon. A. A.
Cochrane, C,8., arrived at Spithead on Saturday from
Portland, and, after filling up with coals and provisions,
&c., and taking on board stores and provisions for the
other ships of the squadron, sailed again to rejoin the

'hannel Fleet under the command of Admiral Sir C.
Dacres, C,B , on their way from Portland to the Downs,
The French fleet were expected to join in the Downs, and
the probable destination of the combined fleets is reported
to be the Baltic.

Port-Admiral Sir C. H. Fremantle, K.C.8., inspected
the paddlewheel steamsloop Gladiator, 6, °apt. Francis H.
Shortt, in Plymouth Sound on Saturday morning.
By order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a
number of Capt. Rodger's indented small-palmed anchors
and kedges, manufactured by the North Field Iron and
Steel Works Company, at Rotherham, in Yorkshire, and
tested for service on Saturday by means of the hydraulic
machinery in Woolwich dockyard. The proceedings were
under the superintendence and agency of Commodore Dun-
lop, C.B. ;Xi.. Turner, master shipwright; Capt. Lyeaght'
commanding the flagship ; Capt. Luke, naval steam reserve;
Mr Wilcox, master smith, and the officials of the yard
generally, The anchors varied in weight and denomi-
nation, from those capable of holding a ship of 600 tons
to the simple pickaxe kedge weighing scwt. 201 b,, used
for boat service. The testing commenced at 10 a.m., and
was continued throughout the day. The first applica-
tion of the proof was with an anchor weighing 21cwt.

261 b, and the machinery was worked up to a ten-
sile strain of 21 13-16 tons, which produced a
deflection of 3-16ths of an inch; On removing the
strain the anchor recovered its original form, without in-
jury. This constituted the complete test required by the
Admiralty regulations. Capt. Roger, R.N., who was pre-
sent, accompanied by some officers of experience, being de-
sirous of demonstrating its powers of resistance to an
extraordinary degree, suggested that the strain should be
increased. It was then tried at a strain of 34 tons, and gave
a 5-1 C chilc,tio., at 3G §, and at 37i,43•16. This was
exceedingly satisfactory, and elicited marks of commenda-
tion from the commodore and officers presenr. On loosering
the strain, after each test, a measurement of the anchor was
made, by which it was proved that the form was totally un-
changed, It was then turned over, and the other arm was
sut.jacted to a precisely similar test with equal success. The
other anchors underwent the ordinary proof, which was
considered ample and satisfactory. These anchors are re-
cently made upon an improved principle as regards the
crown, the arms, and the palms. The additional strength is
obtained partly by making the arms shorter than is usual
in proportion to the length of the shank, and partly by their
section form. The increased holding power given by the
peculiar form of the arm is evinced when the anchor is
dragged, as it then forces the ground out laterally without
disturbing it in front in the slightest degree. The stream
and kedge anchors are on the same principle as the bower
anchors, but as they do not require equal strength, they are
considerably longer, and for the convenience of carrying
them out in boats they are made without palms, and are
designated " pickaxe anchors."
His Swedish Majesty's screw corvette Gefle, 8 guns, 300
horse power, Capt. Adelborg, arrived at Spithead yester-
day from New York. Soon after the ship's arrival Capt.
Adelborg landed, and was officially introduced to the
military and naval authorities of the port and garrison
by the Chevalier L. A. Van Der Bergh, the Swedish Con-
sul at Portsmouth. the Gefle has received some damage to
her rudder-head, to repair which she will go into Ports-
mouth harbour. She sailed from New York on the 7th of
April, and on the 28th, in the chops of the. Channel, spoke
the St. John's, of Liverpool, bound for St. John's.