The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-20 00:00:00

FR A.NCE.

The 7te
-,Lonitettr de la Flotte announces that the
,Itister of Marine had decided that two naval en-
rueers should proceed to England to visit the
trabli,thments of the ports of Great Britain and
ate3am-engine manufactories, in order to study
t" different methods adopted in them, and to in-
l.e.duce into France the most recent improvements
itecanplished inEngland. The Minister has chosen
'r that purpose two engineers who have already
for
important works, M. Moll, Under Three-
AT' of the Imperial establishment of Indret, and
• Maugin, an engineer attached to the port of
Cherbourg.
A battery of artillery and a company of engi-
neers
quartered at Vincennes received the route on
I•3aturday night to march for Boulogne on Sunday
1:4
o?rrling. In the hurry of packing up traps to
ci"°Y this sudden order a superior officer was asked,
Where are we going to afterwards," and he
gilswered, g 4 I know ; we are going to Sweden."
The weather was fine on Saturday, and the day
1,
t71(1 up without rain until 7 o'clock, when a heavy
shover fell. Hopes were entertained that it was
'(;uolit to change. Sunday morning, however,
\Tel:Led in the same manner as so many of the pre-
°us Ones, and the rain, not very heavy, but inees-

sant, did not cease to fall till about 5 o'clock. At
that hour the sky cleared a little, and about 6 the
sun showed himself for a short time. The sky,
however, became again lowering. Prayers were
offered up on Sunday in the churches for fine
weather. The recent letters from several of the
departments, and particularly from the south, do
not justify the alarm that was felt about the crops,
nor does the rain which has been deluging Paris
seem to be general. Letters' from the Pyrenees speak
of the "magnificent weather" enjoyed there, and
accounts from other places speak of the fine appear-
ance of the crops. While the rain was pouring
down on Saturday evening in Paris not a drop fell
in places at a short distance from it. On the whole
it is hoped that no serious mischief has yet occurred.
The sooner the moisture passes off, however, the
better. It is gratifying to learn that there has
since been a sudden change. Yesterday Paris
enjoyed superb summer weather, which will prove
of immense benefit to the crops.
It is curious that while officially the Austrian
and Prussian alliance is a fait accompli, such re-
marks as the following in the Siecle of Sunday
should be permitted to be published in the present
state of the French press : _ _

" We have no desire to excite uneasiness with respect
to the policy of Austria and Prussia, but there are cer-
tain known notorious facts which it can serve no good
purpose to suppress :—lst, that beyond the expression
of their disapprobation of Russian policy on the score of
right, the great German powers have done no act to
commit themselves materially to the war in which France
and England are engaged ; 2d, that between Austria.
and Prussia, and several secondary states of the Ger-
manic Confederation, there does nut exist any cordial
and unreserved understanding ; and 3d, that the influ-
ence of M. de Metter nick is again, though not avowedly
so, all powerful at Vienna."
At the Paris Bourse, yesterday, the extreme
fineness of the weather, the sun being hot, with a
good drying breeze, joined to the report that the
siege of Silistria was raised, led to much higher
prices. The Four-and-a-Half per Cents. are lf.
50c. higher, and the Three per Cents. 45c. higher,
at 98f. and 73f. 35c. Bank of France Shares are
20f. higher, and those of the Societe Mobiliete 25f.
higher. Foreign Securities in general present an
improvement. Railway Shares have risen from
10f. to 15f. each. Exchange on London (short),
25f., money ; ditto (90 days), 24E 70c., money.