The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-01 00:00:00

REMARKS.

An increase in atmospherical pressure of more than a quarter of an
inch has taken place on our N. and E. coasts during the last twenty-
four hours, and uniformly high readings are now reported on all
coasts. In the W. scarcely any difference in pressure has occurred
since last evening. In the N. and W. temperature is a little higher.
The winds yesterday were moderate and variable, and continue so,
except at Plymouth and Weymouth, where a fresh easterly breeze is
reported. The weather is generally fine. On the south coast of
England there is a mist.

The construction of a Prussian navy--a favourite idea
with Count Bismarck— is going on with great rapidity.
The first vote of the Federal Parliament on the Budget
was an assertion of the rights of the deputies to control
the expenditure, and resulted in some delay. But when
the Premier refused to go on with the navy unless he was
allowed his own way with the money, the Parliament soon
repented, reversed their former vote, and the work now
progresses rapidly. Jande is to become a great naval
station for vessels of the largest size, with docks, building
department, and powerful defences. Dantzig is already
established as a royal shipbuilding yard, and orders have
been given for the construction of four iron-cased vessels.
Experiments have been made with heavy guns on the
thickest iron plates intended for the protection of the coast
batteries. Expense, a great consideration in Prussia,
seems disregarded in matters relating to the navy.
The state of affairs at Trieste is still far from
satisfactory. Daily encounters take place, and the
Italian party, we are informed, adopt extraordinary
means of tormenting the rural population. Work is re-
fused to the poor Slave population of the district, the
masters who belong to the Italian party hoping by this
action to bring Italian labourers into the field. As the
workmen who come to Trieste are regularly turned away
from the lab. ur upon whiei they have hitherto depended,
it would appear that the Italian party must ultimately
succeed in driving the Slaves from the neighbour-
hood. It is a strange story. The Austrian Government
is, of course, interested in foiling the Italian party,
and hare sent a military governor to assume the direction
of affairs. But what can he do to put an end to this or-
ganisation if, as it appears, the Slaves are the poor, and
the Italians the wealthy of the district ?
The chief news from the Peninsula relates to the move-
ments of royal personages. The Duke and Duchess of
Montpensier are on intimate terms with the King and
Queen of Portugal, and numerous visits are exchanged
between the two families. This is somewhat significant
news, when it is considered that the Cabinets of Paris and
Madrid strongly opposed the granting of permission to the
Duke and Duchess to remain in any part of Portugal.
The Queen of Spain is reported to be very unwell. Her
health is the subject of great uneasiness to the Ministry,
as, indeed, well it may. Her Majesty resides at Santa-
fldefonso, in the strictes'. retirement.
Au influential citizen of Madrid, Don Francisco Garcia
Lopez, who was formerly a deputy, has been arrested.
The cause of this proceeding has not been definitely
rtained.

The regency which has been appointed in Sonia, has
"raised the siege" in all parts of the country except.
t Belgrade. The fear of an insurrection, or of further
atrocities in the way of assassination, had led to the esta.
blishment of strong guards in all the suspected places.
These have now been deemed unnecessary, Belgrade alone
excepted. This tends to the belief that Belgrade is not
favourable to the Government which has signalised its
accession to power by fourteen executions. A Government
which does not meet with support in its own capital
cannot be expected to possess much stability.
It is aunc. uace 1 that the Orchestral Union, which
achieved so much popularity ui der the direction of the late
Mr. Alfred Mellon, I:as been revivel under the direction of
•
Mr, F, liingekurn

=TENS.

RUSSIA.

•
A letter from St. Petersburg, in the Salut Public of
:.,yons, says : " What can I speak of except the infliction
vhich has for some time past desolated Russia. I mean
he conflagrations that occur. Recently the Paris Monde
)rinted a letter of an alarming character, and which, one
Gould have supposed to have been borrowed from the nar-
.atives of early travellers in the New World, and in which
vas reported an account of prairie fires in Russia covering
m extent of several leagues. The communication stated
hat from the frontiers of Prussia, and stretching as far
as St. Petersburg, over an extent of 800 kilometres
;each five-eights of a mile), the forests and plantations
were burning for several days. At this narrative every
)ne here smiled, and the German journals treated the story
as absurd; but, unfortunately, there is in it only some
!xaggeration. The Riga Journal of the 20th says : ' Fires
oxe increasing in the forests with an alarming rapidity.
they probably arise from the long-continued drought.
News received from the interior of the country announces
that the woods are on fire in various parts of Esthonia and
Livonia ; as, for example, in the neighbourhood of Fellin,
;.n the grounds appertaining to the Chateau of Rodenpoiss,
and other localities. Near Riga many forests are all
ablaze, and the sky is darkened with the smoke. On the
evening of the 19th, extensive reflections of fire were per-
ceived on the horizon from the upper part of the right
bank of the Duna."