The New York herald., 1846-05-11
Foreign corrsspsndsncs OF the Herald.
PARIS. April Is. 1886

Foreign corrsspsndsnes OF the Herald.
PARIS, April l6, 1876.
The attention Of the chief maritime powers OF
Europe, and, foremost, England and France, be-
gins to be directed to the extension and improve
ment of tho steam marine. Within a very few
years, the views of statesmen in respect TO this
new instrument Of war, were, for the most part,
omitted to the establishment Of post-ofce steam
service, which, on an emergency, might be con-
verted into the means Of national defence. On
this principle the line Of Mediterranean and Le-
want steamers was established by the French go
vernment, and the West India steamers were
supported by the English government. Besides
this, the latter country has always looked to her
extensive mercantile steam navy as being availa-
BILE in any unexpected and sudden breach of the
general peace Public opinion has, however.
progressed on this subject now, fur to be sats-
fed with such imperfect expedients; and while
England has been silently multiplying her steam
navy, and augmenting in high ratio the power
and cff1clcncy OF the larger class of her steam-
ships, France has been awakened from her le-
thargy, and IS now about even to outstrip the
measures OF her rival and ally. The commission
Of the Chamber, which has been selected to con-
slider the condition of the steam marine, have
even gone beyond the demands of the administra-
ton, and has authorised the construction OF a
than the government contemplated. Besides the
construction of fleet of regular steam frigates of
the first class the commission has more especially
authorised the adoption Of auxiliary steam power
on an extensive scale. This promises to become
an important feature in the steam navy and has
been suggested (as so many other improvements
IN steam navigation have bcen( by the results of
afforded the hint for great improvement in the
national steam marine of Europe, and it seems
not improbable that at no very distant period,
every vessel Of war will be supplied with an oc-
expected from this is, that it will confer upon the
present ships of war a locomotive faculty by
which they can move at will upon the water, and
the ships OF squadron can take up any desired
position in an engagement with more facility
certainty, and expedition than could the divisions
OF an army on field of battle. Such a power
would change the whole system of naval tactics.
The Committee Of the Chamber, actuated by
such considerations, have voted an amount Of two
thousand horse power to be thus appropriated, as
auxiliary means of propulsion for sailing vessels
and, in order that the same system should be ex-
tended to frgatcs, has voted four thousand horse
power, to be applied to several of this class of
sailing ships now ahoat. For coast defence, two
floating batteries are ordered, of eight hundred
horse power. Such measures, prosecuted as they
rope, may afford profitable lesson to your states
men of Washington, and lead them to think of
the defenceless state OF their principal Atlantic
ports.
strange parliamentary manGuvres of the British
cabinet. Just as the great free trade measure
was about to attain its contamination in the Com
mons, the Irish coercion bill was wedged in before
It, effectualy stopping its drogress. In the middle
Of the debate on the first reading of the latter,
Parliament adjourned for the Easter recess. When
i re-assembles, the opposition will muster in fresh
force, and further delay will be produced. Mean
while, the peers are concocting in their private
cotcries an inveterate opposition in the House, Of
mischief 1t is possible, but scarcely credible,
that this infatuated party may 50 mutatc the mea-
sure in committee, that it will be ultimately aban
final fate is doubtful. II the lords perseyere in
ther mischief, dissolution will ensue--a convul-
sion throughout the country, as violent, and more
50, than on the occasion of the reform bill and,
if necessary, creation of peers, which will
swamp the lords. Depend on it, the public WW
have the measure.
The railway system in Europe is making rapid
progress. We have now in operation line to
Rouen, where it will fork, one branch going to
Havre, the other to Dieppe. The two railway
companies who work the lines between London
and Brighton, and London and Southampton, are
about to establish frst-rate steamers, to daily
between Havre and southampton, and Dieppe
and Brighton--so that, by each ofthese two routes
the public can run from London to Paris in less
than twenty-four hours The line from Paris to
Brussels will be opened as far as Amiens, on the
I'd of May. From Amicns, branch is now in
forward state, leading to Boulogne and Calais.
Thus, two other routes from London to Paris will
Oe opened; one Dy OStend, Brussels ana Amlens-
the other by Calais, or Boulogne, and Amiens
BY means Of express trains, such as are now at
work on the English railways, it will be possible
to make the journey between Paris and London
in ten hours. Thus, leaving London, say at
O'Clock, we may reach Dover before 10, Calais
before IL, and Paris before 6 O'Clock, p. M.
Thus, we may breakfast in London and dine in
Paris! This is surely the nc plus xltra Of travel
ling.
The line from Paris to Tours is now in opera
ton. The lines to Lyons and Marseles are in
rapid progress. When these have been complet-
ed, the journey from Paris to Marseillcs, which
hitherto has taken six days to perform by dill
gence, may be completed in six hours by express
trains, so that the journey from London to Mar
settles will be reduced to about sixteen hours
/ have assumed here that there express trains
can move at fifty miles an hour, which is their
most ordinary rate of going on the English rail-
ways. But they actually do 90, when in full speed,
on the great Western Railway, at seventy miles
an hour
subjoin the times of arrival and departure of
one of these express trains running from London
to Exeter, distance Of 1874 miles, which will
give your readers a more satisfactory notion Of
what is done in the regular daily working of Eng
lish railways
Distsnce. Departure Tine
Miles from. HIM.
49, London -. 9 IS A. M....
So. .Didcot 10 so 80.
III n. .Swindon. IL % Stop 10 m
l07. Bath IL . 80.
ll6. Bristol IL % Stop m.
1874. -. Exeter ...... Is -.