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FRANCE.—We may probably be accused ofpos- sessing a temperament somewhat too sanguine, by the fact of our last week having indulged in the thought, as well as the hope, "that at present we shall have no war:" but, although we confess that in some degree, perhaps, the wish was fa- ther to the thought, we contend that the symp- toms of calm reflection evinced by the French Journals of the preceding week, with scarcely an exception, justified in some measure our anticipations. We are sorry that a prolonga- tion of peace is not to be so surely calculated on, either as we could wish, or, indeed as might have been done, last week. It is true that the Press of France has been remarkable for its moderate tone; but moderation appears, still, to be lost on the numbers in France: war, and war only, appears to them in the main, the grand panacea for all the evils, politic or domestic, which they at any time suffer, or with which they, from time to time, fancy themselves afflicted. The indulgence in this vitiating sen- timent by the French people, has been ably de- scribed by a London Contemporay ( The Stn) in these words "It is to them what the bottle is to the drunkard-a source of wild, exhilara- ting excitement, to which they would have re- course on every occasion of discontent." To a people, the majority of whom entertain this sad propensity, it would be worse than useless, because it would be waste of time, to preach the simple truth-the non-existence of a reason- able ground of quarrel with England-and we have only left to us, the perseverance in all due preparation for the commencement ofhostilities, in which we may, for aught we know, be pre- cipitated at a few hours notice. We hope this may not be the case: but we think our Govern- ment would be culpable, were they at all to relax in their defensive preparations. The King of the French having made what is term- ed a display of His Majesty's approbation of the Eastern policy of his Government, it appears to us that we are just in the hands of M. Thiers; and if he take it into his head that the" nation- al dignity is offended" he will not be at a loss to pick a quarrel, on any the slightest occasion, or rather, perhaps, without an occasion. This gentleman, must be taught however, that with all his ardent desire for a pretext to raise the maritime power of France, the hint will not be lost on our Country, whose Navytho' at present, in point of numbers, and in weight of metal, it may be somewhat inferior to the naval force of France, is in a very satisfactory way of being speedily augmented. Our wooden walls, the bulwark of old England, were mentioned by us last week in a capitular statement copied from the Globe; a paper which we th ought we might, at all events, suppose would not underrate our maritime strength in fact the Globe was, after the publication of its comparative statement of the English and French ships of the line &c. accused of overrating the British force. A wri- ter, however, in the Globe has since stated, that that paper did under-rate the British ships of the line in ordinary; and as the question is one of great moment, at all times, but at this in- stant one of vital importance, we offer no apolo- gy to our Readers for transcribing this writer's statement, which he has thought it necessary to put forth in corroboration of his remarks.

SHIPS IN ORDINARY.

SHIPS BUILDING.

THE TREATY OF LONDON.

INSURRECTIONARY MOVEMEFTS…