The French now have several officers who are experienced practical men, in whom the navy has great confidence, as, Admirals Duperre, Hugon, Rosamel, Lalande, Beaudin, Roussin, Bergeret, Mackau, Casey, etc., all of whose names have been before the public in different affairs in which they have created their present reputation.  During the present reign, every means has been adopted to infuse within the minds of the French an interest for naval affairs, hence apartments have been fitted up in the Louvre, as before stated, with models, and representations of all connected with a ship, whilst the best artists have been employed to paint different naval actions, which have reflected honour on the French flag, and really I had no idea that they could have cited so many instances, in regard to encounters with our shipping, but on reference to James’s Naval History, they will be found mainly correct, giving some latitude for a little exaggeration in their own favour, a habit to which I believe every nation is more or less prone.  The government have certainly succeeded beyond their wishes, in engendering an extreme anxiety in the people with regard to the navy, which has just been elicited, in the singular anomaly of the opposition voting on the motion of M. Lacrosse a greater sum by three millions of francs for the navy than the minister demanded.  With an eye also to the marine, Louis-Philippe has made some sacrifices to the promotion and extension of foreign commerce, and not without a considerable degree of success.

There is not at present any branch of art, science, or industry, that the French are not making great exertions to encourage, for that object many societies and companies are formed, of which I will state a few of the most important.  There are four societies styled Athenaeum, the Royal, which is at the Palais-Royal, No. 2, devoted to literature, and three others at the Hotel de Ville for music, for medicine, and for the arts.  The Geographical Society, Rue de l’Universite, 23.  Royal Antiquarian Society, Rue des Petits-Augustins, No. 16.  Asiatic Society, and for elementary Instruction, Agriculture, Moral Christianity, No. 12, Rue Taranne.  Society for universal French Statistics, Place Vendome, 24.  The Protestant Bible Society of Paris, Rue Montorgueil.  Geological Society, Rue du Vieux-Colombier, No. 26.  Philotechnic Society, No. 16, Rue des Petits-Augustins.  Philomatic Society, Entomological, and for natural History, No. 6, Rue d’Anjou, Faubourg St. Germain.  Society for intellectual Emancipation, No. 11, Rue St. Georges, as also a variety of other medical, surgical, phrenological, etc., etc., a number of schools besides those I have already alluded to, veterinary, for mosaic work, technography, and other purposes.