The Sun.
London, England, 1806-01-01 00:00:00

TO THE PUBLIC.

IT is not in dull Conformity with established
usage, that; 'at the commencement of this New
Year, we address our Readers ; we are actuated by
different it-. much stronger motives—by gratitude for
that almost unprecedented Support and Patronage
which we haiTe for so many
,years experienced, and by
the hope that by firmly maintaining the same prin-
ciples,' and by constantly making the same exertions,
We'sliall continue to possess that large share of Pub-
lic favour whichwe have hitherto enjoyed. With-
out attempting, or wishing in any degree to depre-
elate tl;e efforts of our Competitors, we trust
we' may, without presumption or • the hazard of
contradi6lion, assert, that no personal exertion,
no expence, has hitherto been spared to merit the
..gtipport we have received ; and ,it is as much our
interest as it is our duty that they should be con-
tinued, and, if i:•ossible, increased fbr the future.
The political principles which we originally adopted
from convietion, and which we have uniformly main-
tained without interruption, we will continue to
support, under every vicissitude which, in this event-
ftil period, may occur. A firm attachment to that Con-
stitution, under which this Empire has risen to a state
.„,
of almost unexampled prosperity, and under which its
inhabitants have- enjoyed a degree of happiness un-
known to the‘rqt of mankind, has been, and we trust,
alWays will be,the distinguishing Characaeristic of Tun
Set , and in proportion as we venerate that Constitu-
tion, as we value the blessings we enjoy under it, Ni-e
are irresistibly, impelled to admire and to support that
Man to whom we are convinced we are indebted
(under Providence) for' an exemption from that ,
dreadful ttain of calamities which has visited the
Continent of, Europe, and which at this moment
thieatens the whole civilized world.

The necessary briefness of such an Address as the
present renders it almost impossible to avoid connea-
ing together subje&s of the utmost importance, and
those of a comparatively trifling nature ; we trust,
therefore, that our Readers will excuse us if we in-
trude for a moment upon their time,by offering a few
observations in justification of that almost systematic
silence which We have observed upon those illiberal
attacks that are almost daily made upon us by some
of
_our Contemporaries.—At the commencement of-
the present COntest, when,by the restless ambition of
an Individual, Great Britain was Compelled to try
its strength single-handed against France, we were
fully aware of the momdntous nature of that' con-
test. We knew that it was an arduous one; but we
knew also that it was one in which, if the People of
(this Country a&ed with firmness, unanimity and vi-
gour, they Could not fail. We have, therefore, en-
deavoured, as much as' -possible, to avoid those
cussions, which tend much more frequently to irri-
tate than to convince, which create dissections in-
stead of prOmeting union. Let it not be supposed
that for a moment we wish to deprecate the most
free and open discussion : what we wish to
avoid in ourselves, and if possible to suppress
in others, is, that system of illiberal insinua-
tion and coarse inveaive which can only tend to
exasperate adverse parties against .each other, to
neutralize the resources of the State, and thereby to
faCilitate the mirernitting exertions of our it
Enemy. For ourselves, personally,- we have no
• ,
motive to regret these .att4cks• ; they cannot injure
usL,--but we wish, at this awful moment, not to see
the strength of the Country weakened by the con-
flias-between contending parties, which ought to be
direaed, with undiminished vigour, against the Coms
•
mon Foe.

OUR Letter from Deal states, that orders have
been sent down for all the Transports that can be
colleaed to sail- immediately for the Elbe and Weser,
and that a considerable number have already sailed,
for the purpose of receiving on board the British
Troops now on the Continent, if the intelligence of.
an Armistice between the Belligerent Powers should
unfortunately prove true.—We are still unable to
lay before our Readers anTfurther information upon
thlrtubjeet rye have submitted to their considera-
.
tion all the accounts o es which have reached
us, and the observations which occurred to us upon
them. Four Ham burgh Mails are now due, we are
consequently still without that species of intelligence
which can alone enable us to form an accurate con-
clusion with respeEt to the events which have lately
taken place on the Continent.

If, hoWelier, 'the War on the cntinent is really
at an end, then it behoves us seriously to look at
hopw. Ii BONAFARTE is at-Wally enabled to cajole
or force' the Continental Powers into a disiraceful
rea,cei, there cannot be the least doubt that his

Yibut.4 'forte wtll employed for the purpose of
liking ad..rattempt •to carry into ale& his long-
threuened pri)jeet of Invasion. No sa,crifice of men
will lie eolisider as coo great, if he conpcives he has
the most distant chance of being enabled to land aiy
considerable force upon our shores. At such a moment-
ous crisis, unanimity, firmness, and energy-a:ill-1ring-
a whole nation•in arms, can alone save us. Lef every
man reflea, that the preservation of all he.holds dear
in life -must then depend upon his own "personal
exertions, in conjunaion with those of his fellow-.
countrymen, and let him be ready to take his 'sta-
tion in the hour of danger. We have no doubt if the
dip is really cast upon the Continent, thaf• this
Country will present a specetacle scarcely paralleled
in history, that of a Nation of Freemen in arms, sa-
crificing all party views and petty animosities,
aEtuated alone by the noblest impuls6 of patriotism,
and by a determination one and all to meet the
Enemy bravely in the field, td conquer` or to perish.
We say thus much, because it would be idle to
dissemble that BONAPARTE is bent upon the ruin of
this Country. If he has triumphed on the Conti—
neat, 'pur (awn energies alone can save us. We are
convinced they can save us, and hurl desquetion
upon the Foe.

New-1 ork Papers to the 4th ult. arrived yesterr
day. They contain no news of importance. One
of theni mentions that the notorious Thomas' Paine
had been attacked a second tine by the palsy, and
hactbeCOMe extremely religious !
Yesterday morning His MAJESTY and three of the
pßiNcE§s§, with their attendants, took an airing
in Windsor Great Park. HER MAJESTY and the
Other PRlxcesses took an airing to Frogrnore.
His Royal Highness the DUKE of CAMBRIDGE,
the Dutchess of GORDON,. and a large party of No-
bility, dined yesterday with the Countess of HAR-
RINGTON, at her-house, Stable-yard, St. James's.
A, large and valuable Fleet froni the Baltic; under
convoy of the Charles ArMed Ship, have arrived at
They left Elsinore on the 13th tilt. Several
of those Veskls which at one time were, supposed
-to have been locked up for the winter in the Baltic,
by the frost, are among the number; and some
others which-had sailed from Petersburgh, but not
reached the Sound previous to the 14tfi,- are daily
expeCted. Some of these Vessels haVe -been de-
tained at Elsinore a month by contrary -winds.
On Sunday evening the 22d ult. while the guard
of the mail coach from London had gone into the
post office at Macclesfield, the Stockport bag w s
stolen from the coach, and the thief has hitherto
eluded detection. The bag was found in a field near
the former place on Thursday last, but the letters
had all been taken out:
The late visit of the LORD MAYOR to the Public
Offices • has. been in support of the dignity of the
City, and to remonstrate against his Lordship's si-
tuation in the Funeral. Procession of Lord NELsoN,
to follow the Lord Chief Justice. His Lordship has
contended, from custom, for his right to follow
any. personage of the Blood Royal, the same -as if
'His MAJESTY were in the Procession. It has ever
been customary, when His MAJESTY visits the City
in state,
„for the LORD MAYOR to meet hirn.at Tem-
ple Bar. When he present's His MAJESTY with the
City SWord of State; the KING desires his Lordship
to follow him. His Lordship gained his wished-for
object of honour,on Monday, when the ariangement
was made at the Herald's'Office for him to follow
the Royal Dukes. • • . _ _

Yesterday afternoon, at three o'clock, his Lord-
ship, several Aldermen, the Sheriffs, and the Town
Clerk, met Mr. Wyxra-, the Archileec; at St. Paul's,
to arrange the places for-the accommodation of the
Corporation of the City of London. The applica-
tions for seats are so extremely numerow, that
WYATT gave dire&ions for seats to be made to the
top of the arches, which was not originally intend-
ed; likewise for additional seats in the West Gal,
lery, which will decidedly have the best view, of the
solemn Procession. Seats are likewise to be,ere6ted
in the' Portico, on the' outside, of the Cathedral.
The_workmenl)egan_yesterday to covey the_prepa-.
rations with black cloth.. The Spanish Admiral's
two large Flags •were yesterday exhibited 3, they
are: hung upon ropes, in the front of the tws.)..West.
Arches; under the Dome, and. they c'ompletely,.fill
them up. . . _

College of Arms, January I, ISA.

?YQTICE is kreby.gipen, that the remains of the
late Vice-Admiral Lord' Viscount NELSON will lie
in 'State at 'Greenwich Hospital on Sundaysnext; the
sth instant, and on the two following days, be-
tween the hours of nine in the morning and four in
the afternoon.

The Nobility, Clergy, and Gentry, who propose
to attend, in their carriages, the public Funeral Pro..,
cession of the late Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount
NELSONi from the Admiralty to' St. Paul's Cathe 7
dral, on Thursday the 9th instant, are requested to
send thetr titles, names, and address, to the Col-:
lege of ArMs, St. Bennet's-hill, St. Paul's,' at of
before four o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday,
next, the 4th instant, or on any preceding day until
that hour, in order that they may be ranked in the'
peocession according to their several degrees, digniL
ties, and qualities. The driss to be mourning,
without weepers, and with mourning-swords ;
Knights of the several Orders to wear their Collars ;'
And the Clergy to be in the habits of their respeahe
degrees. .

Such Officers of the Navy as have no partiCular
duties assigned to them in the.soleinnity, and wish
to attend on the occasion out of respett to the de-
ceased,, are requested to send 'their names and a&
dress to the College of Arms, at or before font-
o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday nest, the 4th
instant, or on any preceding day until that hour, in
order that a sufficient number. of carriage; may be
provided for their acc.s.mmodation. They are re-
quested afsp to appear, on the day of the Funeral, in
their full uniform.

, .
It is recommended, that Servants attending the
carriages of the,Nobiliiy, Clergy, aid (3entrv;in
Procession, will be pat into mourning.

NA VA Z' NE W.

From the LONDON GAZETTE, Dec. 31, iSos

Admiralty-Office, Dec. 31, 1865.

Copy of a Letter from Lieutenant Philips Casty
Handfield, of His Majesty's Ship the Egyptienne,
Marsden, Esq. dated in Caztt4and -Bay,— -
the 23tIc inst.
SIR,

- I have the honour to enclose, for the informnticn
of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty; a Copy
of my-Letter. to Admiral Cbrnwallis; respedincr the
capture of the French Frigate La Libre, by His Ma-
jesty's Ships Loire, Capt. F. L. Maitland, and Egyp-
tienne, at present under my command, on the 24th
inst. off ROchefott. have the honour to be, &C.
,
P. C. HANPF.I.ELD,
His i4a jesty's Ship Egy ptienhe, off Ushant,
Dee. 2g, fgo.c.

SIR,
I have the honour to acquaint you with the cap-
ture of the French Frigate La Libre, on the'after-
noon of the 24th instant, off Rochefort, by'His
'Majuoly's Ships La Loire, Capt. F. L. Maitland, and
Egyptienne, at present under my command, both
coining up at the same time, and joining in the at-
tack. ' La Libre, commanded by Mons. Descorches,
Capitaine de Fregate, mounts twenty-four eighteen-
pounder guns on the main deck, six thirty-six
pounder carronades,- and ten nine-pounder guns on
the quarter-deck and fbreeastie,'wnli a complement
of two hundred and eighty men. She submitted,
after an obstinate defence 'of half an hour, having
twenty men killed and' wounded, and received so ;
much damage, that all her masts went overboard
soon after we took posSession. She sailed from Flusll
ing on. the 14th of November, in company with a
French Frigate of 48 gnus, from whom she parted
in a gale of wind on the 9th inst. off the coast ,
Scotland. I have Much pleasure in communicating
to you the good conch* of the Officers and Men of
the Egyptienne in this affair, and have only tp re-
gret that the inferior force of the Enemy did not give
roOrn for the full extent of their services. Enclosed
is a list of the wounded, and I am sorry to 'add that
one is since dead.—Captain Maitland, of La Loire,
has taken charge of the prize, from whom I parted
on the 20th, when he had her in tow.
I have the honour to be, &c.
P. C. HANDFIELD,
The Hon. William Cornwallis, Admiral' Of the Red,
and Commander in Chief. • •
A List of the Kill#4 and Wounded on board His Majesty's
Ship the Egyptienne, in the Aaiun 'with La Libre French
Frigate, Dec. 24,
None killed. •
Woundedi--Mr. Tho. Robinson, Boatswain, slightly. Wm,
Thine, Seaman, dangerously (since dead). 'John Wit-
Hams, badly. lohn Davies, ditto, slightly. .Tho.
Lucas, ditto, slightly. John StruttOn, Quarter-Master, "
slightly. lames NPG,Iir, Royal Maiine, badly. 'lames •
Evans, ditto, slightly. '
(Signed) P. C. HAND FIELD,„ Lieut.

PLYMOUTH, DEC. 30.--,ArrivedL'Esyptienne Fri-
gate, of 40 guns, Capt. FLEMING, from a Cruize in
the Bay, where she captured on the 24th instant,
after a short a&ion, the French, Frigate La Lil:re,
of 40 guns. La Libre is one of the two Frigates
which'escaped some time snce from Flushing, des-
tined for Rochefort : her Coasort has for the present
escaped the vigilance of the tritish Cruizers but if
she has not yet reached one of the Enemy's Ports,
it is more than probable we may soon have the plea-
.sure of announcing her arrival here. La Libre 4
gone for Cork in company with La Loire Frigate.
Arrived the Cesar, of 80 guns, Rear-Admiral Sir
R. STRACHAN, from Falmouth, u? which place the
Plover Sloop of War was sent with Dispatches from,
hence on Thursday last to recall her. The Plover
returned with the Cauar.

Arrived the Ttrril•le, of 74 guns, from Ports.

mouth.

TORBAY, DEC. 30.—.--Put into Torbay yesterday
evening after Post, part of the Channel Fleet from.
Falmouth, under the command of the Hon. Admira'
CORNWALLIS, viz. the Vile de Paris, Prince
George, Princess Royal, Glory, and the Warrior.

YARMOUTH, Dr C. 31 . The Fleet under the
command of Vice-Admiral RUSSELL are preparing
to get under way, and will sail this afternoon.-

FALMOUTH, DEC. ;29.—Arrfved the Lady 'Ara.
bella Packet, Capt. PORTEUS, with a Mail from
New-York and Halifax, in .2e days passage from the
latter place; the Betsey, COLLI NS, from Poole ; the
American Ship Arany? , Capt. JENNING§, from Vir-
ginia ; and the Brig Lucy, of Bedford, Wm, PICK-
HAM, from Baltimore, bound to Nantes, laden. with
coffee and sugar, detained by the .Frisk Cutter, ,
Lieut. NEWTON.

'The Egyptienne Frigate passed the Harbour thii
day for Plymouth, and has captured :a French Fri-
gate.

DEAL, -DEC.. 31.---A• large Ficet of! Transports,
under "convoy of "the; yidatitant, Diiigence,
an
Pinchert sailed for the Continent, and, it is supgosett
for the 'purpose of fetching home the English- •

Troops.
.The rran-iports which have Troops on board are'.
ordered to Ramsgate, to disembark them, and• be
in readiness for sailing.
Sailed the IlMarincr fw the Nore.
Arrived the Vesuvius with Convoy from Spithead.

Sir J.- S. YORKE succeeds Sir R. BARLOW iu the
command of the Barfieur.
Gen. BOWYER WaS to have gone- to Barbadoes in -
the Illustrious, one of the Ships of Sir J. B. WARAEres
squadronl but orders were on Friday received at
Portsmouth for re-landing- the General's baggage, and
he is to take his passage in the. Diaator.

STATEMENT OF THE DISTRIBUTIO
.TISII NAVAL FORCE TO TII

In Port and fitting
Guard-Ships • -
In the English and Irish
13 • o
Channels - -
On the Downs and North 2
Sta Stations, - S
At the West India Islands ?
and on the Passage S o
On the Jamaiaa. Station 2 0
Atherican & Newfound- 2
land Stations i 1
east Indies,: and on the 2
Passaic . - - S 9 • 3
Coast of Africa o o
Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar 17
Mediterranean and on Passage o
Hospital and Prison Ships i 8 o
Secret Expedition - o 0
With sealed Orders -

Line I so's
) 4
451,

n I 6

Total in Commission 127
Reeeiving Ships - . 7
Serviceable and repairing
it
for Service - -
In ordinary - - - 25
Building - - - 31

Total 20 t