The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-05 00:00:00

btIINIA.N PAPERS.

WARSAW, FEB. 17.—Warsaw daily assumes a more warlike
appearance ; the streets present a most animated scene ; many
thousand recruits daily arrive from the waiwodeships occupied
by the enemy; and we are here clothed, and armed and exercised,
Numerous families of this city and the country move with all
their effects to the left banks Of the Vistula; The inHabitants
are enjoined to ffirnish theMselVes with prtivisions; which are;
therefore already difficult to be Prdcured; though the Gdverp:
ment has afforded Many fiCilities by taking off the duties. The
magazines threatened by the Russians are moving with all dili-
gence to Warsaw, and the Municipal Council purchases every thing
it can obtain. The streets are barricaded with dry alder wood,
to form a second entrenchment
.behind the walls, which are
defended by cannon. Loopholes are made in the houses, nume-
rous hospitals are prepared, and the whole rriale ppptilation able
to bear arms are registered. Sonic of our Journals already intis
mate that a See'enn Saragossa, Carthage, or Saguntunt, will be
seen on the Vistula; and the Government, in a proclamation of
the 15th, calls on the citizens to prepare for the combat. The
latest accounts from the army, which are to the 15th, intimate
that since February 12 the Russians have acted on the offensive,
and the Poles will perhaps fight a battle, in the neighbourhood ofWarsaw, as the head-quarters were yesterday removed from Ja-
blonna to Grachow, half a mile (two and a half English miles) from
Warsaw; accdrding td these accounts the Russian vangitard, after
some inconsiderableskirrnishing of t he advanced posts, had occupied
a line which extends from Ostrtolutta down the Narew to Wyszkow
on the Bug, then froth ladoW Up the Liewiee, LukoW, Zelechow,
Macieiowi, upon the left bank of the Vistula, as far as Radowi, the
capital of the waiwodeship, and as far as the Piliza, all the
bridges over which are, however, broken down. This occupa-
tion, almost without opposition, of half the kingdom, where the
waiwodeships are, already called bOvernments, and the Rus-
sian artias every where fixed tip and the approach of the Russians,
have induced the Diet to adept energetic measures, and to
introduce the revolutionary tribunals in Warsaw and the pro-
vinces, as long since proposed by the patriotic clubs at Warsaw,
in order to ascertain the revolutidnary spirit, No decision has
yet been made on this head, and the Diet is at present engaged in
legislating on the administration of justice, on which our journals
make bitter remarks. They say, that to encourage the soldiers,
to pass a law for military honour and rewards would be much
more to the purpose, now that the sound of the cannon has been
for some days heard at Warsaw.
The accounts which were Made public yesterday leave,
however; some hdpe; that the ice tin the Vistula has already
begun to break up at Cracow ; and two divisions of the Russians,
infantry and cavalry, which are on the left bank of the Vistula,
will thus be probably cut off from the main army, and as a nume-
rous corps, under General Scerewski, is advancing against them,
will be perhaps defeated. 'The day before yesterday General
Dwernicki attacked near Stoczek ten (fifty) miles from 'War-
saw and Lukow, General Geismar, or as some others say, Duke
Adam of Wurtethburg, took from him six cannon, rendered the
remainder unserviceable, killed 500 men, and took 251 prisoners.
A Colonel Novoslitzoff was among the killed, and General
Dwernicki is in pursuit of General Geismar, whose only chance of
safety was a speedy flight. On the other hand a l'olish picquet of
45 men is said to have been taken, with their horses. At length
the it usion that prevailed here has vanished, since it is posi-
tively known that We have no foreign aid to expect, but at the
most a mediation for the restoration of the statu quo ante bed.
lam. But this afflicting state of things, instead of depressing the
courage of the people, serves only to inflame it; without arms in
the arsenal, without establishments to manufacture them, with-
out any stock of ammunition, penned in on all sides, with ex-
tremely scanty resources of procuring means, as the bank has
deposited all its Hinds in foreign countries, and is wholly unable
to realise the sums advanced here, under the burden of enor-
mous taxes, the Polish nation exerts its utmost strength, to be
either for ever annihilated at one blow, or to be raised to new

life, and to demand an account for the past, but in every case to
disturb the balance of Europe, and perhaps produce consequences
like those of another Mamertine war. For if the Poles are victo.
rious, the vassal peasantry in all Russian-Poland will revolt, and the
landowners inclined to Russia will be punished for the lukewarm.
ness which they shewed in 1812 to the assistance of Napoleon.
A new army will be formed here by vigorous measures, armed
with the arms made in the new established manufactory at War.
saw. The spirit of insurrection will be propagated beyond the
Dura and the Dnieper, and in this manner an attempt will be made
to reunite the disjointed members of Poland. Such at least are
the reverses of our revolutionists, who rely on the assertion that
all the Poles are united, that the present kingdom contains,
according to official accounts, '230,000 conscripts, from the ages
of 20 to 33, without reckoning those who are amicably dis-
charged, and from whom the third and fourth battalions and
squadrons might now be so easily formed. Poland is now to
stand an insuperable barrier against the power of the north, an
eternal ally of the great nation which will be able to develope
with, success its spirit of conquest. But if the Poles are over-
come, what a dreadful prospect lies before them ! The
country is exhausted, and almost reduced to famine by
the failure of the harvest, and by the total stoppage of
importation the richest families, nay, every individual will be
ruined and endangered. Russian Governors and officers will in-
troduce into the country the Russian mode of Administration,
military or prevotal tribunals, will carry off the the few energetic
men yet remaining. In the place of the villages and towns deso.
lated by friends and enemies, military colonies will arise on the
fertile plains of Poland, and, on the other hand, the uninhabited
Steppes of Nogay Tartary be cultivated by Poles, &c. All these
considerations, however, will not make the Poles deviate from
the course on which they have entered, especially as great stress
is laid on certain changes expected at Paris, which are considered
as certain, on the credit of communications said to have been re-
ceived from that city. But this illusion is likewise dispelled, and
the people are prepared for a mortal conflict.
I'.S. The bakers' shops are empty, neither meat nor bread
are to be had. The sound of cannon is continually heard from
the side of Praga, and the barricades in the streets are made
more and more formidable.
VIENNA, DEC. 21.—Four per Cents, 73; Bank Shares, 963.

- -
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM•

COMMON CO UIKCIL.

Yesterday, pursuant to a requisition, a Court was held for
the purpose of agreeing to a petition to Parliament, expressive
of the approbation of the Common Council of London of the plan
of Reform brought forward by Government, and praying that the
same might pass into a law. The Court was not so fully attended as
was expected, owing to a mistake, as the hour of meeting being
fixed for one o'clock, whereas it was publicly stated that the
Lord Mayor would take the chair at twelve o'clock.
The LORD MAYOR took the chair soon after twelve o'clock,
and explained the mistake.
Some general business was disposed of.
A discussion arose on the abuses in Christ's Hospital, on the
nomination of the Governor to that charity.
Mr. TAYLOR said many abuses had occurred in the adminis-
tration of that charity.
The nomination of Mr. Lamb to the office of governor was
negatived.
REFORM IN PARLIAMENT.

The requisition having been read,
Mr. SLADE rose and said, as he was the oldest reformer in
the Court, he had been allowed the honour of introducing this
subject. The motion, he considered, ought to be supported by
the energy of youth. , It was upwards of 25 years ago that he
had brought forward a motion for petitioning for Reform; with
respect to the question of Reform brought forward by Ministers,
he might say that it had met with the almost universal sanction
of the country. The Ministry had thrown themselves upon the
people, and he felt confident they would stand by the Govern.
ment. It was his firm opinion that if Reform was carried,
it would be the harbinger of peace, happiness, and prosperity.
After some other observations, he concluded by proposing, that
an Address should be agreed to expressive of the satisfaction of
the Court at the proposed Reform. He concluded by moving a
resolution to the effect, that this Court having long considered
a Reform in the Commons House of Parliament necessary, hail
looked with anxiety to the measures to be introduced, and that
this Court think it their duty to express their great satisfaction
at the measure proposed by Ministers.—(Hear, hear.) This he
(Mr. Slade), said, would prepare the way for an Address to the
King upon the subject.
Mr. LEDGER expressed great satisfaction at having liyed to
see the day when a measure for Reform had been proposed by
Government ; and he regretted exceedingly that a late Ho-
nourable Member (Mr. Favell) had not lived to see that
day. The Reform plan was a measure of great expediency
and necessity.—(Hear, hear, hear.) It might be as well to al-
lude to the circumstances which led to the dissolution of
the late Ministry. It was on the 3d of November that
the Duke of Wellington stated that he had no plan of Re-
form, and it was only till the 16th of the same month that the
Noble Duke remained in office. Such was the powerful
force of public opinion. The late Ministry had been succeeded
by a Ministry pledged to Reform. He was happy to live to see
the time when our Monarch had evinced a desire to prevent ex-
penditure, and a Ministry resolved to retrench. He felt confi-
dent that Reform plan would give security to the country,
and Ministers deserved the thanks of the country. After some
further remarks, he concluded by seconding the resolution.
The COMMON SERGEA NT then read the second resolution,
which stated that his Majesty's Ministers having taken office on
the pledge of Reform, this Court now felt called upon to state
that the plan of Reform would tend to advance the interests of
the country.
Mr. Alderman WINCHESTER wished to know how the
Court could come to any decision upon the question, as the Bill
had not yet been brought into the House of Commons. He was
a reformer of abuses, but would suspend his observations and
opinion until he knew the contents of the Bill.
Mr. Alderman WOOD observed, that when the proper time
arrived, he would do his duty in his place in Parliament. He
approved of the plan proposed by Ministers.
Mr. Alderman THOMPSON said, he had felt for some time
that some change in the system of representation was necessary,
and was anxious that the true principles of the Constitution
should be acted up to.—(Hear.)
After some further discussion, the address to his Majesty was
unanimously agreed to.