The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-06 00:00:00

morning we learn that the first official ac-
count of the proceedings before Antwerp did not
arrive there before Monday evening. A copy
of it has reached us, but it has very little interest
now for the English reader. Although strictly
official in its character, it seems to have been in-
tended chiefly for the gratification of the Court,
where it must have proved highly acceptable to
the Royal Family, who see, in the conduct of
the Duke of ORLEANS, one of the surest gua-
rantees for the permanency of the reigning
dynasty. This young Prince has already rendered
himself popular among the National Guard by the
way in which he has mixed with his fello
zeus, and he is now rising rapidly in favour with
the army. He appears to study the great Master
whose military reputation is still so brilliant, and
to aim at renown by winning the affections of
his soldiers. Whether France will gain or lose
eventually by this intimate union between the
Heir Apparent and the army is not for us to de-
cide ; but we do not hesitate to declare, that
with troops such as Louis PHILIP can send
forth, and with their future Sovereign at their
head, the reigning Monarch has nothing to fear
from the Continental Powers. To be inde-
pendent of foreign influence he has only to avail
himself of the support of his army, commanded
by his son ; but, to be quiet and happy, he must
take care that the army does not trample upon
the laws, and with the military renown of the
reign of NAPOLEON, restore the despotism by
which, in the end, that extraordinary being fell.
We subjoin a copy of the report received in
Paris on Monday last to which we have alluded :

ANTWERP, SUNDAY.-The opening of the trenches was
accomplished under the happiest auspices. The works
were begun at 8 o'clock at night, and owing to the dark-
ness of the night, and the dead silence preserved, were
continued till day-break, unnoticed by the garrison,
though within so short a distance of the citadel, that the
voices of the Dutch soldiers were distinctly heard by the
French troops. The Duke d'Orleans commanded in per
son, and passed the whole night on the line of entrench-
ment, exposed to a heavy rain, giving his orders with the
coolness and perspicuity of an old soldier, and cheering on
the men in their enterprise, with the ardour and energy
fitting a youth high in blood and courage. The fire from
the Dutch batteries did not begi❑ till noon, and was very
slack during the whole of that day and the night follow-
ing, so that the preparatory works have been accomplished
with little interruption and inconsiderable loss.

There is a report current in the diplomatic
circles that the Russian Cabinet has remonstrated
with the French Government against the en-
couragement afforded to some distinguished
Polish refugees, who are in active correspondence
with those patriots who have been able to escape
from the fangs of the Russian vulture, without
altogether abandoning their native country. It
seems, that for some time past arrangements have
been making for another attempt to throw off the
Russian yoke, and it is by no means improbable that
the French Government, foreseeing what was to
arise in Belgium, was willing to strengthen itself
in other quarters. We have no means of ascertain-
' inc, whether the report to which we have alluded
is well founded or not; but we know that -if
France be driven into a war, she can only make
it popular by gathering to her cause the friends
of liberty in every country. The same may be
said of our own Government. If, instead of
looking on coldly, whilst the Northern Despot
was carrying forward the work of murder and
spoliation in Poland, our Cabinet had demanded
the freedom of that country, Lord PALMERSTON
would not have found the war with Holland so
unpopular. The people of Great Britain are
not willing to accept his reasons for a Dutch
war, whilst he is able to offer none for having
refused to maintain our national honour by vin-
dicating the rights of Poland.

We perceive, by the French Journals, that
the discussions in the Chamber of Deputies
on the subject of the address were terminated on
Monday evening by a majority in favour of Mi-
nisters of 114. The number against them were
119 ; with them 233. As the question of the
continuance in office, or the resignation, of the
French Cabinet, depended on this discussion,
its triumph must be considered, for the present, as
a decisive one. But the Opposition, too, have had
their victory. On Mr. BIGNON proposing an ener-
getic amendment to the 18th paragraph respecting
Poland, in place of the tame allusion to it that
previously existed in the address, the Minister
for Foreign Affairs deprecated the amendment,
on the plea that as Government was reduced to the
necessity of employing only expostulations, and
exerting an influence purely moral, it ought to
place itself in the most favourable position pos-
sible with regard to the Government of St.
Petersburgh. Despite, however, this objection
on the part of Ministers, the amendment was
carried against them by an overwhelming
majority. The Liberal Journals are much an-
noyed by the result of the discussion, which
they look on as almost the death-blow to a free
Constitution. The funds, as was to be ex-
pected, have risen in consequence. The
KING'S reply to the address contains little or
nothing worthy of notice, with the exception,
perhaps, of one passage, wherein he observes,
" We shall soon see our soldiers, our children,
return with honour to their country, and bring
back from the banks of the Scheldt a new pledge
of the preservation of peace."

The following extracts from the Belgian Papers
add nothing to our previous knowledge of the
state of affairs before Antwerp. It will be seen
that Prussia still preserves the guarded attitude,
but pacific intentions, which prudence and self
interest dictate:—

(From the Memorial Belge.)
BRUSSELS, DEC. 2.—" Information coming from good
authority enables us to give our readers satisfactory assu-
rances respecting the policy of Prussia. Faithful to its
Preceding engagements, it desires the solution of the Bel.
gian question, according to the terms of the treaty of the
15th of November ; it desires it even by the employment
of coercive measures, provided that it can refrain from
taking part in them, and leave them to England and
France. Meantime it is watchful, as prudence prescribes,
to preserve the peace of Europe from being disturbed in
consequence of these movements. The relations lately
established between the Prussian and Belgian Govern.
ments, daily become more intimate. Far from the Prus-
sian Government having shown any coolness to our Envoy
at Betlin, since it has been resolved to employ coercive
measures against Holland, General Merex, with his Se-
cretaries of Legation, was lately invited to a grand ball, at
the residence of Baron Van Kamptz, Minister of Justice,
at which the Members of the Dutch Legation were also
present. All the Princes of the Royal Family, who were

at the ball, behaved pith the most flattering attention to
our Legation.

The person who sends us these particulars adds, that
at Berlin those persons who are ve►sed in political affairs
are generally of opinion that nothing is less probable than
a rupture, at this moment, between Prussia, England, and
France. It would be otherwise if the national indepen-
dence were threatened by foreign invasion. Meantime no
steps have taken for assembling the landwehr.
BRUSSELS, DEC. 3.—The King arrived from Lierre at
half-past twelve. His Majesty had a conference at that
place with Marshal Gerard, who went to the head-
quarters of the Belgian army to meet him.
M. Rodney Mundy, a Captain in the English Royal
Navy, arrived here yesterday, with despatches for the
English Ambassador.

A Belgian Cabinet messenger was sent yesterday with
despatches for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to London.
The fourth battalion of the 3d Belgian Regiment of the
Line arrived here yesterilay from Cilloo, having been re-
lieved by French troops. Two battalions of the Ist
Regiment of the Line left Brussels for the environs of
Louvain.

The reserve division under General Schramm, entered
B-lgium the day before yesterday, in the morning.
BRUSSELS, DEC. 4.—The Dukes of Orleans and Ne-
mours came yesterday to dine with the King and Queen
at the Palace, and returned to their head-quarters at eight
o'clock in the evening.
Numerous couriers were despatched yesterday to Paris,
London, end the French and Belgian head-quarters. 111.
de Muelenaere is gone to Bruges.
The ground round the citadel of Antwerp begins to he
thoroughly soaked. Three batteries of artillery were
almost entirely buried in the mud. The whole of yester-
day was employed in getting them out, which was not
ffected without great difficulty.
A great part of General Sebastiani's division has passed
the Scheldt at Burght. The civic guards that were can-
toned in that Village and the environs, have retired to
Termonde.

LIEGE, DEC. 3.—The garrison of the fort Chartreuse
has been reinforced. The Il th Belgian Regiment is ex-
pected at Tongres. It is reported in that town and the
neighbourhood, that a corps of observation is going to be
formed.

GHENT, DEC. 3.-Besides three Cabinet messengers that
passed through here on Saturday night, two others,
both from Antwerp, on their way to London, have passed
• hrough to night, the latter, preceded by an avant
courier, seemed to be in great haste.
The news of the summons to General Chasse was re-
ceived at the Hague on December 1.
Ministerial instructions have been issued to the pro-
vinces and communes informing them that the orders given
for li-vying the Landsturm are not to be understood as if
the men were to be immediately called out to serve as
soldiers, but merely as a preparatory measure, that the men
may be ready, in case the defence of the country should
require it.

ST. numLas, DEC. I.—The French occupied Fort
St. Marie yesterday evening, and placed a battery in it.
There is no indication at present that the French will
attack the forts situated on this side of the Scheldt, which
are protected by vast inundations, and must naturally
share the fate of the citadel.—Brussels Papers, Dec. 5.

We have received intelligence from Switzer-
land, which would seem to imply that the autho-
rities there contemplate the possibility of a gene-
ral war. The Federal Directory had instructed
six military officers to station themselves respec-

tively at Bellinzone, Coire, St. Gall, Liestal,
Guerdon, and St. Maurice, to watch the fron-

tiers, make frequent reports, and in case of immi-
nent danger, to assemble certain bodies of troops
specially named. It was proposed to assemble
the Diet at Zurich on the 6th January.
A mob of some hundreds of persons had
attacked and burnt a manufactory, in which
weaving machines were employed, at Uster, on
the 22d November, when large numbers were
assembled to celebrate the overthrow of the old
constitution of Zurich two years back. Ulti-
mately, however, the rioters were dispersed, and
a hundred of them committed to prison.

We had not time on Tuesday to call the at•
tention of our readers to a very singular trial
which took place in the course of the morning
in the Court of King's Bench. All the parties
resided at Swansea, in Wales, and the action
was brought to recover the sum of 6s. Bd., at
an expense of at least 1501. or 2001. The
bare statement of the case is so gross a libel
upon the administration ofjustice in this country
that we should fear to publish it, were it not
that the supineness of the legal profession, in so
long permitting the continuance of such a state
of things, would seem to argue that it is con-
sidered as no disgrace. Lord BROUGHAM'S
County Court Bill, were it in full operation,
would have prevented the occurrence of such a
circumstance as that to which we allude, and in
spite of the clamours of interested attorneys, we
trust his Lordship will persevere in this, one of
the most beneficial of the many improvements
he has given us hopes of enjoying. That the
bringing of " justice home to every man's door"
is not a mere speculative fancy, desirable but im-
practicable, is abundantly demonstrated by the
experience of France. That the expense of

Local Courts,with a jurisdiction to prevent trifling
causes being sent to a distance, isgreat, is no answer
to the proofs we have for their necessity. Unless
justice be made speedily and easily attainable by
the whole population, Government fails to at-
tain its main, we might almost say, its only, ob-
ject ; for what benefit has a man derived from
the payment of taxes, and the surrender of a
portion of his natural liberty, if the law does

not protect his person and property ? That
being the object men have in view by contri-
buting any thing to the State, to save money
in the actual administration of the laws is but
an illustration of the wisdom of the man who
should spare tar after building the ship.
We recollect that that exceedingly profound
statesman, Sir JAMES SCARLETT took upon
himself, some sessions back, to compare the
expense of administering justice in France and
England ; and, finding that more was paid in the
former country than in title latter, very wisely
jumped to the conclusion that the English sys-
tem was the best. Doubtless it would be con-
venient to Sir JAMES SCARLETT, and one or

two others, to compel all causes to come up to
London for trial, or wait till they could go the
circuit of the country to be engaged in them ;
but it happens that the public have a convenience
to be consulted also, and we fancy that if Sir
JAMES had taken into consideration the ex-

pense parties are put to in England, in bringing
actions to trial, he would have found that, even
in a pecuniary point of view, the French public
was in a better situation than ourselves. In
how many cases justice is not sought by ag-
grieved parties in England, because even success
would entail a loss, none who have not consulted
persons i❑ trade can imagine ; and although we
are aware that, for the same reason, it is not
sometimes sought in France, yet we hesitate not
to affirm, that in the latter country instances are
co►nparatively rare. The whole of the truly
liberal part of the Bar, we believe, and a large