The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1832-12-25 00:00:00

.6) the Generals whp,are stationed near the•frontier, to remain
at the head of their respective corps, and, the Duke •of Orleans,
whose turn it was to have been in the trenches.to-day, has been
replaced, as that Prince is. on, his return to- his•bead-quarters,
which are on the extreme frontier. Lieutenant Boutellier of
'the gendarmerie, commanding the civil power at the head-quar-
ters, is established at Berchem to keep a strict surveillance over
those strangers who, without any authority, endeavour to intrude
themselves into head-quarters to pick up information. Already,
by his care, several persons have been arrested and sent to pri-
son. There is reason to believe that this surveillance will di-
minish the number of the curious, amongst whom, it is to be
feared, there are some spies. The firing was but feeble during
this night and this morning. We had only 20 wounded and 7
killed.

MONDAY NIGHT.—The. siege of the citadel of Antwerp is
drawin fast to its term, for within a few days, perhaps seven
more, General Chasse will cease to have any power in the
citadel.—The French have caused the four Belgian brigs of war,
being their only navy,—for the Dutch Government has claimed
and holds all the ships of war, even those left on the stocks in
1814 by the French,—to descend the Scheldt from above the
citadel, and two are stationed in the river between Forts St.
Marie and St. Philip, in order to stop all communication with
the citadel, and to prevent the escape of Baron Chasse. The
Dutch frigate Eurydice, and 2 corvettes, and 17 gun-boats, still
remain off Lillo and Batz, without having lately attempted any
attack on the slight forts and batteries erected by the French
troops on the two sides of the river. Perhaps the death of the
Admiral has struck them with dismay. The citadel now defends
itself feebly ,• it is preparing to yield. The French are not only
making ready the breaching batteries, which will be armed and
in play, as they hope, to-morrow evening, but they are further
stated to have already opened a mine, which they expect will do
them as great service as in the ease of Fort St. Laurent. In
addition, it was asserted that during this night they intended to
take by storm, or otherwise, the demi-lune which is situated at
the rear of the Lunette St. Laurent; but this intention has been
postponed until the breaching begins. The firing has been va-
riable as the weather during this afternoon. The French en-
gineerslOok upon the whole affair as a matter of amusement,
and a there trial of their skill. Yet one cannot suppose that the
garrison will not make use of their excellent position in order
even still to give a striking proof of their valour.
DEC; 18, TUESDAY MORNING.—It blew a hurricane during
the.night, and-the weather is now clearer than it has been for
some days. The French soldiers, and in particular the Artil-
lery, have reason to rejoice at it; the dragging of the heavy
guns through the trenches where the mud isknee deep, has been
a work of great labour, and has contributed considerably to de-
lay the progress of the siege. Some foreign officers who have
visited the trenches describe them as others would—a beautiful
machine, in which every part is perfect. - The great' art, as they
state, in such approaches, is to protect them from being enfilad-
ed by the fire of the citadel; and in this, thus far, the French
engineers-have succeeded with a very trifling loss—a loss which,
considering the advantageous position and the occasionally
heavy fire of the garrison, seems to strike all with wonder. The
hiking' of tlie demi-lune has -been delayed, by orders of the
Marshal, although, as some say, it has been abandoned by the
Dutch, who wish to concentrate all their strength in the citadel.
Sure of taking it when necessary, the Marshal prefers not doing
so at this,momentl in order to spare his soldiers the necessity of
being placed under the fire of the bastion Pacietto, until the
breaching batteries are in play.
ELEVEN O'CLOCK.—The battery to breach the left face of the
bastion Toledo is ready; it consists of 6 guns, (24-pounders,)
and is situate on the crest of the glacis. 'There is some delay-
as-to the time when the breaching begins, as the counter bat-
tery to enfilade the face of the bastion is not fully in order.
This battery is to consist of 4 guns of the same calibre. They
will, it is now said; be fully ready and in play on the 20th, the
day after td-morrow. The garrison has this morning fired more
than usual;- it is, therefore, supposed that the Commandant and
his Council are about to adopt the line of defence laid down by
Carnot, and at this period -" to make the forcible resistance at
the last," on which that able engineer so much relied.
TWELVR O'CLOCK .--The -trenches are now allowed-to be-tra-
versed by those officers who produce proper certificates of their.
rank, &c., to the head of the French staff. The signature of
Colonel Caradoc, as British commissioner, hasprocured such
permission for several of his-brother officers. There were va,
nous attempts made to prepare draughts and plans of -the
trenches, whit!' the French were bound to prevent. Hence,
hitherto, there'was great difficulty to enter them, for even some
reriegade'Frenehmen, in order to gain money, have published
plans which; luckily for their 'countrymen, have been very de-
feCtive.

ONE c?ctocK.—The Mitch army is stated to be tranquil, in
its-winter quartirs. The movement of some battalions to the
garrison at Bergen-op-Zoom was the ground of the late rumour.
Two o'cLocx..--4 have been to see the' river, where the Dutch
ships'reMain ciniet; between Liefkenshoek and- Lillo. Some of
the gun-boats near the citadel have been placed in a line across
the Scheldt, with the-Tete de Flandres.
: TnaEc o'ciocK.-:-On the Exchange to-day_there.were no, ru-
mours current respecting the Dutch army. The fire has been
slack dnring. some hcfurS. Some musketry has been heard.
The weather ks clear, with a strong drying, wind.

THE FRENCH ARMY.
13uocutm, DEC. 18, TUESDAY.—The battery destined to bat-
ter the left face of the bastion'Toledo in breach is finished. It
consists, of six pieces' f 24, and, is situated on the crest of the
glacis, that is', it, is separated from the bastion. only by the co-
vered way and the fosse. That will make the distance about3o
metres (about 3.7 yards.) . They are actively employed in erect-
ing a counter-battery, not intended, as the other, to batter in
breach, but to silence the guns'of "the besieged. This counter-
bAtery_ will be armed with.four.pieces of .24.. They are erect-
ing a battery of swivel guns alongside the battery in breach.
The mortar battery D will this night: be moved to its intended
position, in.frout.
Noo N.--A:tiew battery has been erected and armed between
the Lunette St. Laitrent and the demi-lune- of the bastions 2
and 3. The lodgment in the lunette. is complete, and its cora.:
rounications with the 3d parallel are all finished. The battery
established on the counterscarp is armed and ready to open its
fire. The trials of the large mortar, which took place in the
plains of Brasscha,et, have been most satisfactory. This mor-
tar will be immediately brought to hear upon the citadel.
Five o'cLoca.—A fire of musketry, much more sharp than
that of yesierday, ha 4 been kept up during the day. The de-
scent to the fosse from the' demi-lune is complete. The, bad
weather, 'however, has so much retarded the works, that it is
probable they will not begin to batter in breach before to-mor-
row night. The Dutch fired constantly during yesterday and
to-day on the. Berchem .road. Having learnt, no doubt, that
the King was expected at Antwerp, they fired at every carriage
that. passed the road. Last 'night the bombs thrown -from the.
French batteries were directed against the bastion before the
entrance to the- citadel on the city side... At iniddight a fire
broke out at the Corps de., Garde at the entrance, but it was
soon got under. Thq:King, aecompanied. by. his
.staff, has ar-
rived in the city.

ANTWI4BP2,DEC. 19, WEDNESDAY.RtIitipIir speaks of some
cannon-shots having been heard front belOw Lillo, at the, old
fort of Frederick , Hendrick where the French are establishing
a.battery._. .
,
_ .
ELEvurt o'cLocx.—l have made inquiries at the-port, and
from welr-informed perions, respecting the aforesaid firing, but
can learn pothing. All appears tranquil, at-this hour, on, the
Scheldt. - .. . ..

;TWELVE o'cLocit.—The French' during -last night made an
attempt to throw a bridge across the ditch of the demi-lune' .be-
tween the bastions Toledo and Paeietto, in which they did not
succeed, from having taken a wrong direction •in the dark.
They lost so many men in placing- the bridge, that General
14'axo ordered them to desist. The number lost is estimated at
46 killed and wounded. -,There are three-fourths-of the bridge
formed, andit is thought-that-to-night. there -will be a success-.
ful attempt made. The bridge _between the demi-lune and - the
citadel is stated to be-so injured by shut as to stop the passage
by it into the latter. General
,St: Cyr .Nu es -was shot by a
wall-piece, which cut his epaulets and bruised his shoulder.
ONE o'cx.oex.—There is not one of- the breaching batteries
yet armed, but it is expected that-they will be so to-night. The
French are preparing a small battery to the left of the counter-
battery, destined for cohorns. The weather is frosty and dry.
Nothing is said of any movement of the Dutch army. The fir-
ing, which during the night was heavy, is now rather slack.
HALF-PAST L—Two persons 'living •at Doel were arrested
yesterday, for holding .correspondence with the Dinch. , The
division Sebastiani has been in possession for some time past of
this village, the last- Belgian' one on the left bank. One of
those persons threw a bottle having a letter into the Scheldt:
the other malle'signals. There was, a brisk cannonade at three
o'clock yesterday between the 'Dutch frigates and-some French
batteries on the •banks of the river.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20.—The fusilatle during the night,was very
sharp, and at 4 o'clock,this morning some sleepers were alarmed
by What they conjectured to be the springing of a mine. Yet
persons acquainted with thee-proceedings_ of the -besiegers deny
that any mine was sprung. General ,Haxo is stated to have
declared that he does not think the possession of the deini-lune-
worth the lives which it might Cost at, this period. The belief
r that this experiencad engineer is proceeding with. a mine to
„renderthe -entrance as easy and cheap the 'citadel as into
the Lunette St. Laurent, still prevails, The 'number df soldiers