The Sun. — 1832-12-06 (London, England)

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 darkness 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 entrenchment, 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 following, 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 encouragement 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 vindicating 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 Ministers 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 energetic 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 possible 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 annoyed 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 expected, 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.)