The Sun. — 1832-12-07 (London, England)

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 7, 1832.  The General Election will soon be over. (°-morrow will he the nomination day for most of the boroughs throughout England, and by Wednesdav the returns will be received.  `We refer for the last accounts from Antwerp to another part of The Sun. The siege was cartying on with vigour by the French, and with corresponding inactivity on the part of the Dutch.  There appears to be a very general impression 'll the public mind, that Ministers are alarmed 4t the prevalence of sentiments more liberal than 'they consider consistent with the nature of our 4stitutions, and the stability of Government ; pfd that, in order to prevent the preponderance the mouvement party in the House of Com mons, the Whigs are, in many instances, cultivating an alliance with the Conservatives against Liberal candidates. We cannot help thinking that the impression to which we allude, is altogether an erroneous one ; for whatever may be the views of those Members of the Cabinet who were so profusely honoured with Court favour, at a time when Earl GREY was under the shadow of Royal displeasure, it is not to be supposed that such men as Lord HOLLAND, Lord LANSnowNE, and Lord BROUGHAM, would consent to remain in a Cabinet, the majority of which would attempt to interrupt the course of political improvement, of which the Reform Bill is but the commencement. That Lord BROUGHAM  and those of his colleagues who, like him, are  thought to be thorough Liberals, are anxious to prevent the spread of wild doctrines, and to check visionary plans, we can easily believe ; for just in proportion as a man desires improvement, he is firm in opposing innovation, which may prove destructive ; but we cannot believe that they would attempt to render the political machine of Reform useless, by locking the wheel which was to set it in motion.  It is quite true that, with the exception of the  Reform Bill, Ministers have done little in the way of public improvement and benefit, since their accession to office. They have neither repealed the taxes on knowledge, nor reduced a standing army, which, in a time of profound peace, amounts, with militia and marines on shore, and the newpolice, to nearly 200,000 men, and which has cost, in 17 years, 200,000,0001. sterling, nor reduced the assessed taxes, as might be done by means of a more general and less oppressive tax, which would affect those who derive a great deal from the country, without contributing any thing towards it; nor abolished the disgraceful, degrading, and sometimes murderous system of punishment in the army. These, and a hundred other grievances and abuses, remain in force as under a Tory Administration, and if the present Ministers had not given earliest of good intentions, public indignation would have been excited against them. But is it fair to suppose that they do not intend to bring forward as rapidly as time will permit, those measures which men of sense and patriotism have declared necessary for the good of the people? Could they have done this already, opposed as they have been by different factions, and with the Court influence directly against them ? We think not ; and we think also that they will consider the Reform Bill as the fly-wheel of the political machine, and immediately set it in motion—that they will not regard that Bill as the end, but as the means, of improvement, and that they will aim, not at the retention of place, but at the gratitude of the country. In the meantime, however, we would seriously caution Ministers against the display of any conduct which could warrant a serious belief that they are labouring under the delusion that danger is threatened by the Liberal party. Were every Radical Candidate to be returned to Parliament, the preponderance of true Conzerva tives—of men who would make the Government and our institutions what they ought to be, and not destroy those distinctions of society which are necessary for its welfare—would be sufficient for any well-meaning Ministry ; and no other can, we are sure, ever maintain itself against a Reformed Parliament.  We have received the Paris Papers of Wed  nesday, but they contain no matter of importance, in which the English papers have not anticipated them. Indeed, we showed yesterday that the French Papers were more likely to find Antwerp news in our journals, than we in theirs. They contain no other intelligence of interest on this side of the channel. FRENCH FuNns.-Psals,