8 JANUARY 1842, Page 1

On New-year's Day, Louis PHILIPPE went through the ceremony, irksome

enough probably, in the adverse and gloomy state of affairs, of receiving addresses from the great public bodies of France. In many instances the addresses and the replies were curious. The Diplomatic body drew from the King a reply which is considered pacific. The Peers approached him with high-flown generalizing piety : the Duke de BROGLIE'S " eye in a fine phrensy rolling, glancing from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven:" seemed to have, some difficulty in distinguishing between Fate and Louis PHILIPPE hithielf—so miraculous is the delicately-hinted fact that he has for another year escaped the assassin. The Mo. 'larch drew down the exalted Peers from their fine generalizings, and fixed them to their own deeds, by an emphatic and exulting allusion to the late trial of the conspirators and DUPOTY. The Peers, manifesting little pride in their last public act, seem to endeavour to confound all things in the mysterious works of Destiny, in whose hands they were humble instruments : Louis PHILIPPS appears to say—" Don't be ashamed of what you have done; it is a very fine thing, and I shall make good use of it." The Deputies were more discursive than the Peers, but not less loyal ; and they wind up rather an incoherent address with the astounding assertion that all France is united in support of Louis PHILIPPE,—while wholesale trials for seditious libel are going on in the provinces, and the freedom of the press is extinguished lest it should extinguish the King and his policy ! He, however, accepted the word " solidarite " With all unction and solemnity, as if it were actually the thing instead of a mere name ; as if the mere assertion of union by so many courtiers were really equivalent to the consolidation of France. The clergy, disposed to be contumacious for some time after Louis PHI'LIPPE.8 accession, now knelt among the humblest of his servants. Au indifferent attendance of public men, and a marked coldness in the receptions, mocked these idle ceremonies.