The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-31 00:00:00

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.

VESSELS SPOKEN WITIL—The Venture, from Calcutta,
Jan. 13, lat. 35 S., lon. 19 E. ; John Woodall, Calcutta
to London, 28th, lat. 25, lon. 4 ; Grecian, Clyde to Bom-
bay, and Emily, Guernsey to Pernambuco, 11th ult., by
the Margaret, arrived at Liverpool ; Corsair, Liverpool
to New Orleans, 20th inst., lat. 43, lon. 27 ; James
Stewart, (whaler) 46 barrels, 11th ult., lat. 18 S., lon.
32 W., by the Black Prince, arrived at Liverpool ; Juno,
Clyde to Newfoundland, 25th inst., lat. 51, lon.. 12 ; Post-
boy, from Bristol, 24th inst., lat. 48, lon. 12 ; Celia,
Large, Jamaica to Liverpool, 14th ult., off Cape Fibroon,
Eagle, Liverpool to Savannah, sth inst., lat. 32, lon. 52 ;
Braganza, (steamer) 24th inst., in Vigo Bay, and a steam
ship bound S. private signal, red, white, and red, hori-
zontally, by the. Liverpool, (steamer) arrived at South-
ampton ; Newburgh, London to New Zealand, Bth ult.,
lat. 85, lon. 25 W. ; Pasha, Monte Video to Falmouth,
10th inst., lat. 30, lon. 37 ; Phillips, Java to Liverpool,
22d, lat. 45, lon. 21, by the Amelia, arrived at Falmouth;
Helen Maria, from London, 19th inst., lat. 44, lon. 22, by
the Visitor, arrived at Falmouth.

EAST INDIA SHIPPING.
Arrivals—Ann, Griffiths, from China, in the Downs,
sailed 17th November, St. Helena, 29th January ; Mary
Gray, M'Kenzie, from Moulmein, in .4he Downs ;
Margaret, Roache, from Bombay, at Liverpool, sailed,
14th Nov.., St. Helena, 27th Jan. ; Penang, Cumming,
from China, off Liverpool, sailed, 23rd Oct., St. Helena,
31st Jan. ' • Nile, Anderson, from Manilla, off Liverpool,
sailed, 23rd Oct.;• Thalia, Murray, from Bombay, off
Liverpool, sailed 24th Oct., St. Helena, 25th jan.
Woodstock, Austin, from Mauritius, off Liverpool,
sailed, 11th Dec., St. Helena, 25th Jan. ; Adriana,
Dodds, from Mauritius, off Liverpool, sailed, 6th Dec. ;
Akbar, Arkley, from Mauritius, in the Clyde,
sailed 19th Dec., St. Helena, 30th Jan. ; Robert
Matthews, Jolly, from Bengal, in the Downs, sailed,
7th Nov., St. Helena, 29th Jan. ; Ulverstone, Smith,
from Bombay, at Liverpool, sailed 22d November ;

LATE FATAL DUEL AT MALTA.
TRIAL OF THE SURVIVORS.
On Thursday, the 10th of March, Mr. John Levick,
of Malta, merchant, and Lieut. Antonio Mattei, of the
Royal Malta Fencibles Regiment, the parties com-
mitted by the sitting Magistrate—the former as the
principal, the latter as his second, in this unfortunate
affair—were placed at the bar of the Criminal Court
of Special Commission for the island of Malta
and its dependencies, to answer the indictment
preferred against them by Giacomo Pantaleone
Bruno, Esq., LL.D., the Crown Advocate and
public prosecutor, of which Court Sir Ignatius
Gavino Bonavia LL.D., K. St. M. St. George, Pre-
sident of the Tribunals of Malta, and Giovanni Bat-
tista Satariano, Esq., LL.D., and Francesco Chapelle,
Esq., LL.D., two of her Majesty's Judges sat as
Commissioners ; the substance of which indictment
was as follows :-
Ist count. That on the 9th of February last, in a
place at the back of Fort Ricasoli, known by the
name of Wiet Ghammieck, a duel took place with
pistols between the said Levick and the deceased Sep-
timus Adams, a Lieutenant of the 88th Regiment.
2d count. That Levick, in said duel, discharged at
Adams a pistol loaded with ball.
3d count. That the ball striking Adams occasioned
three lacerated and contused wounds, the first in the
middle part of the fore arm, accompanied by a frac-
ture of the radius underneath ; the second in the in-
ternal part of the upper third of, the same arm ; and
the third in the lower part of the left side of the chest,
fracturing the ninth rib, perforating transversely the
whole length of the liver, and lacerating the arteries
and principal blood vessels, with a great hcemorrage
and flow of blood.
4th count. That Adams in the space of 32 hours
died of such wounds.
sth count. That Levick, in duelling with Adams
and in firing at him acted of his own free will
(volontariamente), and wilfully (dolosamente) against
the public peace.
6th count. That in the duel which took place be-
tween Levick and Adams, Lieutenant Mattei was
present, and aiding, with other individuals.
7th count. That Mattei, in assisting at said duel,
acted in the capacity of second.
Bth count. That Mattei in the duel which took
place, acted of his own free will and wilfully against
the public peace.
Upon which grounds the Crown Advocate de-
manded that such facts be tried before a Jury, and
that if the same declare them by their verdict proved,
that they the prisoners be condemned to the punish-
ment of death under the provisions contained in the
21st and 22d section of the 4th Chapter, of the sth
Book of the Municipal Code, or in any other sta-
tutory law.
The words of the law referred to are as follows :
" Sec. 21. In duels, both the challenger and the
challenged, and their auxiliaries and seconds shall be
punished with condemnation to the gallies for ten
years, if death doth not ensue, and which punishment
can be increased to a longer term than the ten years,
in proportion to the excess committed.
" Sec. 22. But if death ensue, then the duelling
parties, as well as their auxiliaries, seconds, and ac-
complices, shall suffer the punishment of death."
The prisoners being asked by the Court if they ob-
jected to any of the proceedings of the trial, referred
to their counsel, Messrs. Griffiths and Moriani.
The Counsel then objected to there being more wit-
nesses produced by the prosecution than had been ex-
amined before the Magistrate. Dr. Bruno, the
Crown Advocate, replied, that although examining
witnesses before a Magistrate might facilitate the
trial, yet he could if he chose hold back any witness,
and was not bound to produce every witness examined
before a Magistrate. However, the Court consented
to an adjournment, which was demanded.
On Monday, the 14th inst., the Court re-assembled,
whereon the prisoners pleaded "Not guilty " to their
indictment.
Out of a list of two English and thirty-four
Maltese, a Jury of seven was ballotted for by the
Registrar.
Dr. Bruno then opened the prosecution, charging
the Jury upon the importance of the subject, explain-
ing to them the nature of duelling, and enforcing the
necessity of checking this remnant of barbarous times.
He then produced the evidence, consisting of thirty-
four witnesses, which examination lasted two days,
that is, till the afternoon of the 16th.
The Court having been adjourned till eight o'clock
yesterday morning,
Mr. Griffiths opened the defence with a strong
appeal to the jury. Then he endeavoured to destroy
the credibility of the Queen!s evidence, Dr. Cross, of
the 88th Regiment, stating that he was a party im-
plicated, and therefore his evidence could not be re-
ceived. Afterwards he maintained that the laws in
Malta affecting duelling had fallen into disuse, citing
many examples of duels having had place, and no
notice being taken of them.
Dr. Mariani followed up precisely the same, line of
argument.
After Dr. Mariani finished they examined their
evidence, consisting of seven persons.
The President of the Court then summed up, stating
that they were to consider whether the facts of the
duel were proved or not, without regard to any con-
sequences ; end particularly to bear in mind that the
evidence of Dr. Cross was that of a party implicated.
The jury retired at half-past 4 o'clock p.m., and
consulted together for three .quarters of an hour,
when they returned and declared unanimously the
eight counts in the indictment-Not Proven, wherein
the Court liberated the prisoners.
The announcement of the liberation of the prisoners
was received with immense applause.
On a dispassionate view of the case we regret this
verdict, because it may be attended with pernicious
'consequences to the public peace, although we never
could believe that the rigour of the Maltese law would
be acted on.

SINGULAR OccuRRENCE.—In a certain town lives
a lady, somewhere about forty years of age, and pos-
sessed of nearly twenty thousand pounds. She is of
what the ladies call an " easyful temper," and not
remarkable for possessing shrewdness in proportion to
her wealth. A yoang Hibernian, having heard, doubt-
less, of her riches, laid siege to her; heart. Whetherhe
succeeded in making any impression on it, we have not
been able to ascertain. One report respecting the affair
affirms, that rot only did he succeed, but that it ac-
tually surrendered to the impetuosity of his attack ;
that the lady actually accompanied him to church ;
but that, ruing before the ceremony was performed,
she gave him the slip, and returned home, resolved
still to lead a life of " single blessedness." Be this
true, or be it false, the young gentleman was not to
be thus summarily dismissed. He renewed his suit,
with an increased determination to gain the hand
of his adored by " hook or by crook." All his ad-
vances were, however, repulsed, and despair, for a
moment, took possession cf hig soul. But love laughs
not only at locks-riths, but at difficulties the most appal-
ing. The Lothario, after a consultation with certain of
his friends, prepared to obtain by strafage_n what he had
failed to achieve by open assault,—possession, to wit, of
the fair lady's puree— Ne beg pa-. &a, person, we meant
to write. In pursuance of the plot concocted with his
friends, and in the execution of which they were to as-
sist, she was invited, under the pretext that she was to
At the Court of Assizes at Nantes, on the 19th receive some money which was owing to her, to a certain
nst., five boys, from 14 to 16 years of age, were ar- house. In an evil hour, she fell into the trap. She was
reigned for the following audacious attempt at a street- surrounded by her lover and his friends, who, when in'
robbery in Nantes, between seven and eight in the ever- I the house, invited her to take some refreshment. A glass
ing of Shrove Tuesday :—As a man was coming from a of brandy was given to her; she drank it, and shortly af-
tavern in the rue de la Perouse, he was surrounded by terwards, from. the effect of something which had, it is
the juvenile band, and assailed with kicks and blows, supposed, been put into the liquor,. became insensible.
while one of them forced from him a silver watch, sus- Next morning early, before she had recovered, she v‘ as
pended round his neck by a string, and placed in hie hurried off, accompanied by the woman of the house, by
waistcoat pocket. Though bleeding copiously from the the Railway, to Lancast'r, and thence to Gretna' Green.
treatment he-received, the intended victim defended him- Here, on the following she was, as the parties
selfAntil .assistance arrived, and enabled him to secl;re alledge, married to her persevering and determined suitor
one of his assailants, the rest escaping with the watch. The lady herself declares, that she has no recollection of
Two days after information was given that the watch was I what took place at Gre;ma Green, the effects of the mix-
offered for sale. This, and the acquaintance which the ture supposed to hi ve been administered to her, the
police already' had with these young rogues, led to the first night, having all the time, been pciter;; in stu-
arrest of the other four. On being interrogated, one of pifying her and impaii:ng her memory. When she re-
them confessed the robbery, and impeached his confede- covered the full possession of her senses, she insisted on
rates, against all of whom, except one, there was ample immediately returning home, and home she ,retured.
evidence for their conviction. Consequently the Jury This is the story current respecting the most extraordi-
pronounced four of the pi.;soners guilty, but acquitted nary affair. Doubtless, her husband and his friends are
the fifth, who was discharged, Three were sentenced to ready to prove that every step which was taken was
imprisonment for 18, 15, am.: 13 months, but the fourth, taken with the lady's full consent ; that, in short, the
being under the age of discernment, was sent to the ardent woer won her by the legitimate arts of love, and
House of Correction,. there to remain. mitil arrives; at not, as Othello was charged with having won Desde-
years of discretion. mona, "by spells
and medicines.; The affair is, we hear,