The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-21 00:00:00

NEW BANXIttIPTCY COMMIS-
SIONERS.

There has lately been
.much speculation in legal
circles as to the location of the new COITITIII.SSiOrteIS of
Bankruptcy in the several Ylittfibts provided by the
Act of Parlintntiii. Considerable difficulty has been
experienced in meeting the wishes of the gentlemen
appointed as to their ultimate destination, but an ar-
rangement has at last been made„ and the following
are the appointments :
Birmingham—Mr. Balguy, Q.C., and Mr. Daniell.
Liverpool—Mr. Skirrow, Q.C., ttild Mr. C. Phillips.
Manchester—Mr. &rgt. Ludlow and Mr. Jemmett.
Leeds—Mr. M. J. West and Mr. Montagu Bere.
Bristol—Mr. Sergt. Stephen antVMr. Stephenson.
Exeter—Mr. Sergeant Goulburn:
Newcastle—Mr. Ellimon.

ROYAL POLYTE( INSTI-

- -
T U TION
MR: LINGARD'S THEORY OF FUNGI, AND
OF THE DRY ROT.
Dr. Ryan, Professor of Chemistry at this Institu-
tion, read a lecture yesterday in the theatre of the
Institution, before a crowded auditory, on the subject
of Mr. Lingard's theory of the origin of fungous ex-
crescences in timber, and of the decay of vegetable
substances. Mr. Lingard, who was present, ex-
hibited several diagrams in illustration of his
peculiar views. This gentleman has devoted
the last twenty years to the investigation of this in-
teresting subject, and the result of his observations
has been to convince him that the commonly received
opinion that fungi spring from seed is incorrect. He
contends that fungi are produced by heat and mois-
ture, causing the expansion of portions of the timber
Nuw as water, under increments of heat, ex-
pands to 1,700 times its bulk, so portions of timber,
under the same agency, expand into various forms.
Thus, according to Lingard's theory, fungi are only
portions of matter in which the attraction of
cohesion has, in a great measure, been occa-
aioned by the expansive power of heat, and are
not the produce •of seed.. Mr. Lingard further
states that all fungi take the peculiar form of
the tree from the timber of which they have sprung.
Mr. Lingard's means for preventing dry-rot seem to
be the exclusion of moisture, and filling the pores of
the timber with some composition known only to him-
self, which will for ever prevent the action of water
upon it. 'Whatever difference of opinion may exist as
to the truth of this theory, there can be only one opi-
nion as to the importance, in a commercial and na-
tional point of view, of ,:avestigations of this nature.
Mr. Lingard seems to have considered the subject
with great attention, and if his discovery should prove
the means of 'preserving timber from decay, he will
be entitled to a high rank among the benefactors of
the human race. We had not visited this admirable
institution for some time, and were delighted
to witness the progress which it has recently
made. In the ante-room was a steam-engine,
a -Napier's- printing-press at work, and a most inge-
nious invention, a pin making machine. This, which
is one of the most complete machines ever invented,
manufactures 45 solid headed pins per minute—the
wire is gradually uncoiled at one end of the ma-
chine, and the perfectly formed pin is delivered at the
other. Here also is the steam-engine, which works the
colossal electrical machine, and sets in motion the various
models. In one of the rooms up stairs is a beautiful
specimen of art—the Table des llfarechaux—a table
of the finest Sevres porcelain, embellished with mina-
ture portraits of Napoleon and his 'Marshals, exe-
cuted in the highest style of art. This unique table
is valued at 5,000 guineas, and is put up at that sum
to be raffled for. Napoleon paid 12,000 guineas for
it. It is worth paying a visit to the Polytechnic to
see this superbly elegant table. During the
afternoon the process of coining was exhibited.
The method of exploding gunpowder under water, as
practised for the removal of sunken wrecks, &c., was
next illustrated. A model of a ship was sunk at the
bottom of the well; the diver, attired in his helmet
and dress, descended and attached a small canister-of
gunpowder, through which a wire had been passed, to
the model; a stream of voltaic electricity was passed
through the wires, the gunpowder exploded, the
wreck was blown up, and the fragments ascended and
floated on the surface. After this a party went down
in the diving-bell. The amusements terminated by
the exhibition of a beautiful series of dissolving views.
A band of music was in attendance, and performed
several popular airs during the course of the morning.
The Institution was crowded during the whole day.

THE CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT.
FRAUDS ON THE REVEN UE.
We have fo announce the sudden termination of the
investigation into the charges of fraud and peculation,
brought against the officers of the Landing Depart-
. ment of the Customs, at least so far as the Board of
Customs is concerned, it having been intimated to this
body by the Lords of her Majesty's Treasury that it
was the intention of Government at once.to appoint a
Commission of Inquiry to investigate, not only the
truth of the present charges, but fully to analyse the
whole constitution of this important revenue establish-
nient. It appears that this early termination of the
labours of the Commissioners (if labour it may be
called), has been brought about in consequence of it
having reached the ears of the Secretary of State that
it was the intention of the Board to suspend no less
than seven other landing waiters, men of unimpeach-
able character, and of many years' service, upon the
bare charge of having given credit, or accommodation,
to importers, and this, too, upon the statement of a
man whose conduct has been bad for years past.
There is one feature connected with the above re-
marks which deserves mention. The facts by which
these men were to be suspended were known weeks
since, yet they were retained on their duties in per-
feet ignorance of the charges brought against them,
until the day their salaries became due, when an
order was sent to prevent the payment; luckily,
however, for the seven gentlemen (whose names we
are in possession of) the communication from the
Treasury above alluded to reached the Chairman, Mr.
Deane, and the order waS countermanded.
The announcement of the suspension of the Sur-
veyors-General, Messrs. Dowding and Penning, in
the Times of Wednesday, is without truth, these
gentlemen having been actively ,on duty at the
Custom-house yesterday, where the-, statement ex-
cited much surprise. As the names of these gen-
tlemen have been thus prematurely introduced to
public notice, it may prevent misapprehension to state
briefly the grounds upon Which our Contemporary
may have come to the conclusicn that they bad been
suspended.
The recrimination between lastings and Burnby
has led to some very disagreeable statements in re-
ference to the former gentleman, who, however inno-
cent, must nevertheless suffer in some measure by the
reflections of even such acknow'ledged delinquents as
these. It would be unwise on our parts to specify
here the particular charges brought against Mr.
Dowding by the man Burnby, wh%e evidence in
too many instances has proved unworthy of credit ;
but we may observe that they have been.neither of a
very limited nor scrupulous character;lhd they Ailey
are such as no doubt Mr. Do‘Oine••;;;ll necessarily
find it expedient to clear o<4
pecially in re-
ference to the Irish afr:ar.
The case of Mr. Penning
is, however, diffe: ent, being in some mksureColllleo7oa
with that rf. Mr. Rolls, whose dismiisal ittbSt Nth
his ha:eing admitted that an overtmt wai-ttia4e to him
by '1 silk firm, which he alkged he etkininnnioated to
pis superior officer, Mr. Penning, at the
which this latter gentleman denivs: A.* niatter of
course, under these oiretkrastauttS, ehe dismissal of
Mr. Rolls on so slight a charge could not but in jus-
tice he followed by that of Mr. Penning, supposing it
were established that such information had been given,
but which does not yet appear. It is true that Mr.
Penning has been recalled from the port of South-
ampton, where he had been investigating upon a spe-
cial order the conduct of the Customs' business. Three
or-four dismissals among the previously suspended
o fficc
temrisl
phl
aa
ivne o c t
scu
on
trhr occurred sinceeother hoaunrdare
made
of
the
Rain
of discrimination on the part of the Customs' Aelef*
to
attar
I(clntistid
gt e„
bi'er
nuB.-
eepenitellit:
d inu
Ideinstt egauliesrh, lan gc
case between
v‘i
n that of the firm which had its tea • l - unjust y seized a few
days since, much to the prejudice of its character
among several of its connexions, who were abused by
the ex-parte statements which got abroad on the sub-
ject, at a time when excitement caused imperfect ru-
mours to gain ready currency. The best proofs it
may be observed, of the entire conviction otthe board
of Customs that no fraud was about tit) be practised,
may be inferred from the fact of the uSual satisfaction
money paid to the officers as 9).1 •
;ncentive to vigilance
having in this iristanceloeen withheld.

...,r1-
REPUDIATI'- The following,
re-
spectableletter ,- •
subject by .Mr. J. Speed, a .
•itten on this
"linfluential gentleman of Baltimore.:—
" an extract from a
and
debtor class mu-uprises
lat,:_
~ . .
_,..., of tne
oo..uthri,rn, the
plotrl;,ata,ilotil
,tradain:;n:tritlie:sansttlioktfells.
uffrage prevails
1 :;"C;l7l.dlicriftfl'l4'f:l).lr°thdeoeLs Legislature would amt ,doeubldtorsoaonicli cbie•ediin-
the field ? The former would prevail, of course ;
and then would come the Wildest sweeps of licentious-
ness in legislation. All debts
over a certain limit would
be declared void, as being oppressive and onerous
upo
deeds won the people—large estates would be broken up—
recordstitle- euld be cancelled and torn from the
—agrarian laws would be passed. Is there any
painting in this ? Does it not all
follow as a necessary
consequence of the one great act of perfidy ? Does it
go beyond the measure of a
act of per-
cation of the princi plain and practical appli-
ples that dictated that
fidy ? In my judgment it does not. But I turn away
from a subject that must be so distressin..to the.mind
of every patriot, and will indulge
in nog. more previ-
sions of the sorrow and shame and disgrace that must
fall 111... - .'-cy ...1,1,.-pa'.cl it ever bc: betrayed into,
the sin of repudiation,"
' . .
, .. ,