The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-17 00:00:00

MALTA.

MALTA, JUNE S.—SHIPS IN POET.--The Queen, 110,
bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir E. W. C. R. Owen,
Commander-in-Chief; Howe, 120, bearing the flag of Rear-
Admiral Sir F. Mason, Second in Command; Impregnable,
104 ; Thunderer, 84 ; Vanguard, 80 ; Calcutta, 78 ; Cam-
bridge, 78; Vernon, 50; Maeicienne, 24; Snake, 16: and
Pheenix, Devastation, and Vesuvius war-steamers; Locust
steam-tender and Ceylon receiving ship, bearing the flag of
Rear-Admiral Sir J. Louis, Superintendent of Malta Dockyard.
DISPOSITION OF THE REST OF THE FLEET.—The Rodney,
92 ; the Inconstant, 36 ; and the Hecate war-steamer at Bey-
rout. The Monarch, 84, at Rhodes; and the Medea war-
steamer, off the river Xanthus ; the L'Aigle, 24, at Vourla ;
the Stromboli war steamer, at Constantinople; the Cyclops
steam-frigate, at Alexandria ; the Scout, 18, at Corfu ; the
Alecto, steam-packet, on her way from the lonian Islands with
the mails; the Polyphemus steam-packet, at Marseilles, await-
ing the overland London mails of the 4th inst. The Prome-
theus steam-packet, at Genoa, awaiting the arrival of Lady
Canning and family, for conveyance to Constantinople. The
Formidable, 84. Jaseur, 16, and Wizard steam-tender, at
Gibraltar; the Belvidera. 38, at Cadiz; the Savage, at Tunis,
and the Beacon and Magpie at Port Nassau, in the Archipelago,
prosecuting their surveying labours.
DEPARTED.—May 29. Her Majesty's steamer Devasta-
tion, Commander Robertson (acting), supposed for Tripoli;
her Majesty's steamer Polyphemus, Lieutenant Evans, Com-
mander, for Marseilles, with Bombay mails of the 2d-4th inst.,
in charge of Mr. Wittenoom, Government messenger, for that
service.

May 30.—Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Ori-
ental, Mr. John Say, Commander, for Gibraltar and South-
ampton, with part of the Bombay mail, in charge of Lieutenant
Hancock, R.N.
May 31.—Her Majesty's steamer Alecto, Lieutenant Hosea-
son, Commander, to Greece and the lonian Islands, with mail
of the 14th from London via Gibraltar. _ . _

June I. Her Majesty's ship Locust, Lieutenant Lunn,
Commander, for the fleet, and thence to Tripol.
June 3.—Her Majesty's brig Savage, 18, Lieutenant Bowker,
Commander, for Tunis and Tripoli.
June 4.—The Neapolitan steamer Ercolano, with a mail for
Naples.
May 27.—Her Majesty's iteamer Stromboli was lying at
Constantinople by the latest intelligence received. Her Ma-
jesty's corvette L'Aigle quitted Smyrna-roads for Vourlah.
Her Majesty's steamer Cyclops was at Alexandria.
Letters from Athens of the 30th of May announce that the
surveying vessels, Beacon and' Magpie, had proceeded, the
former for Poros, and the latter for Falconera. (No date is
given.)
The French squadron, under the orders of Admiral de La-
susse, was about to leave the Piraeus for Smyrna. The mo-
tive assigned was, that the Santi Petri had not been admitted
to pratique, that ship having several persons on board sick of
the small pox.
The French steamer Scamandre, will proceed to-morrow, at
S a.m., for Marseilles, with a mail from the Levant.
Her Majesty's ship Rodney may be expected to arrive in
Malta about the end of the month, from Beyrout and Alex-

THE EX-REGENT CHRISTINA,
• AND DON CARLOS.

" TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS DON CARLOS, INFANT OF
SPAIN, &C..
" Although still suffering from the effects of a slight indispo••
sition, I answer myself the despatch delivered to me by Don A.
T., during an audience which was pleased to grant him for
that purpose.
" I pass over in silence those p 'hits of the proposition which
you submit to me in the above-named despatch to which I have
no objections to advance, andt enumerate those only which
appear to me susceptible either of considerable modification or
of total rejection.
" I shall subscribe to the mart age which you propose to me
between my august daughter, the very legitimate Queen of
Spain, and his Highness the Pence of the Austrian. How-
ever this con'ent on my part mayr un counter with the views of
a powerful Throne, which harel ong been entertained, it is my
duty, for the prosperity of my wel -beloved subjects, and urged
on by circumstances, to unite with lour desires. It is gratify-
ing to me to give you this unec trivocal proof of my affection.
On your own part weigh this important concession, which
touches me both as a Queen and as a mother, with the just
weight your balance ought to contain.
" I should wish, however,t ha this alliance were not con-
cluded until a year after the defeat of hint who has usurped' all
my powers—powers which are t o be restored to me immedi-
ately after the establishment of peace.
" Although, as a servant of; he Lord, I respect the mis-
fortunes of those even who have suffered for you, I cannot,
however, receive as a condition their restoration to high and
public offices ; and the less so, as the Cortes of Constitutional
:Spain cannot regard with confidence Ministers who might, in
some respects, appear suspicious.
" The very reason which I have here alleged would suffice, if
necessary to prove to your Royal Highness that it does notenter
into my views to deprive Spain of a Constitution, although at
the same time, I must admit that that which is now in force
necessitates certain modifications and ameliorations.
" It is my pleasure to believe, that after mature reflection
you will regard things more temperately ; time advances, and
flies, and in its progress it carries us onward, and impera-
tively commands us ; in a certain measure, therefore, we can-
not evade obedience.
" I also desire that all my objections, which I make only after
a well-weighed examination into the details of your proposition,
may be appreciated to their just value, and that, without fur-
ther hesitation, you should commence, with the enterprise
projected between us, the regeneration of a country equally
dear to both.—Your affectionate, M. C."
" April 11."

THE LIGHT SOVEREIGN 5. It is not true that the
very hot weather has led to the Queen's proclamation on the sub-
ject of " sweating sovereigns." We understand, however, that
Sir Peter Laurie has placed all his ready cash in an ice-house,
in order to keep the gold from getting into a violent perspira-
tion from the intense heat that has been lately prevalent. After
the allusion to" sweating sovereigns," we can perfectly under-
stand the meaning of parties betting " a cool thousand," which
of course means a thousand pounds that have not been sweated.
—Punch.

MESSRS. WIGNEY'S BANK-
RUPTUY.

BRIGHTON, JUICE 15.—An adjourned meeting under this
fiat took place to-day at the Town-hall before Messrs. Merri-
field, Turner, and C. Cooper, the Commissioners.
At the opening of the Court the Commissioners gave their
decision in the following case, which was gone into yesterday.
At a meeting held in Brighton in November last, the Rev. J.
S. M. Anderson was appointed Secretary, and Mr. I. N. Wig-
ney, Treasurer, of an auxiliary to the African Association, and
a sum of money in a bag collected at the meeting was handed
over by Mr. Anderson to Wigney. On the Sunday after
the fai.ure Mr. Wigney offered to return him the bag, which
had never been opened. Mr. Anderson refused to take
it, and it was ultimately handed over to the assignees to abide
the decision of the Commissioners.
Mr. 'MERRIFIELD now stated that the Commissioner had
decided that the money being held by Mr. Wigney merely as
a trustee, it therefore might be given up.
Mr. I. N. Wigney's examination by Mr. James was then
resumed.—My father's will contained a clause directing the
executors to wind up his affairs, but the executors (my bro-
thers George and William, myself, and my mother) never did
so. The deficiency of the bank at the time of my father's death
was known to all the executors, arid was spoken of, but no pro-
position was ever made for supplying the deficiency. It was
hoped that the debt of Cochrane and Co. of Glasgow (17,0001. )
would be paid, and that the. concern would be productive of
profit. At this time it wasanticipated that Mr. Clement Wig-
ney would join the bank. He was to bring in his in. crest
under my father's will. I think he was not aware of the ex-
tent of the deficiency of the bank, but I have no doubt he was
aware there was a deficiency.
Mr. U. Wigney said, he certainly knew that the account of
Cochrane and Co. was overdrawn, but he had not the slightest
idea of the losses by the s, eculations mentioned yesterday, or
he certainly should not have taken his property into the bank
to be lost. _ _

Mr. 1. N. Wigney—l never told my brother Clement of the
loss of 23,0001. by speculations. He brought ir.to the bank
15,826/. ; and during his partnership he has drawn out the
w hole 01 that sum except 211. There was no sum of money
set expressly apart out of my father's estate to meet the defi-
ciency ; but there was a sum to which I looked in the event of
a necessity occurring. It %% a s Bank and lndi3. Stock. I availed
myself of this to the extent of 12,0001., and placed the amount
to the credit of the executorial account. This took place to
supply funds, pro tanto, to the bank. The 56,000/. owilig by
the bank at the time of my father's death has all been liqui-
dated, with the exception of 5,211/. My housekeeping and
personal expenses, from the 3d of November, 1837, to the 4th
of March, 1842, amount to 11,250/. 19s. 3d., the education of
my children to 1,0721.
-

The bankrupt was then examined by Mr. Bennett.—l do
not know how much gold there was at the bank on the eveninr,
of the 3d of March. There was not 1,000/. I did not take
the balance. From the book it appears that on the following
day there was at the bank 69/. in gold, bO/. in Bank of England
notes, ar.d 1901. in silver.
In your balance -sheet there is an item of '27,5941. 3s. 10d.
in liabilities to Messrs. Alasterman and others, believed to be
good. How much of that has been paid ?—All except one bill.
When all the liabilities have run oft; Messrs. Alasterman will
be indebted to the assignees to the extent of 2,0031. 3s. Air.
George \%igney's name is endorsed on bills to the extent of
13,000/. He began to ecdcrse bills for me during the last
year. Aiy account was overdrawn, and Mr. Alasterman said
it was desirable to have a name on the bill.

Now, Mr. Wigney, did you receive any sum of money for
withholding your resignation after your bankruptcy ?—No.
Have you not stated at the Reform Club that your last elec-
tion cost 2,300/. ?—I think I stated to some gentlemen who
manage the business of the Reform Club relating to giving as-
sistance to candidates, that my election had cost, or would cost,
about 2,000/. Lord Lowther, M.P., made my wife a present
of a. gold enamal watch ten years ago. That watch was lost
two or three years ago near the Elephant and Castle, and a
reward was offered for its restoration, hut without effect.
I-low many clubs did you belong to?—One in Brighton, and
two in London. I was a witness at the trial of Lord de Hoos.
I have occasionally played at short whist since 1837, forcrown
or half-crown stakes. I have played as high as 20s. points.
Did you ever lose 201. at a sitting?
Mr. Creasy objected to the question, which he said was put
to gratify a vindictive feeling, and not with a view of benefiting
the estate.

Some warm language here ensued. And the admissibility
of the question was argued at considerable length by Mr.
Creasy and Mr. Bennett,
The COMMISSIONERS decided that the question could not
be put, inasmuch as it had a tendency to invalidate the bank-
rupt's certificate.
Mr. Clement Wigney was then sworn; but the only ques-
tion put to him was one relating to the bond to his wife's trus•
tees for 5,000/. At the time he gave it he had nothing but
what his father allowed him. _ _ _

Mr. BENNETT then opposed the passing of the bankrupt, on
the ground that he had destroyed the documents relating to the
Glasgow affair, where nearly 70,000/. had been ingulfed, and
that he had not taken a proper course on discovering the loss of
the 745/.
Mr. Jamas, on the part of the assignees, said, that as an
adjournment could not be productive of any benefit to the
estate, the assignees did not ask for an adjournment.
Mr. CREASY then addressed the Commissioners in favour of
the passing of the bankrupts, and contended, in an eloquent
speech, that Mr. I. N. Wigney, fallen and erring as he was,
was still not criminal, and did not merit that the Commis-
sioners should, by refusing to allow them to pass, ratify and
adopt the censure which had, during the last four months, been
most unfairly cast upon him, and sent forth to the whole of the
civilized world through the medium of the press, without any
opportunity being afforded him of reply.
. The decision was postponed till to-morrow (this day), at
one o'clock.

DR. REID'SLECTURES ON CHE-

3IISTRY.
Metals, and their liability to oxydation, formed the subject
of Dr. Reid's lecture last night at Exeter Hall. The uses, he
observed, to which metals were put, both in every-day life,
and the arts that embellish that life, were so countless, that
there would be less difficulty in enumerating them, than in
repressing that enumeration. Ihe mightiest or most singular
among these, were the steam-engine, the printing-press, and
the small steel spring, on which the whole mechanism of the
watch depended. The readiness of metals to unite with oxy-
gen, naturally led the Doctor to the consideration of oxyda-
tion, their chief characteristic ; this process in iron assumed
the form of the red rust;- in copper that of the green. Of
those metals which do not oxydate, Dr. Reid mentioned, gold,
silver, platinum, and mercury : consequent upon this fact,
therefore, articles in use, or such as were desired to last with-
out any kind of corrosion attaching to them, are generally com-
posed of one or other of these. Platinum, it had been as-
serted, existed in large quantities in certain mines, but at so
enormous a price was it at present in the markets, that the
lecturer knew of 10,0001. and 15,000/. having been paid for
the construction of a boiler, of which platinum chiefly entered
into the make, but which was not capable of holding many
gallons. The fusion of metals in some districts was carried
on to so great an extent, that unhealthiness inevitably per-
vaded whole districts, from the fumes. Three factories in
\Vales, to the Doctor's own knowledge, evolved annually no
less than 80,000 tons of sulphur in a state of vapour, carrying
along with them portions of the copper, minute and invisible.
Damp and acid atmospheres were the chief causes of the oxy-
dation of metals; if the air could be rendered absolutely and
chemically dry, iron, kept therein, would be preserved from
rust, corrosion, or deterioration, for an indefinite period of
time. Water, again, if entirely released from its oxygen, will
allow iron to be kept bright under water for months. The
most powerful agents in the solution of metals were acid and
chlorine, the latter being the most potent of the two, and
formed by admixture of acids. In support of this statement,
Dr. Reid proceeded with a series of experiments, illustrative
of the solubility of gold and platinum thereby, which, with
some accompanying remarks, concluded his lecture.
It appears that the great room in which Dr. Reid usually
lectures, being in requisition next Wednesday, for a third
grand display of the classes of Air. Hullah, who, in common
with Dr. Reid—is another great improver of the public mind—
that ,Esculapius yields for that night to Apollo—and the lecture
of the latter, thus postponed for a week, will prolong the
course to the first week in August.