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This was sitting appointed for the public examination of Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, described as a writer and dramatist, formerly of an address in Tite-street, Chelsea, and now of her Majesty’s prison, Wandsworth. The proceedings were founded upon a petition presented by the Marquis of Queensberry, who claimed £677 in respect of law costs in connexion with legal proceedings instituted by the debtor. It appears that the debtor's income has averaged about £2,000, which he states has been chiefly, if not entirely, derived from royalties received on plays and literary works written by him. These include the plays, Lady Windermere‘s Fan, An Ideal Husband, A Woman of No Importance, the Importance of Being Earnest, a novel entitled "Dorian Gray," and a book of poems called "The Sphinx." The doctor attributes his insolvency to the failure of legal proceedings taken by him against the Marquis of Queensberry, and to his arrest and conviction in the recent trial of "Regina v. Wilde." The Official Receiver observes that from the figures furnished and the deficiency account it would appear that the debtor has been in solvent for at least two years, and that his household and personal expenditure has been considerably in excess of his income. The statement of affairs showed liabilities £3,591 ; of this, sums amounting to £2,514 appear to be for money lent: £677 for law costs; and £233 for tobacco, wine, jewelry, flowers, &.

Mr. C.A. Pope attended as Assistant Official Receiver: and Mr. J.P. Grain for the debtor.

The debtor was brought up in the custody of two waters from Wandsworth prison, but was not brought into court. Upon the case being called on,

Mr. J.P. GRAIN said that he was instructed to apply for an adjournment. The debtor’s accounts should liabilities about £3,500, and substantially, so far as could be ascertained at the present time, there were no assets, although there were certain of the royalties on plays which might, at some future date, prove to be of value. Several of the debtor’s friends, however, had already subscribe sums amounting to between £1,000 and £1,500, and he had every reason to believe that one many other of his friends returned from their vacation they would also rather such financial assistance as would be sufficient to pay all the creditors 20s. in the pound, with the exception of a liability of £1,557 due to the trustees of his marriage settlement. It was intended that some arrangement should be made whereby that claim would be satisfied by the execution of a deed transferring to the trustees of the marriage settlement all the debtor’s interest in his place and literary works. By this means all the creditors would be paid in full, and an application would then be made to resend the receiving order. Under these circumstances, he asked about the sitting might be adjourned for so long a time as the Court might think fit.

The ASSISTANT OFFICIAL RECEIVER said that he would not oppose the application if there was any prospect of the creditors being paid in full.

No credit or appearing to oppose,

His HONOUR ordered the examination to be adjourned until November 12, at 11:30 o’clock.

This was a sitting for public examination in the case of Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, described as a writer and dramatist, formerly of an address in Tite-street, Chelsea, and now of her Majesty’s prison, Wandsworth. The receiving order was made on July 25 last, upon the petition of the Marquis of Queensberry, who claims £677 in respect of costs in connexion with legal proceedings instituted by the debtor. The statement of affairs shows liabilities £3,591, of which £2,514 is money for lent and £233 for tobacco, wine, jewelry, flowers, &., while the value of the assets, which consist of royalties on published literary works and plays and a life policy, is not given. It appears that the debtor’s income has averaged about £2,000 per year, which, he states, has been derived chiefly, if not entirely, from royalties on plays and literary works written by him. These include the plays, Lady Windermere’s Fan, An Ideal Husband, A Woman of No Importance, The Importance of Being Earnest, a novel entitled "Dorian Gray,' and a book of poems called "The Sphinx." The debtor ascried his insolvency to the failure of legal proceedings taken by him against the Marquis of Queensberry, and to his arrest and conviction int he recent prosecution of "Regina v. Wilde."

Mr. A.H. Wildy appeared as Official Receiver, and Mr. J.P. Grain for the debtor.

The debtor was brought up from Wandsworth Prison in the custody of two warders, and when he took his place in the witness-box the court was crowded. He stated, in reply to the Official Receiver, that he was 40 years of age, and for about 10 or 11 years previously to March last he had resided at 16, Trite-street, Chelsea. He kept no books of account. He estimated that his expenditure during the two or three years preceding the date of the receiving order had been at the rate of about £2,900 per year. In July, 1893, his liabilities exceeded his assets by about £1,450. He remembered being examined at the instance of the Official Receiver on July 29 last, and the information which he then gave in relation to his plays and works due thereon was substantially correct. (His statements appeared in The Times of August 27.) It was usual for him to receive payment in advance for royalties, with the result that certain theatrical managers appeared in his accounts as creditors, their security consisting of acting rights in respect of his plays. It was about the time of his conviction that he first became aware that he did not possess sufficient property to enable him to pay all his debts in full. He adhered to the statements which he had already made as to the causes of his insolvency. Continuing his evidence, the debtor stated that on the occasion of his marriage in May, 1884, a settlement was executed comprising property belonging to his wife, and income derived there from had amounted to about £800 per year. He had a light interest in the property comprised and the deed is subject to his surviving his wife, who was 35 years of age. The trustees of the settlement have made him an advance of £1,000 pounds at 5 per cent. interest. He had also an interest in a small property under his father as well. It was situated in Ireland, and produced between £100 and £150 a year. The household furniture and effects at his residence and Tite-street were sold in April last by the Sheriff under an execution. He had never previously become bankrupt, nor affected an arrangement with his creditors.

Mr. Grain did not ask the debtor any questions, and, in the absence of opposition by any creditor, the examination was concluded.