The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-10-11 00:00:00

IMPORTANT TO BUILDERS.

Yesterday Mr. Bunting, a master carpenter •nd builder
at Chelsea, was summoned to *hew cause why he refused to
pay live days wages to six of his men under the following
eircuunstances :—lt appeared, that the Complainants hail
beets at work fur the Defendant in Staffordshire ; tbey fumed
their own tools, mid had agreed they should be MO home
free of expense, as also have their passage paid by Mr.
Busting. They came to lawn when the jots was finished,
but they bad nut received their tools for live days lifter, and
could not work. For this they sought to recover the sum of
frs. per day each man for five days they bad been kept idle.
The Defendant refused paying them, on the ground that
the matter entirely rested with themselves and the clerk of
the work.. It was a circumstance which frequently happened
in the trade, that tools were forgotten through the negli-
gewee of the clerk or the men themselves, who, by the by,
were interested in such a delay, if they could with facility
obtain their wages; and if encouraged, there would be no
end to the gri , and masters would he continually ex-
posed to impositions of this sort, therefore he would rather
expend 30,0001. in defending this cause tbsu submit to a
claim se improperly made.
Mr. Alley, who attended for the men, maintained it was
the custom of the trade to remunerate the journeymen for
losa of time occasioned through the negligence of their em-
ployers in detaining their tools. The Legislature saw the
evil, and wisely invested the Magistrate with power to
compel the masters to compensate their journeyme• fur
losses anstamed in this manner and to enforce the payment
by distress upon their goods, /ice.
The Magistrates thought the mailer, as laid before, them
very complicated, but es far as it had been proved, they felt
it their duty to adjudge the Defendant to pay the demand of
the men. They were unt certain whether be could appeal
against the order, but they told him unless the matter was
adjusted iu thirty days after this decision, the Act of Parlia-
ment authorised them to issue a warrant of distress against
his goods and chattels.
The Defendant signified his intention of appealing
against at.
Mr. Alley said this was • question of great importance,
not only to the journeymen, but to the masters and the
trade is general; it did nut maitre whether the delay was
occasioned by the neglect of the clerks of works or any
other accident, as the law made no inch distinction. It
would be • good way for the Defendant to expend 30,000/.
its defending this cause, he would learn • lesson; each indi-
vidual could lay • separate information, and run him up
to a large expense; but the 28th, 30th, &c. of George 111.
authorises the Magistrate to enforce the payment in less
thaw thirty days.
The Defendant then said be would give no further trouble,
but would order his clerk to settle all matters with the Nora.
THAMES OFFICE.

ATTEMPT TO MURDER A POLICE OFFICER.
Tuesday evening as Judge and White, officers belonging
to this establishment, were passing through Broad street,
Ratcliffe, they ob d a gang of Italians lurking about in a
questionable manner, some of whom carried bundles, and
in consequence of the numerous depredations lately com-
mitted on the shipping iu the River Thames, the officer,
suspecting that they were part of au organized gang who
have for some time back infested that neighbourhood, more
particularly the borders of the River, and that the property
they then carried was the produce of some recent plunder,
they approached them, upon which they all ran off, with
the exception of one, an ill looking powerful fellow, whom
White secured. Judge pursued the flying bauslitti, but
unsuccessfully ; and White repaired with his Prisoner to
the office, and had proceeded on his way about half a sulk%
holding the Prisoner by one arm, when, on getting to •
lonely part of Fues.laiie, Shadwell, be ob d him, by the
light of a gas lamp, slipping • large knife from ouster his
coat sleeve of the arm that was disengaged, where Ise had
it concealed, waiting an opportunity. The officer fearing
the result, instantly grasped at Isis hand, but that only
enabled the Prisoner to be more his own master, as be was
then quite disengaged, and in a must determined manner
rushed at White, and making most frightful thrusts at his
body with the knife, how dieadful must have been his feel.
lugs at this perilous moment, being unarmed and unaccom-
panied, except by him who momentarily threatened to be his
assassin. He, however, warded off the stabs made at his body,
and miraculously succeeded in re capturing the bloodthirsty
villain, but not before he bad his hands sad fingers shock-
ingly mangled, and the tops of two of his fingers on the
eight hand, and one on the left, were rut clear off. After
the Prisoner was lodged in the strong room of the office and
searched, the properly found open him was proved to con-
sist of sundry articles of wearing apparel, &c. supposed to
be feloniously obtained.
He was remanded for fut thee examination.

On Friday evening last (hth instant), about ten o'clnek,
as two young men were walking down the end of the East
Pier, at Ramsgate, they observed a bundle wrapped up lying
behind one of the stone posts: they took 14 up and unpacked
it, when the contents were found to be a lady's bonnet, Hath
cloak, and a shawl, and from their not being wet .ith the
dew they could not in all probability have been there lung.
The extraordinary circumstance was immediately trade
known, bet nothing transpired that evening : the clothes
were indeed in the hands of Lieutenant Woodward,
the Harbour Master. Ou the following day public
notices were posted, stating, that • lady had left her
home that evening about • gamier before ten o'clock,
and had not since been beard of. The deem was
carried to the lady's late midenee, and it being recog-
nised by her husband, there was too great reason to fear
the sinfortane lady bad thrown beret* into the see in a state
of despondency. Too moth credit cannot be given to Lien-
tenant Woodward. far his truly lendable vest and unremit-
ting attention in sending the boat* and mum, under his
eoatmatid, to search for the body. ►ut their sitterpts were
fruitless, and nothing was •acertsiard respecting it, till
*boot live yeeterday Mammon (Monday, 9th instant), when
the body of the above lady was washed ashore on the bath-
big sande, and the intelbgesee being cominanicated to the
proper quarter, it was eseectainett that the Geattesaaa hid
left Retersete OP the MSS ipetiiaw fn mareh of herar—
(Kentish Gazette