The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-29 00:00:00

LAMBETH-STREET.

Yesterday, Mr. llobert Ogden Hullincll, one of the Society of
Friends, and an oilman, carrying on business in Whitechanel-
road, appeared on n summons issued at the instance of his late
servant•maid, Matilda Thomas, calling on him to account for
the detention of her clothes, and the non-payment of her wages.
The complainant stated that some days sirce she was sweeping
under one of the beds in the defendant's house, when amongst
the dust, she swept out a small piece of dirty lace, which at the
time,' along with the rest of the litter, she, threw into the coal.
hole. In about a week afterwards she picked it up and washed
it, and a yodng lady in the house, who was then present, doubled
it up for her. While she was doing so, her mistress SAW her.
and said that the late belonged to her. This she (complainant)
denied ; and on Saturday, without any previous notice, her mastitr
turned her out, retaining her clothes, and rot paying her wages,
in consequence of which she was for some days without !ivy place
to go to, and became very ill.
The defendant, on being called on for an explanation of Ida con-
duct, said that the complainant came into his employment about
a mouth ago, and that the lace, which she repreamted as having
been picked out of the dust.hol.s, she had stolen from a drawer
of his wife's. When he taxed her with the crime, she said that
she was willing to go before any Magistrate, and make affidavit
that such was not the case, but that it, as well ass gown which he
had detained, thinking it was purchased with his property, she had
procured.from the mistress she had last lived with.
Mr. HARDWICK—What reason have you to think that it was
purchased with your property ? Detendant—Some time since a
drawer in my counting-house, containing 10!. in silver, teas by ac-
cident left open, but though I did not miss any of it, her mother
having told nve that when she came into my service she had no
money, I thought, and still think, that the gown was purchased
with mine.

......
H ARDWICR—Yeti hail no right to stop these things. Your
conduct has been most uncharitable. It does not appear that you
have lost one farthing from your drawer; your proceedings have
been perfectly unjustifiable, and you have made yourself liable to
an action.
The defendant said that the detention was occasioned by a con-
viction that the things were purchased with h 4 money.
Mr. HA R paws—The things must be given up. It is by harsh
treatment of this kind towards young fernaks that our streets ate
swarming with unfortunate girls.
The defendant then proceeded to state his reasons for not paying
the wages; they wore, he said, her having, in his absence, on ken_
day, drank a bottle of sherry wine, and at several times having
broken numerous.artittest, including a decanter. He here handed
in a bill to his Worship, regularly drawn out as between debtor
and creditor, and containing, *among a pircel of minor items, the
following eery extraordinary one. ":Matilda Thomas. to It. 0.
Dr. To three quarters of a bottle of sherry wine, RA."
The Magiitrate expressed'his anrpriae at this very inttranntUnnry
document, and said that he thought the girl had certainly told a
falsehood as to the mode in which she procured the lace. yet that
ker sudden dismissal wse a sufficient punishment without the harsh
and Illegal measures which were afterwards pursued. As for the
things, as he before said, they must be given up; and with respect
to the wages, be thought that the defendant, after what had oc-
curred, ought not to he too pressing., . . .

Thedefendant Raid that lie would, in obedience to the order.
deliver up the things, and follow his Worship's recommendation
with regpeet to the wages.
The Magistrate said he did not recommend, but only expressed
an opinion.
The parties then withdrew. the Quaker evidently not much exhi.
lusted in spirit by the result of the interview.