The National Register.
London, England, 1819-05-10 00:00:00

SEDUCTION.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, DUBLIN, Aram 24.
JAMESON V CAV 'INNAGH.
This was an action brought by the plaintiff to recover cm-
peniation for the loss of his daughter's services, in consequence
of her seduction by the defendant.
Mr. Goold stated the cue for the plaintiff, and Mr. Grady
for the defendant. Except a Mr. Woodmason, who was exa•
mined as to the character and condition of the plaintiff, the
only witness called was the daughter, a plain looking eirl about
twenty years of age, and who had the appearance of a decent
servant maid. Her father had been coachman to Sir Edward
Newenharn, and afterwards set up a publichouse in Belcump.
In this business be was unsuccessful, and he then took a few
acres of land. The defendant's father, a respectable farmer
and accountant, lived within a couple of fields of plaintiff's
house, and in the harvest of 1817 his son became acquainted
with this girl, and used to meet her by appointment in the
fields; he told her he was going to America, and that he a ouid
marry her and take her with him. On the 15th of March fol-
lowing he gave her a pound note, and desired her to buy a twit
ring and a pair of ear-rings, and to meet him in three days after,
when he would arrange with her about the marriage. They
accordingly met on the 18th, about eight o'clock in the evening.
in a field about thirty perches from her father's house, and here
lie again told her of his intended journey to America. and that
he would take her with him to Link, where they would embark ;
and here it was, that, before they separated, he effected his mir •
pose. She afterwards asked him several times to perform his
promise. and told him she got a deal of blame from her friends,
in consequence of the suspicions of her neighbours. Upon meet.
ing her by appointment, in Dublin, he sent her to sleep at a Mrs.
Coyle's, in Stoney-batter, and afterwards he directed her toreturn
to his house in the country, whither he told her lie himself would
fellow her on die next day. However, upon her subsequently
asking hint why he did not answer some letters which she had
written to him, his answer was, that he was afraid of the law.
Upon her cross-examination, she. with a great deal of reluc-
tance, confessed that the pelisse site wore belonged to a girl of
the name of I lollomn, the daughter of* blacksmith in her neigh-
bourhood. that the bonnet and veil belonged to another woman,
and the gown she had on to a third; that she used to work,
spread potatoes, ace. in her father's field; that a labouring boy
of her father's had courted her, and she consented to marry
him, but her friends would not allow her; that she had been
drinking at a public•house with young llolloran, the smith's son,
;aid her brother reprimanded her for being out with him on the
road; and that site used occasionally to take a noggin of punch,
or a quart of porter with sons of these her beaux; there were but
two bed .roimis in her father's house, in one of which she, her two
sisters, and her brother slept together. With the defendants she
had never slept, and from the time of the unfortunate business in
the fields, there was roother criminal intercourse between them.
The Jury, after retiring for about Yu minutes, found tOr the
plaintiff—Damages tool.

HATTON-GARDEN.

hISH PAUPERS AND THZ NZWPonft ACT.—An
application wts snack to the eriamsirate, W. L. Rogers,
by Mr. Bodkin, one of the overseers of the parish of
Clerkenwell, under Mr. Sturges Bourne's new Act for
.mending the Poor Laws.
A wretched-looking Irish woman, and three young
children, without shoes or stockings, and almost staked,
wete brooch& into the office by the beadle. Upon exa-
mination by the worthy mapstrate, it appeared that the
husband of she pauper, hiving been unable to procure
work, had some time since deserted his family, and that
although they had lived in this country upwards of to
years, and that all the children were born in the parish,
no legal settlement had been obtained : by the new act,
therefore, they were liable to lie immediately sent to
Ireland as vagrants.
Mr. Bodkin proceeded to remark upon the creepy of
the provisions of this act, which for the first time in 'this
country regarded poverty as a crime.
Maatstrate —Sir, whatever opinion may be enter.
tained upon this act, I have no discretion; if you de.
mind it, I alb ready to grant the order.

Mr I (To not demand it, but I do feel
my►elf most unpleasantly situated. Whilst other Um-
don parishes ate availing themselves of the powers of
this act, if cites :Abstain from doing so, the natural eon.
(lIIIVIICC will be to attract to us the whole of the burden.
The duty of an overseer new calls upon us to do that
which every man's feelinz,s must surely most strost...b.
condemn. My only object in bringing these miserable
objects before you is to arouse the public to a sense of
the inhumanity sad impulicy of the act. I cannot