The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-30 00:00:00

employment, enjoying your confidence, it is a dreadful
thing that confidence reposed in those whom you employ
should be so often abused. It destroys, or has a great ten-
dency to destroy, and must certainly injure that feeling be-
tween master and servant, of kindness on the part of the
master, of fidelity and loyalty on the part of the servant
which it is much to the interest of society should be culti-
vated and strengthened, but which must be greatly and in
many cases utterly destroyed by the prevalence of this
crime of embezzlement. I may say with truth and sincerity
that the prevalence of this crime has often caused me most
painful reflection; and whether it is that I am influenced
by the pain which this thought has caused me I do not
know, but I fear that this discription of crime is on the
increase. I have watched it carefully for many years, and
that is the impression which rests upon my mind. Having
given this offence much of tay attention, it appears to me
that while the criminality is on the part of the servant,
there has often been much imprudence, to give it its lightest
term, on the part of the master; and I throw it out for
your consideration whether imprudence which has for result
the fall from rectitude of a fellow creature is not to some ex-
tent tinctured with criminality. Now, I have frequently
observed that persons are put in trust of money by their
masters as stewards, to receive debts for them, and in
various ways to handle their masters' money, who could
not reasonably be supposed to have the caution which every
person ought to have who is clothed with such a trust.
Surely it is wrong when a master receives a servant, espe-
cially a servant without a character, as frequently happens
—sometimes from the very kindest motives on the part of the
master—surely it is wrong to admit such a person immedi-
ately into a place of trust and confidence. Surely there ought
to be a reasonable time of probation, that the master should
have some evidence, some testimony on which he can rely,
that the servant is trustworthy. But even then let him not
subject the servant to trials above his strength; let him
proceed gradually in the degree of confidence which he re-
poses. For instance, let him not, when he first entrusts
the servant with the power of receiving money, trust him
at the same time with the power of paying out from the
monies which he receives sums for his master, and thus pro-
duce a complication of accounts, but for a time let the mas-
ter say, Bring to me the exact coins that you receive;
don't change them. Bring the gold, or the notes, or the
bills of exchange that you have received. Do nothing with
them, but carefully and punctually bring them to me.'
And, gentlemen, let the intervals of auditing accounts be
very short indeed. At first, at all events, they cannot be
too frequent, nor can the master be too punctual himself in
this matter. Let him not upon slight reasons postpone and
say, ' Come again to-morrow with your money and your
accounts, and we will balance accounts.' Let him do it at
the appointed time with a fated certainty, so that the ser-
vant may know that at a given hour he must render up an
account to his master. If unnecessary time be allowed to
intervene, neither the master nor the servant will be able to
bring his mind to the subject with anything like certainty.
With these safeguards I trust, gentlemen, that it would be
found that many a person who has been tempted and ulti-
mately fallen could have been saved a life of disgrace ; and
the master and the clerk would, if all acted on these prin-
ciples, be spared that most painful and harassing feeling of
distrust of those about them," After a few other general
remarks upon the calendar, none of the cases calling for
special observation, the learned Recorder dismissed the
and jury to their duties.