The Sun.
London, England, 1830-05-13 00:00:00

NOW-STREET.

Yesterday Mr. Lister, a solicitor connected with
the Morning Journal newspaper, appeared before
Mr. HALLS to answer the complaint of a compositor
named Coles, who claimed an arrear of wages, al-
leged to be due to him by the proprietors of the
above-named journal. About 25 compositors and
printers similarly situated applied for summonses
also, but, at the suggestion of Mr. HALLS, two cases
only were selected, in order to try the merits of the
question, it having been objected that Mr. Lister,
not being a proprietor of the paper, was not respon-
sible for any demands upon it.
Mr. Adolphus appeared for the complainants, and
Mr. Harmer for Mr. Lister.

Mr. Harmer had an objection to make, which
however he did not mean to press, although he felt
it his duty t• mention it. Is all cases in which
workmen sought to recover wages before Magis-
trates, they were bound to summon their actual
employers, unless such employers were at a consi-
derable distance at the time, and bad intrusted their
business to others, in which case those who were
so intrusted were certainly liable. In this ease,
however, such liability did not appear, as it was
sufficiently notorious that Mr. Alexander was a
prisoner in Newgate, where he might have bee■
served with a summons, and could have appeared
here to answer it by virtue of a writ of Habeas
Corpus.
Mr. HALLS was of opinion that the situation in
which Mr. Alexander was placed rendered a sum-
mons useless with respect to him. The only ques-
tion was, how far the liability extended to Mr. Lister.
Mr. Harmer did not mean to press the objection
he had taken. All he wished to say on behalf of
his client was, that he had no interest in the pro-
prietorship of that paper, and appeared merely as
the solicitor of Mr. Alexander.

Mr. Adolphus then addressed the bench on be-
half of the complainants, observing, that his only
desire in the proceeding was, that the poor men,
many of whom had wives and families, should be
paid their just earnings. lie begged to say, that he
had no personal feeling against the paper : on the
contrary, he regretted the situation in which it ap-
peared to be placed.
the complainant Coles was then called forward,
and produced his account, amounting to 61. 155.,
being an arrear of wages due to him by Mr. Robert
Alexander, one of the proprietors of the Morning
Journal, for work and labour done at his printing-
office in the Strand.

Mr. Marsden, the foreman and printer at the
Morning Journal office, proved that the amount of
the complainant's demand was correct.
Mr. Harmer produced an agreement entered into
between Mr. Lister and the complainants, as part
of the general body of workmen, by which they
consented to work the paper for a week longer, in
consideration of receiving 2/. each on account of
their wages, and should the proprietors neglect or
refuse et) sanction the agreement, Mr. Lister engaged
to pay the amount himself.
Mr. Adolphus observed, that this agreement was
very fair on the part of Mr. Lister, but, in his opi-
nion, it made him liable to the present proceeding.
Mr. Lister said, he had redeemed his pledge by
paying the money. The agreement therefore was
cancelled, and could not be produced as evidence
against him. He had himself been a considerable
loser by the paper, having paid at the rate of 1001.
a week to support it. Having done every thing in
his power both for the interest of the complainants
and the establishment generally, he thought they
(the complainants) had not acted quite fairly to-
wards him by adopting the present proceeding.
The complainant Cole said that neither himself
nor his companions had the slightest wish to injure
the property of the Morning Journal. Neither had
they the least feeling against Mr. Lister. In the hope
that the property might he advantageously disposed
of, they had waited week after week, but as no
money was forthcoming, and as their families were
in actual want, they Were driven to adopt the pre-
sent alternative.

Mr. Adolphus observed that the present proceed-
ing would in all probability render any further mea-
sures unnecessary.

The order for payment having been made out
against Mr. Lister,
Mr. HALLS observed that 21 days would be
allowed before the order should be enforced. Had
the proprietor appeared in person, the order
for payment would have been made instanter,
but 21 days were allowed by law in the ease of an
agent.—After some further observations,
Mr. Adolphus observed that Mr. Lister appeared
to have acted throughout the business in a highly
honourable manner. . . _

concurred in the observation, and the
parties soon after retired.
Charles &nil h and Sarah Tomlinson were
brought forward for a final examination. The pri-
soner Smith, it will be retnestbered, was charged
with having stolen a quantity of plate and wearing

apparel, the property of his master, Thomas F. Dy-
mock, Esq., of Lincoln's-inn-fields, and the female
prisoner was charged with having pawned the pro-
perty with a guilty knowledge.
Several pawnbrokers produced various articles
pawned by the prisoners. Some of them bore the
name of Mr. Dymock in full length.—Consmitted.