The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-07 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.

BAYLIS V. THE UNITY LIFE AND THE UNITY FIRE
OFFICES -ALLEGED BREACH OF AGREEMENT.

These cases came on for trial last Friday, and on
that occasion it was arranged that the Chief Justice
should himself sly what should be done between
the patties. The plaintiff had been accountant to
the two companies, at a salary at each of them of
330/. a year, and the actions were substantially to
recover a year's salary which had been agreed to
be paid to the plaintiff upon his ceasing to be ac-
countant.

His Lordship now stated his decision, and gave
his reasons for it. The result was that he directed
that the plaintiff should have the amount claimed,
to be paid quarterly as it became due. That the
plaintiff should render service if required in the
preparation of the accounts. And he also directed
that each party should pay his own costs, and if.
any dispute should arise as to these terms, he
would himself decide such dispute.

CARTE.% V. CLEMENT. —LIBEL.
This was an action to recover damages for libel.
The defendant pleaded not guilty, and also a plea
iu justific Aim), alleging that the statements com-
plained of were true.

Mr. C. Russell appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr.
Knowles and Mr. Clark for the defendant.

The plaintiff had been formerly superintendent of
the nursery at the Marylebone Workhouse, and the
defendant was the publisher of the Observer news-
paper. The action was to recover damages for a
libel published on the Ist of March last, and which
was in these terms :—" Disgraceful Plunder of
Pauper Children in Marylebone Workhouse.—On
Friday, at the meeting of the Marylebone Board of
Guardians, a discovery of one of the most cruel and
shameful species of robbery that can possibly be
imagined was brought to light by Mr. Barrett, the
newly elected master of Marylebone Workhouse. It
appears there are several Roman Catholic nurses and
helpers in Marylebone Workhouse, and that on Ash
Wednesday they obtained permission to go and hear
mass on that day. Ins',ead of the religious ceremonies
they professed to be anxious to take part in proving
of any benefit to them, the majority returned back
to the workhouse at night in a state of drunkenness,
and others have not been heard of since. Several
of the delinquents were brought before the rota for
their conduct, and one or two of them at-
tacked to the Infants' department imagining that
they had been exposed by the chief nurse of the
ward, in retaliation, and to revenge themselves,
made a revelation against the chief nurse in ques-
tion, that she was in the habit of robbing the poor
hr Ipless children of their food, which she secreted
and carried away by stealth from the workhouse,
as occasion offered. The depository of the pur-
loined stores was pointed out in the roof of the in-
fant
school dormitory, and on being examined the
most cruel and nefarious practices were brought to
light. Ribs of beef, mutton chops, several pounds
of sugar, rice, arrowroot, port wine, ale, beer, and
every description of stores, were found secreted,
and even milk in large quantities was made away
with, and the pans filled up with water. There
has been a fearful mortality in this particular ward
for some time past. It was only last week four
poor little creatures died, and the cause of their
death baffled the medical man, who has from time
to time attributed the sickly state of the children
to the want of proper ventilation. This shocking
discovery, however, throws a new light upon the
matter, and, horrible though it be, there is the
strongest ground for believing that through the
connivance and complicity of the nurses and help-
en with the head nurse, the poor children have
actually died from want of proper nourishment—
in fact from starvation. The woman who stands
charged with this atrocious conduct towards the
helpless infants entrusted to her care is at the pre-
sent moment so dangerously ill as to be unable to
be removed ; but as soon as she recovers,, it is
stated to be the intention of the guardians to insti-
tute a prosecution against her."
Evidence was given on the part of the plaintiff.
She herself, the matron of the Workhouse, and
other witnesses, were called. The substance of their
testimony was that the statements in the libel were
untrue, and that so far from the plaintiff having
acted cruelly to the children under her care, she be-
haved with kindness and had always done her duty.
It appeared that iu comequence of some state-