The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-26 00:00:00

upon to administer the law, the requirement of which, it was
alleged, she had knowingly disregarded.
The information having been read, Mrs. Wright 'was called
upon to plead to it. She said she was guilty, certainly, but she
begged to be permitted to state, in extenuation, that she had
ao intention of setting the law at defiance. Her husband was
a traveller, and did not sleep in Loudon thirty nights in the
year. The management of the business devolved upon her, and
in attending alas to her family this matter had slipped her
memory. She had been in business twenty-two years, and the
Museum had not had occasion to complain before. It was
formerly the custom to call upon the bookseller for nine
copies, which she had always delivered cheerfully, but from
the letters she gathered that there was now a change, and the
booksellers were required to carry their copies to the Museum.
She had, upon receiving the letters, directed the shopman to
leave them on the first opportunity, and she had neglected to
inquire whether he had dose so.
Mr. Alderman Musa aova inquired the nature of the
almanac. Mr. Wilde said it contained only astrological pre-
dictions, but it would, perhaps, be a matter of curiosity in
after times.

Sir PETER LAURIE asked if the Museum enforced the deli-
very of a copy of every transient publication ; for instance, a
song. Mr. Wilde said the Act gave a definition of a book,
which would include a single printed sheet.
Mr. Alderman MUSGP OYE asked if the counsel pressed for
the full penalty. Mr. Wilde replied that the trustees wished
to leave the amount entirely to the discretion of the magistrates.
The magistrates having consulted,
Mr. Alderman Musuaovx said Sir PETER felt with him a
difficulty in reducing the penalty, because two notices had
been sent to Mr. Wright, requiring the delivery of the books,
and the trustees had been obliged to incur expense in main-
taining a right vested in them for the benefit of the public.
They had considered the matters urged in mitigation, and could
not reduce the penalty below 20s. in each case, and the value
of the two almanacs. _ _

Mrs. Wright thanked the magistrates and retired.
LAMBETH.

William Hewitt, private secretary, as it was stated, to Mr.
F. O'Connor, again attended before Mr. Henry, to answer the
complaint of the officers of Lambeth parish, of neglecting to
support his wife, in consequence of which she had become
chargeable to them.
The case stood adjourned from Saturday last, to give time
to the relieving officer of Lambeth to make further inquiries
as to the defendant's means and income; and also an oppor-
tunity for the attendance of his wife, she being too ill on
Saturday to appear in Court.
Mr. Bellamy said that all he had been enabled to learn was,
that the defendant was in the receipt of a guinea a-week, be-
sides his partial board, and that he was living with another
woman as his wife at a house in Lock's-fields, where he paid
3s. 6d. a week rent. Since Saturday the necessaries supplied
to Mrs. Hewitt amounted to 93., and the relief supplied alto-
gether by the parish amounted to 1/. 6s. 6d.
Mr. HENRY—Has he made any proposition as to the pay-
ment of that amount and the future maintenance of his wile ?

Mr. Bellamy—He merely offers to settle with the parish
what they have expended, and to give five shillings a week to
hie wife.

Mr. UINRY—Five shillings is not enough for the poor
woman in the state she appears in. I should say seven shil-
lings is quite as little as she can do with.
Defendant—l cannot give it, Sir ; all I can do at present is
to pay the 17s. 6d. due up to Saturday, and to allow ss. a
week. I will also pay the 9;. on Saturday next.
Mr. HENRY—I don't think that sufficient. Let the wife be
sworn.

Mrs. Hewitt, who was obliged to be carried into Court,
and who presented the the most distressing spectacle of human
suffering that can well be conceived, was here sworn, and
deposed that she had been married to the defendant twenty
years ago, and she had one child by him, a girl now about
eighteen years of age. About eight years ago her husband
left her, and allowed her eight shill►ngs a week ; but, after
an absence of nearly two years, he solicited her to allow
him to return, and, upon (the recommendation of her
friends, she permitted him to return. He, however, again
left her, when he had a situation as assistant to a librarian in
the House of Commons, and then for a short time gave her
12s. a week. This he soon after discontinued, and took up
with a female of ill fame who used to walk the New-cut, and
still lived with her as his wife. In November last she found out
the residence of her husband, through a friend of hers seeing
him, and he then agreed to allow her 2s. a week: This sum,
owing to her affliction and suffering from an internal abscess,
was totally inadequate to her support, and she felt perfectly
satisfied she must have died from the want of proper necessaries
had it not been for the kindness and humanity of Mr. Bellamy,
the relieving officer.
Mr. ligNaT thought a strong ease of neglect had been made
out against the defendant, and one which the law contemplated
in awarding punishment. It was sufficiently shown that
he was living with another fern de as his wife, and sup-
porting her, whilst at the same time he had shamefully ne-
glected his wife, or, at least, given her such a pittance from
his earnings of a guinea a week as was totally inadequate to
her support in her present deplorable situation. It was also
clear, as the poor woman had herself acknowledged, that she
must have died from want of proper necessaries, had it not
been for the kindness of the relieving officer ; and for this
wilful neglect of his wife, and leaving her chargeable to the
parish, he (Mr. Henry) should commit him to prison for one
month. _ .

The prisoner was accordingly sent to Brixton House of Cor-
rection for one month.

...
SOUTH W ARK.

A poor widow, having five children, wai brought up, charged
with leaving the workhouse without giving due notice of her
intention.

It appeared the widow and her five children had become in-
mates of St. Saviour's Union some time since, soon after which
the latter were sent to Mr. Aubyn's establishment at Norwood.
The mother, being in health, and not wishing to remain in the
workhouse, intimated her desire to quit the place, and obtain
employment, by which she could m aintain herself, and also be
enabled to procure some little necessaries for her children.
This wish on her part, however, was met by a refusal, being
informed that she must either remain in the house or take the
whole of her children with her if she went out. Kno.ving that
she was utterly incompetent to support such a family by her
own exertions, she mentioned the impossibility of complying
with such a regulation, and being tired of the place, she took
an opportunity of gritting it without permission, and obtained
a situation. The people of the workhouse, however, finding
out where she was, had her taken into custody for absconding,
leaving her children chargeable.
Mr. CoTTINcHAm said that he would be sorry to punish
a woman under such circumstances; that she bad no means
of supporting her five children, who were sent to Norwood,
and that her anxiety to procure for herself the means of exist-
ence, without living in the workhouse, showed that she was of
industrious habits, and did not wish to be a burden on the
parish. Since the above circumstances took place, it appeared
the woman, being out of work, was again received into the
workhouse, and some time afterwards, finding that she could
again obtain employment, but that she would not be permitted
to leave the house without taking her large family, she again
absented herself without leave, and was a second time appre-
hended.

Mr. Cettingham sent to make inquiries about the poor
woman, and ascertained that she was honest and industrious.
A female, with whom ,he worked, attended the court, and, as
an instance of her industry, said that while in her employ the
widow worked constantly from four o'clock in the morning
until twelve o'clock at night.

In reply to Mr. CoTrstsc tram, the witness said that it was
needlework. She employed the widow, and that she earned at
the rate of 2s. a day.
Mr. COTTINGHAM said it must be awful drudgery to work
so many hours for such a pittance, still the poor woman pre-
ferred it to remaining in the workhouse. The Magistrate
again expressed his disinclination to punish the widow for
quitting the workhouse enter such circumstances, and that at
all events he should not carry into effect the letter of the law
in her case, until he had some conversation with the guardians
on the subject. The matter was, therefore, ordered to stand
over for that purpose.