Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Report on Ireland.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Report on Ireland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    :sites of houses to be built for the reception of the helpless poor and for keeping in restraint sturdy beggars and vagabonds. They could grant badges to such of the helpless poor as had resided one year in their respective counties, cities or towns, with a license to beg within such limits for such time as might be thought fit. They were required, as soon as they possessed sufficient funds, '' to build hospitals to be called Avorkhouses or houses of industry, for the relief of the poor of their respective counties, as plain, as durable, and at as moderate expense as may be. Every man above fifteen years of age found begging without a badge, was to be committed to the stocks for any time not exceeding three hours for the first offence, and six hours for every subsequent oftence. The children of persons licensed to beg, as well as father- less and deserted children found strolling and begging were to be conveyed to the Committee of.the County, City or Town, and placed, if under 8 years of age, in a Charter School iSTursery^; children above that age to be apprenticed. Grand Juries were required to present certain sums annually for this object, and all rectors, vicars and incumbents were required to permit such clergymen as the respective corporations might appoint, to preach sermons in their churches annually, and to permit collections to l)e made for the olijects contemplated by the Act. 21. There was, however, no certain and sufficient provision for carrying these enact- ments into effect, and in no instance was such provision made compulsory. A portion only of the funds necessary was imposed on the ratepayers—the remainder was sought to be obtained by voluntary contributions. 22. Sir George Nicholls in his history of the Poor Laws, from which the foregoing extracts are taken, ol^serves :— The training up and educating poor children as protestants and the repression of vagal)ondism, appear to be the objects chiefly sought to be attained by all these Acts of the Irish Parliament; and to these objects the relief of the infirm and destitute poor seem to be regarded as a matter altogether secondary and subordinate. ^ After the Union IjetAveen England and Ireland other enactments dealing with the relief of the poor were passed. Amongst these mav 1)e mentioned :—The 45th Geo. III., cap. Ill, 1805 (Dispensaries), the 46th Geo. Ill, c. 95, 1806 (Hospital and Infirmaries). The 49th Geo. III. c. 101, 1809 (Irish Bogs). The 54th Geo. III. c. 112, and 58th Geo. IIL c. 47, 1814-18 (Fever Hospital). The 59th Geo. III., c. 41 (Officers 01 Health to be appointed). The 57th Geo. III. c. 106, 1817 (Lunatic Asvlums). The 3rd Geo. IV. caps. 3 and 84, 1822 (Distress and Extension of Relief). The 6th Geo. IV., c. 102, 1825 (Deserted Children). House of Commons Committee Report, 1804- 23. This Committee was appointed to make inquiry respecting the poor in Ireland. The Committee considered that the ado^jtion of a general system of provision for the poor of Ireland by Avay of parish rate as in England, or in any similar manner would be highly injurious to the country and would not produce any real or permanent advantage, •even to the lower class of people who must l^e the objects of such support. The 'Committee state that the Acts relating to the estaljlishment of Infirmaries or County Hospitals have been carried into eff'ect in almost all counties, whilst the Act em- powering Grand Juries to present for the support of a ward for insane or idiotic persons has not been complied with. The Committee add that the very, important matters referred to them require more deliberation than the advanced period of the Session permitted, and they recommended that the investigation should be renewed the folloAving Session. It would appear that this was not done. House of Commons Committee Report^ 1819.^ 24. The Committee was appointed to inquire into the state of disease, and also into the condition of the labouring poor in Ireland. The Committee considered that the prevalence of fever in Ireland was a calamitous indication of general distress, and in order to prevent the migration through the country of numerous bodies of mendicant poor who, pressed l^y want and seeking relief, have fatally contributed to - l Charter Schools were established in 1733, by Charter of George II, They are under the Incorporated .Society for promoting English Protestant Schools in Ireland. 8 Nicholls' History of the Irish Poor Laws, p. 59. 3 Sir John Newport was Chairman of this Committee.