(Ireland.)

A

B I L L

For the better Relief of the Destitute Poorof

Ireland.

[Note.—The Words printed in Italics are proposed to be inserted in

the Committee.]

W

1.

HERE A 6 it is desirable that the law should provide Preamble.

as fully in Ireland as it does in England against the danger of any

destitute poor persons perishing through want: And whereas an Act was passed in the second year of the reign of Her present 5 Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled, “ An Act for the more effectual

Relief of the destitute Poor in Ireland ;” and likewise an Act in the seventh

year

of the reign of Her present Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled, “ An Act for the further Amendment of an Act for the

more effectual Relief of the destitute Poor in Ireland;" WBÉ ít 10 therefore Enacted, by The QUEEN's most Excellent Majesty, by

and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, THAT from and after such day or days as the Boards of

Poor Law Commissioners appointed under the aforesaid Act or Acts 15 shall, by writing under their hand and seal, determine the respective infirm Poor

Boards of Guardians of the several Unions formed in Ireland under the Workthe said Act or Acts, shall be and are hereby authorized and required (any thing to the contrary in the said Act or Acts notwithstanding) to

take order for the relief, either by admission into the Workhouses of 20 the said Unions, or otherwise, in such inanner as the said Commis

sioners shall direct, of all such destitute persons, at any time being within the said Unions respectively, as may be unable to support themselves and destitute children by reason of old age, infirmity or defect.

Guardians to relieve

house.

5

Public

2. Boards of

And be it Enacted, That the said Boards of Guardians shall be Guardians to relieve able- and are hereby authorized and required (any thing to the contrary in bodied Poor, by setting to the before-recited Act or Acts notwithstanding) to take order for work either in the Work- the relief of such other destitute persons within their respective house or

Unions as the said Guardians shall deem to be unable to support elsewhere on

themselves by their own industry, or by other lawful means, in such Works.

manner as to the said Guardians shall seem best (but subject therein to the orders of the said Commissioners), either by admitting them into the Workhouse, and therein setting them to work, or by otherwise maintaining and setting them to work elsewhere, upon some work or works of public utility, giving the preference to such as shall be most generally advantageous to the district over which the Union extends, and such as are not likely to be undertaken by private enterprise.

10

make arrangements with Board of Works, County and

veyors, &c.

bodied Poor.

3. Guardians AND whereas many works of a public character are being now or empowered to

may hereafter be carried on in Ireland, by or under the direction of the 15 Board of Works, or of the county or baronial surveyors, and by

means or with the aid of funds raised by general or local taxation; Baronial Sur- and such works may afford the means of providing employment for employ

for
many

of the destitute poor of Ireland, who may apply to the ment of able- Boards of Guardians of their respective Unious for relief; BE it 20

Enacted, That the Guardians of any Union shall be and are hereby
empowered, if they shall think fit, (but subject always to the direc-
tions therein of the Commissioners) from time to time, or at any time,
to make arrangements with the Board of Works, or with the Sur-
veyor, Engineer or Contractor engaged in the execution of any public 25
work in Ireland, for the employment upon such work of any number
of the able-bodied destitute poor that may be chargeable to the said
Union : Provided always, That such poor labourers shall receive while
employed on such works a sufficient allowance for their maintenance,
either in money or in kind : Provided also, That their wives and

30 children, if any, be likewise in the meantime relieved by the said Guardians, in such manner as to them may seem best.

35

4. Penalty on

And be it Enacted, That any poor person who, being in the receipt able-bodied Poor for of relief from any Board of Guardians, and having been set to work neglecting or refusing such by them, shall refuse or wilfully neglect the work which he is ordered Work.

to perform, or shall not duly and to the best of his ability perform the same, or shall refuse to conform to the lawful rules and regulations laid down by the said Board, with the view to the employment and maintenance of himself and other poor persons, so long as he continue chargeable thereto, shall, upon proof thereof before any Justice of the Peace, be committed, at the discretion of the said Justice, to the gaol or house of correction of the county or city in which such offence is committed, for not exceeding One calendar Month, with or without hard labour.

And

40 5. Guardians

may assist to

been Four

make Rates

And be it Enacted, That the power given in the said last-recited Act to the Guardians of any Union to assist destitute poor persons to emigrate

Poor Persons emigrate, who shall have been for Three Months inmates of the who have Workhouse, shall be held and construed to apply to all such des

teen Days 5 titute poor persons as shall have been for the space of Fourteen chargeable.

Days relieved in any manner by the said Guardians, under the provisions of the said recited Acts or of this Act.

6. And be it Enacted, That the Boards of Guardians of the several Guardians to

Unions in Ireland shall and they are hereby authorized and required for these 10 to provide the sums necessary for carrying into execution the provisions purposes ;

of this Act, out of the rates made and levied by them under the autho- be hencerity of the said recited Act or Acts; but likewise that all rates made levied equally and levied by them after the passing of this Act for any of the pur- Union.

poses of the aforesaid Act or Acts, or of this Act, shall be made and 15 levied upon one uniform and equal assessment of the entire Union

thereto, without distinction between the several electoral divisions therein contained, any thing in the said Act or Acts to the contrary notwithstanding.

forward

on the whole

One Month's

on Men

7. AND whereas much waste, immorality and other bad effects result Penalty of 20 from the mendicancy and vagrancy that prevails to a great extent in Imprisonment

Ireland ; and provision being made for the due relief of all such poor dicancy. persons as are really destitute and in danger of perishing from want, it is expedient to prevent and punish the begging for alms, for

which there will no longer remain the excuse of necessity; BE it 25 Enacted, That from and after the passing of this Act every person

who shall beg, or whose wife or children shall beg, for alms in any Union, shall, upon proof thereof before any Justice of the Peace, be committed, at the discretion of the said Justice, to the gaol or house

of correction of the county or city in which such offence shall be 30 proved to have taker: place, for a term not exceeding One calendar Month, with or without hard labour.

8. And be it Enacted, That the said recited Acts and this Act shall be Act to be

construed as construed as one Act, except so far as the provisions of any one one Act with

preceding Act shall repeal or alter the provisions of any previous Act.

Poor Law

Acts.

35

9. And be it Enacted, That this Act shall extend only to that part of Act to extend

only to the United Kingdom namned Ireland.

Ireland.

10.

And be it Enacted, That this Act may be amended or repealed by Act may be any Act to be passed in this present Session of Parliament.

To facilitate the Employment of the Labouring Poor for

a limited Period in distressed Districts in Ireland.

[Note.—The Words printed in Italics are proposed to be inserted

in the Committee.]

W

HEREAS by reason of an apprehended failure of a portion Preamble.

of the Potato Crop of the present season in Ireland, it is expedient to make provision for facilitating and encouraging the Employment of the Poor in Districts where Distress may prevail ;

1.

this Act.

5

BE it therefore Enacted, by The QUEEN's most Excellent MAJESTY, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commous, in this present Parliament assembled, and the Authority of the same, THAT whenever, on representation of Extraordithe existence of distress in any district, it may seem expedient to the nary Present

ment Sessions 10 Lord Lieutenant or other Chief Governor or Governors of Ireland, may be as

sembled by that an Extraordinary Presentment Sessions for any barony, half the Lord

Lieutenant barony, county of a city or county of a town in Ireland, the county for the pre

sentment of of the city of Dublin excepted, should assemble and make Present. Works under

ments for the execution of public works in such district, it shall be 15 lawful for the Lord Lieutenant, or other Chief Governor or Governors

of Ireland, froin time to time, by a notice to be published in the Dublin Gazette, and also in One or more newspapers circulating in the respective district, and of which notice copies shall be posted in the

usual places for posting public Grand Jury notices in such 20 district, to direct and require that an Extraordinary Presentinent

Sessions for such barony, baronies, half barony, half baronies,
county of a city or county of a town, as the case may be, shall
meet and assemble at such place or places in such district for the