1829.] Protestant Colonies of Ireland. 41^. 



and where the poor laws are not introduced, there are a great many of 

 the miseries which are found in Ireland. Fide Evidence of A. Ninuno, 

 Esq. before the Lords' Committee on Ireland, 1824. This gentleman 

 thinks, that if they had been earlier introduced, Scotland would be now 

 a richer country. He also states, that the average expence of supporting 

 idle mendicants in Ireland, exceeds one million and a half annually, by 

 the contribution of more than a ton of potatoes from each farm-house, to 

 encourage a system of licentious idleness, profligacy, insolence, and 

 plunder ; and the grand jury presentments amount annually to a million. 

 Sti-engthened by those authorities and examples, we propose the adoption 

 of the following plan, for the productive employment of the people, 

 which may also act as a salutary check upon the landlords. 



1st, That the clergy be appointed permanent guardians of the poor; 

 and that two annual overseers be elected by the parish. 



2ndly, That to each district in Ireland, government appoint a civil 

 engineer for public works, w ho will lay out and project productive means 

 of employment, such as removing impediments to the navigation of 

 rivers, lakes, &c., making canals, piers, public roads, &c., and who 

 will report the utihty and progress of the same to grand juries and 

 Parliament. 



3dly, That overseers be empowered to send any pauper, on applica- 

 tion, who has no occupation, to those public works for employment, and 

 to charge his wages to the town land or parish wherein he was born. 



4thly, That all grand jury presentments, at present the fertile source 

 of peculation, should be executed under the superintendance of the over-, 

 seers and guardians of the poor, in their respective parishes. 



5thly, That the assessment for labour in each town land or parish should 

 be in proportion to each person's means, and thus the pressure would be 

 diffused over a greater surface, and would stimulate all to exert them- 

 selves in providing private employment for the people, the rate may be 

 limited at first to a certain poundage, and fines might be imposed on 

 absentees when they neglect their duties as overseers, grand jurors, 

 sheriffs, commissioners, &c. ; and the amount thereof thrown into the 

 labour fund. 



This measure would prevent the land owner fi-om exacting exorbit- 

 ant rents, and force him to employ his tenants or pay their wages at the 

 pubhc works. He would of course find it his interest to diminish the 

 amount of the laljour rates by increasing the means of occupation, and 

 the people would naturally respect the laws that thus protected them. 

 The adoption of this plan would destroy sympathy for the criminal, for 

 poverty or want of employment could no longer be pleaded in justification 

 of crime. It would put an end to the system of combination, and in 

 effect become a primary measure of police. It would be an insurance of 

 life and property, and then, if ever, would British capital be invested 

 beneficially in Ireland; you would not then hear of that frightful anomaly 

 of famine and its attendant fever, in the midst of plenty. The waste 

 lands, mines, fishing stations, &c. would be brought to a stiite of produc- 

 tion. We are aware that the landlords will object to the proposition. 

 The doctrine of M'Culloch, wlio recommends the neglect of public and 

 social duty, and the withdrawal of all capital, as the best means of rege- 

 neration, or the doctrine of IVIalthus, are notions so agreeable to the mer- 

 cenary and the indolent, that they could not fail to become popular with 

 the superficial. Those doctrines, like those of Ilobbes and JMandcvillc 



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