136 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK II 



little petticoats for the child. I do not know what kitchen 

 means. I am not able to buy a halfpenny-worth of milk in 

 the fortnight, and have not tasted even a herring these three 

 months : I got no meal since the time it was given out by 

 the Committee, I cannot spin wool, but sometimes get a 

 stone of potatoes from a neighbour for spinning one pound 

 of flax : a cripple, three feet high, might spin flax, but it 

 requires a strong person to spin wool. A woman would get 

 6d. a dozen for yarn fifteen years ago, but now she would 

 not get 3d. My part of the collection at the church is 

 sometimes Id. and sometimes l^d. a week/ 5 



Parish of Tuam, town of Tuam, barony of Clare ; evidence of the Pro- 

 testant Archbishop, written by himself. 



Any children that are deserted are supposed to be ille- 

 gitimate. There have been some instances of their perish- 

 ing before they were discovered, but they have been very 

 few. From the present rate of wages and the little em- 

 ployment given to labourers, they would be utterly unable 

 to support the orphans of the parish, since they can hardly 

 maintain themselves. The support of orphans generally 

 falls upon the nearest relatives. 



At the last assizes the Protestant clergy sought for 

 presentments from the going judge of assize, but few pa- 

 rishes obtained what was requisite. The churchwardens 

 are obliged to take care of deserted children, but last 

 Easter there w T as no appointment of such offices. There 

 is an odium attached to the office, the duty of which is to 

 levy a rate upon the parish, and it was severe to inflict 

 upon Protestants exclusively such an office. When the 

 churchwardens had the charge of foundlings, they were al- 

 ways taken good care of, and had great tenderness shown 



