CH. II.] ORPHANS AND FOUNDLINGS. 139 



foundlings has devolved, says : " I have seven children of 

 my own to support ; four years ago my wife undertook the 

 care of a foundling for 6s. a month. We were regu- 

 larly paid for the first and second years. The third year I 

 processed the churchwardens, and recovered the amount ; 

 but though the churchwarden is by law accountable to 

 me for the money, the law is little protection to me, as 

 I am too poor to pay for it. I worked yesterday for 5c?., 

 and have no work today, and the expense of serving the 

 process and the attorney's fee would amount to 4*. 6d." 



An instance was mentioned of the inhabitants of a vil- 

 lage, where a child was deserted, undertaking its support ; 

 they passed the child from house to house, leaving it a 

 few weeks at each, as agreed on among them. 



Parish of Cong, village of Cong. Fifteen witnesses. 

 There are two young orphan children ; a peasant took 

 them to his cabin for a year and a half, while they begged 

 for their food, which he could not afford them. 



County ofRoscommon ; examinations taken by F. Diggens, Esq., and W. 

 M ( Cullagh, Esq. ; parish of Boyle, barony of Boyle. Ten witnesses. 



There are six deserted children on the list in this 

 parish, all supposed to be illegitimate. More children 

 are left in houses than in fields or on the road. The 

 women who nurse the foundlings become almost invari- 

 ably attached to them, and rear them as their own chil- 

 dren. 



These people are opposed to the re-establishment of 

 the Foundling Hospital, because it separated for life the 

 child from the mother ; whereas now she watches what 

 becomes of it, and can claim it again, if circumstances 

 enable her to bring it up. 



