CH. II.] ORPHANS AND FOUNDLINGS. 141 



persuasion of the child ought to be decided by the ma- 

 jority of the rate-payers. 



Parish of Dunleckny and Wells, barony of Idrone. Twenty -five witnesses. 



The labouring classes are quite unable to make any 

 provision for their children being left orphans. There are 

 in this parish from thirty to forty orphans, supported either 

 by their relations or by begging ! 



A rate is laid for the support of foundlings, but the law 

 only allows a provision for children under twelve months 

 old, found destitute and deserted. 



The facility of having illegitimate children well taken 

 care of may increase the number of them, but it prevents 

 infanticide, no instance of which has occurred for twelve 

 years. 



The Protestant Dean thinks the closing of the Dublin 

 Foundling Hospital a matter of regret, and that it has 

 been a cause of great inconvenience to the parochial clergy. 

 The witnesses state that the children put out to nurses are 

 much better cared for than those brought up in the ho- 

 spitals, that they are more moral, because they become 

 members of the family, and that such an attachment grows 

 up between the peasants and the children, that it is with 

 the greatest pain and reluctance the nurses will give 

 them up, and the children have often,. when apprenticed 

 out, run away from their masters and returned to their 

 nurses. 



Province of Munster, parish of Kilbrogan and Ballymooden, barony of 

 KinnalmeaJcy ; examinations taken by Thomas Martin, Esq. and John 

 Lalor, Esq. Twenty witnesses. 



A most extraordinary mode of providing for foundlings 

 has been adopted for some years in this parish. For- 



