294 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK III. 



SECTION XXVI. 



BY the Act which " establishes Regulations for preventing 

 Contagious Diseases in Ireland," parishes are authorized to 

 appoint officers of health, who are empowered and required 

 to apprehend all idle poor persons, men, women, or chil- 

 dren, and all persons who may be found begging or seek- 

 ing relief, or strolling or wandering as vagabonds within 

 any parish or place, and to direct and cause all such idle 

 persons, beggars, and vagabonds, to be removed and to be 

 conveyed out of and from such parish and place, in such 

 manner and to such place as the nature of the case may 

 require ; and any justice of the peace may upon his own 

 view, or upon the complaint of any churchwarden or of- 

 ficer of health, commit any such strolling beggar or vaga- 

 bond, or idle poor person, to any Bridewell or House of 

 Correction, or other public place of confinement, for any 

 time not exceeding twenty-four hours previous to their re- 

 moval or departure out of such parish. Although the Act 

 thus provides for the apprehension and removal of beg- 

 gars, vagabonds, and idle poor persons, men, women, and 

 children, it provides no place to which they may be re- 

 moved, and therefore it is of no effect. 



We recommend that the provisions of the Act be re- 

 vised ; that the powers which it confers upon vestries be 

 transferred to the Board of Guardians of each district, 

 and that officers of health shall be elected by them for 

 every parish within their jurisdiction ; that it shall be a 

 further duty of the officers of health to grant tickets of 

 admission to the next emigration depot to any poor inha- 



