324 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. 



given to applicants with little or no inquiry, and the history 

 of vagrancy in Ireland, in which alms are spontaneously 

 given also without inquiry, show that the effect has been 

 equally disastrous. The chief superiority of the Scottish 

 system in those parishes in which there is no assessment 

 is, that the administrators of the voluntary fund are re- 

 quired to make themselves intimately acquainted with the 

 state of the applicants ; and this, from their numbers, they 

 are able to do. And one cause of the instant increase of 

 pauperism, and consequently of expense, in parishes in 

 which there is an assessment, is, that the same accuracy of 

 inquiry is not made. 



XIII. Because, although it has been urged that a sy- 

 stem which has succeeded in Scotland may not succeed in 

 Ireland, and that there are circumstances in the condition 

 of Ireland which would certainly cause it to fail, yet the 

 experiment of voluntary contribution, aided from the pub- 

 lic purse, having been tried with considerable success in 

 one description of aid provided for the poor, namely in the 

 education of their children, we are entitled to infer that 

 it would succeed equally well in other descriptions of aid. 



The mode in which we recommend a provision to be 

 made for the poor, namely by founding it upon voluntary 

 contributions, is entirely analogous to the mode which has 

 been adopted in establishing the national system of educa- 

 tion. In that system a certain contribution is required on 

 the part of the people towards providing school-houses, 

 maintaining masters, and procuring suitable books. On 

 this contribution being made, they are permitted to apply 

 to the Board for a grant of public money, not to super- 

 sede their own contributions, but in aid of them. Protest- 

 ants and Roman Catholics are invited* and encouraged to 



