THE O'CONOR DON,in moving for leave to bring in a Bill to extend the Industrial Schools Act to Ireland, said, that the measure was the same as the Act passed for Great Britain last Session, with such modifications as were required by the peculiar circumstances of Ireland. He had taken the Irish Reformatory Act as the model on which those alterations were made. The necessity for such a measure was even greater in Ireland than in England. From the judicial statistics published by the Irish Government, it appeared that the criminal statistics of Ireland compared favourably in every respect with those of England, except in the item of juvenile vagrancy. The number of juvenile vagrants and tramps in Ireland was twice as great as in England in proportion to the population, and this was mainly attributable to the fact that there was no institution in Ireland to which these unfortunate children could be sent. The Act of last Session had given general satisfaction.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill to extend the Industrial Schools Act to Ireland, ordered to be brought in by The O'CONOR DON, Mr. MONSELL, and Mr. LEATHAM.
§ Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 17.]