POOR LAW (ENGLAND)—ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPLAINS IN WORKHOUSES.—OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 4 September 1880)

§ MR. CALLAN

said, that at that late period of the Session, and late hour for a Saturday Sitting, he would only detain the House to point out very briefly the gross injustice under which the Catholics laboured in this country with respect to the provision made for religious ministrations to Catholics in workhouses, and which were in striking contrast to the provisions in Ireland for the religious requirements of the Protestant and Presbyterian paupers. From the Return which had been ordered on his Motion last Session, he found that in three Poor Law Unions of Dundalk, Ardee, and Drogheda, which embraced the county of Louth and large portions of Meath, Monaghan, and Armagh, there were three Protestant chaplains and one Presbyterian chaplain in receipt of £85 per annum for attending to the religious wants of 11 Protestant and Presbyterian paupers, and that all through Ireland the Protestant poor in the workhouses were treated in the same kind and considerate manner. After a careful analysis of the Return made by the Local Government Board in Ireland, he found that there were only seven Protestant paupers and 11 Presbyterian, a total of 18 non-Catholic paupers, scattered over 10 different Unions, for whom chaplains were not appointed and in receipt of salaries. The very imperfect Return furnished by the Local Government Board disclosed a very different state of things in England, which was neither satisfactory nor creditable. He (Mr. Callan) would not now go into any minute details, but would confine himself to the Metropolis and the Irish centres of Liverpool and Manchester; and, as the Prime Minister was present, he felt confident the striking injustice he complained of would be rectified. Taking the 28 Unions comprised in the Metropolitan district, he found that whilst upwards of £6,800 was paid in salaries to 42 Protestant chaplains, being an average of over £160 each, not one penny was paid either for religious services for, or "religious instruction" to, the 4,940 Catholic paupers in London workhouses. Was that just—was that fair play? Just glance at the contrast. In Ireland £3,500 was paid 1330 yearly to Protestant chaplains for their ministrations to less than 4,000 Protestant paupers. In London not one penny was paid towards providing any religious services or instructions for 4,900 Catholic paupers. The same state of things existed in Salford—Liberal, Radical Salford; £230 was paid to the Protestant chaplain for attendance on 750 Protestant paupers; but not one penny was paid for religious services for the 444 Catholic paupers. Manchester had three workhouses, containing 1,880 Protestant and 1,560 Catholic paupers. There were three Protestant chaplains provided, at an expense of £500; but there was no Catholic chaplain. He would only now refer to Liverpool. There in the workhouse there were 1,210 Protestants and 1,365 Catholics. Not one penny expended to secure religious ministration to the 1,300 Catholics, while a chaplain at a salary of £250 was provided for the 1,200 Protestants. But though no salary was provided, the poor Catholics were not forgotten nor neglected, for the Clerk of the Union stated in a note appended to his Return—"Voluntary attendance is given at the workhouse daily by the Roman Catholic clergy; "but was it fair that these devoted priests should receive no remuneration whatever for their services and labours? But matters were still worse in the industrial schools at Liverpool. There were 427 Protestant children, for whom a chaplain was provided and paid £250, and very properly paid. Nowhere was religious instruction more needed than in the bringing up of the young in industrial schools, and he had no doubt but that the Protestant chaplain there gave ample value for his salary; but how fared it with the Catholic poor children? Numbering over 550, upwards of 100 more than the Protestant children, for them there was no religious instruction paid for or provided, save, again, as the Clerk of the Union reported, by the voluntary attendance of the Roman Catholic clergy frequently at the industrial schools. The same marked injustice prevailed all through England and Scotland. He was aware the Local Government Board had not the same power in this country that was given to the Local Government Board in Ireland; but though their powers might not be as extensive, yet the Board naturally possessed great in- 1331 fluence and weight with the Boards of Guardians, and he would ask of them to exert that influence during the Recess to have these matters complained of remedied, and fair play dealt out to the poor unfortunate Catholics in workhouses in England; and in case Boards of Guardians throughout the country were not amenable to the suggestions of the Local Government Board, or that increased power with respect to chaplains was required, then he hoped that a Bill would be prepared and introduced early next Session dealing fully and fairly with a subject which had created great irritation and given cause for dissatisfaction to all those interested in the subject, who were aware of the gross injustice done, and the grave evils caused, by the present system.