THE EARL OF DONOUGHMOREpresented a petition from the Board of Guardians of the Nenagh Union, and begged to call attention to the laws for the removal from England and Scotland of the Irish poor. According to a law enacted in the reign of George II., Irish paupers found in England were liable to be transported; and in the same spirit of legisla- 561 tion now, persons of Irish birth found begging might be taken before a magistrate, who could transport them to any one of a certain number of ports in Ireland—not to the place of their birth—thence to find their way to their own parish as best they might. A Committee of the House of Commons sat on this subject in 1854, which recommended certain modifications, which would undoubtedly be improvements, and very much soften the rigour of the law. Since that period, however, nothing had been done; and he hoped to hear from the noble Earl opposite that Her Majesty's Government had considered the matter and would be prepared to bring in a Bill on the subject.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, the evils of the present system arose from the fact that a different law of settlement prevailed in England and Ireland, neither country being willing to adopt that of the other. Her Majesty's Government were about to move for a Committee in the other House of Parliament to consider particularly two points—the reduction of the number of years' residence necessary to acquire a settlement of this country, and also the existing area of parishes or unions in Ireland. He hoped that Committee would report in time to enable the Government to introduce a measure on the subject during the present Session.
§ House adjourned at Eight o'clock till To-morrow half-past Ten o'clock.