THE EARL OF ROSSEsaid, he rose to call attention to the Report of the Poor Law Union and Lunacy Inquiry Commission (Ireland) so far as it relates to lunacy, and to ask the Lord Privy Seal, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to propose legislation with the view of carrying out the recommendations of that Commission as to providing in workhouses the additional accommodation so urgently required for the chronic insane? The Commission recommended that these buildings should be prepared for the reception of harmless lunatics. In the year 1857 there were 5,000 lunatics in Ireland, and that number increased to 7,500 in 1867. In the year 1877 the number was 11,500, and at the present time the number was about 13,000. In the same period the number of asylums had increased from 10 to 22. The cost of providing asylums was very large, amounting to from £150 to £180 per head, and it was stated before the Commission that £15 per head would be sufficient to fit up the buildings belonging to the workhouses.
§ LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRIVY SEAL)said, he could add very little to what had fallen from the noble Earl, and he was not in a position to give any pledge on the part of the Irish Government or of the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant with respect to bringing in any measure dealing with the subject. The noble Earl, however, was thoroughly justified in bringing the subject before their Lordships' House, and in calling attention to the valuable Report which had engaged the attention 439 of several successive Governments. More than one Report had been laid before the Government, which displayed very distinctly the present condition of Ireland with regard to these matters. At the same time, the noble Lord must be aware that not Ireland alone, but this country also, was interested in this subject. It was a subject which had been very much discussed, and the point had been often raised as to whether it was wise to incur the cost of erecting large expensive lunatic asylums for the treatment of all classes of lunatics indiscriminately. Much might be said about it, and it did appear to him that in. the case of harmless incurable lunatics they might be very well treated in the workhouses. He did not know whether there would be any objection on the part of the workhouse authorities to devoting a portion of their buildings to such a purpose; but the recommendation of the Commission which had sat to consider the subject was that there might be a distinct portion of the workhouses set aside from the rest of the buildings for the treatment of incurable lunatics. The noble Lord must be aware that with regard to Ireland circumstances had somewhat changed since the date of the Report, because since 1840 the number of paupers had considerably increased. There was not that amount of accommodation now that there was then. But the Irish Government were quite aware of the importance of the matter, and, when possible, would take it into consideration.
§ House adjourned at a quarter past Six o'clock, till To-morrow, half-past Ten o'clock.