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Limerick Union
Limerick
On Wednesday week, a public meeting was held in Limerick for the purpose
of taking into consideration the necessity of a poor law for this country. The
room was crowded to excess.
Mr O'Connell said he had come here to advocate a provision for the poor. The
present state of the Poor in Ireland was terrible, not only to behold but even
to contemplate. He believed that every one in the room would do him the justice
to say that he was an advocate for the poor, and if he objected to poor laws, it
was because he had seen in England the finest feelings of humanity trampled
under foot in consequence of the evil working of the system by which a legal
provision is offered in that country for the poor.
Though there may have been a great evil under the English system, he was ready
to adopt one for Ireland, and to effect great good even at the risk of some
evil. In this neglected country the poor were thrown on the industrious classes
for relief in their wretchedness. He had a poor law of his own, the repeal of
the union, and if he got an Irish Parliament, that would best know the wants of
this country, and remedy them by the employment that would naturally result from
the bringing back of the absentees; there would be no necessity for a poor law
then; that measure (repeal) he had adjourned, in hope of getting justice from
England, but he was not at liberty to adjourn the poor laws, as in the interim
many a widow and orphan would be added to the number of those who had hitherto
died from hunger. But such a state of things could not stand any longer, they
could not remain in their present position, something must be speedily done.
He had for a long time deliberated upon the system of legal
provision, and his present plan was that the tax for such a purpose should fall
light on the resident who gave employment. It should be placed on the absentee,
who drew away the resources which should be expended here, and heaviest of all
on those unfeeling landed proprietors, who, for their own purposes, cleared
their estates. He was sorry to say that in the list of oppressive landlords in
Ireland, the county of Limerick occupied a conspicuous place, as seven-eighths
or at least three-fourths, were animated by feelings of political hatred and
religious rancour against their neighbours.
But under Providence, and as a better state of things was about to take place,
such a national disgrace must cease to exist. Let no man calumnate him as an
invader of the rights of property- that he regarded as much as any man, but what
cared he if such men as Lord Limerick got no rents, so as the poor be prevented
from dying of hunger by thousands ? But he regarded the rights of property as
much as any man, and he would provide that those reduced to distress by their
profligacy and idleness should not be a burthen to the rich.
The people of Ireland of all other people preferred to live by
their own labour - the misfortune was that no employment was
had for them. If this would take from the rich, in a short time
there would be no rich at all, and a poor country, of all other
things is the most despised; and he would never consent to
support the idle at the expense of the rich. His system would
only embrace the sick, the aged, and the infirm, and those who could get no
employment for the labour they were willing to bestow - the tax for that purpose
should come out of the rents, and must not be allowed to fall on the occupying
tenant.
The honourable and learned gentleman concluded by proposing that a committee be
appointed, and a petition prepared, to be presented at the commencement of the
next session. He sat down amid loud cheers.
Source: Submitted by Alan Longbottom, taken from
The Watchman Nov 11th 1835 p 355
Mr O'Connell and the Poor Laws - Ireland
Board of Guardians Minutes
National Archives of Ireland
http://www.nationalarchives.ie/index.html
Page updated August 06, 2007
by Rossbret
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Limerick