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It seems thus fairly established as a fact, that incontinency is a vice much less prevalent among the lower classes in Ireland than in England and Wales. It would be an interesting subject of inquiry to endeavour to come at the cause or causes, of the difference. I formerly adverted to one circumstance which is regarded in Ireland as powerfully operative in preserving the good fame of the women who profess the Catholic religion, viz., the practice of confession. Admitting that this is really an influential cause, as I believe it is, the habit of early marriages must no doubt be also considered as another, and one probably of equal importance.

With the view of testing, as far as was practicable, the truth of the theory respecting the influence of Confession on this branch of morals, I have obtained, through the courtesy of the Poor-Law Commissioners, a return of the number of legitimate and illegitimate children in the workhouses of each of the four Provinces in Ireland, on a particular day, viz. the 27th November, 1852. The subjoined Table contains this return, together with the proportion of Protestants and Catholics among the whole population in each province, and the

proportion of illegitimate to the legitimate children in the workhouses.1 It is curious to remark how strikingly the results there conveyed correspond with the Confessional theory; the proportion of illegitimate children coinciding almost exactly with the relative proportion of the two religions in each province; being large where the Protestant element is large and small where it is small. Thus, in Connaught, where the proportion of Protestants to Catholics is only as 1 to 6.45, the proportion of illegitimate children to legitimate is only as 1 to 23.53; while in Ulster, where the proportion of Protestants to Catholics is as 1.42 to 1, the proportion of illegitimate to legitimate children is as 1 to 7.26.

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It is necessary to remark that the numbers in the 3d and 4th columns of this table as in that given

The proportional estimate of the members of the two religions is calculated from the School Returns of 1834, the average of the two Returns by the Protestant and Catholic clergy being adopted. It is not pretended that this affords more than an approximation to the truth; but as a proportional standard it is sufficiently accurate.

above (p. 243), are not to be taken as absolutely correct, though perfectly accurate in their proportions as regards provinces. The fact is, that the point of legitimacy or illegitimacy is only noticed in the case of children whose mothers are in the workhouse, or, at least, alive; whereas, the column giving the total number of children contains a certain proportion of orphans, the character of whose birth is not recorded. It is therefore probable that some illegitimate children may be included under the head of orphans, in addition to those expressly enumerated in the Table; in which case the proportion of illegitimate to legitimate children would be larger than is there shown.

Although I think it will hardly be questioned, after the evidence of the foregoing facts, that what I have called the Confessional theory is really true, I should be sorry to stretch this, in any degree, beyond its legitimate bounds. I think it, therefore, right to observe that there is one other social condition more widely existing in Ulster than elsewhere, which may help to explain the inferior standard of morals among the young women: I refer to the greater prevalence of Factory Life in that province, a state of society well-known to predispose to immorality.

6. Industrial Training.-In more than one place, while noticing the workhouses individually, I have already adverted to what I regard as one of the most important characters of these establishments,-that

which constitutes them schools of industrial training for the rising generation. That they are also excellent mediums for the communication of the more ordinary knowledge taught in schools, must appear from the whole of my reports respecting them. It is a most striking feature in all the eleemosynary establishments for the destitute poor in modern times, that while the physical wants are ministered to, the intellectual necessities are equally consulted. And this is, certainly, the case in Ireland, in a very marked degree.

The industrial training of the girls in workhouses is comparatively an easy task, as the domestic and economical duties of the house itself furnish the means of employing them in almost all the kinds of occupation which will hereafter fall to their lot in private life. In their instructions to the Guardians, the Commissioners are very urgent on this head; and I can myself testify that their wishes are, on the whole, well carried out.

The training of boys is a less easy task; and has by no means yet attained the point it is destined to reach. Yet a good deal has been already done, and much more is in progress.

In my account of the workhouse at Ballina, in the present volume (p. 22,) I have noticed the sound principles on which the training of boys for agricultural purposes, has been founded by the Commissioners, and have given a specimen of its successful operation in that place. But the system has been

carried much further in several other workhouses, as in the Unions of Enniscorthy, Clogheen, Gorey, Dungarvan, Lismore, Clonmel, Newcastle, Listowel, Rathkeale, Galway. The following extracts from the Reports of two of the Inspectors, published in the last Report of the Commissioners, point out so clearly the nature of the training and its great benefits, that I gladly allow them to take the place of further comments of my own: any

From Mr. Duncan's Report :-"The influence of the farm training and employment upon the boys generally, in effecting improvement in their conduct and habits, is quite apparent. At first, it was with the utmost difficulty they could be got to work, and there were frequent recurrences of insubordination; but this has in a great measure ceased, and they now generally appear pleased with the work—an improvement that I am satisfied will be progressive. They show considerable aptitude to acquire skill in the use of the various implements. These are of the improved kinds used in England and the North of Ireland, and are now preferred by the boys to any other. The health of the boys is exceedingly good, and their physical powers appear to be developed greatly by the work.

"From my experience of the working of the Newcastle Union farm, I look upon this kind of training as the most successful which can be given to the boys. I doubt not that many of those employed at the farm, who have left the workhouse,

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