ALLEGED IMMORALITY AND

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 907, 8 January 1881, Page 3

ALLEGED IMMORALITY AND

DRUNKENNESS IN BELFAST WORKHOUSE. In the House of Commons Mr Moore said he rose to draw attention to the present disgraceful state of the management in Belfast Workhouse, where it had been alleged immorality and drunkenness had existed to an alarming extent. He therefore wished to move—“ That in the opinion of this House the local Government Board of Ireland should take steps to restore confidence in the management of Belfast Workhouse.” He wished to say at the outset that in bringing forward this matter he had no connection whatever with the guardians of the Belfast Workhouse, and that his only object was to draw the attention of Parliament to the irregularities and abuses which had existed for some years in that institution. Public opinion had already been brought to bear upon the Local Government Board. The Press of all shades of political views in Bel-

fast were most anxious that a full inquiry should be held, in order that such abuses should be prevented in future. His attention had been first called to the state of Belfast Workhouse by a letter in the papers signed by a Tory magistrate in 1879. He stated in that letter that Belfast Workhouse was “ a nest of drunkenness, immorality, and vice.” He was taken to task for his letter, but he endeavoured to substantiate his charge. He was corroborated by the Roman Catholic chaplain, but, the gentleman being young, did not respond to the request of the local Government Board to substantiate his corroboration. In the workhouse between 50 and 60 illegitimate children had been born, and women were allowed to leave and enter the workhouse when they liked. When it was found that the paupers were in the habit of getting drunk the matron expressed her opinion that the drink must have been obtained in the milk, and the assistant matron was of opinion that the paupers must have had a private still somewhere about the house. [Laughter.] On the 10th June, 1880, the laundress swore that the matron was sick on the floor one night at 12 o’clock, and three drunken pauper women were attending upon her. [Laughter.] Of course, in an establishment where the officials misconducted themselves in this manner, it was not to be expected that the paupers would act in any other way than he had pointed out. It appeared that the union property was thrown over the boundary wall, and the drink was obtained in that way. In bringing forward this motion he (Mr Moore) did so in the interest of the poor people themselves, and also in the interests of the ratepayers of Belfast. The town of Belfast was one of the most rising and enterprising commercial towns in the United Kingdom, and he was sure that such a town had men who could properly administer the poor-laws. He hoped that the Chief Secretary for Ireland would give an assurance that the whole matter should be fully inquired into in a searching manner.