清代南臺灣的養濟院與乞丐管理（1684-1804）

Abstract

本文旨在探討清代地方政府如何管理南臺灣的乞丐。18世紀上半葉，朝廷決定將各地的外來乞丐送回其原籍地。然而，同時期的臺灣官員並沒有遣送南臺灣的外來乞丐，而是透過養濟院的丐首來管理他們。養濟院是清代地方政府依法設置的窮人收容機構，但是，日治時期的資料顯示清代南臺灣養濟院的建物遭到廢棄。儘管如此，任職於養濟院的丐首依然被官員要求管理乞丐，並為乞丐騷擾百姓的事件負責。另一方面，為了節省政府的成本，官員要求百姓支付乞丐的管理費。這些管理費由丐首統一收受後，會再分給那些由他管理的乞丐。這一措施使得清代南臺灣出現一群不必向人乞討的「乞丐」。

This paper explores how local governments managed the problem of beggars in Southern Taiwan under Qing rule. In the first half of eighteenth century, the court decided to send the beggars back to their ancestral home. However, contemporary officials in Taiwan did not do that. Instead, the officials designated the beggar chiefs of county almsgiving houses to manage the beggars. The county almsgiving houses were the official shelters set by local government during Qing, although the construction of the almsgiving house in southern Taiwan was abandoned. Nonetheless, the beggar chiefs were asked to manage the beggars by the officials and were held responsible for instances of beggars harassing the common people. Besides, in order to save the costs, the officials asked the common people to pay the administrative expense. Then the beggar chiefs distributed the fees to the beggars. This policy brought about a group of beggars who need not beg.