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Of these workhouses Eden says that "they spurred on many to labour for a livelihood who would not work as long as they were permitted to receive a weekly allowance from the parish." In Beverly, Yorkshire, of 116 receiving parish pay only eight came in when the out-relief was stopped. In Oxford the rates were reduced one-half, and a contemporary writer says "some who received alms of the parish appear to have money of their own and strive to work to keep themselves out of these (as they call them) confinements." By an Act of George I. the overseers were authorised to refuse other relief to those who declined the workhouse.

In 1704 Daniel Defoe presented a petition to Parliament entitled "Giving Alms no Charity and employing the Poor a Grievance to the Nation." Recent legislation, he urges, has been mischievous to the nation, tending to the "destruction of our trade and to increase the number and misery of the poor." He contends that the object of all statesmanship should be to enable men to live by their labour and to raise the poor out of their poverty. He points out that good husbandry is "no English virtue." The English are "the most 'lazy diligent' people in the world. &hellip; The English get estates, the Dutch save them, an Englishman earns 20s. a week and just lives, a Dutchman grows rich and leaves his children in a good position. An Englishman works till he has his pockets full of money and will then go and be idle, or perhaps drunk, till it is all gone. &hellip; From hence comes poverty, parish