ImprimisTHAT this Honourable House do nominate and appoint such a number of Men, of known Estates, Integrity and Judgment in Merchandize, &c. either within or without the House, as shall be thought fit to be Trustees, as we [...]l to receive the Monies collected for the Maintainance of the Poor, as likewise of a full Power to set to Work and Imploy all Able, to correct Offenders, and in all Points to imploy such Mony and Produce of the Labour, for the Good not only of those able to work, but also for the Maintenance of the Aged, Cripples and Infants.

That the Parties, thus named, to be Trustees, be Incorporated by the Name of Governor and Company of Trustees for the Poor; Or, [...] and to meet at [...] and chuse a Governor and Deputy, and [...] Com­mittees, and so Annually, for ever, after the manner of the Bank of England. The Committees thus chosen, and sworn to be true to the Govern­ment and faithful in their Trust, to prepare By-Laws to be presented at a general Court of Trustees within [...] days, by the Majority to be Confirmed, Altered or Set-aside, as shall appear most conducing to the Good of the Poor; and that such By-Laws, thus made, all Justices of the Peace, Overseers of the Poor, Church-Wardens, Constables and all Others, do obey so far as they do relate to the Poor, under the Penalty of [...] for every Offence.

That all the Mony due, owing and remaining in Stock, and likewise all Lands, Rents, Revenues and Mony yearly arising, and payable to the Poor out of the several Parishes of this Kingdom, &c. become payable to the said Committee of Trustees; and, that the Overseers of the Poor and Church-Wardens of every Parish, do, at or before the [...] day of [...] 1694. give a true Account to the said Committee, under the Hands and upon Oath, of such Overseers, Church-Wardens and Minister of every Parish, before some neighbouring Justice of Peace, of such Mony, Stock, Lands and Rents payable to the Use of the Poor, and of all Persons as are chargeable to such Parish: And shall likewise, at or before the said [...] day of [...] 1694. respectively pay to the said Committe, or to such as they shall appoint, all such Mony due and owing to the Use of the Poor: And that the said Overseers, &c. do in like manner, and on or before the said day, give a true Account to the said Committee, of all such Sums of Mony as was assessed or payable out of their respective Parishes to the Poor this present Year; which said Assessment to be Annually chargeable upon every such respective Parish, to be collected as formerly, and paid Quarterly to the said Committee, or those appointd by them.

Except all Colledges, Hospitals and Foundations, that are (or hereafter may be) Erected and Endowed.

That it may be lawful for the said Committee, or those appointed by them, To provide and erect Work-houses and Hospitals, for setting at Work and maintaining the Poor in the most convenient Places within this Kingdom, on the Linnen or some other Foreign Manufactures; or such Manufa­ctures of our own, that may not be to the Ruin of the present Industrious People of this Kingdom.

That it may be lawful for the said Committee, or those by them appointed, where they find either Houses or Lands most proper to build such Work-houses and Hospitals upon, or to Endow them with, to purchase the same, and the Owners thereof be obliged to sell and deliver the said Lands or Houses within [...] days after notice, at [...] Years purchase, according to the present or last Rents, allowing for Damage by being Uninha­bited or let run to Ruin.

That after [...] days notice given of any such Lands or Tenements, so purchased, by publication in the Gazette or [...] no former Sale, Mortgage, &c. shall have any Claim or Title, either in Law or Equity, to any part, or the whole of the Purchase-mony; but where, within the time limited, there doth any Dispute arise, the Purchase-mony to remain in the Hands of the said Committee, Interest free, until the Matter shall be decided between the Clamants by Law or otherwise

That for the better establishing the Linnen Manufactures to the best Advantage to these Kingdoms, all sorts of Flax and Hemp, &c. of the Growth of Ireland, be Imported, Custom free, and from other Countries at a low and easy Custom; and that such additional Duties be laid on all Fo­reign Linnens, Silks and Papers, as may encourage those Manufactures in this Kingdom.

That a Sum not exceeding [...] per Annum, be allotted towards the defraying the Expences of the Persons chosen to be of the said Committee, to be paid them in proportion to their attendance at the Committee; and that it may be lawful for the said Committee, to allow such Salleries to their Officers, as shall from time to time appear reasonable and necessary.

That whereas the beginning so great a Work will require an extraordinary Expence, the said Committee have power to borrow Mony at [...] per Cent. Interest, on the Security of the Poor's Rates.

That every Committee of Trustees, before the Expiration of the Year they were chosen for, do cause a fair State of the Poor's Stock, by way of Debtor and Creditor to be prepared; and that each Person of the said Committee do examine the same by their Books or such other Accounts as the same may refer to, and put their Hands and Seals to their said Books and Accounts: And like wise under their Hands and Seals certifie the said State to be true, and a just Abstract of their Books and Accounts; and do deliver the same to the new elected Governour and Committees upon their Ad­mission to their Trust; for Neglect whereof each Person neglecting to be punishable by [...] And the Committee for the time being be accountable to every Session of Parliament.

That so much of the Statutes made in the 39th Year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, the 1st Year of King James I. And the 14th Year of King Charles II. as concern the Apprehending Rogues, Vagabonds and sturdy Beggars, be duly put in execution, and the Persons appre­hended be sent to such Work-houses as the said Committee shall appoint. And that it may be lawful for the said Committee, or any [...] or more of them to correct the Idle, Sloathful and Offenders by [...]

Reasons humbly offered to the Honourable the House of Commons for passing the Proposals for setting the POOR at Work into an Act.

• Imprimis
  ABove all others, it is most reasonable to suppose, That the Members in Parliament are the most competent Judges of Persons proper for such a Trust.
• II. That the Power cannot be less than proposed, because of the many Difficulties which unavoidably will attend so great a Work.
• III. That the Mony ought to be paid in presently, and a Borrowing Clause allow'd for as much as the first Years Expence will abundantly exceed any succeeding Years, Materials being to be bought, the Expence in fixing their Abode, and the small Earnings they will make of any Work at the beginning.
• IV. That the Poor ought not to be imploy'd on any of our own Staple Manufactures that are now in a flourishing Condition, because that will only change the Hands and not increase the Trade, and thereby advance the Beggars, to beggar the present industrious Workmen.
• V. That the Poor ought not to be imploy'd in their respective Parishes, but at some convenient Places near the Sea, and in the most plentiful Parts of the Country, that thereby they may be furnish'd with Provisions at the easier Rates.
• VI. That all the Encouragement in the World ought to be given to the Irish to raise Flax, because thereby it may in some measure divert their Breeding and Fatting of Cattle, the same Land being proper for both.
• VII. That the Trustees for the Poor ought to be accountable to Parliament, that thereby the present Rates may be lessen'd or augmented as shall appear necessary.

The Benefits hereby accruing will be,

THE Poor will be relieved from the many Pressures they now groan under, and the Nation freed from the Scandal.

And it will undoubtedly establish the Manufactures of Linnen, Lace, Tape, Thred, &c. forasmuch as the Mony rais'd for the Maintainance of the Poor will enable them to work cheaper than any of our Neighbours; By which means great part of the Commodities from Spain and their West­ [...]s, and likewise from our Plantations, as Barbadoes, Virginia, Jamaica, New-England, New-found-land, Maryland, Carolina, Mevis, Antego, and several other Parts beyond the Seas, to which such great Quantities of Linnen, &c. are yearly exported, will be the Proceed of the Labour of the present Idle Vagrants and Beggars, besides the Consumption within our selves, for all which such vast sums of Mony (in time of Peace are sent to France, and) at present to our other Neighbours, towards the Employing their Poor and starving our own.