But here we met with an unexpected _Remora_, Mr. _Samuel Wallis_ was succeeded in his Majoralty by Mr. _J. H._ and this Change made a great Alteration in our Affairs: For whereas the former had given us all the Incouragement we could expect from him, and had done us the honour to be our first Governor, the latter resolved to obstruct us all he could. And because the power of raising Money was vested in him and the Aldermen, he absolutely refused to put that Power in Execution. This, together with his other Endeavours to Brow-beat the Corporation, kept us at a stand till _October_ (97.) only our Court met, and discourst things, and we laboured to keep up the Spirits of our Friends, who began to sink under these Discouragements, and to despair of Success, the Work seeming difficult enough in it self; our undertaking being nothing less, then to put to Work a great Number of People, many of which had been habited to Laziness and Beggary; to civilize such as had been bred up in all the Vices that want of Education could expose them to; and to Clothe, Lodge, and feed them well, with the same Sum of Money which was distributed among them when they begg’d, lay in the Streets, and went almost naked. Yet all this would not have discouraged us, could we have prevailed on Mr. Mayor to have joyned with us. We often sought it, and he as often refused us, till his time being expired, his Successor granted our Request; and then, having lost much time, we were forced to make large steps. The first we made was, a Vote to take on us the Care of the Poor of the City; and as I remember, this Vote passed in _October_ or _November_ 1697. though we had then no Money raised, nor could we expect any till after our _Lady-day_ 1698. So that from the passing that Vote to this time is about two Years. The next step was to appoint a Committee of Twelve to hear the Complaints of the Poor, to relieve them, and set them at work; Six whereof were to go out every Month, and to be succeeded by Six more, to be chosen by Ballating. We had formerly obtained from the Mayor and Common Council, in the Majoralty of Alderman _Wallis_, the Grant of a Work-house, which then lay unoccupied, and the Court had appointed a Committee to place as many Girls in it as it would conveniently contain, both as to Lodging and Working. This is that we called the _New work-house_.