In 1692 the first proclamation was published; this stated that the Act for Houses of Correction had been neglected, and ordered the heritors and inhabitants of each parish to meet and put in execution the other good laws made for the poor[697]. In the same year a second proclamation was issued which stated that the previous order had had little effect because it was uncertain where the beggars were born and because suitable provision was not made for them in their parishes[698]. The next year therefore another proclamation was promulgated, and, it is said, "due obedience" was not yet given to the laws, "so that the poor are not duly provided for in many places nor the vagabonds restrained." In 1698 the fourth and last proclamation was published, and again it is stated that the poor laws have not taken effect, partly because there were no houses provided for the poor and partly because the people responsible for the execution of the laws had been negligent of their duty[699]. [697] Nicholls, _Hist. of the Scotch Poor Law_, p. 78 seq. [698] _Ib._, p. 81. [699] _Ib._, p. 83. The statements of these proclamations show that little poor relief was then administered in Scotland, but a stronger proof that this was so is furnished by the existence of the misery endured by the poor during these years: this was so great that it is said whole parishes in some districts were nearly depopulated[700]. [700] _Ib._, p. 78. [Sidenote: 7 _f_. Insufficiency of relief indicated by prevalence of beggary.] But the fact which throws the strongest light upon the administration of poor relief in Scotland is the continued existence of beggary. This was the real method by which most of the poor were relieved. Even the Town Council of Aberdeen tolerated licensed beggars, and in 1664 a resolution was passed by the synod, which shows that the licensing of beggars was then a general practice in the diocese; it is ordained that a minister should license "those creaving for support" only within his own parish[701]. [701] Selections from ecclesiastical records of Aberdeen. _Register of Synod_, p. 276.