Evidence is growing that Wales was a distinctive ‘welfare region’ under the New Poor Law. Higher rates of out-relief, tense relations with London and a deep dislike of the workhouse system marked the Principality out as different. This article considers Welsh distinctiveness in the context of the ‘crusade against out-relief’. Launched in the early 1870s, the crusade saw out-relief numbers tumble nationally. Little is known about the crusade in Wales but it is often assumed that it was a non-event. It is argued here that this is entirely incorrect. Official statistics reveal that tens of thousands of outdoor paupers in Wales had their relief stopped. Crusaders were successful partly due to the misleading way the Poor Law inspectorate used official figures to portray Wales as a district on the brink of crisis. The turning of outdoor paupers into ‘folk devils’ by sections of the Welsh press was also pivotal. Welsh distinctiveness was not eradicated during the crusade, but it was eroded.

中文翻译：

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“逐渐与室内救济制度和解”：威尔士在“反对外救济运动”期间的贫困法律，c。1870 – c. 1890年

越来越多的证据表明，根据新济贫法，威尔士是一个独特的“福利区”。更高的救济率、与伦敦的紧张关系以及对济贫院制度的深切厌恶使公国与众不同。本文在“反救济运动”的背景下考虑了威尔士的独特性。十字军东征始于 1870 年代初，在全国范围内救济人数大幅下降。人们对威尔士的十字军东征知之甚少，但人们通常认为这是一次非事件。这里有人认为这是完全不正确的。官方统计数据显示，威尔士数以万计的户外乞丐停止了救济。十字军之所以成功，部分原因在于济贫法监察局使用官方数字将威尔士描绘成一个处于危机边缘的地区的误导性方式。威尔士媒体将户外贫民变成“民间恶魔”也很关键。威尔士的独特性并没有在十字军东征期间被根除，而是被侵蚀了。