By the early 19th century, the Statutes of Labourers was repealed as increasingly capitalistic England embraced "laissez-faire" policies which disfavored regulations of wages (whether upper or lower limits). The subsequent 19th century saw significant labor unrest affect many industrial nations. As trade unions were decriminalized during the century, attempts to control wages through collective agreement were made. However, this meant that a uniform minimum wage was not possible. In "Principles of Political Economy" in 1848, John Stuart Mill argued that because of the collective action problems that workers faced in organisation, it was a justified departure from "laissez-faire" policies (or freedom of contract) to regulate people's wages and hours by the law.