In 1888 Mundella introduced a Bill for the prevention of cruelty to children. Due to opposition, progress of the bill was slow, with Mundella speaking no fewer than 65 times in Committee. The ensuing Prevention of Cruelty to, and Protection of, Children Act 1889 (commonly known as the Children's Charter) was the first Act of Parliament to outlaw cruelty to children. It enabled the state to intervene in relations between parents and children, made it an imprisonable crime to neglect or ill-treat children, and outlawed the employment of children under the age of 10. Mundella regarded this Act as one of his greatest successes.