WHEREAS JAMES WHISTON has set forth the Calamities of En­gland in the several Pernicious Effects, Occasioned by the Sale of Offices, &c. And has more particularly Levell'd the Subject of his Discourse, at the Cor­ruption, Oppression, and Male-Administration of, and in the City of London, through her present unjust and Arbitrary Sale of Offices; And some Papers having been since publish'd in Vindication of the great Truths he has Asserted: And also, the Ho­nourable House of Commons having, in their great Wisdom, Pass'd a Bill accordingly, now lying before the House of Lords, for Redressing that Universal Grievance; Upon which some of the Magistrates of London, and other Favourers of a Bad Cause, have, in defence of the Mercinary disposal of Offices, Put in their Petition, and Engag'd their uttermost Interest against the Passing of the said Bill; which being not able to Effect, they still, as true Champions for the said Publick Sales, and consequently all the Oppressions that attend them, endeavour to defeat the good Intentions of the Honourable House of Com­mons in their said Bill, labouring to Check its Force and Vertue by clogging it with useless Riders, and restrictive and pernicious Limitations to excuse Themselves.

THESE Farther Arguments are therefore humbly offered for enforcing the Reasona­bleness of passing the Bill, and more particularly to Expose the injustice of their endea­vours who wou'd Obstruct it.

THE Sale of all Offices belonging to the City of London, is supposed to amount to near 180000 Pounds: Now (take all the Offices, greater and less together) they are bought at about Three years Purchase. And consequently with the honest discharge of their Seve­ral Posts, there is about 60000 Pounds per Annum to be Advanced to pay their Purchase-Money; but as 'tis notoriously known, that most of these Purchasers get Estates (many of 'em considerable ones;) So 'tis not at all to be doubted but that, one with the other, they get more than double the Summ of 60000 Pounds per Annum, and all this by a General Extortion from the Peoples Purses, occasioned wholly by such Sales, that both encourage that general Oppression and indemnifie the Oppressour; when the Magistracy that otherwise should redress and punish all Extortions, is now obliged to indulge & favour them, only that they may have opportunity to enrich themselves by an universal Spoil and Depredation (for such are the Effects of the Sales) chiefly Rapin'd from the Poor; It being inconsistent both with the Justice and Prudence of all Governments that the Pub­lick should be sacrinced to Private Interest.

HOW hard this Load must lie, even upon the Poorest, may be seen in the present ex­acted Price of the Fifteen Coal-meeters and Ten Corn-meeters Places. The first at 1700 Pounds each, and the latter at 1300 Pounds, amounting in all to 38500 Pounds. Now how must the excessive Purchase-Mony of near 40000 Pounds be answer'd, but by an ex­traordinary and inhumane Tax (if We may so call, with submission, a down-right [Page 2]and bare-fac'd Oppression) upon the very Bread that goes into the mouths of the Poorest Beggars, and upon the fire that warms them in their Raggs and Nakedness? Thus the Common Fruits of the Earth and the Elements themselves must be Fin'd to maintain the Riot and Luxury of Oppression and Tyrannical Extortion. Besides, these Two very Offices, with two Thirds more in the City, are superfluous, being the Creatures of the Chair, (and of no necessary and Legitimate Production) save only Paying such round Summs for bare titular Employments, they are thereby connivd at, in Imposing such Arbitrary Taxes upon the Subject to Re-imburse their Purchase-Money.

OF the same Stamp is the Office of the Lord Mayor's Six Young Men so call'd, who pay about 600 Pounds a piece for their Places; which, as they are manag'd, have no Founda­tion either in Necessity or Reason. Where a parcel of lusty Fellows, hire themselves with great Summs of Money to walk about the Markets, and should prevent the Sale of de­fective Victuals, &c. and detect all false Weights and Measures [...] and rectifie Com­mon Annoyances and Grievances in the Streets, &c. which if they were-so justly Re­formed as they might be, it would deprive them of making any thing near the Value of the Money they paid for their Places, which can be readvanced no other way than by their being in Fee with the Persons by whom 'tis supposed those Nusances and Abuses must be Committed; So that it necessarily infers a Connivance and Toleration of what they are Commission'd to Suppress and-Remedy. In fine, the Channel of Common Justice is miserably obstructed by the Sale of Offices and their Dependancies.

AS for Instance; He that sues in the City Courts, tho' for a Just debt of Three or Four Pounds, stands obliged (meerly by the Depravity of Custom in the Particulars complain'd of) to pay larger Fees than the Law will allow him back again in Costs, by which means the Creditor loses one Pound to recover three, possibly twice as much as he gets by the honest Sale of his Goods when he is paid; nor is the Oppression less on the Defen­dants side: So that the very Law that should give Relief, is render'd a meer Snare and Instrument of Oppression: And all this purely owing to the aforesaid Sales; for other­wise the several Officers would be Contented with their respective Legal Fees, or at least be kept (by the Authority of the Magistrate) within those Bounds as should totally Check all Exactions: For 'tis not Proposed that any Person's Merit shall Recommend him to a Place, and then Countenance him in Demanding extravagant Fees for doing his Duty; but that all things be limited to such a Regulation as the Common-Hall shall think fit; which would abundantly tend to the Ease and Satisfaction of the Subject. For 'tis highly worth our Consideration, That this Corruption is so far from being counte­nanc'd by the general Inclination of the City, that the Common-Council have been often Desirous to make Laws against it, and have only been Obstructed and Over-power'd by the Chair.

IF it be Objected that the Mayoralty and Shrievalties require any such Perquisites, as the said Sales, for keeping up the Grandeur of the Chair, &c. In Answer to that feeble Pre­tension, It is humbly Reply'd, That the Allegation is not True; for the Mayor has above 3000 Pounds per Annum incident to the Mayoralty, and the Sheriffs about 1000 Pounds per Annum, besides Fines and Felon's Goods, which frequently amount to above three times as much. Moreover, It is notoriously evident, that the greatest Part of the for­mer City-Feastings are now, by Themselves, laid aside: Insomuch that it appears an ir­reconcilable Piece of Injustice, that they should Sell so many Offices; nay, and for higher Prices, and yet take such Provident Care, that the Expence of their Grandeur, Hospita­lity and Charge, shou'd dwindle and lessen almost to nothing. However, if any such Extravagance were requisite to maintain the City's Honour, &c. Wou'd it not be more Reasonable and Humane to raise such Monies by a General Tax upon the City, than to squeeze it from the small Remains of the Unfortunate? In short, if the Sale of Offices were wholly rooted out, it is hardly to be imagin'd, what infinite Summs might be sa­ved by it, seeing that upon a Computation of the Exactions, through the whole King­dom, occasion'd purely by Mercenary Administrations of numerous and several unne­cessary Officers, We may reasonably Venture to affirm, That there is more Money drain'd on that very Account, through the whole Body of the Nation in one year, than would half pay the largest Tax that has been yet levied for Carrying on the War. And of this we are certain, That nothing can more Illustrate the Glory and Wisdom of our Patriots at the Helm, than to do Justice to the Publick, in utterly Prohibiting the Sale of all man­ner of Offices, especially at this Time; For it seems a little hard, that Two Hands shou'd draw from one Pocket. That when with one Chearful Hand we are so heartily and largely Contributing towards the Defence of our Country and Liberties, this Pick-pocket Thief, call'd Extortion, shou'd dive so deeply into our Purses.

THIS desired Retrenchment wou'd make Publick Offices become the Reward of Me­rit and Vertue, to the utter Confusion and everlasting Discouragement of that general and crying Vice of Extortion which now reigns amongst us, from that Pest of the Nation who buy their Places, only to Enrich themselves, and Prey upon their Neighbours.

WE shall Conclude with some short Reflections on the Weakness of their Cause who endeavour to defend their Arbitrary City-Marts and Markets of Places, Trust, and Power; when they have never ventur'd to answer (as indeed being unable so to do) the just Com­plaints publish'd by JAMES WHISTON, which were in so high a measure the Foundation of Bringing in the said Bill, and have only had the Confidence of exposing a Paper, industriously handed only to some few Noble Friends, called, The Case of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of LONDON, in Relation to continue the Sale of Offices in the said City. Which was since justly rejected by the H [...]use of Lords; the greatest Con­tents whereof, we leave to any Judicious Reader to examine of what notorious Falsities they are composed, it being a strong Argument of a despairing Cause, that wants Un­truths, and of harden'd Advocates that make use of them, in their Vindication.

HOWEVER, They have this Advantage, that they carry their Plea with a very high Hand, making use of all their strongest Private Interest, and strong Purse. viz, in Lear­ned Council, Florid Arguments, High Sollicitations, &c. When on the other side, the Adverse Party against them (under no Motive of Malice, or any Hopes of Reward, or Self-Interest whatever, but purely for the Good of his Country) with none of all these Aids, comes wholly Naked to the Field, with only the Pebble from the Brook called Truth. to combate the Goliah. So that upon the whole Matter, viz. the earnest and universal Desires of the People on the one Hand, to have the Bill against the Sale of Offices to pass both Houses, and the indefatigable and restless Industry of some of the City Ma­gistrates and Officers on the other, to obstruct and oppose it, is very observable. What should be the Reason of these two contrary Endeavours? Certainly they must spring from Ends, as different in their Natures, as they are opposite in their Actions. In short 'tis this, The One only begs Relief under an unjust and insupportable Affliction; The Other use all their Artifice to support an unjust Possession. The one requests only to be se­cured in their Legal Rights, and Native Liberties; The Other to be conniv'd at in unlaw­ful Usurpations and Invasions. The One Petitions only for the Re-Establishment of ba­nisht Equity and Justice; The Other contends for Riches and Profit, with full-Mouth crying up the Great Diana of Avarice and Corruption, upon which alone all their Hopes and Expectations do intirely depend. This Party pluming it self in the Confidence of hired Friends, and Rhetorical Expressions; And that, relying solely on the Merits of the Cause, and Favour of Honest Men. Tho' Truth is always modest, yet at last she will be Victorious. She may indeed be Over-powered, but ca [...]ver be Subdued. Strong Lines and fine coucht Periods may Mis-represent her, but she can never be Corrupted. She may be Disguised, but cannot be Deformed.

ONE Argument us'd by their Learned Advocates against the Reasonableness and Justice of this so much desired Bill, is of so quaint a Contexture, and of so unaccountable Conse­quence, that it can no means be passed by, without some small Remark. Among many learned Observations and Deductions from the P [...]mises, the Gentlemen were pleased to affirm, That the Sale of Places, is so far from being a Temptation and Inducement to Corruption and Exaction; that the very giving of Money, is a double Caution upon the Person Buying, that he shall behave himself in his Office, more Honestly and Ʋprightly, &c. Now, we should be very glad to know in what Age, and what Part of the World this Notion was hatchd. All Governments, in all times, have Condemn'd and Forbid it, as fully appears in the above-mentioned Book; Nay, some of our very City-Magistrates and Officers, that now Stickle so much against the Bill, before they came into Office, used to Convert all the Wit they were Owners of into Satyr, on Purpose to have a Lash at the Toleration of the Abominable Practice here complain [...]d of. We confess 'tis a singular Thought, and be­yond Comprehension: 'Tis certain, there is no Enemy to the Government in England, that has Money in his Pocket, and despairs of King James ▪s Return, but ought to Em­brace it, and return Thanks for the Information; And consequently demand a Legal En­trance into: Trust, upon that only Qualification, viz. of Paying his Money; For if Pur­chasing be a Double Caution, as these Sticklers suggest, there is no Need at all of an Oath of Fidelity, &c,

BUT we have a better Opinion of these Gentlemen's great Abilities, than to believe it could ever enter into their Minds, that such Arguments, should in the least prejudice so Just and Reasonable a Bill, in the Judgment of Persons, so Honourable and Discerning, as those Noble Lords, to whom the Harangue was Addrest. Thus Erasmus wrote a Book in Praise of Folly; not that he intended to persuade Mankind, that 'twas a desirable Thing to be out of their Wits, and turn Fools: But ('tis presum'd, with the same design, as these Gentlemen made their Speech) to show his own Parts, and expose a Common Vice. But how Vigorously soever, the Learned Gentlemen of the Long Robe behav'd themselves at the Lords Bar, in behalf of their City Clients; yet being ask'd in the Lobby, by their Opponent WHISTON, With what Confidence, Men of their Honour, Reputation, and Integrity, could so far Prevaricate with their Consciences, as to Obtrude such shameful Falsities, Sophistry, and Amusement, for Truth, Reason, and Argument; they very inge­nuously made Answer, That they Argued as Counsellors, not as Christians.