Several PROPOSALS HUMBLY TENDERED To the CONSIDERATION Of those that are in Authority, For the Ease, Security, & Prosperity of this commonwealth.  
By WILLIAM Coal, a Constant Asserter of the Rights and privileges of the People, and Opposer of the late Tyranny and apostasy.  Nehemiah ch. 5. vers. 14, 15. &c. 
I and my Brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.  
But the former governors that had been before me, were chargeable unto the People, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: Yea, even their Servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God, &c.  
LONDON: Printed MDCLIX.   

Several Proposals humbly tendered to the Consideration of those that are in Authority.  
1. THat it would be very much for the Security of the Nation, and Satisfaction of the honest party, to have a review of all the Officers in the Commonwealth; That so all those that have been put in employments chiefly to serve the Lusts and Ends of the late Single Person, and in their respective places to be Informers, Pimps, and Trapans, both to entrap, and ensnare, those that were Assertors of the Native Rights, may be expunged; And that the Fawnings and Flatteries of Time-serving men (who are Terrae Filii, sons of the Earth, and will serve the worst of Tyrants in the worst of wickedness, to satisfy their Covetous and Ambitious spirits) may not be Credited.  
2. That men may be employed not on Principles of favour, but from principles of Ability and Integrity; And that plurality of Offices, either Civil or Military, may be laid aside: That so those men that are brought low, either by sufferings for their Constancy, or by loss of Trade in these sad Times, may find in some measure, a way open, to procure a livelihood for their Families.  
3. That in Collection of customs and Excise, it is convenient, that men of Ability, and Affability, may be employed, who may also be able to inform the Merchants and others, Why this present Parliament is yet enforced to continue these great burdens? and who was the occasion thereof; which will much cool and qualify the heat, that at present hath much exasperated the people of this Nation against it, by the imperious carriage of insulting Spirits; especially if they may have assurance, that the Excise (which is the bane of all Trade and Commerce) may in short time cease.  
4. That in regard of the Poverty of the Nation, there may be care taken, to collect all public moneys at as cheap a rate as may be, and that whereas some men have vast sums given for salaries heretofore, it was more from a principle of design than Necessity, that so their Mercenary spirits might be obliged to destroy their country's rights, and keep a strict hand and eye over the constant honest party: If there be care taken in this business, there will be many thousand pounds yearly added to the public Treasury.  
5. That some men of ability and activity may be employed, Superintendents or overseers of the Navies stores in Chattam, Porsmouth, and Plymouth, who may: If they are able and honest, save the State above 40000 l. per annum, it being a practice in most of the Officers to comply and connive at one another's Offences; whereby timber, Cables, sails, Powder, Cordage, Provisions, &c. are usually sold by Officers in great quantities.  
6. That the Number of Officers, especially of the custom and Excise, and value of their Salaries may be regulated and lessened; For that in many places the Salaries of the custom-officers exceeds the Receipts.  
7. That the Farming of the custom and Excise may forthwith cease; which is so cruelly executed, that there is a general outcry against it throughout the three Nations, which much endangereth the Peace of the commonwealth.  
8. That there are 150 sail of English Ships employed the less yearly by the means of Martin Noel's Farming the custom of Coals, which very much lesseneth the Number of Shipping, and prejudiceth the increase of Mariners, which is of a very ill Consequence; For that the Shipping are England's Walls; and sailors, the Garrison to defend them.  
9 That it is of Considerable Importance, to employ an able public-spirited Person to be governor of the Isle of Barbadoes, which at present is, and so like to be, a Trade of great advantage for the expense of the Manufactures of this commonwealth, if the said governor shall wisely und uprightly, according to the Act of Trade made by this present Parliament, prevent the Importation of the Manufactures of Holland and other Countries, at which there hath been of late (as is generally reported) a great connivance either through Bribery, or Neglect.  
10. That it will be of very great Consequence to the increase of Shipping and Navigation, (in some speedy time) to make some free Ports in England, whereby we shall be able to Equal and Match the Dutch in the Trade of the Zound and Baltique-Seas, and Equal them with Magazines of Goods to furnish all Parts at as cheap a rate, as the aforesaid Dutch or Hamburgers shall be able to do.  
11. That there may be a Survey of all the penal Statute Laws of the Land, and a brief Collection of them that are profitable and necessary, for the well and peaceable Government of this Commonwealth, owned by this supreme Authory, and all those that are grounded on principles of tyranny and Oppression; & repugnant to the Laws of God and reason, and unnecessary or vexatious may be exploded: And that they that are owned may be Printed in one Volume, that so the people may know what is their duty, and not be punished by traps and Snares of absolete Laws, through the malice or subtlety of corrupt Judges or Justices, it being a desperate and cruel principle for the Rulers to require obedience to Laws that the People are not capable to understand, and a known maxim that a Multitude of Laws are a multitude of Fetters to enslave the Ignorant, and destroy the Simple hearted.  
12. That seeing the whole Commonwealth is in a Lamentable condition of poverty, Trade almost utterly lost, and Thousands of Poor ready to starve, Let Piety, Pity, and desire of true renown persuade those that have Thousands and Hundreds yearly means, to forbear Sallaryes for some years, that so the People may have food, and the Commonwealth by their examples be encouraged and invited to Charity and Pity. This noble and true Christian practice and example was acted by Nehemiah, whose pattern I earnestly beseech our present lawmakers to imitate, in freeing this Commonwealth from Bondage, Slavery, and Tyranny; God forbid they should follow Jehu, who destroyed Ahab's House, only to seat himself and his posterity in the Throne.  
FINIS.