Farther Arguments, FOR Passing the BILL AGAINST The Sale of Offices, Humbly Offered to the House of LORDS, as it has Passed the Honourable House of COMMONS.  
WHEREAS JAMES WHISTON has set forth the Calamities of England in the several Pernicious Effects, Occasioned by the Sale of Offices, etc. And has more particularly Levelled the Subject of his Discourse, at the Corruption, Oppression, and Maladministration of, and in the City of London, through her present unjust and Arbitrary Sale of Offices; And some Papers having been since published in Vindication of the great Truths he has Asserted: And also, the Honourable House of Commons having, in their great Wisdom, Passed 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 Mercenary disposal of Offices, Put in their Petition, and Engaged their uttermost Interest against the Passing of the said Bill; which being not able to Effect, they still, as true Champions for the said Public 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 Virtue 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 would 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 Sum of 60000 Pounds per Annum, and all this by a General Extortion from the People's Purses, occasioned wholly by such Sales, that both encourage that general Oppression and indemnify the Oppressor; 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) chief Rapined from the Poor; It being inconsistent both with the Justice and Prudence of all Governments that the Public 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 answered, but by an extraordinary and inhuman Tax (if We may so call, with submission, a downright and barefaced Oppression) upon the very Bread that goes into the mouths of the Poorest Beggars, and upon the fire that warms them in their Rags and Nakedness? Thus the Common Fruits of the Earth and the Elements themselves must be Fined 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 Sums for bare titular Employments, they are thereby conniud 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 called, who pay about 600 Pounds a piece for their Places; which, as they are managed, have no Foundation either in Necessity or Reason. Where a parcel of lusty Fellows, hire themselves with great Sums of Money to walk about the Markets, and should prevent the Sale of defective Victuals, etc. and detect all false Weights and Measures 〈◊〉 and rectify Common Annoyances and Grievances in the Streets, etc. which if they wereso justly Reform 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 Nuisances and Abuses must be Committed; So that it necessarily infers a Connivance and Toleration of what they are Commissioned to Suppress and-Remedy. In fine, the Channel of Common Justice is miserably obstructed by the Sale of Offices and their Dependencies.  
AS for Instance; He that sues in the City Courts, tho' for a Just debt of Three or Four Pounds, stands obliged (merely by the Depravity of Custom in the Particulars complained 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 rendered a mere 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 countenanced 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 overpowered 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, etc. In Answer to that feeble Pretention, It is humbly Replied, 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-feasting 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 Expense of their Grandeur, Hospitality and Charge, should dwindle and lessen almost to nothing. However, if any such Extravagance were requisite to maintain the City's Honour, etc. Would it not be more Reasonable and Humane to raise such moneys 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 imagined, what infinite Sums might be saved by it, seeing that upon a Computation of the Exactions, through the whole Kingdom, occasioned purely by Mercenary Administrations of numerous and several unnecessary Officers, We may reasonably Venture to affirm, That there is more Money drained 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 Public, in utterly Prohibiting the Sale of all manner of Offices, especially at this Time; For it seems a little hard, that Two Hands should draw from one Pocket. That when with one Cheerful Hand we are so hearty and largely Contributing towards the Defence of our Country and Liberties, this Pickpocket Thief, called Extortion, should dive so deeply into our Purses.  
THIS desired Retrenchment would make Public Offices become the Reward of Merit and Virtue, 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 ventured to answer (as indeed being unable so to do) the just Complaints published 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 hardened 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 Solicitations, etc. 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 Pibble from the Brook called Truth. to combat the Goliath. 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 connived at in unlawful Usurpations and Invasions. The One Petitions only for the Re-Establishment of banished 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 entirely depend. This Party pluming itself 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 overpowered, but ca●●●ver be Subdued. Strong Lines and fine couched Periods may  her, but she can never be Corrupted. She may be Disguised, but cannot be Deformed.  
ONE Argument used by their Learned Advocates against the Reasonableness and Justice of this so much desired Bill, is of so acquaint 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 Uprightly, etc. Now, we should be very glad to know in what Age, and what Part of the World this Notion was hatched. All Governments, in all times, have Condemned and Forbidden it, as fully appears in the  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 satire, on Purpose to have a Lash at the Toleration of the Abominable Practice here complained 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 aught 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 Gentleman'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 Judgement of Persons, so Honourable and Discerning, as those Noble Lords, to whom the Harangue was Addressed. 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 presumed, 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 behaved themselves at the Lords Bar, in behalf of their City Clients; yet being asked 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.  
FINIS.   

Farther Arguments FOR THE BILL, AGAINST The Sale of OFFICES, etc.