REASONS Humbly offered to the Honourable House of COMMONS, by the Church Wardens and other Inhabitants of the city and liberty of Westminster; Against Passing the BILL to Exempt Apothecaries from Serving Parish and Ward-Offices.  
THat by Reason of the great Numbers of Kings Servants, Justices of the Peace, Kings, and Militia Officers, Physitians, Counsellors and attorneys, chirurgeons, Kings Pensioners, Roman catholics, Widows, and poor Inhabitants in the city and liberty of Westminster; It is very difficult to find a sufficient Number of substantial Persons, sit to serve the several Parish and Ward Offices, which Number Yearly being very great, forces the Ancient Inhabitants of each Parish, to choose many times very mean Trades whose Education generally renders them unfit for such Offices, and their Necessity may constrain them to Act contrary to their Honest Inclination.  
And tho' the said Ancients of each Parish do Endeavour to avoid the choosing Vintners, and Victullers,( of which there is a very great Number in this liberty) by reason their Profession naturally tends to Expending money. Yet they are necessitated sometimes to choose them, which has given a most just and universal Complaint, tho' it cannot be avoided, having no better Inhabitants liable to be chosen for Parish Officers. And the Parish of St. Paul Covent-Garden have in the last Seven Years for want of others, courted the Constables, surveyors of the Highways, and Scavengers, each to serve Two Years together, the Overseer Four Years, and one Church-Warden Six Years, and the other Seven Years.  
That the Apothecaries Trades are as much managed by Journymen, and Apprentices, both at Home and Abroad, as any, and they are as much Absent from their Shops, at Taverns, Coffee Houses, Country-House, Governing in Vestrys, Choosiing Officers, Sheriffs, Lord Mayors, Members of Parliament; in all which Honourable, and Profitable Employments they never refuse to serve themselves, from which they ought— as well to be exempted, as from Parish and Ward-Offices.  
That their Profession requires such Education, as better Qualifies them to do good in serving Parish and Ward-Offices, than any other Trade, and if there has been any Mismanagement in Parish Government, as has been by them Insiuated; it would be for a general good, if after they have been Seven Years Excused, they now might come in and Rectify such Ill Government.  
That the Profit of their Trades are so much Superior to any other, and Sunday to them an equal day of gain, with the rest of the Weekdays; therefore they may better bear with the loss of Time and Attendance such Offices do require, than any other Trade whatsoever.  
All which is Humbly Submitted to the Wisdom of this Honourable House.   

REASONS against the APOTHECARIES BILL.