REASONS
Humbly
Offer'd
to
the
Honourable
House
of
COMMONS
,
by
the
Church
Wardens
and
other
Inhabitants
of
the
Citty
and
Libertie
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
Attornies
,
Chyrurgions
,
Kings
Pensioners
,
Roman
Catholicks
,
Widows
,
and
poor
Inhabitants
in
the
Citty
and
Libertie
of
Westminster
;
It
is
very
difficult
to
find
a
sufficient
Number
of
Substantiall
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
avoyd
the
choosing
Vintners
,
and
Victullers
,
(
of
which
there
is
a
very
great
Number
in
this
Libertie
)
by
reason
their
Profession
naturally
tends
to
Expending
Mony
.
Yet
they
are
necessitated
sometimes
to
choose
them
,
which
has
given
a
most
just
and
vniversall
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
,
Surveyours
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
equall
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
.