money answers all things-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


tily　and　sufficiently　persued。　　　　　11thly；　The　full　and　sufficient　Execution　of　this　Proposal；　will　enable　the　Government　to　reduce　the　national　Debts；　and　ease　the　Taxes。　　　　　For　as　the　Produce　of　the　Earth；　and　Consumption　thereof；　will　certainly　be　greatly　encreased；　which　Things　always　go　together；　the　Revenue　must；　I　think；　increase　too；　since　the　Malt　Tax；　Excise　on　Beer；　Duty　on　Leather　and　Tallow；　and　whatever　other　Parts　of　the　Produce　are　taxed；　would　evidently　be　as　much　augmented　as　the　Produce　and　Consumption　of　these　would　be　augmented；　and　if　at　the　same　time　the　Circumstances　of　the　People　will　be　generally　amended；　as　I　hope　I　have　sufficiently　made　out；　as　they　will　thereby　be　better　able　to　pay　these　and　all　other　Taxes；　so　every　thing　being　by　the　full　and　sufficient　Execution　of　this　Proposal　made　considerably　cheaper；　which　will　as　certainly　attend　the　Execution　thereof；　it's　plain；　the　Government　will　be　able　to　effect　every　thing　with　as　much　less　Money　as　the　Price　of　Labour　and　Goods　of　all　Kinds　will　hence　be　reduced；　and　therefore　will　certainly　have　a　Surplus　of　Revenue　arising　not　only　by　the　Augmentation　thereof；　but　by　being　enabled　to　effect　every　thing；　that　they　may　have　Occasion　to　do；　with　much　less　Sums　than　they　can　now　effect　those　Things；　and　sure　this　Difference；　which　will　certainly　be　very　considerable；　if　sufficiently　pursued；　may　be　applied　to　reduce　the　national　Debts；　and　ease　the　Taxes。　　　　　But　perhaps　it　will　be　objected；　that　to　effect　this　Proposal；　the　Land…tax　will　lessen　with　the　Rents　of　Lands；　whence　the　Revenue　must　in　this　Branch　of　it　diminish。　I　answer；　that　most　of　the　Counties　are　able；　with　2/3　of　the　Tax　on　Land；　to　raise　the　Quota's　assess'd　on　them。　And　Eras。　Phillips；　Esq：　p。　44；　supposes　all　the　Lands　in　the　Kingdom　not　to　be　assess'd　at　above　half　their　Value；　and　if　so；　their　Quotas；　notwithstanding　the　Fall　of　Rents；　may　be　still　kept　up；　but　if　we　add　the　Land…tax；　that　may　be　further　raised　on　so　great　an　Addition　of　Land；　as　much　every　Year　be　further　put　into　Use　and　cultivated；　to　hold　the　needful　Proportion　to　the　natural　Increase　of　Mankind；　and　effect　the　Things　I　am　contending　for；　this　Addition　of　the　Land…tax　will；　undoubtedly；　contribute　so　much　to　the　preventing　any　Diminution　of　this　Branch　of　the　Revenue；　that；　I　think；　we　need　have　no　Apprehensions　about　this　Matter。　And　if　the　People　will　encrease　as　Trade　is　relieved　and　enlarged；　which　is　a　Truth　known　even　to　a　Maxim；　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　Revenue　will　certainly；　in　the　whole；　soon　be　augmented；　and　also　in　this　Branch　of　it。　　　　　But　because　the　Land；　that　shall　be　further　put　to　Use；　will　be　more　in　Proportion　in　some　Counties　than　others；　perhaps　this　may　make　a　new　Assessment　of　the　Land…tax　needful；　which　therefore　in　such　Case　should　be　done。　　　　　I　can't　dismiss　this　Head　without　shewing　that　if　all　the　Taxes　were　taken　off　Goods；　and　levied　on　Lands　and　Houses　only；　the　Gentlemen　would　have　more　nett　Rent　left　out　of　their　Estates；　than　they　have　now　the　Taxes　are　almost　wholly　levied　on　Goods。　　　　　The　national　Debt　is　supposed　to　be　near　50　Millions；　the　Interest　of　which；　at　4　per　cent　is　two　Millions：　And　I　further　suppose；　two　Millions　more　may　be　near　as　much　as　is　raised　for　the　current　Service　of　the　Year；　in　these　times　of　Peace；　this　together　makes　four　Million　per　annum；　which　must　be　raised　nett　for　the　Government。　　　　　The　Rental　of　the　Kingdom；　though　it's　at　present　assess'd　but　at　10；　is　well　known　to　be　20　millions　per　annum；（24*）　so　that　if　the　Land　were　fully　assess'd　（as　it　certainly　ought　if　it　can　be　proved　that　the　Land　must　pay　all　the　Taxes；　however　the　Manner　of　collecting　them　be　varied）　four　Shillings　in　the　Pound　would　raise　the　whole　Supply　of　four　Millions；　except　the　Charge　of　collecting　it；　which　by　way　of　Land…tax　being　found　to　be　but　about　6　Pence　in　the　Pound；　or　2　1/2　per　cent　will　make　but　100；000　l。　more。　　　　　But　let　us　see　what　it　will　cost　the　nation　to　raise　four　Millions　per　annum　on　Goods。　　　　　I　suppose　we　have　hardly　less　than　15；000　Persons　employed；　in　the　Kingdom；　and　upon　the　Coasts　thereof；　to　collect；　mange；　and　look　after　the　revenue　in　every　Respect；　besides　a　considerable　Number　of　Vessels；　the　Charge　of　which；　and　Salaries　of　all　these　Officers　of　every　Class；　together　with　the　Perquisites　they　receive　from　the　People；　which　affect　the　Price　of　Goods　just　as　if　it　were　all　nett　Duty　paid　into　the　Treasury；　all　these　Charges　taken　together；　I　suppose；　may　very　moderately　be　rekoned　equal　to　100　l。　per　Annum；　at　a　Medium；　for　each　of　those　Persons。　so　that　the　Nation　is　thus　necessarily　put　to　a　Million　and　an　half　Charge　by　these　Officers；　and　if　we　suppose　the　Duties　on　Goods；　and　the　Charge　of　collecting　them；　to　be　equal　to　1/6　of　the　gross　Value　of　them；　then　the　gross　Value　will　at　this　Rate　be　33　Millions。　Now　since　those　that　disburse　the　Duties；　and　Charge　of　collecting　them；　must　have　a　suitable　Profit　to　every　Hand　through　which　the　Goods　pass　to　the　Consumers；　I　will　suppose　these　Profits　to　inhance　the　Value　of　the　Goods　to　the　Consumers　8　per　cent（25*）　this　will　occasion　a　further　Charge　to　the　Nation　of　2；640；000　l。　per　annum。　So　that　collecting　four　Millions　for　the　Government　on　Goods；　puts　the　Nation　to　above　four　Millions　more　Charge；　than　would　be　sufficient　to　raise　the　same　Supply　by　way　of　Land…tax　only。　And　I　verily　believe；　I　have　not　exceeded　in　any　of　my　Suppositions；　or　if　I　have；　I　doubt　not　that　I　am　still　in　the　whole　Charge　enough　within　Compass；　and　that　this　Way　of　Reasoning　is　just。　　　　　But　before　I　proceed　to　shew　that　this　whole　Charge　of　8　Millions；　which　is　equal　to　8　Shillings　in　the　Pound　on　the　Rental　of　the　Kingdom；　will　all　fall　ultimately　on　the　Land；　it　is　needful　to　shew　that　the　Land　gives　all　we　have。　　　　　That　the　Land　gives　all　we　have；　would　be　self…evident；　if　we　did　not　import　many　Goods　which　are　the　Produce　of　other　Nations：　But　this　makes　no　Alteration　in　the　Case；　since　the　Quantity　of　foreign　Goods　we　import；　can't　continually　be　of　greater　Value　than　the　Goods　we　export；　because　this；　in　the　End；　must　exhaust　all　our　Cash；　and　so　put　an　End　to　that　Excess。　Therefore　the　Goods　we　import　stand　only　in　Place；　and　in　Stead　of　those　we　export；　consequently　the　Land　gives　not　only　all　we　have　of　our　own　Produce；　etc。　but　virtually　all　we　receive　from　other　Nations；　since　it　produces　and　delivers；　at　least；　a　Quantity　equal　in　Value　to　the　Quantity　of　Goods　we　import。　And　as　I　have　now　proved　that　the　Land　gives　all　we　have；　notwithstanding　the　Importation　of　any　Quantity　of　foreign　Goods；　I　will　next　shew　that　it　must　pay　all　the　Taxes；　levy　them　how　we　will。　I　might　without　going　any　further；　insist　on　it；　as　a　self…evident　Principle；　that　that　which　gives　all　must　pay　all；　but　I　will　shew　how　this　comes　to　pass　in　this　Case。　It　hath　been　laid　down　as　a　certain　Principle；　That　the　Price　of　Goods　to　the　Consumers　in　general；　depends　on；　and　is　governed　by；　and　will　always　be　more　or　less；　according　as　the　Quantity　of　Cash　circulating　amongst　the　People　is　more　or　less；　in　Proportion　to　their　Numbers。　　　　　And　as　the　Rents　of　Lands　depend　also　on　this　Principle；　I　will　shew　what　the　Rents　of　Lands　will　be　in　Consequence　thereof。　　　　　Now　the　Rents　of　Lands　can　be　no　greater　（nay　they　ought　not　to　be　so　great）　than　the　Overplus　which　remains　to　the　Farmers；　after　all　charges；　together　with　their　own　Subsistence；　are　deducted　out　of　the　Price　or　sum；　the　Produce　of　the　Land　they　rent　fetches　at　Market；　and　Experience　shews；　the　Rents　of　Lands　will　always　be　very　near　as　much　as　this；　since　the　Farmers　in　general；　as　well　as　every　body　else；　find　it　as　much　as　they　can　well　do　to　pay　their　Rents。　But　to　proceed。　　　　　Suppose　the　Cash；　amongst　the　People　in　general；　to　be　what　it　now　is；　and　that　all　the　Taxes　were　taken　off　Goods；　it's　evident；　this　would　not；　in　the　End；　lower　the　Price　of　Goods　to　the　Consumers；　since　that　Price；　by　the　Principle　laid　down；　depends　on　the　Quantity　of　Money　circulating　amongst　the　People：　But　if　the　Duties　were　taken　off　Goods；　they　must　cost　as　much　less　than　they　do　now；　as　the　Taxes　now　on　them；　with　the　Charges　of　collecting；　etc。　now　inhance　them；　therefore；　I　think；　if　the　Taxes　were　taken　off　Goods；　and　laid　on　Lands　and　Houses　only；　so　much　more　Money　must　in　this　Case　come　to　the　Hands　of　the　Farmers　for　the　Produce　of　the　Ground；　as　would　enable　them　to　pay　as　much　larger　Rents　than　they　now　can　do；　as　would　double　the　Land…tax；　if　the　whole　supply　were　raised　this　Way　only：　and　this　I　conclude　must　be　so；　because　the　Charge　of　collecting　the　Duties　on　Goods　is；　as　hath　been　shewn；　about　equal　to　the　nett　Supply　for　the　Government；　whilst　the　Charge　of　collecting　the　Supply　by　Way　of　Land…tax；　doth　not　exceed　1/40　Part　of　the　Charge　of　collecting　in　on　Goods；　as　hath　also　been　shewn。　　　　　But　that　I　may　make　it　evident　that　the　Taxes；　and　all　Charges　which　attend　collecting　them　on　Goods；　must　lessen　the　Rents　as　much　as　they　amount　to；　I　reason　thus：　The　Produce　of　the　Ground；　when　fitted　for　the　Consumer；　fetches　a　certain　Sum　of　Money；　out　of　which　all　charges；　from　the　raising　it　out　of　the　Earth　to　the　fitting　it　for　the　Consumer；　must　be