money answers all things-第26章

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ad　Gentlemen　in　the　Kingdom　who　liv'd　on　their　Estates。　And　if；　as　I　have　before　sufficiently　made　out；　the　lowering　the　Rates　of　Labour　will　make　every　Thing　fall；　in　much　greater　Proportion　than　the　Rents；　it　must　be　evident　that　an　Overplus　must；　in　this　Case；　　remain　to　pay　Rent；　and　that　the　Gentlemen　will　be　the　richer　too；　for　persuing　such　Measures；　as　shall　be　effectual　to　reduce　the　present　Rates　of　Labour；　etc。　And　now；　I　hope；　it　doth　fully　appear；　that　the　Gentlemen　have　no　Reason　to　fear　improving　so　much　waste　Land　as　I　am　contending　for；　since　perhaps　they　are　not　like　to　get　any　Rent　any　other　way；　except　that　I　must　add；　that　the　taking　the　Taxes　intirely　off　Goods；　would　mightily　help　them　in　this　Point；　since　it's　pretty　certain；　the　Taxes；　and　Charges　of　collecting　them；　together　with　the　Advance　on　the　Price　of　Goods　they　occasion；　do　now　absorb　near　half　the　Rent　of　the　Kingdom；　as　hath　been　before　shewn。　Nay；　I　do　verily　believe；　that　taking　the　Taxes　intirely　off　the　Things　the　working　People　consume；　is　so　absolutely　needful；　that　Labour　can　hardly　be　reduced　without　it。　　　　　And　that　which　makes　me　think　so；　is　the　prodigious　Augmentation　of　the　Price　of　Goods　by　Taxes；　an　undeniable　Instance　of　which；　the　taking　the　Duty　off　Salt；　and　laying　it　on　again　hath　produced。　For　Salt；　when　the　Duty　was　taken　off；　was　cried　about　Street　three　Pounds　for　five　Farthings；　and　no　sooner　was　the　Duty　laid　on　again；　but　the　Price　became　to　the　Consumer　（as　it　was　before　the　Duty　was　taken　off）　five　Farthings　for　one　Pound。　so　the　Duty　on　Salt　hath　trebled　its　Price　to　the　Consumer。　This　Instance　therefore　makes　me　think　it　impossible　to　reduce　the　Rates　of　Things　by　Tillage；　etc。　alone；　so　much　as　to　reduce　the　Rate　of　Labour；　except　taking　the　Taxes　intirely　off　the　Things　the　working　People　consume　and　use；　be　also　brought　in　Aid。　And　I　dare　say　this　will　be　found　so　too；　if　ever　it's　tried。　　　　　But　there　remains　a　Difficulty　or　two；　which　perhaps　it　may　also　be　needful　to　remove；　viz。　First；　That　since　a　great　many　Estates　in　this　Kingdom　are　mortgaged；　if　the　Rents　of　Lands；　by　the　Execution　of　this　Proposal；　should　be　considerably　lower'd；　many　such　Estates　will　hardly　be　worth　more　than　they　are　mortgaged　for；　which　may　be　a　very　great　Hardship　to　abundance　of　People。　I　would　therefore　most　humbly　propose　that；　whenever　the　Wisdom　of　Parliament　shall　think　fit　to　make　an　Act　to　inclose；　and　improve　so　much　common　and　waste　Land　as　shall　be　needful；　and　may　be　effectual　to　the　Purposes　this　Essay　sets　forth；　（for　I　believe　it　can　hardly　be　effected　without　such　an　Act　of　Parliament；）　I　say；　I　would　most　humbly　propose；　that　a　Clause　be　added；　that　all　Mortgagees　shall　be　obliged　annually；　or　in　any　other　Manner　that　may　seem　meet；　to　strike　off　such　Sums　from　the　Principal　Money　lent　on　such　Estates；　as　shall　hold　Proportion　to　the　Fall　of　the　Rents　of　Lands。　This　can　be　no　Hardship　to　the　Mortgagees；　since　the　Residue　of　their　Money　and　Interest　will　do；　at　least；　all　the　same　Things　which　their　whole　Sums；　with　the　Interest；　would　have　done　if　no　such　Alteration　were　made；　as　the　full　and　sufficient　Execution　of　this　Proposal　will　effect。　　　　　The　Mortgagees　will　be　so　far　from　being　singular　in　this　Case；　that　this　is　what　must　happen　to　every　Tradesman；　whose　Stock　in　Hand　being　our　Produce；　or　Manufactures　of　any　Kind；　will　be　continually　falling；　as　fast　as　such　Produce　or　Manufactures　shall　from　Time　to　Time；　by　the　Plenty　of　them；　be　made　cheaper。　Now　will　this　be　any　Prejudice　to　any　Tradesman；　since　every　Time　they　buy；　in　this　Case；　such　Goods　will　be　as　much　cheaper　than　when　they　bought　last；　as　those　Commodities　have　fallen　on　their　Hands；　and　the　remaining　Sums　every　way　as　powerful　to　buy　what　they　may　have　Occasion　for；　as　the　whole　sums　would　have　been　if　no　such　Alteration　had　happen'd；　as　this　Proposal；　if　executed；　will　effect。　　　　　As　to　foreign　Commodities；their　Prices　depending　on　the　Markets　whence　they　are　brought；　will　hardly　be　affected　by　this　Proposal；　and　as　to　Book　Debts　and　Notes；　the　Credit　of　this　Kind　being　never　intended　to　be　of　any　long　Duration；　I　think　no　Alteration　should　be　made；　respecting　them。　But　if　this　Proposal　should　be　executed；　a　Hardship　will　fall　on　many　who　have　Leases　of　Lands；　unless　a　Clause　be　likewise　made；　to　give　such　Tenants　Leave　to　surrender　their　Leases　to　their　Landlords；　but　this　must　only　be　at　the　Option　of　such　Tenants；　because　if　they　think　fit　to　hold　their　Leases；　the　Covenants　must　be　fulfilled；　even　as　if　no　Alteration　were　made　by　the　Execution　of　this　Proposal。　　　　　And　if　another　Clause　were　made　to　this　Purpose；　that　any　Person　being　willing　to　inclose；　and　improve　any　reasonable　and　proper　Quantity　of　waste　Land；　fit　for　one　Person　to　undertake　the　Improvement　of；　whereever　such　waste　or　uninclosed　Land　is　to　be　found；（35*）　such　Person　should　have　Power　to　do　so；　on　Condition　only　of　giving　Notice　in　Writing　to　the　Proprietors　of　such　waste　Land；　or；　if　such　waste　Land　belong　to　a　Parish；　to　the　Vestry；　who　should　receive（36*）　such　Rents　as　shall　be　agreed　by　two　Persons　indifferently　chosen；　one　by　the　Proprietors　or　Vestry；　the　other　by　the　Incloser　of　such　Lands：　And　if　they　can't　agree；　a　third　Person　should　be　obliged　to　fix　and　determine　the　Rents　for　any　proper　Term：　And　it　should　be　recommended　by　the　same　Act；　that　the　Referees　always　have　all　due　Regard　to　the　Good　of　the　Person　inclosing　and　improving　such　waste　Land；　because　the　Riches；　Strength；　and　Honour　of　a　Nation　depend　on　the　utmost　Improvements　of　their　Lands；　all　other　Things　being　only　Consequences　of　this：　I　say；　if　such　a　Clause　were　further　added；　this　whole　Affair；　and　all　the　Benefits　I　have　been　representing；　would　thenceforth　execute　themselves；　so　long　as　we　have　any　waste　or　unimprov'd　Land　left。　And　when　we　have　no　more；　the　People　must　remove　themselves　where　they　can　have　Land　enough　to　support　them；　or　our　country　will　certainly　become　weak　and　miserable；　by　its　being　more　numerous；　than　the　Continent　we　have　can　support　in　an　happy　Condition。　　　　　I　shall　conclude　with　offering　something　about　the　Execution　of　this　Proposal。　But　shall　premise；　that　since　all　Trade　and　Commerce　is　founded　in　the　Wants　of　Mankind　solely；　and　that　these　can　be　supplied　only　by　Cultivation　and　Tillage；　all　other　Things　depending　intirely　thereon；　it　must　clearly　appear　to　what　Causes　to　attribute　that　Decay　of　Trade；　of　which　such　great　Complaints　have　been　made　from　all　Parts　of　the　Kingdom；　even　to　the　Parliament；　and　that　those　have　not　rightly　consider'd　the　Nature　and　Foundation　of　Trade；　who　have　so　vilely　traduced　as　wise　and　good　a　Government　as　this　Nation　ever　had；　when　they　have　insinuated；　at　least；　that　this　Decay　of　Trade　is　owing　in　any　Degree　to　their　Conduct。　　　　　For；　I　hope；　I　have　shewn　that　a　Decay　of　Trade　will　unavoidably　arise　from　the　Course　of　Things　themselves；　where　such　an　Addition　of　Land　is　not　annually　cultivated；　as　shall　at　least　hold　Proportion　to　the　natural　Increase　of　Mankind；　and　likewise　that　a　Decay　of　Trade　is　the　necessary　and　undeniable　Consequence　of　a　Decrease　of　the　Nation's　Cash；　since　the　Consumption　of　every　Thing　must　lessen　in　such　Degree；　as　the　Cash　circulating　amongst　the　People　lessens；　if　the　Prices　of　Things　in　general　be　not　reduced　in　like　Proportion；　by　the　Means　I　have　shewn。　　　　　For；　if　every　Thing　bears　the　same　Price；　and　the　Number　of　Consumers　is　not　lessen'd；　it's　plain；　they　having　in　this　Case　so　much　less　Money　amongst　them；　must　purchase　as　much　fewer　Things；　as　the　Want　of　so　much　Money　will　necessarily　prevent　them；　must　purchase　as　much　fewer　Things；　as　the　Want　of　so　much　Money　will　necessarily　prevent　them　from　buying；　and　this　will　increase　the　Number　of　Poor；　and　make　them　miserable；　according　as　the　Degree　of　the　Decrease　of　Cash　cuts　off　more　or　less　Business　from　amongst　the　People。　　　　　The　Consequences　will　be　just　the　same；　if　the　People　increase；　and　Cash　doth　not　increase　amongst　them　in　like　Proportion。　　　　　And　further；　I　think　it　appears；　that　it　is　not　Luxury　which　occasions　a　Decay　of　Trade；　but　that　such　a　Decay　of　Trade；　as　dispossesses　many　of　that　Property　their　Wants　and　natural　Rights　intitle　them　to；　is　that　alone　which　possesses　a　comparative　Few　with　such　Affluence；　as　both　causes　and　supports　their　Luxury；　and　allures　and　draws　in　many　into　such　luxurious　Excesses；　as　are　beyond　their　Abilities　to　support。　Therefore；　imputing　the　Decay　of　Trade　to　Luxury；　must　be　a　very　great　Error；　since　it　puts　the　Effect　for　the　Cause。　　　　　And　again；　I　believe　our　Paper　Effects　have　contributed　as　much　to　this　Decay　of　Trade；　as　all　the　rest　put　together；　by　inhancing　the　Price　of　every　Thing　amongst　us；　above　the　Rates　our　real　Specie　would　have　supported　them　at；　in　such　Proportion　as　the　Paper　Effects　amongst　us　are　greater　than　the　real　Specie　we　have　circulating；　for　this　is　the　natural　and　unavoidable　Effect　of　any　Thing　operating　as　Cash；　which　is　not　such。　　　　　But　to　return：　I　would　most　humbly　propose　that；　if　possible；　100；000　Acres　of　Land　be　for　some　Years　successively　taken　in；　and　inclosed；　as　near　London　as　such　a　Quantity　of　Land　is　to　be　had；　because　the　labouring　People　may；　I　be