money answers all things-第3章

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than　the　Money　circulating　amongst　them　will　well　enable　them　to　pay　for　them；　and　because；　until　many　more　of　the　People　are　employ'd　in　Cultivation；　etc。　to　lessen　the　Number　of　Poor；　and　make　greater　Plenty；　all　kinds　of　Trade；　Manufactures；　and　Professions　must　needs　continue　so　overstocked　with　Numbers　of　People　imploy'd　in　them；　as　absolutely　to　spoil　them　all；　as　to　the　Profits；　which　is　the　sole　End　of　Trade。　Therefore　the　natural　Way　to　lower　the　Rents；　can　only　be；　by　putting　such　very　great　Tracts　of　waste　Land　into　Cultivation；　as　may　make　Farms　abound；　which　will　lower；　and　make　the　Rents　easy；　and　will　employ　the　People；　not　in　Cultivation　only；　but　in　every　Kind　of　Manufacture；　Trade　and　Calling。　For　all　this　will　be　the　necessary　Consequence　of　cultivating　such　large　Tracts　of　waste　Land；　as　must　be　cultivated　to　make　Farms　abound；　and　Rents　easy。　　　　　But　I　am　sensible；　this　Proposal　must　meet　with　almost　an　insuperable　Objection；　from　all　Gentlemen　whose　Estates　consist　of　Land；　since　if　the　Plenty　of　every　thing　must　be　increased　so　much；　that　the　Produce　of　the　Earth　may　become　a　great　deal　cheaper；　the　Rents　must　be　lowered　a　great　deal　too；　I　am　so　apprehensive　of　the　Power　of　his　Prejudice；　that　I　fear　it　will　be　very　hard　to　remove　it。　but　I　shall　endeavour　to　do　it；　by　shewing　that　it　is　no　real　Loss　to　Gentlemen　this　Way　to　lower　their　Estates。　　　　　What　I　have　said　is　a　strong　Argument　to　the　Purpose；　that　the　Scarcity　of　Money　among　the　People；　that　the　Scarcity　of　Money　among　the　People　will　unavoidably　disable　the　Farmers　to　pay　their　Rents。　To　this　Cause；　which　doth　naturally　lessen　the　Consumption　of　all　Things；　in　such　Proportion　as　the　Cash　grows　scarcer；　and　thereby　keeps　the　Fruits　of　the　Earth　from　rising　to　a　Price；　that　might　enable　the　Farmers　to　pay　their　Rents；　it　must　be　ascribed；　that　Corn；　etc。　hath　hardly　of　late　fetched　Money　enough　to　pay　all　Charges；　exclusive　of　Rent；　and　not　to　the　Plenty　of　Corn　considered　in　itself。　For　cheap　as　Corn　is；　the　Number　of　Poor；　as　most　Parishes　find；　is　greatly　encreased　of　late　Years；　witness　the　Numbers　we　are　continually　transporting；　and　the　late　Invention　of　erecting　Workhouses　for　the　Poor；　and　Complaints　of　Tradesmen　all　over　the　Kingdom；　which　have　been；　and　are　very　great；　and　very　just。　Now　suppose　Corn；　etc。　were　considerably　advanced；　to　enable　the　Farmers　to　pay　their　Rents；　what　must　become　of　the　trading　Part　of　the　Nation；　who　already　with　justice；　complain　they　can　hardly　get　Money　to　support　themselves；　at　the　present　Rates　of　Things？　And　how　much　more　would　the　Poor　and　their　Calamities　increase；　by　such　a　Rise　of　Necessaries；　together　with　the　still　greater　Decay　of　Trade　it　must　occasion；　since　if　the　Prices　of　Things　were　to　be　advance；　the　People　in　general　for　want　of　Money　must；　if　possible；　be　still　less　Consumers；　and　consequently　make　just　so　much　less　Business　amongst　them；　who　have　already　much　too　little？　Besides；　it　is　always　found　that　as　Trade　lessens　（or　is　divided　amongst　more　Particulars；　which　is　much　the　same　Thing　in　Effect）　the　Profits　of　Trade　lessen　in　still　greater　Proportion　to　the　Business　transacted。　　　　　But　to　proceed：　To　shew　that　Gentlemen　will　lose　nothing　by　falling　their　Rents；　Let　it　be　supposed；　that　all　the　Land　in　the　Kingdome　were　to　be　raised　20　l。　per　cent　per　annum。　Since　the　Land　would　bear　no　more　Corn；　graze　no　more　Cattle；　etc。　than　it　now　doth；　must　not　the　Corn　and　Cattle；　etc。　be　considerably　advanced？　and　must　not　the　Labourer；　whose　Necessaries　must　then　cost　more；　have　more　for　his　Labour？　and　must　not　Timber　to　make　Carriages；　and　for　every　other　Use；　cost　more　to　fell　and　hew　it；　etc。　and　must　not　Horses；　to　draw　the　Fruits　of　the　Earth；　etc。　to　Market；　be　more　valuable；　and　consequently　Carriage；　and　every　Manufacture　cost　more　too？　I　think　all　Things　would　certainly　thus　be　raised；　if　Money　could　be　found　to　circulate　them　at　such　an　Advance。　And　then；　since　Gentlemen　are　Consumers；　and　must　buy　every　thing；　as　well　as　others；　at　this　Advance；　what　would　they　be　advantaged　by　receiving　20　per　cent　per　annum　more；　and　paying　that　at　least；　if　not　more；　for　what　they　want？　　　　　But　if　Gentlemen　should　say；　this　would　be　so　as　to　what　they　spend；　yet　what　they　save；　and　lay　up；　would　be　more：　For　instance；　suppose　a　Gentleman　of　1000　l　per　Annum；　now　spends　500　l。　and　lays　up　500　l。　per　annum；　if　Estates　were　thus　raised；　he　would　at　the　same　Rate　spend　660　l。　and　lay　up　600　l。　per　annum：　but　how　wou'd　he　be　the　richer；　since　the　Price　of　every　Thing　being　raised　in　like　Proportion　at　least；　which　is　an　unavoidable　Consequence；　his　600　l。　would　purchase；　nor　more　than　500　l。　did　before？　Wherefore　Gentlemen　would；　in　this　Case；　be　not　one　Jot　advantaged。　If　therefore　Rents　should　fall　30　l。　per　cent　per　annum；　every　thing　would　certainly　fall；　in　at　least　the　same　Proportion；　so　that　Gentlemen　would　lose　nothing；　but　the　name　of　so　much　per　Annum；　which；　I　think；　the　Argument　above　doth　sufficiently　evince。　But　lest　the　name　of　losing　so　much　per　annum　should　be　a　Prejudice；　strong　enough　to　prevent　the　Execution　of　this　so　necessary　Proposal；　let　it　be　further　consider'd；　that　empty　Houses；　the　Number　of　which　at　present　is　very　great；　and　will　be　greater　still；　if　this　Method　be　not　taken　to　fill　them；　I　say；　empty　Houses；　if　they　can　be　filled；　are　real　Estates；　as　well　as　Land。　Now　if　Money　be　thus　made　plentiful；　as　it　certainly　may；　Plenty　of　Money　will　soon　make　Trade　flourish；　and　a　flourishing　Trade　will　soon　enable　the　People　to　occupy　more　Houses；　and　hereby　the　Number　of　People　likewise　will　soon　be　increased；（1*）　so　that　landlords　taken　in　their　full　Extent；　including　Landlords　of　Houses　as　well　as　of　Land；　will　thus　certainly　be　Gainers；　by　falling　their　Estates　so　much　as　shall　be　needful　to　make　Money　plentiful；　which　will　soon　fill　their　Houses。　But　it　may　be　said；　if　Lands　must　fall　30　per　cent　which　is　near　a　third；　to　fill　the　Houses；　and　but　an　eighth；　or　a　ninth　of　the　Number　of　Houses；　as　I　shall　shew；　remain　to　be　filled；　how　are　Landlords；　taken　in　the　full　sense　of　the　Word；　including　Landlords　of　Houses　as　well　as　of　Land；　Gainers？　I　answer；　that　the　Rents　are　now　raised　above　their　proper　Value；　for　the　proper　Value　of　any　thing；　is　really　no　other；　than　what　the　Money　circulating　among　the　People　will　well　enable　them　to　pay；　nor　can　any　greater　Value　be　long　supported　by　any　Means　whatsoever。　　　　　But　it　will　be　asked；　How　we　shall　know　when　the　Prices　of　Things　are　at　this　proper　Value？　I　answer；　that　as　the　Price　of　Labour　is　always　constituted　of　the　Price　of　Necessaries；　and　the　Price　of　all　other　things　chiefly　of　the　price　of　Labour；　whenever　the　Price　of　Necessaries　is　such；　that　the　labouring　Man's　Wages　will　not；　suitably　to　his　low　Rank　and　Station；　as　a　labouring　Man；　support　such　a　Family；　as　is　often　the　Lot　of　many　of　them　to　have；　the　Price　of　Necessaries　being　then　evidently　so　much　too　high；　every　thing　else　is　so　too；　or　then　may　the　Prices　of　Things　justly　be　said　to　be　above　this　proper　Value；　which　will　more　clearly　appear　in　the　Course　of　this　Essay。　　　　　But　I　will　proceed　to　shew；　that　the　Gentlemen　will　be　the　richer　for　falling　all　the　Lands　in　the　Kingdom　20　or　30　per　cent　per　annum；　provided　this　Fall　be　effected　only　by　the　Addition；　and　Cultivation　of　so　much　more　Land；　as　will　make　Farms　so　plentiful；　as　to　reduce　the　Rents　of　Lands　so　much。　　　　　For　if　it　shall　appear；　that　the　Gentlemen　would　be　the　poorer；　if　all　the　Lands　in　the　Kingdom　were　raised　20　per　cent　per　annum；　I　think　the　Reverse　must　follow；　that　they　would　be　the　richer　if　all　the　Lands　were　fallen　20　or　30　per　cent　per　annum；　that　is　70　or　80　l。　would　certainly　buy　more；　if　all　the　Lands　were　so　fallen；　then　120　l。　would　do；　if　all　the　Lands　were　so　raised；　which　I　shall　endeavour　to　prove。　　　　　If　all　the　Lands　were　raised　20　per　cent　per　annum　it's　certain　they　would　not　produce　more；　but　perhaps　less；　than　they　now　do；　by　putting　it；　in　some　Degree；　out　of　the　Farmers　Power　to　use　so　much　Skill　and　Charge　to　cultivate　them；　as　they　could　do　before　their　Rents　were　so　raised：　I　say；　since　the　Land　could　however　produce　no　more　than　it　now　doth；　all　the　Produce；　whatever　it　consists　of；　must　be　sold　not　only　for　all　the　20　pounds　more；　but　there　must　be　Profits　likewise　on　all　those　20　Pounds；　to　enable　the　Farmers　to　buy　whatever　they　want　at　higher　prices；　which　every　thing　must　needs　be　advanced　to　from　thus　raising　the　Produce；　which；　as　it　passeth　through　every　Hand　and　Manufacturing；　must　still　have　proportionably　increased　Profits　on　the　thus　raised　prime　Cost；　before　it　comes　to　the　Consumer；　who；　therefore；　must　thus　certainly；　in　the　End；　not　only　pay　all　the　advanced　20　pounds　Rent；　but　likewise　the　necessary　Profits　thereon　through　all　the　several　Hands　it　must　pass：　And　since　the　Labour；　which　adds　the　greatest　Value　to　every　thing；　must　in　this　Case　be　inhanced　likewise；　it's　evident；　the　same　Quantity　of　Produce　must　be　dearer　by　all　the　first　advanced　20　Pounds　Rent；　and　by　suitable　Profits　to　all　the　several　Hands　through　which　it　must　pass；　together　with　a　greater　Charge　of　Labour　thereon；　whence；　if　the　same　Quantity　of　Produce　must　thus　cost　a　gr