money answers all things-第6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！


hence　all　Trades；　Occupations；　Manufactures　and　Profession；　are　overstock'd　with　Numbers；　and　embarrassed。　and　hence　Rents　have　been　advanced　by　the　Demand　the　Increase　of　People　hath　occasion'd　for　Land；　and　hence　Living　is　become　much　more　chargeable　than　formerly；　and　the　People　less　able　to　support　themselves；　besides；　the　inhancing　the　Price　of　Necessaries　hath　either　advanced　our　Commodities；　or　made　them　so　much　worse；　that　our　Neighbour　Nations　have　not　taken　so　many　of　them　as　they　would　otherwise　have　done；　and　we　probably　must　have　taken　more　Commodities　of　them　for　this　Reason。　And　thus；　I　doubt　not；　the　Ballance　of　Trade　is　against　us；　that　is；　the　Gold　and　Silver　this　Nation　have　by　this　Means　been　really　diminished；　and　the　prodigious　Exportation　of　Gold　and　Silver　of　late　Years　is　a　strong　Indication　of　it；　whatever　Pretences　may　be　advanced　concerning　it　to　the　contrary。　Beside　that　the　Exchange；　especially　for　Holland；　hath　of　late　Years　been　considerably　below　the　Value　of　our　Coin；　as　the　Exchange　with　every　Nation　will　always　be；　whenever　they　have　the　Ballance　upon　us。（3*）　And　though　this　may　be　some　small　Encouragement　to　the　Exportation　of　our　Commodities；　because　they　come　so　much　cheaper　to　the　Markets

abroad；yet　if　our　Trade　goes　on　so；　we　shall　certainly　have　very　little　Cash　left。　But　if；　to　prevent　this　dreadful　Evil；　we　do　as　fast　as　possible　put　a　very　great　Quantity　of　Land　into　Use；　more　than　at　present　is　cultivated；　our　Poor　will　be　employ'd；　the　empty　Houses　soon　filled；　and　our　Manufactures　become　much　cheaper　and　better；　and　this　will　both　increase　our　Exportations　to　the　Nations　we　now　trade　with；　and　give　Rise　to　other　foreign　Markets　to　vend　our　Goods　at；　and　prevent　the　excessive　Importation　of　foreign　Goods　amongst　ourselves；　and　thus　the　Ballance　of　Trade　will　become　in　our　Favour；　and　increase　the　Cash　of　the　Nation；　or　Money　will　certainly　by　this　Method　become　plentiful　enough　amongst　the　People　in　general。　But　there　is　no　other　Way　in　Nature　to　compass　this　End；　or　recover　the　Trade　of　the　Nation：　For　those　Nations　that　can　work　cheapest；　must　have　the　Money；　as　sure　as　they　always　will　have　the　Trade；　to　which　I　add；　that　the　People　will　always　flow　into　those　Nations　that　get　the　Money　（i。e。　have　the　Ballance　of　Trade　in　their　Favour）　because　Trade；　which　is　the　Means　of　getting　the　Money；　is　that　which　employs　and　subsists　them。　　　　　But　before　I　dismiss　this　Point；　I　can't　help　taking　Notice　of　an　Article　inserted　in　the　Daily　Courant　of　January　3；　1731　from　Berlin；　where；　it　seems；　an　exact　Register　is　kept　of　the　Births；　Deaths；　and　Marriages；　by　which　it　appears；　3331　Persons　were　born；　and　2691　died；　so　that　the　Increase　is　641　Persons　that　Year　in　that　City。　Now　I　have　tried　the　Par　of　human　Life　from　our　Bills　of　Mortality；　which　doth　not　amount　to　25　Years；　one　with　another：　But；　however；　multiply　the　Deaths　by　25；　the　Product　will　be　67275　Persons　in　that　City；　which　divided　by　641；　the　Increase　gives　104；　the　Number　of　Years　in　which　Mankind　will　double。　And　if　we　take　this　for　the　Rule；　there　must　be　near　300　square　Miles　of　land　more　taken　in　and　cultivated；　every　Year　in　England；　or　the　Increase　must　fall　into　the　several　Professions；　Trades；　and　Manufactures；　and　over…do；　and　absolutely　spoil　them　all；　which　is　the　necessary　and　unavoidable　Consequence　of　the　Increase　of　Mankind；　if　Land；　in　proportion　to　the　Increase　be　not　every　Year　added　and　improved；　to　employ　and　support　them。　　　　　Another　Thing；　which　undoubtedly　is　of　the　utmost　Importance　to　the　Trade　of　this　Kingdom；　is　the　making　Timber　so　plentiful；　that　we　may　build　our　Ships　so　much　cheaper；　that　no　Nation　may　be　able　to　sail　for　less　Freights　than　the　English。　If　this　be　sufficiently　done；　together　with　making　Labour　considerably　cheaper；　Ships　may　soon　be　buildt　here　than　now　can　be；　and　this　will　employ　abundance　of　People　of　many　Trades；　besides　the　still　greater　Numbers　who　will　be　imployed　in　navigating　them。　And　as　the　Riches　of　this　Kingdom　do　undoubtedly　very　much　depend　on　maritime　Affairs；　so　the　Strength　of　it　is　chiefly　its　Navy：　Wherefore　if　Timber　be　made　very　plentiful；　and　Labour　cheaper　too；　which　would　make　a　mighty　Difference　in　the　Expence　the　Government　are　now　at　for　the　Navy；　beside　that　they　will　be　mann'd；　and　fitted　to　Sea　at　so　much　less　Expence　likewise。　This　will　infallibly　be　the　Consequence　of　sufficiently　executing　this　Proposal　in　all　its　Parts。　Thus　will　much　less　Money　serve　all　the　Affairs　of　the　Government；　and　soon　make　a　Surplus　arise；　to　reduce　the　national　Debts；　and　ease　the　Taxes；　without　any　Inconvenience　to　the　Government　or　the　Nation。　　　　　It　might　be　expected　that　Gentlemen；　for　their　own　Advantage；　and　the　Benefit　of　their　Families；　should　plant　Timber　enough；　but　we　find　it　so　much　otherwise；　that　Laws　have　been　made　to　oblige　this　to　be　done；　and　yet　the　End　hath　not　been　attained；　which　I　ascribe　to　these　Causes：　First；　the　Rents　having　been　rising　of　late　Years；　from　the　considerable　Demand　there　hath　been　for　Land；　hath　been　one　Reason　that　planting　Timber　hath　not　been　sufficiently　regarded。　Secondly；　Planting　Timber　regards　Posterity　rather　than　ourselves　immediately；　and　this　hath　occasioned　the　Neglect　of　it；　and　if　we　continue　to　go　on　thus；　an　Observation　the　Spectator　No　583　recites；　that　the　Nation　if　a　few　Years　will　be　at　a　Loss　to　supply　itself　with　Timber　sufficient　for　the　Fleets　of　England；　will　certainly　be　verified。（4*）　Wherefore；　to　make　Plenty　of　Timber；　I　would　propose；　that　a　Law　be　made；　which　shall　effectually　provide；　and　oblige　all　the　Lands　throughout　the　whole　Kingdom；　at　all　times；　to　maintain　a　Timber　Tree　in　every　Hedge　and　Bank；　at　100　Feet　Distance　or　thereabouts；　which　Distance　I　suppose　sufficient　to　admit　the　Sun　and　Wind；　so　that　the　Fruits　of　the　Earth　may　receive　no　Prejudice　by　the　Trees　that　should　thus　grow　in　the　Hedges　and　Banks。　　　　　Further；　all　Lands　that　are　infertile；　or　not　so　fit　for　Cultivation；　and　likewise　all　waste　Land；　as　far　as　it's　possible　to　effect　if；　should　be　well　planted　with　Timber。　For　it's　well　known　that　all　Lands；　where　Woods　have　been　cut　and　grubb'd　up；　are　always　fruitful；　for　a　Wood；　by　the　Fall　of　the　Leaves；　etc。　and　retaining　the　Rain　much　longer　on　the　Ground　than　otherwise　it　would；　always　renders　the　Ground　it　grows　on　more　fruitful；　besides　that　Woods　always　produce　the　finest　and　best　Timber；　Whilst　the　Hedges　produce　the　strongest　and　crookedest；　which　therefore　would　be　exceedingly　useful　for　shipping；　and　especially　for　small　Vessels。　Thus　Timber　may　be　made　plentiful　enough；　and　then；　if　Labour　be　made　cheaper；　Ships　may　be　built　so　cheap；　as　to　enable　us　to　cope　with　any　Nation　in　the　World　in　all　maritime　Affairs。　But　there　is　no　other　Way　in　Nature　to　do　this；　and　till　'tis　done；　we　must　be　content；　not　only　to　see　the　Ships　of　other　Nations　the　principal　Carriers　of　the　World；　but　to　employ　many　Ships　ourselves　which　are　not　built　in　this　Kingdom。　　　　　But　it　will　be　objected；　This　can't　be　effected　presently；　because　Timber　takes　many　Years　to　grow　to　any　Perfection。　So　much　the　more　Need　is　there　that　it　be　done；　and　if　effectual　Provision　be　made　for　Futurity；　the　present　Stock　of　Timber　in　the　Kingdom　will　answer　the　End　sufficiently；　whilst　the　Supply　is　growing　to　prevent　any　future　Inconvenience；　provided　Labour　be；　as　speedily　as　possible；　made　cheap　enough　to　contribute　to　that　End：　For　the　same　Means　which　alone　can　make　Labour　cheaper；　will　make　every　other　Thing　cheaper。　And　this　may　be　fully　effected　in　a　very　few　Years；　and　will　be　sensibly　felt　by　all；　from　its　very　first　Attempt；　if　Land　enough　be；　as　fast　as　may　be；　put　into　Cultivation　to　answer　the　Purpose。　For　with　this；　every　Trade　will　infallibly　flourish；　without　any　Inconvenience　but　falling　the　Rents；　which　I　have　before　shewn　will　be　really　the　present　Interest　of　every　Gentleman；　besides　the　sure　Foundation　of　the　Happiness　of　his　immediate　Offspring。　　　　　And　as　to　the　Purchase　of　Estates；which　is　always　governed　by　the　Interest　of　Money；　they　will　be　valued　at　as　many　Years　Purchase　as　they　would　if　Rents　had　not　fallen；　and　tho'　the　Sums　they　sell　for　must　be　less；　in　proportion　as　the　Rents　shall　be　lowered；　yet　the　Money　will　have；　at　least；　all　the　same　Effects；　apply　it　how　you　please。　　　　　The　Spectator　No　200；　asserts；　That　if　the　Fruits　of　the　Earth　could　be　increased　one　Tenth　above　all　Possibility　of　Consumption；　it　would　reduce　the　Price　of　them　half。　But　such　an　Increase　is　absolutely　impossible；　the　World　having　never　yet；　I　believe；　produced　an　Instance　of　it。　Besides　that　the　Author　of　the　World　hath；　undoubtedly；　observed　as　nice　and　exact　a　Proportion　in　the　Wants　of　Mankind；　and　what　the　Earth　will　produce　to　supply　them；　as　he　hath　done　in　all　the　rest　of　his　Works；　and　then　such　an　Excess；　as　I　said　before；　is　impossible；　and　this　I　shall　prove　hereafter。　　　　　But　a　greater　Excess　than　this　is　become　a　Fact；　as　to　the　Houses　within　the　Bills　of　Mortality；（5*）　and　will　certainly　be　attended　with　that　Consequence；　of　reducing　the　Rents　one　half；　if　the　Method　I　propose　be　not　applied　to　prevent　it。　And　if；　as　he　reasons　in　another　Part　of　the　same　Spectator；　the　Cities　of　London