第 3 节
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无边的寒冷 更新:2021-02-21 11:55 字数:9322
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