第 15 节
作者:
无边的寒冷 更新:2021-02-21 11:55 字数:9322
e would really effect this; we must undoubtedly; as fast as possible; improve such large Tracts of waste Land; as will employ all the Hands; Trade; and Manufactures will possibly suffer to be employed this Way; for a Nation is a great Body of People; and if we would do things they may all feel the good Effects of; we must do great things indeed; and a very great Thing it will be to reduce the Price of necessaries half; which; I think; I have shewn to be absolutely needful to reduce the present Rates of Labour; and at the same time supply the labouring People with the Things needful to that Station of Life; and thereby make so much more Business amongst others; without which; Trade in general cannot flourish; because all Trade depends solely on the Consumption; and yet; I think it appears; by what I have said; that Trade will flourish; before the Poor will find in their Power to attain the Supplies I wish them; since the Labour of the Poor is the Wealth of the Rich; and if it was unreasonable to muzzle the Ox that trod the corn; what Name shall I give the Measures that render it so difficult for the Bulk of Mankind;(17*) to answer the great End of Life; that of raising Families to stand in their Room when they are removed; as all soon must be to give Place to succeeding Generations? But there is another Thing; which would mightily contribute to the Reduction of Labour; which is; the bringing Fish out of the Sea at such cheap Rates; as that the Poor might be induced; by its being cheaper than Meat; to make it a good Part of their common Food; and as we are inviron'd by the Sea; which will furnish never the less; how much soever we fetch thence; beside; that this Food requires no Land; except to grow the Timber; etc。 to build the Vessels with; and this Food is no sooner caught; but it is fit for Use; and therefore requires neither the Time nor Labour; that all other Food Mankind use requires; to raise; and fit it for Use; I say; since we are inviron'd with the Sea; we might certainly bring Fish so cheap to a Multitude of inland Places; if the Charge of catching them; and carriage could be very much lessened; as would make it a much larger Part of the Food of the common People than it is。 But though this will; in the first Place; somewhat depend on the Reduction of Labour; yet I apprehend it to depend as much at least on making Timber so plentiful; that; if possible; the Charge of the Vessels they fish with; may be lessened about half in building; and fitting them to Sea; for the greatest Part of the Price of Fish; is constituted of the Charge of building and maintaining the fishing Vessels and Tackle; together with the Interest of the Sums such Vessels; etc。 cost; which are employed in the Fishery。 Wherefore could these Charges be considerably lessened; which a great Plenty of Timber; etc。 with somewhat cheaper Rate of Labour would certainly effect; we might make Sea Fish so much cheaper Food than Meat; as would contribute very much to lowering the Price of Provisions in general; and might hereby support a much greater Number of People on less Land than we can otherwise do; and it's certain the Dutch; who have about two Millions and an half of People; upon about a Million of Acres of Land; do by this Means; besides others; very much contribute to the supporting such a vastly greater Number of People in respect of their small Territory; than we; who have but about eight Million of People; and hardly less than Twenty Millions of Acres now in Use to support them;(18*) besides; that such an Encouragement to our Fishery would be a most useful Nursery for able Seamen; and a Benefit in respect of our Exportation of Fish; greater than I shall attempt to represent。 But this Estimate further shews; that the fit Rule to judge and determine when the Necessaries of Life should be denominated cheap or dear; is solely that of the general Earnings or Wages of the labouring People;which undoubtedly ought to be such as will procure so many of those Things as are needful to support such Families; as is the Lot of many of the labouring People to have。 From hence therefore we may also see; when Money is; or is not sufficiently plentiful amongst the People in general; or which is equivalent thereto; when there is; or is not Land enough in Use to support them; for hence only can these Things be brought and kept near together; as is absolutely needful to put the Affairs of the World; and Condition of Mankind in the best and happiest Situation they can possibly be in。 For whilst a Mechanick; or labouring Man can't possibly earn so much; as will provide decently for a middling Family; suitably to that low Rank of Life; it's plain; Money; which is the sole Medium of procuring any Thing in Effect; that they is not Land enough in Use to support them; and consequently; there is in this Case; so much less Business and Employment amongst the People in general; than there ought to be; whence the Distress of great Numbers is unavoidable: And Gentlemen should consider; if 7/8 of the People must labour under the Penury this Estimate holds forth to them; what a Probability here is; that many of their own Offspring; in a Generation or two; if not much sooner; will find themselves in no better Circumstances。 And hence I can't help reflecting how good human Nature is; that can support under the Hardships; we; by the Estimate; see the Bulk of Mankind lies under; which Hardships; I think; I have now sufficiently shewn; cannot be any Way justly attributed to the all…wise and infinitely gracious Creator; but solely to those; who for want of thus looking thro' the Nature of Things; and from a mistaken judgment; that the more Money they receive for their Estates; the richer they are (the contrary of which I have proved) do prevent the People from thus continually proceeding in the Business of Cultivation and Tillage; whence alone every thing they have is derived; and whence only whatsoever they want can be supplied; and whence all the Employment and Trade of the World do proceed; and to which End it was; that Man was sent into the World; as I shall further confirm; by the Authority of the Holy Scriptures; Gen。 iii; 23。 Therefore the Lord God Sent him forth to till the Ground whence he was taken。 But I shall proceed to shew from Fact; that it is the Interest of the landed Gentlemen to cause so much more Land to be added and improved; as will effect the Things I am aiming at; by comparing the present Rents of Lands; and Prices of Necessaries; with the Rents of Lands; and Prices of Necessaries some Centuries ago。 Now though the Rents of Lands are very different; according as the Soil or Situation is better or worse;(19*) yet it's certain the present Rents of Lands in general are hardly four times as much as they were about four Centuries ago; but the Prices of Necessaries differ vastly: For the Price of the fat Ox; which was a Noble; is now about 10 or 12 Pounds; the fat Sheep; which was 6 Pence; is now about 16 Shillings; the fat Goose; which was 2 Pence; is now about 3 Shillings; the fat Pig; which was 1 Penny; is now about 4 Shillings; the Price of 6 Pidgeons; which was 1 Penny; is now about 1 Shilling and 6 Pence; and Wheat; which was 2 Shillings per Quarter; is now about 24 or 26 Shillings per Quarter; and all other Things differ in such Proportion。 Whence it appears; these Things are now higher in Price then they were then; from about 20 to 30 Times and upwards; except Wheat which I suppose Eras。 Phillips; Esq; in his State of the Nation; etc。 Page 52; accounts for; where he says; It's observable; Corn hath not risen in proportion to other Commodities; because by a new…fashioned Industry the same quantity of Ground is more productive than it was。 Therefore it's plain in fact that Gentlemen are vast Losers by this Advance of their Rents; since they; in common with all other Consumers; now pay on the Par above 20 times as much for every thing as was paid for the same Things about four Centuries ago; whilst their Rents are not above four times as much as they were then; therefore it must be mightily for the Interest of the landed Gentlemen; to cause Land enough to be added and improved; to put Trade into a flourishing State; since it must be equally certain; that every thing will fall; as it's certainly Fact; every thing is risen in so much greater Proportion than the Rents have been raised。 But I can't pass over this Fact without remarking; that it must be beneficial to Trade; that our Princes; Nobility; and Gentry; should wear the richest Gold and Silver Cloathing; and use such Utensils; and adorn their Palaces and Houses with these shining Metals; as much as the Revenues of the Crown; or Income of the Estates of the Nobility and Gentry will admit; only with this Difference; that crowned Heads may layout this Way; whatever the Extent of their Revenues will allow; but the Nobility and Gentry must act in this; with such Regard to their Families; that they may all be properly provided for; whilst the Heir only should fill up such splendid Appearances。 The Reason of which is this; that it appears plainly from this Discourse; that as the Gold and Silver (i。e。 Money) increases in greater Proportion than the People increase; so will the Prices of every thi