第 28 节
作者:
无边的寒冷 更新:2021-02-21 11:55 字数:9322
100; 138; 95; 13110 ; 2; 101; 202 ; 1; 102; 102 ; 2; 103; 206 ; 3; 104; 312 ; 1; 105; 105
13908 Under 10 Years
By the Number of Deaths 26761; divide the Years they lived 623713; and 23 Years and about 1/3; according to the Bill of Mortality; appears to be the Par Term of human Life; multiply the Deaths by this Term; shews the Number of People living in the Bills of Mortality to be about 624;423 Persons; and if we suppose the Houses one with another to contain 10 Souls; then the Number of Houses inhabited will be 62;442。 Now the London Evening Post of January 2; 1732…3; says upwards of 8000 Houses; according to Account lately taken are empty in London; Westminister; and Places with the Bills of Mortality; most of which; let at an Average at about 20 l。 per Annum; at which Rate there is upwards of 160;000 l。 Rent yearly lost in the Bills of Mortality; more than a ninth Part of the whole Building being empty。 By this Bill of Mortality it also appears; that more than half the human Race die under 10 Years of Age; and if we consider the Number of young Persons; under and over this age; who live to supply the Places of those that die; in all the Stages of LIfe above this Term; there can be no doubt that Children make about half the Business of the World as I have asserted。 And tho' it appears by this Bill of Mortality that the Term of Life; on the Par; is about 49 Years; excluding all those that die at 20 Years and under; yet I can't imagine the Term Men have to raise and provide for Families in the Marriage State doth much exceed 20 years; since it's pretty certain Marriages in general commence a few Years at least later than the Age of 20 years; and are undoubtedly generally dissolved by the Death of one of the Parties before they both reach the Term of 49 Years。
6。 I am not unsensible that Mr Derham in his Pysico…Theology shews that the Deaths in London as in most great Cities are greater than the Births; whence an Objection may seem to arise to the Increase abovementioned; which I think is of no Weight; because if a Nation will absolutely double themselves in about 360 Years; notwithstanding Wars and Plagues; Cities must do so too; nay it's plain by what Dr Nichols says; London increased at so much greater Rate as to Double itself in 40 Years; notwithstanding the last great Plague which happened in that Period。
7。 Doctor John Laurence; in his System of Agriculture。 Page 45; says; Without all Question; Improvement of Lands; of what Kind soever; makes Riches and Plenty; and Plenty calls together Inhabitants; and People to consume it。 And; Page 47; he says; So plain it is; that Inclosure is the greatest Encouragement to good Husbandry; and Remedy for Beggary; the Poor being imployed by the continual Labour bestowed on such Land; which is doubly repaid by the fruitful Crops it annually yields。
8。 Sir William Pettis says; that a Nation will double their Number in 200 Years; which must always be understood thus; that it must be exempt from the Ravage of War; the Destruction of Pestilence; or being drained for distant Colonies。
9。 Eras。 Phillips; Esq; in his State of the Nation; etc。; Page 13; says very truly。 High Duties and Prohibitions on our Side beget high Duties and Prohibitions on theirs。
10。 Eras。 Phillips; Esq; Page 14。 gloriously says; A trading Nation should be an open Ware house; where the Merchant may buy what he pleases; or sell what he can。 Whatever is brought to you; if you don't want it; you won't purchase it; if you do want it; the Largeness of the Impost don't keep it from you。
11。 This will in the Course of this Essay appear to be a necessary Consequence in this Case。
12。 Mr Benjamin Ward of Yarmouth; in his State of the Woollen Manufactory considered; who seems to have informed himself thoroughly of this important Branch in foreign Nations; says; Page 4。 〃It's certain no country in Europe manufactures all Kinds of Goods so dear as the People of this Kingdom; which gives other Nations a vast Advantage in carrying their Manufactures to Market; and enabling them to become our Rivals in Trade to almost all Countries; and a little lower he says; 10 Pound and a half of Wool from the Sheeps Back will make a piece of Calimanco weighing eight pounds; which Wool will cost our Manufacturers about 6 s。 ; the manufacturing thereof will cost 1 l。 4 s。; So that the Piece will cost us 1 l 10 s。 But though Foreigners must be at so great a Charge to get our Wool; that the same Quantity will cost them double; that is 12 s。; yet being able to manufacture the same for 12 s。 which is 1 l。 4 s。 they can and do undersel us 6 shillings; which is 20 per cent in such a Piece; of which he says; the manufacturing Part is as little as any Stuff we make; wherefore; as he says; Page 9; we are under an absolute Necessity to make our Goods as cheap as possibly we can; if we mean not to lose our foreign Trade。〃 And I say there is no way to do it but to reduce the Necessaries of Life to half their present Price; that we may work as cheap as any Nation that now interferes in any of our Manufactures or Branches of our Trade; which may certainly be done the Way I propose; and this will infallibly remedy all the Evils the foreign or domestick Trade of this Kingdom any ways suffers; and will make Money sufficiently plentiful amongst all Ranks of People; together with it; for these Things shew themselves; or are self evident。 Eras。 Phillips; Esq: Page 8; says; 〃Next to lessening the Price of Labour is to bring down the Price of Wool: It hath been in a great Measure owing to the dearness of our Woollen Manufactures; that both Holland and France have thought it worth their Care to set up Looms of their own; to our great if not irreparable Detriment; and France hath so far succeeded; that she seems to have no further Occasion for our Cloaths at all。 And Holland hath found out this secret of Trade to buy up our Raw Cloaths; if I may be allowed the Expression; and dye and nap them so much cheaper than we; that they are able to undersel us in Goods of our own Produce。〃
13。 This must not be done by making the Poor fare harder; or consume less than their reasonable Wants in that Station require; for they being the Bulk of Mankind would in this Case affect the Consumption of things in general so mightily; that there would be a want of Trade and Business amongst the other Part of the People; which will affect the Rents so much the more as the People this Way shall be distressed; but this must be done by imploying the Poor the right Way (i。e。) in Tillage and Cultivation of Land; to make the Plenty so great that they may have their Wants properly supplied for that Station of Life; and yet work so cheap as to make our Produce and Manufactures as cheap;as any of our neighbouring Nations make any thing whatsoever; wherewith they any Way interfere in any Branch of our Trade。
14。 'Tis a wrong Notion; that if our Poor who take Alms; were obliged to work at our Manufactures; instead of being assisted; that our Manufactures would thence become cheaper; the Poor wou'd in this Case soon make Labour so little worth as to starve each other; and then they must forsake that Business; be it what it will; and then those Manufactures must again fetch a Price that will pay all Charges; and support the Labourer; or they must cease to be made。
15。 That the single Women are very numerous; will I believe be easily allowed; and then that the Number of single Men are greater is certain; since the Male sex are considerably more numerous than the Female; as I will presently shew。
16。 To convince us of this; we need only compare the Magnificence and Splendour of a City or Town; whose maritime Trade is considerable; with the Rusticity and Meanness of the Country People; for let them set up Coaches; and build fine Seats; as many Merchants and Tradesmen in such Towns are continually doing; and then I'll acknowledge that Affluence and Power are so immediately connected with the Plow; that no Nation need concern themselves at all about maritime Commerce。
17。 The labouring People being so great a Part of the whole as 7/8; for Argument Sake; I take them here for the whole。
18。 Benjamin Motte's Philosophical Transactions abridged; Part 4。 Page 24; demonstrate England or South Britain to contain 72;000 square Miles; or 46;800;000 Acres; he also says; the Province of Holland is computed to contain about a Million of Acres; which is said to contain 2;400;000 Souls; so that England; to be proportionably populous; must have 110 Millions of People; but he says; to allow Room enough for Persons of all Degrees under our British Monarchy; if England were half as populous as Holland; with only 55 Millions of People; it were a good Proportion; and would be near five times our present Number; so that according to him; we must have about eleven Millions of People in England。 He further says; that to people England with this Number; viz。 55 Millions; there are sundry Ways very practicably; by which he hath computed; the present Number may be doubled in 24 or 25 Years; and probably quadrupled in about 26 Years; but I think England is not capable to sustain double its present Number of Inhabitants; becaus