第 7 节
作者:
男孩不逛街 更新:2021-02-27 03:01 字数:9321
; and no more of it comes into Trade; than they spend in Eating or Wearing。 Here too we may observe; how much Manufacture deserves to be incourag'd: Since that part of Trade; though the most considerable; is driven with the least Money; especially if the Workmanship be more worth than the Materials。 For to the Trade that is driven by Labour; and Handicrafts Men; One two and fiftieth part of the yearly Money paid them will be sufficient: But to a Trade of Commodities of our bare Native growth; much greater proportion of Money is requir'd。 Perhaps it will be wondred; why having given some estimate (how wide I know not) of the Money necessary in the Hands of the Landholder; Labourer; and Broker; to carry on Trade; I have said nothing of the Consumer; whom I had mentioned before。 To this I Answer; There are so few Consumers; who are not either Labourers; Brokers; or Landholders; that they make a very inconsiderable part in the account。 For those who immediately depend on the Landholder; as his Children and Servants; come in under that title; being maintain'd by the Rent of his Lands; and so of the rest。 By what has been said; we may see what Injury the Lowering of Interest is like to do us by hindering Trade; when it shall either make the Foreigner call home his Money; or your own People backward to Lend; the Reward not being judged proportionable to the risque。 There is another seeming Consequence; of the reducing of Money to a low Price; which at first sight has such an appearance of truth in it; that I have known it impose upon very able Men; and I guess it has no small Influence; at this time; in the promoting this alteration; and that is; That the lowering of Interest will raise the value of all other Things in proportion。 For Money being the Counter…ballance to all other Things purchasable by it; and lying; as it were; in the opposite Scale of Commerce; it looks like a natural Consequence; that as much as you take off from the value of Money; so much you add to the price of other Things; which are exchang'd for it; the raising of the price of any thing being no more but the addition to its value in respect of Money; or; which is all one; lessening the value of Money。 For Example: Should the value of Gold be brought down to that of Silver; One hundred Guineas would purchase little more Corn; Wool; or Land; than One hundred shillings; and so the Value of Money being brought lower; say they; the price of other Things will rise; and the falling of Interest from Six pound to Four pound per Cent。 is taking away so much of the price of Money; and so consequently the lessening its value。 The mistake of this plausible way of Reasoning will be easily discovered; when we consider that the measure of the value of Money; in proportion to any thing purchasable by it; is the quantity of the ready Money we have; in Comparison with the quantity of that thing and its Vent; or which amounts to the same thing; The price of any Commodity rises or falls; by the proportion of the number of Buyers and Sellers; This rule holds Universally in all Things that are to be bought and Sold; bateing now and then an extravagant Phancy of some particular Person; which never amounts to so considerable a part of Trade as to make any thing in the account worthy to be thought an Exceprion to this Rule。 The Vent of any Thing depends upon its Necessity or Usefulness; as Convenience; or Opinion guided by Phancy or fashion shall determine。 The Vent of any Commodity comes to be increased or decreased as a greater part of the Running Cash of the Nation is designed to be laid out by several People at the same time rather in that; than another; as we see in the change of Fashions。 I shall begin first with the Necessaries or Conveniencies of Life; and the Consumable Commodities subservient thereunto; and shew; That the Value ofMoney in respect of those depends only on the Plenty or Scarcity of Money in proportion to the Plenty and Scarcity of those things; and not on what Interest shall by Necessity; Law; or Contract be at that time laid on the borrowing of Money: and then afterwards I shall shew that the same holds in Land。 There is nothing more confirmed by daily Experience; than that Men give any Portion of Money for whatsoever is absolutely necessary; rather than go without it。 And in such things; the Scarcity of them alone makes their Prices。 As for Example。 Let us suppose half an Ounce of Silver; or half a Crown now in England; is worth a Bushel of Wheat: But should there be next Year a great scarcity of Wheat in England; and a proportionable want of all other Food; five Ounces of Silver would perhaps in Exchange purchase but one Bushel of Wheat: So that Money would be then nine Tenths less worth in respect of Food; though at the same value it was before; in respect of other Things; that kept their former proportion; in their quantity and Consumption。 By the like proportions of Increase and Decrease; does the value of Things; more or less convenient; rise and fall in respect of Money; only with this difference; that things absolutely necessary for Life must be had at any Rate; but Things convenient will be had only as they stand in preference with other Conveniencies: And therefore in any one of these Commodities; the value rises only as its quantity is less; and vent greater; which depends upon its being preferr'd to other Things in its Consumption。 For supposing that at the same time that there is a great scarcity of Wheat; and other Grain; there were a considerable quantity of Oats; Men no question would give far more for Wheat than Oats; as being the healthier; pleasanter; and more convenient Food: But since Oats would serve to supply that absolute necessity of sustaining Life; Men would not rob themselves of all other Conveniencies of Life; by paying all their Money for Wheat; when Oats; that are cheaper; though with some inconvenience; would supply that Defect。 It may then so happen at the same time; that half an Ounce of Silver; that the Year before would buy one Bushel of Wheat; will this Year buy but one Tenth of a Bushel: Half an Ounce of Silver; that the Year before would have bought three Bushels of Oats; will this year still buy one Bushel: And at the same time half an Ounce of Silver; that would the Year before have bought Fifteen pounds of Lead; will still buy the same quantity。 So that at the same time Silver; in respect of Wheat; is nine Tenths less worth than it was; in respect of Oats two Thirds less worth; and in respect of Lead; as much worth as before。 The fall therefore or rise of Interest; making immediately by its change neither more nor less Land; Money; or any sort of Commodity in England; than there was before; alters not at all the Value of Money; in reference to Commodities。 Because the measure of that is only the Quantity and Vent; which are not immediately chang'd by the Change of Interest。 So far as the Change of Interest conduces in Trade to the bringing in or carrying out Money or Commodities; and so in time to the varying their Proportions here in England from what it was before; so far the change of Interest as all other things that promote or hinder Trade may alter the Value of Money in reference to Commodities。 But that is not in this place to be considered。 This is perfectly the Value of Money in respect of Consumable Commodities。 But the better to understand it in its full latitude; in respect both of consumable Commodities; and Land too; we must consider; First; That the Value of Land consists in this; That by its constant production of saleable Commodities it brings in a certain yearly Income。 Secondly; the Value of Commodities consists in this; That as portable and useful things; they by their Exchange or Consumption; supply the Necessaries or Conveniencies of Life。 Thirdly; In Money there is a double Value; answering to both of these; first as it is capable by its Interest to yield us such a yearly Income: and in this it has the Nature of Land; (the Income of one being called Rent; of the other Use) only with this difference; That the Land in its Soil being different; as some fertile; some barren; and the Products of it very various; both in their Sorts; goodness and vent; is not capable of any fixed estimate by its quantity: But Money; being constantly the same; and by its Interest giving the same sort of Product through the whole Country; is capable of having a fixed yearly Rate set upon it by the Magistrate; but Land is not。 But though in the Uniformity of its legal Worth; One hundred pound of lawful Money being all through England equal in its current Value to any other One hundred pounds of lawful Money; (because by vertue of the Law it will every where pass for as much Ware or Debt; as any other Hundred pounds) is capable to have its yearly Hire valued better than Land: Yet in respect of the varying need; and necessity of Money; (which changes with the increase or decay of Money or Trade in a Country) it is as little capable to have its yearly Hire fixed by Law; as Land it self。 For were all the Land in Rumney…Marsh; Acre for Acre; equally good; that is; did constantly produce the same quantity of equally good Hay or Grass; one as another; the Rent of it; under that Consideration