第 8 节
作者:
男孩不逛街 更新:2021-02-27 03:01 字数:9322
ame quantity of equally good Hay or Grass; one as another; the Rent of it; under that Consideration of every Acre being of an equal Worth; would be capable ofbeing regulated by Law; and one might as well Enact; That no Acre of Land in Rumney…Marsh shall be let for above Forty Shillings per An。 as that no Hundred pound; shall be let for above Four pounds per An。 But no body can think it fit (since by reason of the equal Value of that Land it can) that therefore the Rent of the Land in Rumney…Marsh should be Regulated by Law。 For supposing all the Land in Rumney…Marsh; or in England; were all of so equal a W orth; that any one Acre; compared at the same time to any one other; were equally good in respect of its Product; yet the same Acre; compar'd with it self in different times; would not in respect ofRent be of equal Value。 And therefore it would have been an unreasonable thing; if in the time of Henry 7。 the Rent of Land in Rumney…Marsh had been settled by a Law; according to the judg'd Value of it at that time; and the same Law; limiting the Rent perhaps to 5 s。 per Acre; have continued still。 The Absurdity and Impracticableness of this every one sees at the first Proposal; and readily concludes within himself; that things must be left to find their own Price; and it is impossible in this their constant mutability for Human Foresight to set Rules and Bounds to their constantly…varying Proportion and Use; which will always regulate their Value。 They who consider things beyond their Names; will find; That Money; as well as all other Commodities; is liable to the same Changes and Inequalities: Nay in this respect of the Variety of its Value; brought in by time in the Succession of Affairs; the Rate of Money is less capable of being regulated by a Law in any Country than the Rent of Land。 Because to the quick Changes; that happen in Trade; this too must be added; That Money may be brought in; or carried out of the kingdom; which Land cannot; and so that be truly worth 6 or 8 per Cent。 this Year; which would yield but 4 the last。 2。 Money has a Value; as it is capable by Exchange to procure us the Necessaries or Conveniencies of Life; and in this it has the Nature of a Commodity; only with this difference; That it serves us commonly by its Exchange; never almost by its Consumption。 But though the use Men make of Money be not in its Consumption; yet it has not at all a more standing settled Value in Exchange with any other thing; than any other Commodity has; but a more known one; and better fitted by Name; Number; and Weight; to enable us to reckon what the Proportion of Scarcity and Vent of one Commodity is to another。 For supposing; as before; that half an Ounce of Silver would last Year exchange for one Bushel of Wheat; or for 15 l。 weight of Lead; if this Year Wheat be Ten times scarcer; and Lead in the same quantity to its Vent as it was; is it not evident that half an Ounce of Silver will still exchange for 15 l。 of Lead; though it will exchange but for One Tenth of a Bushel of Wheat; and he that has use of Lead will as soon take 15 l。 weight of Lead; as half an Ounce of Silver; for One Tenth of a Bushel of Wheat; and no more。 So that if you say; that Money now is Nine Tenths less worth; than it was the former Year; you must say so of Lead too; and all other things; that keep the same Proportion to Money which they had before。 The variation indeed is first and most taken notice {of} in Money: Because that is the universal measure by which People reckon; and used by every body in the valuing of all Things。 For calling that half Ounce of Silver Half a Crown; they speak properly; and are readily understood when they say; Half a Crown; or two Shillings and six Pence; will now buy One Tenth of a Bushel of Wheat; but do not say; That 15 l。 of Lead will now buy One Tenth of a Bushel of Wheat; because it is not generally used to this sort of Reckoning: nor do they say Lead is less worth than it was; though in respect of Wheat Lead be Nine Tenths worse than it was; as well as Silver: only by the Tale of Shillings we are better enabled to judge of it: Because these are measures whose Ideas by constant use are setled in every English Man's mind。 This I suppose is the true Value of Money when it passes from one to another in Buying and Selling; where it runs the same Changes of higher and lower; as any other Commodity doth: For one equal quantity whereof you shall receive in Exchange more; or less of another Commodity at one time; than you do at another。 For a Farmer that carries a Bushel of Wheat to Market; and a Labourer that carries Half a Crown; shall find that the Money of one; as well as Corn of the other; shall at some times purchase him more or less Leather or Salt; according as they are in greater Plenty and Scarcity one to another。 So that in Exchanging Coin'd Silver for any other Commodity; (which is buying and selling) the same measure governs the Proportion you receive; as if you exchang'd Lead; or Wheat; or any other Commodity。 That which regulates the Price; i。e。 the quantity given for Money (which is called buying and selling) for an other Commodity; (which is called Bartring) is nothing else but their quantity in Proportion to their vent。 If then lowering of Use makes not your Silver more in Specie; or your Wheat or other Commodities less; it will not have any Influence at all to make it exchange for less of Wheat; or any other Commodity; than it will have on Lead; to make it exchange for less Wheat; or any other Commodity。 Money therefore in buying and selling being perfectly in the same Condition with other Commodities; and subject to all the same Laws of Value; let us next see how it comes to be ofthe same Nature with Land; by yielding a certain yearly Income; which we call Use or Interest。 For Land produces naturally something new and profitable; and of Value to Mankind; but Money is a barren thing; and produces nothing; but by Compact transfers that Profit that was the Reward of one Man's Labour into another Man's Pocket。 That which occasions this; is the unequal Distribution of Money; which Inequality has the same effect too upon Land; that it has upon Money。 For my having more Money in my Hand than I can; or am disposed to use in buying and selling; makes me able to lend: And another's want of so much Money as he could employ in Trade; makes him willing to borrow。 But why then; and for what Consideration doth he pay Use? For the same Reason; and upon as good Consideration; as the Tenant pays Rent for your Land。 For as the unequal Distribution of Land; (you having more than you can or will manure; and another less) brings you a Tenant for your Land; and the same unequal Distribution of Money; (I having more than I can or will employ; and another less) brings me a Tenant for my Money: So my Money is apt in Trade; by the Industry of the Borrower; to produce more than Six per Cent。 to the Borrower; as well as your Land; by the Labour of the Tenant; is apt to produce more Fruits; than his Rent comes to; and therefore deserves to be paid for; as well as Land; by a Yearly Rent。 For though the Usurer's Money would bring him in no Yearly profit; if he did not lend it; (supposing he employs it not himself) and so his Six per Cent。 may seem to be the Fruit of another Man's Labour; yet he shares not near so much of the profit of another Man's Labour; as he that lets Land to a Tenant。 For without the Tenants Industry (supposing as before; the owner would not manage it himself) his Land would yield him little or no Profit。 So that the Rent he receives is a greater Portion of the Fruit of his Tenants Labour; than the Use is at Six per Cent。 For generally he that borrows One thousand pounds at Six per Cent。 and so pays Sixty pounds per Annum Use; gets more above his Use in one Year; by his Industry; than he that Rents a Farm of Sixty pounds per Annum gets in two; above his Rent; though his Labour be harder。 It being evident therefore; that he that has skill in Traffick; but has not Money enough to Exercise it; has not only reason to borrow Money to drive his Trade; and get a livelihood; but as much Reason to pay Use for that Money; as he; who having skill in Husbandry but no Land of his own to employ it in; has not only reason to Rent Land; but to pay Money for the Use of it; It follows; that Borrowing Money upon Use is not only by the necessity of Affairs; and the Constitution of Humane Society; unavoidable to some Men; but that also to receive Profit for the Loan of Money; is as equitable and lawful; as receiving Rent for Land; and more tolerable to the Borrower; notwithstanding the Opinion of some over…scrupulous Men。 This being so; one would expect; that the rate of Interest should be the Measure of the value of Land in number of Years Purchase; for which the Fee is sold: For 100 l。 per Annum being equal to 100 l。 per Annum; and so on to peretuity; and 100 l。 per Annum being the Product of 1000 l。 when Interest is at 10 per Cent。 of 1250 l。 when Interest is at 8 per Cent。 of 1666 l。 or thereabouts; when Interest is at 6 per Cent。 of 2000 l。 when Money is at 5 per Cent。 of 2500 l。 when Money is at 4 per Cent。 One would conclude; I say; that Land should Sell in proportion to Use; according to t