第 17 节
作者:
男孩不逛街 更新:2021-02-27 03:01 字数:9322
ey。 And yet they; who furnish all the World with Gold and Silver; have least of it amongst themselves。 Trade fetches it away from that lazy and indigent People; notwithstanding all their artificial and forced contrivances to keep it there。 It follows Trade against the rigour of their Laws; and their want of Foreign Commodities makes it openly be carried out at Noon…Day。 Nature has bestowed Mines on several parts of the World: But their Riches are only for the Industrious and Frugal。 Whomever else they visit; 'tis with the Diligent and Sober only they stay。 And ifthe Vertue; and provident way of Living of our Ancestors (content with our Native conveniences of Life; without the costly Itch after the Materials of Pride and Luxury from abroad) were brought in fashion and countenance again amongst us; this alone would do more to keep; and increase our Wealth; and inrich our Land; than all our Paper helps about Interest; Money; Bullion; &c。 which however eagerly we may catch at; will not; I fear; without better Husbandry; keep us from sinking; whatever contrivances we may have recourse to。 'Tis with a Kingdom; as with a Family。 Spending less than our own。 Commodities will pay for; is the sure and only way for the Nation to grow Rich。 And when that begins once seriously to be consider'd; and our faces and steps are in earnest turn'd that way; we may hope to have our Rents rise; and the publick Stock thrive again。 Till then; we in vain; I fear; endeavour with noise; and weapons of Law; to drive the Wolf from our own; to one anothers Doors: The Breed ought to be extirpated out of the Island。 For Want; brought in by ill management; and nursed up by expensive Vanity; will make the Nation Poor; and spare no body。 If Three Millions were necessary for the carrying on the Trade of England; whereof One Million were for the Landholder; to maintain him; and another were for the payment of the Labourer and Handicraftsman; and the Third were the share of the Brokers; coming to them for their care and pains in distributing; If One Million of this Money were gone out of the Kingdom; must not there be One Third less to be shared amongst them for the product of their Land; their Labour and their Distribution? I do not say they will feel it at the same time。 But the Landholder having nothing; but what the Product of his Land will yield; and the Buyer according to the Plenty or Scarcity of Money he has; always setting the Price upon what is offered to Sale; The Landholder must be content to take the Market…Rate; for what he brings thither; which always following the scarcity or plenty of Money; if any part of our Money be gone; he is sure first to find it in the price of his Commodities。 For the Broker and Merchant; though he Sell cheaper; yet he Buys cheaper too: And he will be sure to get by his Returns; or let alone a Commodity; which will not produce him Gain: And whatsoever is so let alone; and left upon hands; always turns to the Landholders loss。 Supposing that of our Woollen Manufacture; Foreign Markets took off one half; and the other half were consumed amongst our selves: If a sensible part; (as One Third) of our Coin were gone; and so Men had equally One Third less Money than they had (for; 'tis certain; it must be tantamount; and what I 'scape of One Third less; another must make up) it would follow; That they would have less to lay out in Cloaths; as well as other things; and so would either wear them longer; or pay less for them。 If a Clothier finds a want of Vent; he must either Sell cheaper or not at all: If he Sells cheaper; he must also pay less; both for Wool and Labour: And if the Labourer hath less Wages; he must also pay less for Corn; Butter; Cheese; Flesh; or else forbear some of these quite。 In all which cases; the Price of Wool; Corn; Flesh; and the other Products of Land are brought down; and the Land bears the greatest part of the loss。 For where…ever the Consumption or Vent of any Commodity is stopt; there the Stop continues on till it comes to the Landholder。 And where…ever the Price of any Commodity begins to fall; how many Hands soever there be between that and the Landholder; they all take reprisals one upon another; till at last it comes to the Landholder; and there the abatement of Price; of any ofhis Commodities; lessens his Income; and is a clear loss。 The Owner of Land; which produces the Commodity; and the last Buyer; who consumes it; are the two extreams in Commerce。 And though the falling of any sort of Commodity in the Landholder's Hand; does not prove so to the last consumer; the Arts of intervening Brokers and Ingrossers keeping up the Price to their own advantage: Yet whenever want of Money; or want of desire in the consumer; make the Price low; that immediately reaches the first Producer: No body between having any Interest to keep it up。 Now; as to the two first causes of falling of Rents; falling of Interest has no Influence at all。 In the latter; it has a great part: Because it makes the Money of England less; by making both English…Men and Foreigners withdraw or with…hold their Money。 For that which is not let loose into Trade; is all one whil'st Hoarded up; as if it were not in Being。 I have heard it brought for a reason; why Interest should be reduced to Four per Cent。 That thereby the Landholder; who bears the burthen of the Publick Charge; may be; in some degree eased by falling of Interest。 This Argument will be put right; if you say it will ease the Borrower; and lay the loss on the Lender: But it concerns not the Land in general; unless you will suppose all Landholders in Debt。 But I hope; we may yet think that Men in England; who have Land; have Money too; and that Landed Men; as well as others; by their providence and good Husbandry; accommodating their Expences to their Income; keep themselves from going backwards in the World。 That which is urged; as most deserving consideration and remedy in the case; is; That it is hard and unreasonable; that one; who has Mortgaged half his Land; should yet pay Taxes for the whole; whil'st the Mortgagee goes away with the clear profit of an high Interest。 To this I answer; 1。 That if any Man has run himself in Debt; for the Service of his Country; 'tis fit the Publick should reimburse him; and set him free。 This is a care; that becomes the Publick Justice; That Men; if they receive no Rewards; should; at least; be kept from Suffering; in having Served their Country。 But I do not remember the Polity of any Nation; who altered their Constitution; in favour of those; whose mismanagement had brought them behind…hand; possibly as thinking the Publick little beholding to those; who had misemployed the Stock of their Country; in the excess of their private Expences; and; by their Example; spread a fashion that carries ruin with it。 Mens paying Taxes of Mortgaged Lands; is a punishment for ill…husbandry; which ought to be discouraged: But it concerns very little the Frugal and the Thrifty。 2。 Another thing to be said in reply to this; is; That it is with Gentlemen in the Country; as with Tradesmen in the City。 If they will own Titles to greater Estates than really they have; it is their own faults; and there is no way left to help them from Paying for them。 The Remedy is in their own hands; to discharge themselves when they please。 And when they have once Sold their Land; and paid their Debts; they will no longer pay Taxes; for what they own; without being really theirs。 There is another way also; whereby they may be relieved; as well as a great many other inconveniencies remedied; and that is by a Registry: For if Mortgages were Registred; Land Taxes might reach them; and order the Lender to pay his proportion。 I have met with Patrons of Four per Cent。 who (amongst many other fine things they tell us of) affirm; That if Interest were reduced to Four per Cent。 then some Men would borrow Money at this low Rate; and pay their Debts; Others would borrow more than they now do; and improve their Land; Others would borrOw more; and imploy it in Trade and Manufacture。 Gilded words indeed; were there any thing substantial in them! These Men talk; as if they meant to shew us; not only the Wisdom; but Riches of Solomon; and would make Gold and Silver as common; as the Stones in the Street: But at last; I fear; 'will be but Wit without Money; and; I wish it amount to that。 'Tis without question; That could the Countryman; and the Tradesman take up Money cheaper; than now they do; every Man would be forward to Borrow; and desire; that he might have other Mens Money to imploy to his advantage。 I confess; those who contend for Four per Cent。 have found out a way; to set Mens Mouths a watering for Money at that Rate; and to increase the number ofthe Borrowers in England; if any body can imagine it would be an advantage to increase them。 But to answer all their fine Projects; I have but this one short question to ask them: Will Four per Cent。 increase the number of the Lenders? If it will not; as any Man at the very first hearing; will shrewdly suspect it will not; then all the plenty of Money these Conjurers bestow upon us; for Imnprovement of Land; Paying of Debts; and Advancement of Trade; is but like the Gold and Silver; which Old Women believe; other C