第 20 节
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铲除不公 更新:2021-03-08 19:38 字数:9321
in kingdoms and commonwealths that depend upon Trade; as discipline
is in an army; and where there is want of common Honesty in a kingdom
or commonwealth; from thence Trade shall depart。 For as the Honesty
of all governments is; so shall be their Riches; and as their Honour;
Honesty; and Riches are; so will be their Strength; and as their
Honour; Honesty; Riches; and Strength are; so will be their Trade。
These are five sisters that go hand in hand; and must not be parted。〃
Admirable sentiments; which are as true now as they were two hundred
years ago; when Yarranton urged them upon the attention of the
English public。
On his return from Holland; he accordingly set on foot various
schemes of public utility。 He stirred up a movement for the
encouragement of the British fisheries。 He made several journeys into
Ireland for the purpose of planting new manufactures there。 He
surveyed the River Slade with the object of rendering it navigable;
and proposed a plan for improving the harbour of Dublin。 He also
surveyed the Dee in England with a view to its being connected with
the Severn。 Chambers says that on the decline of his popularity in
1677; he was taken by Lord Clarendon to Salisbury to survey the River
Avon; and find out how that river might be made navigable; and also
whether a safe harbour for ships could be made at Christchurch; and
that having found where he thought safe anchorage might be obtained;
his Lordship proceeded to act upon Yarranton's recommendations。*
'footnote。。。
JOHN CHAMBERS; Biographical Illustrations of Worcestershire。 London;
1820。
。。。'
Another of his grand schemes was the establishment of the linen
manufacture in the central counties of England; which; he showed;
were well adapted for the growth of flax; and he calculated that if
success attended his efforts; at least two millions of money then
sent out of the country for the purchase of foreign linen would be
retained at home; besides increasing the value of the land on which
the flax was grown; and giving remunerative employment to our own
people; then emigrating for want of work。 〃 Nothing but Sloth or
Envy;〃 he said; 〃can possibly hinder my labours from being crowned
with the wished for success; our habitual fondness for the one hath
already brought us to the brink of ruin; and our proneness to the
other hath almost discouraged all pious endeavours to promote our
future happiness。〃
In 1677 he published the first part of his England's Improvement by
Sea and Landa very remarkable book; full of sagacious insight as
respected the future commercial and manufacturing greatness of
England。 Mr。 Dove says of this book that Yarranton〃 chalks out in it
the future course of Britain with as free a hand as if second…sight
had revealed to him those expansions of her industrial career which
never fail to surprise us; even when we behold them realized。〃
Besides his extensive plans for making harbours and improving
internal navigation with the object of creating new channels for
domestic industry; his schemes for extending the iron and the woollen
trades; establishing the linen manufacture; and cultivating the home
fisheries; we find him throwing out various valuable suggestions with
reference to the means of facilitating commercial transactions; some
of winch have only been carried out in our own day。 One of his
grandest ideas was the establishment of a public bank; the credit of
which; based upon the security of freehold land;*
'footnote。。。
Yarranton's Land Bank was actually projected in 1695; and received
the sanction of Parliament; though the Bank of England (founded in
the preceding year) petitioned against it; and the scheme was
dropped。
。。。'
should enable its paper 〃to go in trade equal with ready money。〃 A
bank of this sort formed one of the principal means by which the
Dutch had been enabled to extend their commercial transactions; and
Yarranton accordingly urged its introduction into England。 Part of
his scheme consisted of a voluntary register of real property; for
the purpose of effecting simplicity of title; and obtaining relief
from the excessive charges for law;*
'footnote。。。
It is interesting to note in passing; that part of Yarranton's scheme
has recently been carried into effect by the Act (25 and 26 Vict。 c。
53) passed in 1862 for the Registration of Real Estate。
。。。'
as well as enabling money to be readily raised for commercial
purposes on security of the land registered。
He pointed out very graphically the straits to which a man is put who
is possessed of real property enough; but in a time of pressure is
unable to turn himself round for want of ready cash。 〃Then;〃 says he;
〃all his creditors crowd to him as pigs do through a hole to a bean
and pease rick。〃 〃Is it not a sad thing;〃 he asks; 〃that a
goldsmith's boy in Lombard Street; who gives notes for the monies
handed him by the merchants; should take up more monies upon his
notes in one day than two lords; four knights; and eight esquires in
twelve months upon all their personal securities? We are; as it were;
cutting off our legs and arms to see who will feed the trunk。 But we
cannot expect this from any of our neighbours abroad; whose interest
depends upon our loss。〃
He therefore proposed his registry of property as a ready means of
raising a credit for purposes of trade。 Thus; he says; 〃I can both in
England and Wales register my wedding; my burial; and my christening;
and a poor parish clerk is entrusted with the keeping of the book;
and that which is registered there is held good by our law。 But I
cannot register my lands; to be honest; to pay every man his own; to
prevent those sad things that attend families for want thereof; and
to have the great benefit and advantage that would come thereby。 A
register will quicken trade; and the land registered will be equal as
cash in a man's hands; and the credit thereof will go and do in trade
what ready money now doth。〃 His idea was to raise money; when
necessary; on the land registered; by giving security thereon after a
form which be suggested。 He would; in fact; have made land; as gold
now is; the basis of an extended currency; and he rightly held that
the value of land as a security must always be unexceptionable; and
superior to any metallic basis that could possibly be devised。
This indefatigable man continued to urge his various designs upon the
attention of the public until he was far advanced in years。 He
professed that he was moved to do so (and we believe him) solely by
an ardent love for his country; 〃whose future flourishing;〃 said he;
〃is the only reward I ever hope to see of all my labours。〃 Yarranton;
however; received but little thanks for his persistency; while he
encountered many rebuffs。 The public for the most part turned a deaf
ear to his entreaties; and his writings proved of comparatively small
avail; at least during his own lifetime。 He experienced the lot of
many patriots; even the purestthe suspicion and detraction of his
contemporaries。 His old political enemies do not seem to have
forgotten him; of which we have the evidence in certain rare
〃broadsides〃 still extant; twitting him with the failure of his
schemes; and even trumping up false charges of disloyalty against
him。*
'footnote。。。
One of these is entitled 'A Coffee…house Dialogue; or a Discourse
between Captain Yand a Young Barrister of the Middle Temple; with
some Reflections upon the Bill against the D。 of Y。' In this
broadside; of 3 1/2 pages folio; published about 1679; Yarranton is
made to favour the Duke of York's exclusion from the throne; not only
because he was a papist; but for graver reasons than he dare express。
Another scurrilous pamphlet; entitled 'A Word Without Doors;' was
also aimed at him。 Yarranton; or his friends; replied to the first
attack in a folio of two pages; entitled 'The Coffee…house Dialogue
Examined and Refuted; by some Neighbours in the Country ;
well…wishers to the Kingdom's interest。' The controversy was followed
up by 'A Continuation of the Coffee…house Dialogue;' in which the
chief interlocutor hits Yarranton rather hard for the miscarriage of
his 〃improvements。〃 〃I know;〃 says he; 〃when and where you undertook
for a small charge to make a river navigable; and it has cost the
proprietors about six times as much; and is not yet effective; nor
can any man rationally predict when it will be。 I know since you left
it your son undertook it; and this winter shamefully left his
undertaking。〃 Yarrantons friends immediately replied in a four…page
folio; entitled 'England's Improvements Justified; and the Author
thereof; Captain Y。; vindicated from the Scandals in a paper called a
Coffee…house Dialogue; with some Animadversions upon the Popish
Designs therein contained。' The writer says he writes without the
privity or sanction of Yarranton; but declares the dialogue