money answers all things- 第23部分

nty　of　the　Produce；　that　is　the　Cause　that　it　is　at　present　sold　so　cheap；　that　the　Farmers　can　pay　not　Rent；　as　I　think　I　have　sufficiently　proved　it　is　not；　it　will　be　necessarily　required　to　shew　what　is　the　Cause　of　so　melancholy　a　Truth；　as　this　objection　is　founded　on。　For　I　allow　that　perhaps　there　never　were　so　many　Farms　quitted；　and　thrown　on　the　Gentlemens　Hands　in　England；　as　at　this　Time。　　　　　Now　this　Cause　I　assert　is　chiefly；　if　not　solely　owing　to　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People　in　general。　And　in　order　to　prove　this；　I　must　shew　what　are　the　Signs　of　a　sufficient　Plenty；　and　of　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People。　　　　　Now　the　signs　of　a　sufficient　Plenty　of　Money　are　these；　the　Houses　well　fill'd　with　Inhabitants；　the　Rents　well　paid　for　them；　and　Fines　exacted；　as　also；　that　the　Rents　of　Lands　in　general　be　well　and　duly　paid；　and　that　we　be　not　over…burden'd　with　Poor；　nor　our　Roads　or　Streets　infested　with　Highwaymen　and　Robbers：　When　Things　are　thus　circumstance；　Trade　may　be　truely　said　to　be　in　a　flourishing　State；　or　Money；　on　which　Trade　floats；　may　be　said　to　be　sufficiently　plentiful；　and　more　plentiful　than　this　it　never　can　be。　　　　　On　the　other　hand；　since　it　is　now　notorious　that　the　Number　of　empty　Houses　is　very　great；　and　instead　of　Fines　for　them；　as　formerly；　the　Rents　are　lower'd；　and　still　falling；　besides；　that　the　Landlords　very　frequently　fit　them　up　too　for　the　Tenants；　and　our　Poor　are　so　very　much　increased；　that　we　are　obliged　to　transport　many　of　them；　and　our　Roads　and　Streets　are　so　exceedingly　infested　with　Highwaymen　and　Robbers；　as　perhaps　the　like　was　never；　and　since　the　Objection　says；　the　Landlords　can　now　hardly　get　any　Rents　for　their　Farms：　These　Signs　therefore；　being　exactly　the　Reverse　of　the　former；　must　needs　be　as　certain　and　evident　Proofs　of　a　Decay　of　Trade；　or；　which　is　tantamount；　of　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People　in　general；　as　the　aforemention'd　Circumstances　were　Signs　and　Proofs　of　a　flourishing　Trade；　and　a　sufficient　Plenty　of　Money　amongst　the　People　in　general；　nor　do　I　know　what　Kinds　of　Proofs　could　be　produced；　or　reasonably　required　besides；　or　stronger　than　these。　　　　　For　if；　when　the　Houses　were　well　fill'd　with　Inhabitants；　the　Rents　were　not　only　well　paid　for　them；　but　Fines　frequently　exacted；　and　we　were　not　then　over…burthen'd　with　Poor；　as　we　are　now；　nor　our　Roads　nor　Streets　infested　with　Highwaymen　and　Robbers：　If　the　Rents　for　the　Lands　were　then　likewise　well　paid；　and　raised　too；　as　they　certainly　were；　and　if　now　the　Gentlemen　can　hardly　get　any　Rents　for　their　Lands；　and　all　the　contrary　Marks　and　Signs　are　upon　us：　It　must　be　plain　that　it　is　not　the　Plenty　of　the　Produce；　but　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People；　which　hath　reduced　Trade　to　so　languishing　a　Condition；　that　Tradesmen　in　general　can't　get　Money　to　pay　the　usual　Rents　for　the　Houses；　nor　the　Farmers　for　the　Farms。　　　　　And　this　squares　exactly　with　what　I　said　to　illustrate　my　fourth　Principle；　that　if　Money　decreases　amongst　the　People；　they　must　be　distress'd；　unless　either　their　Numbers　be　diminish'd；　or　the　Prices　of　Things　lower'd　in　such　Proportion。　And　since　these　Marks　and　Signs　are　sufficient　Proofs　of　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People　in　general；　they　must　also　be　equal　Proofs　that　the　Cash　amongst　them　in　general　is　considerably　diminish'd；　at　least　that　it　is　not　increased　in　Proportion　to　their　Number；　and　the　Prices　of　Things。　　　　　And　hence　we　may　see　that　whatever　hurts　Trade　to　any　considerable　Degree；　will　also　hurt　the　Landlords　and　Houses　too；　if　there　be　any　Truth　in　the　Fact　contain'd　in　the　Objection　I　have　now　answer'd。　　　　　And　if　what　I　have　offer'd　be；　as　I　think　it　is；　a　sufficient　Answer　to　the　Objection；　supposed　the　Fact　to　be　true；　it　follows　then　that　the　Gentlemen　if　they　would　have　any　Rents　for　their　Farms；　are　under　a　Necessity；　as　fast　as　possible；　to　cause　so　much　waste　Land　to　be　inclosed　and　improved；　as　shall　actually　reduce　the　present　Rates　of　labour；　and　the　Subsistence　of　the　Farmers；　so　much；　that　the　Price；　the　Produce　of　the　Earth　will　fetch　at　Market；　may　be　sufficient　to　bear　all　Charges；　and　leave　an　Overplus　to　pay　such　Rents　as　the　Lands　will　then　be　found　to　bear。　For　whilst　the　necessary　Charges　of　the　Labour；　etc。　and　the　Subsistence　of　the　Farmers　continue　so　great；　as　to　equal　the　Price　the　Produce　of　the　Ground　fetches　at　Market；　it　is　impossible　the　Gentlemen　should　have　any　Rents　paid　them。　The　Objection　suggests　this　to　be　the　Case　at　present；　and　I　am　sure　that　a　Scarcity　of　the　Produce　will　not　mend　the　Matter；　whatever　they　may　think　of　such　a　Calamity。　　　　　Now　that　the　necessary　Charges　of　the　Labour；　etc。　and　the　Subsistence　of　the　Farmers　may　be　so　much　lower'd；　as　to　leave　an　Overplus　out　of　the　Price　the　Produce　of　the　Ground　fetches　at　Market；　sufficient　to　pay　some　Rent；　is　certain；　because；　when　the　Produce　of　the　Ground　did　hardly　fetch　1/30　Part　of　its　present　Rates；　some　Rent　was　as　certainly　paid；　as　that　we　always　had　Gentlemen　in　the　Kingdom　who　liv'd　on　their　Estates。　And　if；　as　I　have　before　sufficiently　made　out；　the　lowering　the　Rates　of　Labour　will　make　every　Thing　fall；　in　much　greater　Proportion　than　the　Rents；　it　must　be　evident　that　an　Overplus　must；　in　this　Case；　　remain　to　pay　Rent；　and　that　the　Gentlemen　will　be　the　richer　too；　for　persuing　such　Measures；　as　shall　be　effectual　to　reduce　the　present　Rates　of　Labour；　etc。　And　now；　I　hope；　it　doth　fully　appear；　that　the　Gentlemen　have　no　Reason　to　fear　improving　so　much　waste　Land　as　I　am　contending　for；　since　perhaps　they　are　not　like　to　get　any　Rent　any　other　way；　except　that　I　must　add；　that　the　taking　the　Taxes　intirely　off　Goods；　would　mightily　help　them　in　this　Point；　since　it's　pretty　certain；　the　Taxes；　and　Charges　of　collecting　them；　together　with　the　Advance　on　the　Price　of　Goods　they　occasion；　do　now　absorb　near　half　the　Rent　of　the　Kingdom；　as　hath　been　before　shewn。　Nay；　I　do　verily　believe；　that　taking　the　Taxes　intirely　off　the　Things　the　working　People　consume；　is　so　absolutely　needful；　that　Labour　can　hardly　be　reduced　without　it。　　　　　And　that　which　makes　me　think　so；　is　the　prodigious　Augmentation　of　the　Price　of　Goods　by　Taxes；　an　undeniable　Instance　of　which；　the　taking　the　Duty　off　Salt；　and　laying　it　on　again　hath　produced。　For　Salt；　when　the　Duty　was　taken　off；　was　cried　about　Street　three　Pounds　for　five　Farthings；　and　no　sooner　was　the　Duty　laid　on　again；　but　the　Price　became　to　the　Consumer　（as　it　was　before　the　Duty　was　taken　off）　five　Farthings　for　one　Pound。　so　the　Duty　on　Salt　hath　trebled　its　Price　to　the　Consumer。　This　Instance　therefore　makes　me　think　it　impossible　to　reduce　the　Rates　of　Things　by　Tillage；　etc。　alone；　so　much　as　to　reduce　the　Rate　of　Labour；　except　taking　the　Taxes　intirely　off　the　Things　the　working　People　consume　and　use；　be　also　brought　in　Aid。　And　I　dare　say　this　will　be　found　so　too；　if　ever　it's　tried。　　　　　But　there　remains　a　Difficulty　or　two；　which　perhaps　it　may　also　be　needful　to　remove；　viz。　First；　That　since　a　great　many　Estates　in　this　Kingdom　are　mortgaged；　if　the　Rents　of　Lands；　by　the　Execution　of　this　Proposal；　should　be　considerably　lower'd；　many　such　Estates　will　hardly　be　worth　more　than　they　are　mortgaged　for；　which　may　be　a　very　great　Hardship　to　abundance　of　People。　I　would　therefore　most　humbly　propose　that；　whenever　the　Wisdom　of　Parliament　shall　think　fit　to　make　an　Act　to　inclose；　and　improve　so　much　common　and　waste　Land　as　shall　be　needful；　and　may　be　effectual　to　the　Purposes　this　Essay　sets　forth；　（for　I　believe　it　can　hardly　be　effected　without　such　an　Act　of　Parliament；）　I　say；　I　would　most　humbly　propose；　that　a　Clause　be　added；　that　all　Mortgagees　shall　be　obliged　annually；　or　in　any　other　Manner　that　may　seem　meet；　to　strike　off　such　Sums　from　the　Principal　Money　lent　on　such　Estates；　as　shall　hold　Proportion　to　the　Fall　of　the　Rents　of　Lands。　This　can　be　no　Hardship　to　the　Mortgagees；　since　the　Residue　of　their　Money　and　Interest　will　do；　at　least；　all　the　same　Things　which　their　whole　Sums；　with　the　Interest；　would　have　done　if　no　such　Alteration　were　made；　as　the　full　and　sufficient　Execution　of　this　Proposal　will　effect。　　　　　The　Mortgagees　will　be　so　far　from　being　singular　in　this　Case；　that　this　is　what　must　happen　to　every　Tradesman；　whose　Stock　in　Hand　being　our　Produce；　or　Manufactures　of　any　Kind；　will　be　continually　falling；　as　fast　as　such　Produce　or　Manufactures　shall　from　Time　to　Time；　by　the　Plenty　of　them；　be　made　cheaper。　Now　will　this　be　any　Prejudice　to　any　Tradesman；　since　every　Time　they　buy；　in　this　Case；　such　Goods　will　be　as　much　cheaper　than　when　they　bought　last；　as　those　Commodities　have　fallen　on　their　Hands；　and　the　remaining　Sums　every　way　as　powerful　to　buy　what　they　may　have　Occasion　for；　as　the　whole　sums　would　have　been　if　no　such　Alteration　had　happen'd；　as　this　Proposal；　if　executed；　will　effect。　　　　　As　to　foreign　Commodities；their　Prices　depending　on　the　Markets　whence　they　are　brought；　will　hardly　be　affected　by　this　Proposal；　and　as　to　Book　Debts　and　Notes；　the　Credit　of　this　Kind　being　never　intended　to　be　of　any　long　Duration；　I　think　no　Alteration　should　be　made；　respecting　them。　But　if　this　Proposal　should　be　executed；　a　Hardship　will　fall　on　many　who　have　Leases　of　Lands；　unless　a　Clause　be　likewise　made；　to　give　such　Tenants　Leave　to　surrender　their　Leases　to　their　Landlords；　but　this　must　only　be　at　the　Option　of　such　Tenants；　because　if　they　think　fit　to　hold　their　Leases；　the　Covenants　must　be　fulfilled；　even　as　if　no　Alteration　were　made　by　the　Execution　of　this　Proposal。　　　　　And　if　another　Clause　were　made　to　this　Purpose；　that　any　Person　being　willing　to　inclose；　and　improve　any　reasonable　and　proper　Quantity　of　waste　Land；　fit　for　one　Person　to　undertake　the　Improvement　of；　whereever　such　waste　or　uninclosed　Land　is　to　be　found；（35*）　such　Person　should　have　Power　to　do　so；　on　Condition　only　of　giving　Notice　in　Writing　to　the　Proprietors　of　such　waste　Land；　or；　if　such　waste　Land　belong　to　a　Parish；　to　the　Vestry；　who　should　receive（36*）　such　Rents　as　shall　be　agreed　by　two　Persons　indifferently　chosen；　one　by　the　Proprietors　or　Vestry；　th