money answers all things- 第3部分

st　Parishes　find；　is　greatly　encreased　of　late　Years；　witness　the　Numbers　we　are　continually　transporting；　and　the　late　Invention　of　erecting　Workhouses　for　the　Poor；　and　Complaints　of　Tradesmen　all　over　the　Kingdom；　which　have　been；　and　are　very　great；　and　very　just。　Now　suppose　Corn；　etc。　were　considerably　advanced；　to　enable　the　Farmers　to　pay　their　Rents；　what　must　become　of　the　trading　Part　of　the　Nation；　who　already　with　justice；　complain　they　can　hardly　get　Money　to　support　themselves；　at　the　present　Rates　of　Things？　And　how　much　more　would　the　Poor　and　their　Calamities　increase；　by　such　a　Rise　of　Necessaries；　together　with　the　still　greater　Decay　of　Trade　it　must　occasion；　since　if　the　Prices　of　Things　were　to　be　advance；　the　People　in　general　for　want　of　Money　must；　if　possible；　be　still　less　Consumers；　and　consequently　make　just　so　much　less　Business　amongst　them；　who　have　already　much　too　little？　Besides；　it　is　always　found　that　as　Trade　lessens　（or　is　divided　amongst　more　Particulars；　which　is　much　the　same　Thing　in　Effect）　the　Profits　of　Trade　lessen　in　still　greater　Proportion　to　the　Business　transacted。　　　　　But　to　proceed：　To　shew　that　Gentlemen　will　lose　nothing　by　falling　their　Rents；　Let　it　be　supposed；　that　all　the　Land　in　the　Kingdome　were　to　be　raised　20　l。　per　cent　per　annum。　Since　the　Land　would　bear　no　more　Corn；　graze　no　more　Cattle；　etc。　than　it　now　doth；　must　not　the　Corn　and　Cattle；　etc。　be　considerably　advanced？　and　must　not　the　Labourer；　whose　Necessaries　must　then　cost　more；　have　more　for　his　Labour？　and　must　not　Timber　to　make　Carriages；　and　for　every　other　Use；　cost　more　to　fell　and　hew　it；　etc。　and　must　not　Horses；　to　draw　the　Fruits　of　the　Earth；　etc。　to　Market；　be　more　valuable；　and　consequently　Carriage；　and　every　Manufacture　cost　more　too？　I　think　all　Things　would　certainly　thus　be　raised；　if　Money　could　be　found　to　circulate　them　at　such　an　Advance。　And　then；　since　Gentlemen　are　Consumers；　and　must　buy　every　thing；　as　well　as　others；　at　this　Advance；　what　would　they　be　advantaged　by　receiving　20　per　cent　per　annum　more；　and　paying　that　at　least；　if　not　more；　for　what　they　want？　　　　　But　if　Gentlemen　should　say；　this　would　be　so　as　to　what　they　spend；　yet　what　they　save；　and　lay　up；　would　be　more：　For　instance；　suppose　a　Gentleman　of　1000　l　per　Annum；　now　spends　500　l。　and　lays　up　500　l。　per　annum；　if　Estates　were　thus　raised；　he　would　at　the　same　Rate　spend　660　l。　and　lay　up　600　l。　per　annum：　but　how　wou'd　he　be　the　richer；　since　the　Price　of　every　Thing　being　raised　in　like　Proportion　at　least；　which　is　an　unavoidable　Consequence；　his　600　l。　would　purchase；　nor　more　than　500　l。　did　before？　Wherefore　Gentlemen　would；　in　this　Case；　be　not　one　Jot　advantaged。　If　therefore　Rents　should　fall　30　l。　per　cent　per　annum；　every　thing　would　certainly　fall；　in　at　least　the　same　Proportion；　so　that　Gentlemen　would　lose　nothing；　but　the　name　of　so　much　per　Annum；　which；　I　think；　the　Argument　above　doth　sufficiently　evince。　But　lest　the　name　of　losing　so　much　per　annum　should　be　a　Prejudice；　strong　enough　to　prevent　the　Execution　of　this　so　necessary　Proposal；　let　it　be　further　consider'd；　that　empty　Houses；　the　Number　of　which　at　present　is　very　great；　and　will　be　greater　still；　if　this　Method　be　not　taken　to　fill　them；　I　say；　empty　Houses；　if　they　can　be　filled；　are　real　Estates；　as　well　as　Land。　Now　if　Money　be　thus　made　plentiful；　as　it　certainly　may；　Plenty　of　Money　will　soon　make　Trade　flourish；　and　a　flourishing　Trade　will　soon　enable　the　People　to　occupy　more　Houses；　and　hereby　the　Number　of　People　likewise　will　soon　be　increased；（1*）　so　that　landlords　taken　in　their　full　Extent；　including　Landlords　of　Houses　as　well　as　of　Land；　will　thus　certainly　be　Gainers；　by　falling　their　Estates　so　much　as　shall　be　needful　to　make　Money　plentiful；　which　will　soon　fill　their　Houses。　But　it　may　be　said；　if　Lands　must　fall　30　per　cent　which　is　near　a　third；　to　fill　the　Houses；　and　but　an　eighth；　or　a　ninth　of　the　Number　of　Houses；　as　I　shall　shew；　remain　to　be　filled；　how　are　Landlords；　taken　in　the　full　sense　of　the　Word；　including　Landlords　of　Houses　as　well　as　of　Land；　Gainers？　I　answer；　that　the　Rents　are　now　raised　above　their　proper　Value；　for　the　proper　Value　of　any　thing；　is　really　no　other；　than　what　the　Money　circulating　among　the　People　will　well　enable　them　to　pay；　nor　can　any　greater　Value　be　long　supported　by　any　Means　whatsoever。　　　　　But　it　will　be　asked；　How　we　shall　know　when　the　Prices　of　Things　are　at　this　proper　Value？　I　answer；　that　as　the　Price　of　Labour　is　always　constituted　of　the　Price　of　Necessaries；　and　the　Price　of　all　other　things　chiefly　of　the　price　of　Labour；　whenever　the　Price　of　Necessaries　is　such；　that　the　labouring　Man's　Wages　will　not；　suitably　to　his　low　Rank　and　Station；　as　a　labouring　Man；　support　such　a　Family；　as　is　often　the　Lot　of　many　of　them　to　have；　the　Price　of　Necessaries　being　then　evidently　so　much　too　high；　every　thing　else　is　so　too；　or　then　may　the　Prices　of　Things　justly　be　said　to　be　above　this　proper　Value；　which　will　more　clearly　appear　in　the　Course　of　this　Essay。　　　　　But　I　will　proceed　to　shew；　that　the　Gentlemen　will　be　the　richer　for　falling　all　the　Lands　in　the　Kingdom　20　or　30　per　cent　per　annum；　provided　this　Fall　be　effected　only　by　the　Addition；　and　Cultivation　of　so　much　more　Land；　as　will　make　Farms　so　plentiful；　as　to　reduce　the　Rents　of　Lands　so　much。　　　　　For　if　it　shall　appear；　that　the　Gentlemen　would　be　the　poorer；　if　all　the　Lands　in　the　Kingdom　were　raised　20　per　cent　per　annum；　I　think　the　Reverse　must　follow；　that　they　would　be　the　richer　if　all　the　Lands　were　fallen　20　or　30　per　cent　per　annum；　that　is　70　or　80　l。　would　certainly　buy　more；　if　all　the　Lands　were　so　fallen；　then　120　l。　would　do；　if　all　the　Lands　were　so　raised；　which　I　shall　endeavour　to　prove。　　　　　If　all　the　Lands　were　raised　20　per　cent　per　annum　it's　certain　they　would　not　produce　more；　but　perhaps　less；　than　they　now　do；　by　putting　it；　in　some　Degree；　out　of　the　Farmers　Power　to　use　so　much　Skill　and　Charge　to　cultivate　them；　as　they　could　do　before　their　Rents　were　so　raised：　I　say；　since　the　Land　could　however　produce　no　more　than　it　now　doth；　all　the　Produce；　whatever　it　consists　of；　must　be　sold　not　only　for　all　the　20　pounds　more；　but　there　must　be　Profits　likewise　on　all　those　20　Pounds；　to　enable　the　Farmers　to　buy　whatever　they　want　at　higher　prices；　which　every　thing　must　needs　be　advanced　to　from　thus　raising　the　Produce；　which；　as　it　passeth　through　every　Hand　and　Manufacturing；　must　still　have　proportionably　increased　Profits　on　the　thus　raised　prime　Cost；　before　it　comes　to　the　Consumer；　who；　therefore；　must　thus　certainly；　in　the　End；　not　only　pay　all　the　advanced　20　pounds　Rent；　but　likewise　the　necessary　Profits　thereon　through　all　the　several　Hands　it　must　pass：　And　since　the　Labour；　which　adds　the　greatest　Value　to　every　thing；　must　in　this　Case　be　inhanced　likewise；　it's　evident；　the　same　Quantity　of　Produce　must　be　dearer　by　all　the　first　advanced　20　Pounds　Rent；　and　by　suitable　Profits　to　all　the　several　Hands　through　which　it　must　pass；　together　with　a　greater　Charge　of　Labour　thereon；　whence；　if　the　same　Quantity　of　Produce　must　thus　cost　a　great　deal　more；　than　all　the　20　pounds　Rent；　by　which　it　was　first　inhanced；　the　Parts　must　cost　more　too　in　such　Proportion；　so　that；　I　think；　I　need　not　scruple　to　assert；　that　140　l。　could　not　in　this　Case　purchase　what　100　l。　now　doth；　whence　Gentlemen；　who　are　consumers　in　common　with　others；　would　thus　evidently　be　much　the　poorer　for　so　raising　their　Estates；　and　therefore　I　think　it　an　undeniable　Consequence；　that　they　wou'd　be　the　richer　for　lowering　their　Estates　20　or　30　l。　per　cent　per　annum　since　it　must　be　equally　certain；　that　70　or　80　l。　would　purchase　more　in　this　case；　than　100　l。　now　doth；　as　it　is　certain　120　l。　in　the　other　case；　would　not　purchase　so　much　as　100　l。　now　doth。　　　　　And　this　both　accounts　for；　and　verifies　an　Observation；　I　have　heard　some　Gentlemen　make；　and　wonder　at；　that　they　find　they　can't　live　so　well　and　hospitably　on　the　same　Estates；　as　their　Ancestors　did；　who　had　vastly　less　Income　from　them；　than　their　Successors；　who　make　this　Observation；　now　have。　If　therefore；　Gentlemen；　find　themselves　streighten'd；　by　raising　Rents　above　what　the　Money　circulating　amongst　the　People　will　well　enable　them　to　pay；　how　great　must　the　Streights　and　difficulties　be　which　are　brought　on　the　People；　out　of　whom　such　heavy　Rents　are　raised！　　　　　But　perhaps　it　may　be　objected；　that　this　Argument　concludes　too　much：　Since；　if　70　l。　will　in　this　Case　purchase　more　than　120　l。　why　will　not　nothing　purchase　more　than　something？　To　which　I　answer；　There　is　a　proper　Point；　at　which　it　will　stop　of　itself；　which　is　this：　Whenever　the　Wages　of　the　Labouring　Man；　and　Price　of　Necessaries　are　mad　so　near　equal；　that　he　can；　suitably　to　that　low　Rank　in　Life；　support　such　a　Family　as　he；　in　common　with　all　the　human　Kind；　chiefly　came　into　this　World　to　raise；　（which　Things　I　hope　to　shew　may　be　brought　much　nearer　together　than　they　now　are）；　I　say；　when　the　Labouring　Man's　Wages　will　do　this；　the　Rent　the　Lands　will　then　bear；　is　that　proper　and　fit　Rent；　which　will　enable　the　Gentlemen　to　purchase　more　of　every　Thing；　than　any　larger　Rents　can　enable　them　to　do；　which　I　prove　thus：　　　　　Suppose　the　Rents　rais'd　so　much；　as　necessarily　to　carry　the　Price　of　Goods　to　the　Consumers　in　general；　to　higher　Rates　than　the　Money　they　can　get　will　enable　them　to　purchase　what　they　really　want：　this　makes　a　Kind　of　unnatural　Plenty　of　Goods；　presenting　themselves　for　buyers；　who；　though　they　really　want　them；　can't　find　Money　to　purchase　them；and　therefore　are　forced　to　abridge　their　necessary　Wants　as　much　as　they　can；　and　this　depresses　the　Value　of　those　Goods　（which　thus　in　the　End　must　want　buyers）　below　the　Rates　which　the　Rents　have　made　necessary；　and　this　will　necessarily　keep　the　Produce　of　the　Ground　which　the　Farmers　bring　to　Market；　so　low；　that　they　can't　make　it　answer　to　bear　all　Charges；　and　pay　their　Rents；　whence　the　Gentlemen　must　find　it　difficult；　if　not　impossible；　to　get　their　Rents；　whilst　at　the　same　Time；　whatever　they　buy；　as　hath　been　prov'd；　will　necessarily　be　dearer　in　a　greate