treatise on taxes and contributions-第18章

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　be　carried　away；　and　that　our　Quart　d'Esens　would　contain　but　half　so　much　Bullion　as　our　own　Money　did；　so　that　raising　of　Money　may　indeed　change　the　species；　but　with　so　much　loss　as　the　Forreign　Pieces　were　raised　unto；　above　their　intrinsick　value。　　　　　13。　But　for　remedy　of　this；　suppose　we　raised　the　Quart　d'Esen　double；　and　prohibited　the　Exportation　of　our　own　money　in　Exchange　thereof。　I　answer；　that　such　a　Prohibition　is　nugatory；　and　impossible　to　be　executed；　and　if　it　were　not；　yet　the　raising　of　the　said　species　would　but　make　us　sell　the　Commodities　bought　with　raised　Quart　d'Escens；　in　effect　but　at　half　the　usual　rate；　which　unto　them　that　want　such　commodities　will　as　well　yield　the　full；　so　that　abating　our　prices；　will　as　well　allure　strangers　to　buy　extraordinary　proportions　of　our　Commodities；　as　raising　their　money　will　do：　But　neither　that；　nor　abating　the　price　will　strangers　use　more　of　our　Commodities　then　thye　want；　for　although　the　first　year　they　should　carry　away　an　unuseful　and　superfluous　proportion；　yet　afterwards　they　would　take　so　much　the　less。　　　　　14。　If　this　be　true；　as　in　substance　it　is；　why　then　have　so　many　wise　States　in　several　ancient；　as　well　as　modern　times　frequently　practised　this　Artifice；　as　a　means　to　draw　in　money　into　their　respective　Dominions。　　　　　I　answer；　that　something　is　to　be　attributed　to　the　stupidity　and　ignorance　of　the　people；　who　cannot　of　a　sudden　understand　this　matter：　for　I　finde　many　men　wise　enough；　who　though　they　be　well　informed　that　raising　of　maoney　signifies　little；　yet　cannot　suddently　digest　it。　As　for　example；　and　unegaged　person　who　had　money　in　his　purse　in　England；　and　should　hear　that　a　shilling　was　made　fourteen　pence　in　Ireland；　would　more　readily　run　theither　to　by　Land　then　before；　not　suddenly　apprehending；　that　for　the　same　Land　which　he　might　have　bought　before　for　six　years　Purchase；　he　shall　now　pay　seven。　Nor　will　Sellers　in　Ireland　of　a　sudden　apprehend　cause　to　raise　their　Land　proportionally；　but　will　at　least　be　contented　to　compound　the　business；　viz。　to　sell　at　six　and　an　half；　and　if　the　difference　be　a　more　ragged　fraction；　men　under　a　long　time　will　not　apprehend　it；　nor　ever　be　able　exactly　to　govern　their　practice　according　to　it。　　　　　15。　Secondly；　Although　I　apprehend　no　little　real　difference　between　raising　Forreign　Money　to　double；　and　abasing　half　in　the　price　of　our　own　Commodities；　yet　to　sell　them　on　tacite　condition　to　be　paid　in　Forraign　present　Money；　shall　increase　our　money；　forasmuch　as　between　raising　the　money；　and　abasing　the　price；　is　the　same　difference　as　between　selling　for　money　and　in　barter；　which　latter　is　the　dearer；　or　between　selling　for　present　money；　and　for　time；　barter　resolving　into　the　nature　of　uncertain　time。　　　　　16。　I　say；　suppose　English　Cloth　were　sold　at　six　shillings　a　yard；　and　French　Canvas　at　eighteen　pence　the　ell；　the　question　is；　whether　it　were　all　one　in　order　to　increase　Money　in　England　to　raise　the　French　Money　double；　or　to　abate　half　of　the　price　of　our　Cloth？　I　think　the　former；　because　that　former　way　or　proposition　carries　with　it　a　condition　of　having　Forreign　Money　in　specie；　and　not　Canvas　in　barter；　between　which　two　wayes　the　world　generally　agrees　there　is　a　difference。　Wherefore　if　we　can　afford　to　abate　half　our　price；　but　will　not　do　it　but　for　our　neighbours　money；　then　we　gain　so　much　as　the　said　difference　between　Money　and　Barter　amounts　unto；　by　such　raising　of　our　Neighbours　Money。　　　　17。　But　the　fundamental　solution　of　this　Question　depends　upon　a　real　and　not　an　imaginary　way　of　computing　the　prices　of　Commodities；　in　order　to　which　real　way　I　premise　these　suppositions：　First；　then；　suppose　there　be　in　a　Territory　a　thousand　people；　let　these　people　be　supposed　sufficient　to　Till　this　whole　Territory　as　to　the　Husbandry　of　Corn；　which　we　will　suppose　to　contain　all　necessaries　for　like；　as　in　the　Lords　Prayer　we　suppose　the　word　Bread　doth；　and　let　the　production　of　a　Bushel　of　this　corn　be　supposed　of　equal　labour　to　that　of　producing　an　ounce　of　Silver。　Suppose　again　that　a　tenth　part　of　this　Land；　and　tenth　of　the　people；　viz。　an　hundred　of　them；　can　produce　Corn　enough　for　the　whole；　suppose　that　the　Rent　of　Land　（found　out　as　above…mentioned）　be　a　fourth　part　of　the　whole　product；　（about　which　proportion　it　really　is；　as　we　may　perceive　by　paying　a　fourth　Sheaf　instead　of　Rent　in　some　places）　suppose　also　that　whereas　but　an　hundred　are　necessary　for　this　Husbandry；　yet　that　two　hundred　have　taken　up　the　Trade；　and　suppose　that　where　a　Bushel　of　Corn　would　suffice；　yet　men　out　of　delicacy　will　use　two；　making　use　of　the　Flower　onely　of　both。　Now　the　Inferences　from　hence　are；　　　　　First；　That　the　goodness　of　badness；　or　the　value　of　Land　depends　upon　the　greater　or　lesser　share　of　the　product　given　for　it　in　proportion　to　the　simple　labour　bestowed　to　raised　the　said　Product。　　　　　Secondly；　That　the　proportion　betwee　Corn　and　Silver　signifie　onley　an　artificial　value；　not　a　natural；　because　the　comparison　if　bewteen　a　thing　naturally　useful；　and　a　thing　in　its　self　unnecessary；　which　（by　the　way）　is　part　of　the　reason　why　there　are　not　so　great　changes　and　leaps　n　the　prodceed　of　Silver　as　of　other　commdodities。　　　　　Thirdly；　That　natural　dearness　and　cheapness　depends　upon　the　few　or　more　hands　requisite　to　necessaries　of　Nature：　As　Corn　is　cheaper　where　one　man　produces　Corn　for　ten；　then　where　he　can　do　the　like　but　for　six；　and　withal；　according　as　the　Climate　disposes　men　to　a　necessity　of　spending　more　or　less。　But　Political　Cheapness　depends　upon　the　paucity　of　Supernumerary　Interlopers　into　any　Trade　over　and　above　all　that　are　necessary；　viz。　Corn　will　be　twice　as　dear　whre　are　two　hundred　Husbandmen　to　do　the　same　work　which　an　hundred　could　perform：　the　proportion　thereof　being　compounded　with　the　proportion　of　superfluous　expence；　（viz。　if　to　the　cause　of　dearness　abovementioned　be　added　to　the　double　Expence　to　what　is　necessary）　then　the　natural　price　will　appear　quadrupled；　and　this　quadruple　Price　is　the　true　Political　Price　computed　upon　naturall　grounds。　　　　　And　this　again　proportioned　to　the　common　artificall　Standard　Silver　gives　what　was　sought；　that　is；　the　true　Price　Currant。　　　　　18。　But　forasmuch　as　almost　all　Commodities　have　their　Substitutes　or　Succedanea；　and　that　almost　all　uses　may　be　answered　serveral　wayes；　and　for　that　novelty；　surprize；　example　of　Superiors；　and　opinion　of　unexaminable　effects　do　adde　or　take　away　from　the　price　of　Things；　we　must　adde　these　contingent　Causes　to　the　permanent　Causes　abovementioned；　in　the　judicious　foresight　and　computation　whereof　lies　the　excellency　of　a　Merchant。　　　　　Now　to　apply　this　Digression；　I　say；　that　to　encrease　Money；　it　is　as　well　necessary　to　know　how　to　abate　the　raise；　the　price　of　Commodities；　and　that　of　Money；　which　was　the　scope　of　the　said　Digression。　　　　　19。　To　conclude　this　whole　Chapter；　we　say；　that　raising　or　embasing　of　Moneys　is　a　very　pittiful　and　unequal　way　of　Taxing　the　people；　and　'tis　a　sign　that　the　State　sinketh；　which　catcheth　hold　on　such　Weeds　as　are　accompanied　with　the　dishonour　of　impressing　a　Princes　Effigies　to　justifie　Adulterate　Commodities；　and　the　breach　of　Publick　Faith；　such　as　is　the　calling　a　thing　what　it　really　is　not。

Chapter　15

Of　Excise

　　　　It　is　generally　allowed　by　all；　that　men　should　contribute　tothe　Publick　Charge　but　according　to　the　share　and　interest　they　have　in　the　Publick　Peace；　that　is；　according　to　their　Estates　or　Riches：　now　there　are　two　sorts　of　Riches；　one　actual；　and　the　other　potential。　A　man　is　actually　and　truly　rich　according　to　what　he　eateth；　drinketh；　weareth；　or　any　other　way　really　and　actually　enjoyeth；　others　are　but　potentially　or　imaginatively　rich；　who　though　they　have　power　overmuch；　make　little　use　of　it；　these　being　rather　Stewards　and　Exchangers　for　the　other　sort；　then　owners　for　themselves。　　　　　2。　Concluding　therefore　that　every　man　ought　to　contribute　according　to　what　he　taketh　to　himself；　and　actually　enjoyeth。　The　first　thing　to　be　done　is；　to　compute　what　the　Total　of　the　Expence　of　this　Nation　is　by　particular　men　upon　themselves　and　then　what　part　thereof　is　necessary　for　the