money answers all things-第24部分

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less　than　they　do　now；　as　the　Taxes　now　on　them；　with　the　Charges　of　collecting；　etc。　now　inhance　them；　therefore；　I　think；　if　the　Taxes　were　taken　off　Goods；　and　laid　on　Lands　and　Houses　only；　so　much　more　Money　must　in　this　Case　come　to　the　Hands　of　the　Farmers　for　the　Produce　of　the　Ground；　as　would　enable　them　to　pay　as　much　larger　Rents　than　they　now　can　do；　as　would　double　the　Land…tax；　if　the　whole　supply　were　raised　this　Way　only：　and　this　I　conclude　must　be　so；　because　the　Charge　of　collecting　the　Duties　on　Goods　is；　as　hath　been　shewn；　about　equal　to　the　nett　Supply　for　the　Government；　whilst　the　Charge　of　collecting　the　Supply　by　Way　of　Land…tax；　doth　not　exceed　1/40　Part　of　the　Charge　of　collecting　in　on　Goods；　as　hath　also　been　shewn。　　　　　But　that　I　may　make　it　evident　that　the　Taxes；　and　all　Charges　which　attend　collecting　them　on　Goods；　must　lessen　the　Rents　as　much　as　they　amount　to；　I　reason　thus：　The　Produce　of　the　Ground；　when　fitted　for　the　Consumer；　fetches　a　certain　Sum　of　Money；　out　of　which　all　charges；　from　the　raising　it　out　of　the　Earth　to　the　fitting　it　for　the　Consumer；　must　be　deducted；　together　with　the　Taxes；　and　all　Charges　they　occasion　by　collecting　them；　and　the　Overplus；　after　these　are　all　deducted；　is　all　the　Rent　that　can　possibly　be　paid。　　　　　Now　if　the　Taxes；　and　Charges　they　occasion　in　collecting　them　on　Goods；　be　equal　to　7；　8　or　9　Shillings　in　the　Pound　on　the　Rental　of　the　Kingdom；　these；　which　deduct　so　much　out　of　the　Price　which　the　Goods　fetch　of　the　Consumers；　must　deduct　it　ultimately　out　of　the　Rent。　And　if　every　thing　will　always　find　its　true　Value；　which　is　a　known　Maxim　in　Trade；　Land；　which　is　most　valuable　of　all　Things；　because　it　gives　all　Things；　must　do　so；　there　if　the　Taxes　were　all　taken　off　Goods；　the　Land　would　necessarily　bear　so　much　higher　Rents；　as　the　Taxes　subtract　from　the　Price　of　the　Goods　it　produces；　and　this　will　clearly　appear；　by　shewing　in　what　Manner　taking　the　Taxes　off　Goods　will　operate；　to　bring　the　whole　Amount　of　them　into　the　Landlords　Pockets　for　Rent。　　　　　If　the　Taxes　were　taken　off　Goods；　they　would　come　cheaper；　and　Cheapness　would　increase　the　Consumption；　as　Cheapness　of　every　thing　always　doth；　and　that　Increase　of　the　Consumption　would　increase　the　Demand　for　those　Things。　Now　since　every　thing　is　the　Produce　of　the　Ground；　the　Demand　for　the　Produce　would　increase　the　Demand　for　Land；　and　that　would　necessarily　raise　the　Rent；　even　till　all　the　Money　now　paid　for　Taxes；　together　with　all　the　charge　they　are　necessarily　attended　with；　would　come　into　the　Landlords　Pockets　for　Rent。　Thus　if　the　Taxes　were　taken　off　Goods；　the　Landlords　would　receive　8　or　9　Shillings　in　the　Pound　more　Rent　than　they　now　do；　if　the　Taxes　on　goods　do　any　way　amount　to　so　much；　and　if　4　Shillings　in　the　Pound　or　thereabouts　would；　as　hath　been　shewn；　raise　the　whole　Supply　for　the　Government；　the　Landlords　would　receive　more　Rent；　by　4　Shillings　in　the　Pound　on　their　whole　Estates；　after　the　Taxes　are　deducted；　than　they　can　do　whilst　the　supply　for　the　Government　is　raised　on　Goods。　　　　　Nor　can　this　possibly　be　otherwise；　unless　the　Money　circulating　amongst　the　People　be　not　sufficient　to　augment　the　Rents　so　much：　And　though　I　allow　it　is　not；　yet　I　verily　believe；　if　all　the　Taxes　were　taken　off　Goods；　the　Money　we　have　would　be　found　sufficient　to　augment　the　Rents；　equal　to　the　Taxes　that　would　be　needful　to　be　laid　on　them；　or；　at　least；　that　it　would　prevent　any　considerable　Fall　of　the　present　Rents　of　Lands　in　general；　even　though　so　much　Land　were　to　be　added　and　improved；　as　would　be　needful　to　answer　the　Purposes　I　am　persuing　in　this　Essay。　　　　　But　perhaps　it　will　be　asked；　if　taking　the　Taxes　off　Goods　will　not　in　the　End　lower　their　Prices　to　the　Consumers；　as　it　certainly　will　not；　because　the　Prices　of　all　Commodities　in　general　do　necessarily　depend　on　the　Quantity　of　Money　circulating　amongst　the　People：　I　say；　perhaps　it　will　be　asked；　what　Advantage　the　taking　the　Taxes　off　Goods　will　be　to　Trade？　I　answer；　First；　That　all　the　Hands　now　employed　in　raising　the　Taxes　on　Goods；　would　be　gained　to　contribute　their　Quota　of　Skill　and　Labour　to　encrease　the　publick　Stock；　who　now；　by　living　on　the　Publick；　eat　up　so　much　of　it　as　their　whole　Maintenance　and　Support　amounts　to；　and　thereby　are　at　least　a　double　Loss　to　the　Nation　of　so　much。　And　next；　I　say；　that　the　Advantages　that　will　arise　to　Trade　by　taking　the　Taxes　off　Goods；　must　be　measured　by　the　Inconveniencies　which　the　Taxes　on　Goods　occasion　to　Trade；　and　as　these　are　felt　by　all　to　be　prodigiously　great；　so　the　Advantages　which　will　arise　to　Trade　by　taking　the　Taxes　off　Goods；　must　be　found　by　all　to　be　prodigiously　great　too；　since　they　are　Opposites　that　just　equal　each　other。　　　　　And　perhaps　it　may　be　asked；　how　the　Price　of　Goods　can　be　so　strictly　governed　by　the　Quantity　of　Money　circulating　amongst　the　People；　since　the　Prices　of　them　frequently　vary　very　much？　I　answer；　that　though　the　Seasons；　and　other　Circumstances　will　indeed　always　vary　the　Prices　of　all　Sorts　of　Things；　yet　it　must　be　allowed　that　the　Rise　of　Goods　will　necessarily　lessen　the　consumption　of　them；　and　that　the　Cheapness　of　Goods　will　so　much　augment　the　Consumption　of　them；　as　in　the　Event　to　make　the　Effect　the　same；　as　if　they　were　strictly　and　invariably　governed　by　the　Quantity　of　Money　circulating　amongst　the　People。　　　　　And　perhaps　it　will　be　objected；　that　if　all　the　Duties　were　taken　off　Goods；　Goods　imported　would；　in　this　Respect；　have　Preference　to　our　own　Goods；　which　in　the　End　must　pay　both　Rent　and　Taxes；　but　foreign　Goods　would　in　this　Case　pay　neither。　　　　　In　answer　to　which；　I　say；　that　since　we　must　deliver　Goods　of　our　own　Produce；　equal　in　Value　at　least　to　those　we　import；　as　hath　been　shewn；　the　Goods　we　import　should　be　deemed　to　have　paid　Rent　and　Taxes；　since　they　stand　only　in　lieu　of　others　of　equal　Value；　which　have　paid　both。　　　　　I　am　induced　to　treat　on　this　Way　of　raising　the　Taxes　rather　than　on　Goods；　because　it　may　seem　difficult；　if　not　impossible；　to　get　Hands　enough　to　go　into　Tillage；　etc。　to　carry　this　Proposal　to　its　Perfection；　and　also　because　I　have　before　shewn；　that　Trade；　manufactures；　etc。　will　probably　not　be　able　to　spare　so　many　Hands；　since　the　Demand　for　them　will　certainly　cause　better　Wages　to　be　given　to　Artificers；　and　Manufactures；　etc。　than　Plowing　and　Sowing　will　ever　do：　For　Plowing；　and　Sowing；　etc。　reduce　the　Rates　of　Labour；　but　a　Demand　for　Artists　in　the　Manufactures　always　raises　the　Rates　of　Wages；　therefore　these　will　always；　of　themselves；　draw　the　working　People　to　them；　if　they　are　wanted。　　　　　And　hence　I　conclude　it　needful；　in　order　to　carry　this　Proposal　as　far　towards　the　End　proposed；　as　the　Nature　of　Things　will　admit；　that　the　Taxes　should　be　as　gradually　taken　off　Goods；　and　all　the　Officers　in　the　publick　Revenue；　as　gradually　discharged；　as　this　Proposal　can　be　executed；　that　they　may　get　their　Livelihood　in　such　a　Way　as　will　increase　the　publick　Stock　of　Plenty；　and　that　we　may　have　none　to　succeed　to　live　on　the　Labour　of　the　Industrious；　as　Multitudes　always　must；（26*）　as　long　as　any　Taxes　are　raised　on　Goods