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money answers all things-第4部分

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h 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
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