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money answers all things-第7部分
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so; that Unhappiness in any Degree should unavoidably arise to Man; who he hath placed at the Head of all his Works in this World。 Therefore whatever Difficulties Mankind meet; must be owing to their own Mismanagement; in not looking through the Nature of Providence with respect to themselves。 One Branch of that Providence; which Men should attend to and consider; is; that Mankind as certainly increase as Vegetables; and Animals; and therefor that Increase must continually be employed in cultivating proportionably more Land。 For; otherwise being all consumers; there must continually be greater Numbers subsisted on the Produce of the same Land which was before cultivated; and this will increase the Demand for the Produce; and inhance the Price of it; whilst the increasing People must employ themselves solely; in Trades; Manufactures; etc。 to enable them to subsist: Whence it must needs come to pass; that Trades; Manufactures; etc。 will soon be so over…stocked; that all the Increase of the People can't be subsisted this Way; seeing the Necessaries of Life; for which they all ultimately work; will all the while be growing dearer; and the People less able to purchase them。 And as I take this to be very much our present Case; as may appear by an Estimate I have subjoin'd of the necessary Expence for the Support of a poor Family; and another for a Family in a middling Station; so this Proposal of cultivating proportionably more land; appears to me to be the only natural Remedy that can be applied; the happy Effects of which; if sufficiently executed; will soon discover any imaginary Appearances to the contrary。 But I think it needful here to observe at what Rate Mankind increase; because their Happiness certainly depends on cultivating still more and more Land in such Proportion。 And I choose to take Sir William Pettis's Account of this; who proves Mankind will absolutely double themselves in 360 Years;(2*) notwithstanding Wars and Plagues: Therefore; the Quantity of Land; which every Year should be taken in and cultivated; must be at least a 360th Part of the Quantity at present in Cultivation。 Now if England be 320 Miles long; and 290 Miles wide; it must; supposing its Length and Breadth to be every where alike; contain 92800 square Miles: But as England is not so regular a Figure; I suppose it will be needful to deduct a Third of its Content for its Irregularity; Towns and Rivers; and then there will be about 62000 square Miles contain'd in it。 Now suppose that at present; but about half; that is; 31000 square Miles are cultivated; a 360th Part of that; viz。 86 square Miles at least; should every Year be further added; and taken into Cultivation; to hold Proportion to the natural Increase of Mankind: And if a greater Part of England be already improv'd than I have supposed; or if Mankind increase much faster than Sir William Pettis above asserts; then the Addition every Year must be greater too in such Proportion。 But as nothing like this hath hitherto been done; it's evident to Demonstration; That hence all Trades; Occupations; Manufactures and Profession; are overstock'd with Numbers; and embarrassed。 and hence Rents have been advanced by the Demand the Increase of People hath occasion'd for Land; and hence Living is become much more chargeable than formerly; and the People less able to support themselves; besides; the inhancing the Price of Necessaries hath either advanced our Commodities; or made them so much worse; that our Neighbour Nations have not taken so many of them as they would otherwise have done; and we probably must have taken more Commodities of them for this Reason。 And thus; I doubt not; the Ballance of Trade is against us; that is; the Gold and Silver this Nation have by this Means been really diminished; and the prodigious Exportation of Gold and Silver of late Years is a strong Indication of it; whatever Pretences may be advanced concerning it to the contrary。 Beside that the Exchange; especially for Holland; hath of late Years been considerably below the Value of our Coin; as the Exchange with every Nation will always be; whenever they have the Ballance upon us。(3*) And though this may be some small Encouragement to the Exportation of our Commodities; because they come so much cheaper to the Markets
abroad;yet if our Trade goes on so; we shall certainly have very little Cash left。 But if; to prevent this dreadful Evil; we do as fast as possible put a very great Quantity of Land into Use; more than at present is cultivated; our Poor will be employ'd; the empty Houses soon filled; and our Manufactures become much cheaper and better; and this will both increase our Exportations to the Nations we now trade with; and give Rise to other foreign Markets to vend our Goods at; and prevent the excessive Importation of foreign Goods amongst ourselves; and thus the Ballance of Trade will become in our Favour; and increase the Cash of the Nation; or Money will certainly by this Method become plentiful enough amongst the People in general。 But there is no other Way in Nature to compass this End; or recover the Trade of the Nation: For those Nations that can work cheapest; must have the Money; as sure as they always will have the Trade; to which I add; that the People will always flow into those Nations that get the Money (i。e。 have the Ballance of Trade in their Favour) because Trade; which is the Means of getting the Money; is that which employs and subsists them。 But before I dismiss this Point; I can't help taking Notice of an Article inserted in the Daily Courant of January 3; 1731 from Berlin; where; it seems; an exact Register is kept of the Births; Deaths; and Marriages; by which it appears; 3331 Persons were born; and 2691 died; so that the Increase is 641 Persons that Year in that City。 Now I have tried the Par of human Life from our Bills of Mortality; which doth not amount to 25 Years; one with another: But; however; multiply the Deaths by 25; the Product will be 67275 Persons in that City; which divided by 641; the Increase gives 104; the Number of Years in which Mankind will double。 And if we take this for the Rule; there must be near 300 square Miles of land more taken in and cultivated; every Year in England; or the Increase must fall into the several Professions; Trades; and Manufactures; and over…do; and absolutely spoil them all; which is the necessary and unavoidable Consequence of the Increase of Mankind; if Land; in proportion to the Increase be not every Year added and improved; to employ and support them。 Another Thing; which undoubtedly is of the utmost Importance to the Trade of this Kingdom; is the making Timber so plentiful; that we may build our Ships so much cheaper; that no Nation may be able to sail for less Freights than the English。 If this be sufficiently done; together with making Labour considerably cheaper; Ships may soon be buildt here than now can be; and this will employ abundance of People of many Trades; besides the still greater Numbers who will be imployed in navigating them。 And as the Riches of this Kingdom do undoubtedly very much depend on maritime Affairs; so the Strength of it is chiefly its Navy: Wherefore if Timber be made very plentiful; and
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