Money Answers All Things [5]
to the Plenty of Corn considered in itself. For cheap as Corn is, the Number of Poor, as most 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