Money Answers All Things [55]
possible in this Case. If therefore it be not the Plenty of the Produce, that is the Cause that it is at present sold so cheap, that the Farmers can pay not Rent, as I think I have sufficiently proved it is not, it will be necessarily required to shew what is the Cause of so melancholy a Truth, as this objection is founded on. For I allow that perhaps there never were so many Farms quitted, and thrown on the Gentlemens Hands in England, as at this Time. Now this Cause I assert is chiefly, if not solely owing to too great a Scarcity of Money amongst the People in general. And in order to prove this, I must shew what are the Signs of a sufficient Plenty, and of too great a Scarcity of Money amongst the People. Now the signs of a sufficient Plenty of Money are these; the Houses well fill'd with Inhabitants, the Rents well paid for them, and Fines exacted; as also, that the Rents of Lands in general be well and duly paid; and that we be not over-burden'd with Poor; nor our Roads or Streets infested with Highwaymen and Robbers: When Things are thus circumstance, Trade may be truely said to be in a flourishing State, or Money, on which Trade floats, may be said to be sufficiently plentiful; and more plentiful than this it never can be. On the other hand, since it is now notorious that the Number of empty Houses is very great, and instead of Fines for them, as formerly, the Rents are lower'd, and still falling; besides, that the Landlords very frequently fit them up too for the Tenants; and our Poor are so very much increased, that we are obliged to transport many of them; and our Roads and Streets are so exceedingly infested with Highwaymen and Robbers, as perhaps the like was never; and since the Objection says, the Landlords can now hardly get any Rents for their Farms: These Signs therefore, being exactly the Reverse of the former, must needs be as certain and evident Proofs of a Decay of Trade, or, which is tantamount, of too great a Scarcity of Money amongst the People in general, as the aforemention'd Circumstances were Signs and Proofs of a flourishing Trade, and a sufficient Plenty of Money amongst the People in general; nor do I know what Kinds of Proofs could be produced, or reasonably required besides, or stronger than these. For if, when the Houses were well fill'd with Inhabitants, the Rents were not only well paid for them, but Fines frequently exacted; and we were not then over-burthen'd with Poor, as we are now; nor our Roads nor Streets infested with Highwaymen and Robbers: If the Rents for the Lands were then likewise well paid, and raised too, as they certainly were; and if now the Gentlemen can hardly get any Rents for their Lands; and all the contrary Marks and Signs are upon us: It must be plain that it is not the Plenty of the Produce, but too great a Scarcity of Money amongst the People, which hath reduced Trade to so languishing a Condition, that Tradesmen in general can't get Money to pay the usual Rents for the Houses, nor the Farmers for the Farms. And this squares exactly with what I said to illustrate my fourth Principle, that if Money decreases amongst the People, they must be distress'd, unless either their Numbers be diminish'd, or the Prices of Things lower'd in such Proportion. And since these Marks and Signs are sufficient Proofs of too great a Scarcity of Money amongst the People in general, they must also be equal Proofs that the Cash amongst them in general is considerably diminish'd, at least that it is not increased in Proportion to their Number, and the Prices of Things. And hence we may see that whatever hurts Trade to any considerable Degree, will also hurt the Landlords and Houses too, if there be any Truth in the Fact contain'd in the Objection I have now answer'd. And if what I have offer'd be, as I think it is, a sufficient Answer to the Objection, supposed the Fact to be true, it follows then that the Gentlemen if they would have any Rents for their Farms, are under a Necessity, as fast as possible, to cause so much waste Land to be inclosed and improved,