treatise on taxes and contributions-第11章

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fford　to　ensure　the　goods　as　well　against　the　Sea　as　Enemies；　by　which　means　the　whole　Nation　for　his　own　sake　would　more　willingly　enter　and　pay　for　whatsoever　he　would　have　ensured。　　　　　14。　But　it　will　be　here　objected；　that　although　the　duty　of　Customs　be　abrogated；　yet　that　there　must　be　almost　the　same　number　of　Officers　maintained　as　now　to　prevent　the　bringing　in　and　carrying　out　of　prohibited　Commodities。　Wherefore　we　shall　here　state　the　nature　of　such　Prohibitions　by　two　or　three　grand　instances。　　　　　15。　To　prohibit　the　Exportation　of　Money；　in　that　it　is　a　thing　almost　impractable；　it　is　almost　nugatory　and　vain；　And　the　danger　of　it　resolves　either　into　a　kinde　of　Ensurance　answerable　to　the　danger　of　being　seized；　or　unto　a　Surcharge　of　a　Composition　by　bribing　the　Searchers。　As　for　example；　If　but　one　in　fifty　Exportations　are　seized；　or　if　twenty　shillings　be　usually　taken　for　coining　at　fifty　pounds；　then　the　Commodities　bought　with　this　Money　must　be　sold　two　at　least　per　cent　the　dearer　to　the　Comsumptioner。　Now　if　the　Trade　will　not　bear　this　Surcharge；　then　Money　will　not　be　exported　with　discretion。　Now　the　use　of　this　Prohibition；　supposing　it　practicable；　is　to　serve　as　a　sumptuary　Law；　and　to　binde　the　Nation　in　general　not　to　spend　more　then　they　get；　for　if　we　could　export　no　Commodity　of　our　own　growth　or　manufacture　then　by　prohibiting　the　going　out　of　Money；　it　is　also　ipso　facto　commanded　that　nothing　forreign　should　be　brought　in。　Again　supposing；　that　ordinarily　we　export　enough　to　furnish　us　with　all　Forreign　Commodities；　but　upon　some　extraordinary　decay　of　our　Land　or　hands；　we　are　able　to　export　but　half　as　much　as　would　procure　our　ordinary　proportion　of　Forreign　Goods；　then　the　Prohibition　of　Money　performs　indeed　the　part　of　a　sumptuary　Law；　in　hindring　us　to　bring　in　any　more　then　half　as　much　Forreign　Commodities　as　we　formerly　used；　onely　it　leaves　it　to　the　discretion　of　the　Merchant；　to　chose　which　he　will　neglect　or　forbear　to　bring　in；　and　which　not；　whereas　in　sumptuary　Laws　the　State　taketh　this　care　upon　themselves。　As　for　example；　If　we　wanted　Exportations　to　ballance　our　Importations　by　forty　thousand　pounds；　and　suppose　for　examples　sake；　that　the　Importation　of　forty　thousand　pounds　worth　of　Coffee…Berries；　or　the　like　of　Spanish　Wine　must　be　retrenched；　in　this　case；　the　said　Prohibition　of　Money　will　do　one；　or　some　of　one；　and　some　of　the　other　as　much　harm　as　the　Merchant　himself　pleases：　But　the　sumptuary　Law　determines；　whether　we　shall　encourage　and　keep　fair　with　the　Nation　that　sends　us　wine　rather　then　that　which　sends　us　Coffee；　whether　the　Expence　of　Wine　or　Coffee　be　most　prejudicial　to　our　people；　etc。　　　　　16。　The　benefits　alledged　for　the　free　Exportation　of　Money　is　merrily　this；　viz。　that　if　a　Ship　carrying　out　of　England　forty　thousand　pounds　worth　of　Cloth；　might　also　carry　with　it　forty　thousand　pounds　in　Money；　then　could　the　Merchant　stand　the　stiffer　upon　his　terms；　and　in　fine　would　buy　cheaper；　and　sell　dearer；　but　by　the　way；　the　Merchant　buyes　this　power　with　the　power　with　the　Intrest　and　advantage　of　the　Money　he　carries；　which　if　it　amount　to　five　pounds　per　cent　then　he　had　better　sold　his　Goods　at　four　pound　per　cent　under　rate；　then　to　have　fortified　himself　with　Money　as　aforesaid。　But　of　this　more　may　be　said；　we　hasten　to　the　great　point　of　Wool。　　　　　17。　The　Hollanders　having　gotten　away　our　Manufacture　of　Cloth；　by　becoming　able　to　work　with　more　art；　to　labour　and　fare　harder；　to　take　less　fraight；　Duties　and　Ensurance；　hath　so　madded　us　here　in　England；　that　we　have　been　apt　to　think　of　such　exorbitantly　fierce　wayes　of　prohibiting　Wool　and　Earth　to　be　exported；　as　perhaps　would　do　us　twice　as　much　harm　as　the　losse　of　our　said　Trade。　Wherefore　to　return　to　our　Wits　and　Trade　again；　before　we　can　tell　what　to　do　in　this　case；　we　must　consider。　　　　　1。　That　we　are　often　forced　to　buy　Corn　from　abroad；　and　as　often　complain　that　we　are　pestered　with　abundance　of　idle　hands　at　home；　and　withall　that　we　cannot　vend　the　Woollen　Manufactures　even　which　our　few　working　hands　do　produce。　In　this　case　were　it　not　better　to　lessen　our　sheep　trade；　and　convert　our　hands　to　more　Tillage？　Because　1。　Flesh　becoming　dearer；　there　would　be　encouragement　for　Fish；　which　will　never　be　till　then。　2。　Our　Money　would　not　run　so　fast　away　for　Corn。　3。　We　should　have　no　such　Gluts　of　Wool　upon　our　hands。　4。　Our　idle　hands　would　be　employed　in　Tillage　and　Fishing；　one　many　by　the　way　of　grazing；　tilling　as　it　were　many　thousand　Acres　of　Land　by　himself　and　his　Dog。　　　　　2。　Suppose　we　wanted　no　Corn；　nor　had　any　idle　hands；　and　yet　that　we　abounded　with　more　Wool　then　we　can　work　up；　in　this　certainly　Wool　might　be　exported；　because　'tis　supposed；　that　the　hands　which　work；　are　already　employed　upon　a　better　Trade。　　　　　3。　Suppose　the　Hollander　outdo　us　by　more　art；　were　it　not　better　to　draw　over　a　number　of　their　choice　Workmen；　or　send　our　most　ingenious　men　thither　to　learn；　which　if　they　succeed；　it　is　most　manifest　that　this　were　the　more　natural　way；　then　to　keep　that　infinite　clutter　about　resisting　of　Nature；　stopping　up　the　windes　and　seas；　etc。　　　　　4。　If　we　can　make　Victual　much　cheaper　here　then　in　Holladn；　take　away　burthensome；　frivious；　and　antiquated　Impositions　and　Offices。　　　　　I　conceive　even　this　were　better　then　to　perswade　Water　to　rise　out　of　it　self　above　its　natural　Spring。　　　　　5。　We　must　consider　in　general；　that　as　wiser　Physicians　tamper　not　excessively　with　their　Patients；　rather　observing　and　complying　with　the　motions　of　nature；　then　contradicting　it　with　vehement　Administrations　of　their　own；　so　in　Politicks　and　Oconomicks　the　same　must　be　used；　for　　　　　Naturam　expellas　furca…licet　usque　recurrit。　　　　　18。　Nevertheless；　if　the　Hollanders　advantages　inmaking　Cloth　be　but　small　and　few　in　comparison　of　ours；　that　is；if　they　have　but　a　little　the　better　of　us；　then　I　conceive　that　Prohibitions　to　export　Wool　may　sufficiently　turn　the　scales。　But　whether　this　be　use；　I　leave　to　others；　being　my　self　neither　Merchant　nor　Stateman。　　　　　19。　As　for　Prohibition　of　Importations；　I　say　that　it　needs　not　be；　until　they　much　exceed　our　Exportations。　For　if　we　should　think　it　hard　to　give　good　necessary　Cloth　for　debauching　Wines；　yet　if　we　cannot　dispose　of　our　Cloth　to　others；　'twere　better　to　give　it　for　Wine　or　worse；　then　to　cease　making　it；　nay；　better　to　burn　a　thousand　mens　labours　for　a　time；　then　to　let　those　thousand　men　by　non…employement　lose　their　faculty　of　labouring。　In　brief；　what　may　be　further　said　hereupon；　resolves　into　the　Doctrine　and　Ingenium　of　making　sumptuary　Laws；　and　judicious　use　of　them　pro　hic　&　nunc。　　　　　20。　Unto　this　Discourse　of　Customs　appertains　that　of　Free　Ports；　which　9in　a　Nation　that　onely　trades　for　it　self；　viz。　vents　its　own　superfluities；　and　imports　onely　Necessaries　for　it　self）　are　of　no　use；　but　rather　harm；　for　suppose　Wines　be　brought　into　a　Free　Port；　be　there　housed　and　privately　sold；　but　the　Cask　filled　up　with　stained　water；　and　put　on　ship…board　again　to　be　staved　as　soon　as　the　ship　is　out　at　sea：　In　this　case；　the　Duties　of　those　Wines　are　defrauded；　as　it　also　may　be　many　other　wayes。　　　　　21。　Now　if　it　be　said；　that　although　we　should　trade　but　for　ourselves；　yet　that　our　Ports　（being　more　commodious　then　those　of　other　Nations）　would　be　the　more　frequented；　for　being　free；　and　consequently　themore　enriched；by　the　expense　of　Sea…men　and　Passengers；　hire　of　Labourers；　and　Warehouses；　etc。　even　without　any　Custom　at　all　upon　the　Goods。　Nevertheless　'tis　reason　that　a　small　duty　should　be　paid　upon　the　ship　as　aforesaid　for　such　use　of　our　Ports；　and　that　eo　nomine；　not　expecting　all　our　Benefit　from　the　said　hire　of　Cellaridge；　Porters；　and　Carmen；　which　also　might　be　had　over　and　above　for　their　proper　reasons。　　　　　22。　But　if　we　could　attain　to　be　the　Merchants　between　other　Nations；　there　is　then　no　reason　for　exacting　Duties　（as　was　said　before）　upon　things　in　fieri；　and　which　are　but　in　the　way　of　their　improvement：　And　as　for　the　fraud　that　may　be　committed；　as　in　the　case　of　Wines　abovementioned；　I　affirm　that　our　Excize　upon　the　Consumption；　would　overcome　and　elude　them。

Chapter　7

Of