treatise on taxes and contributions-第6章

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le；　the　frequency　of　their　exchanges；　as　also；　and　principally　from　the　value　of　the　smalles　silver　pieces　of　money；　so　in　like　maner；　the　proportion　of　money　requisite　to　our　Trade；　is　to　be　likewise　taken　from　the　frequency　of　commutations；　and　from　the　bigness　of　the　payments；　that　are　by　law　or　custome　usually　made　otherwise。　From　whence　it　follows；　that　where　there　are　Registers　of　Lands；　whereby　the　just　value　of　each　mans　interest　in　them　may　be　well　known；　and　where　there　are　Depositories　of　the　**　*****；　as　of　Metals；　Cloth；　Linnen；　Leather；　and　other　Usefuls；　and　where　there　are　Banks　of　money　also；　there　less　money　is　necessary　to　drive　the　Trade。　For　if　all　the　greatest　payments　be　made　in　Lands；　and　the　other　perhaps　down　to　ten　pound；　or　twenty　pound　be　made　by　credit　in　Lombars　or　Money…Banks：　It　follows；　that　there　needs　only　money　to　pay　sums　less　than　those　aforementioned；　just　as　fewer　Farthings　are　requisite　for　change；　where　there　be　plenty　of　silver　two　Pences；　then　where　the　least　silver　piece　is　six　Pence。　　　　　20。　On　the　other　side；　if　the　largeness　of　a　publick　Exhibition　should　leave　less　money　then　is　necessary　to　drive　the　nations　Trade；　then　the　mischief　thereof　would　be　the　doing　of　less　work；　which　　is　the　same　as　lessening　the　people；　or　their　Art　and　Industry；　for　a　hundred　pound　passing　a　hundred　hands　for　Wages；　causes　a　10000　l。　worth　of　Commodities　to　be　produced；　which　hands　would　have　been　idle　and　useless；　had　there　not　been　this　continual　motive　to　their　employment。　　　　　21。　Taxes　if　they　be　presented　expended　upon　our　own　domestick　Commodities；　seem　to　me；　to　do　little　harm　to　the　whole　Body　of　the　people；　onely　they　work　a　change　in　the　Riches　and　Fortunes　of　particular　men；　and　particulary　by　transferring　the　same　from　the　Landed　and　Lazy；　to　the　Crafty　and　Industrious。　As　for　example；　if　a　Gentleman　have　let　his　Lands　to　Farm　for　a　hundred　pound　per　annum；　for　several　years　or　lives；　and　he　be　taxed　twenty　pound　per　annum；　to　maintain　a　Navy；　then　the　effect　hereof　will　be；　that　this　Gentlemans　twenty　pounds　per　annum；　will　be　distributed　amongst　Seamen；　Ship…Carpenters；　and　other　Trades　relating　to　Naval　matters；　but　if　the　Gentleman　had　his　Land　in　his　own　hands；　then　being　taxed　a　Fifth　part；　he　would　raise　his　Rents　near　the　same　proportion　upon　his　under　Tenants；　or　would　sell　his　Cattle；　Corn　and　Wooll　a　Fifth　part　dearer；　the　like　also　would　all　other　subdependents　on　him　do；　and　thereby　recover　in　some　measure；　what　he　paid。　Lastly；　but　if　all　the　money　levied　were　thrown　into　the　Sea；　then　the　ultimate　effect　would　onely　be；　that　every　man　must　work　a　fifth　part　the　harder；　or　retrench　a　fifth　part　of　his　consumptions；　viz。　the　former；　if　forreign　Trade　be　improveable；　and　the　latter；　if　it　be　not。　　　　　22。　This；　I　conceive；　were　the　worst　of　Taxes　in　a　well　policyed　State；　but　in　other　States；　where　is　not　a　certain　prevention　of　Beggary　and　Theevery；　that　is　a　sure　livelihood　for　men；　wanting　imployment；　there；　I　confess；　an　excessive　Taxe；　causes　excessive　and　insuperable　want；　even　of　natural　necessities；　and　that　on　a　sudden；　so　as　ignorant　particular　persons；　cannot　finde　out　what　way　to　subsist　by；　and　this；　by　the　law　of　Nature；　must　cause　sudden　effects　to　relieve　it　self；　that　is；　Rapines；　Frauds；　and　this　again　must　bring　Death；　Mutilations；　and　Imprisonments；　according　to　the　present　Laws　which　are　Mischiefs；　and　Punishments；　as　well　unto　the　State；　as　to　the　particular　sufferers　of　them。


Chapter　4

Of　the　Several　wayes　of　Taxe；　and　first；　of　setting　a　part；　a　proportion　of　the　whole　Territory　for　Publick　uses；　in　the　nature　of　Crown　Lands；　and　secondly；　byt　way　of　Assessement；　or　Land…taxe。

　　　　But　supposing；　that　the　several　causes　of　Publick　Charge　are　lessened；　as　much　as　may　be；　and　that　the　people　be　well　satisfied；　and　contented　to　pay　their　just　shares　of　what　is　needfull　for　their　Government　and　Protection；　as　also　for　the　Honour　of　their　Prince　and　Countrey：　It　follows　now　to　propose　the　several　wayes；　and　expedients；　how　the　same　may　be　most　easily；　speedily；　and　insensibly　collected。　The　which　I　shall　do；　by　exposing　the　conveniences　and　inconveniences　of　some　of　the　principal　wayes　of　Levyings；　used　of　later　years　within　the　several　States　of　Europe：　unto　which　others　of　smaller　and　more　rare　use　may　be　referred。　　　　　2。　Imagine　then；　a　number　of　people；　planted　in　a　Territory；　who　had　upon　Computation　concluded；　that　two　Millions　of　pounds　per　annum；　is　necessary　to　the　publick　charges。　Or　rather；　who　going　more　wisely　to　work；　had　computed　a　twenty　fifth　part　of　the　proceed　of　all　their　Lands　and　Labours；　were　to　be　the　Excisium；　or　the　part　to　be　cut　out；　and　laid　aside　for　publick　uses。　Which　proportions　perhaps　are　fit　enough　to　the　affairs　of　England；　but　of　that　hereafter。　　　　　3。　Now　the　question　is；　how　the　one　or　the　other　shall　be　raised。　The　first　way　we　propose；　is；　to　Excize　the　very　Land　it　self　in　kinde；　that　is；　to　cut　out　of　the　whole　twenty　five　Millions；　which　are　said　to　be　in　England　and　Wales；　as　much　Land　in　specie；　as　whereof　the　Rack…rent　would　be　two　Millions；　viz。　about　four　Millions　of　Acres；　which　is　about　a　sixth　part　of　the　whole；　making　the　said　four　Millions　to　be　Crown　Lands；　and　as　the　four　Counties　intended　to　be　reserved　in　Ireland　upon　the　forfeitures　were。　Or　else　to　excize　a　sixth　part　of　the　rent　of　the　whole；　which　is　about　the　proportion；　that　the　Adventurers　and　Souldiers　in　Ireland　retribute　to　the　King；　as　Quit　Rents。　Of　which　two　wayes；　the　latter　is　manifestly　the　better；　the　King　having　more　security；　and　more　obliges；　provided　the　troubl　and　charge　of　this　universal　Collection；　exceed　not　that　of　the　other　advantage　considerably。　　　　　4。　This　way　in　a　new　State　would　be　good；　being　agreed　upon；　as　it　was　in　Ireland；　before　men　had　even　the　possession　of　any　Land　at　all；　wherefore　whosoever　buyes　Land　in　Ireland　hereafter；　is　no　more　concerned　with　the　Quit　Rents　wherewith　they　are　charged；　then　if　the　Acres　were　so　much　the　fewer；　or　then　men　are；　who　buy　Land；　out　of　which　they　know　Tythes　are　to　be　paid。　And　truly　that　Countrey　is　happy；　in　which　by　Original　Accord；　such　a　Rent　is　reserved；　as　whereby　the　Publick　charge　may　be　born；　without　contingent；　sudden；　superadditions；　in　which　lies　the　very　Ratio　of　the　burthen　of　all　Contributions　and　Exactions。　For　in　such　cases；　as　was　said　before；　it　is　not　onely　the　Landlord　payes；　but　every　man　who　eats　but　an　Egg；　or　an　Onion　of　the　growth　of　his　Lands；　or　who　useth　the　help　of　any　Artisan；　which　feedeth　on　the　same。　　　　　5。　But　if　the　same　wer　propounded　in　England；　biz。　if　an　aliquot　part　of　every　Landlords　Rent　were　excinded　or　retrenched；　then　those　whose　Rents　were　settled；　and　determined　for　long　times　to　come；　would　chiefly　bear　the　burthen　of　such　an　Imposition；　and　others　have　a　benefit　thereby。　For　suppose　A；　and　B；　have　each　of　them　a　parcel　of　Land；　of　equal　goodness　and　value；　suppose　also　that　A　hath　let　his　parcel　for　twenty　one　years　at　twenty　pound　per　annum；　but　that　B　is　free；　now　there　comes　out　a　Taxe　of　a　fifth　part；　hereupon　B　will　not　let　under　25l。　that　his　remainder　may　be　twenty；　whereas　A　must　be　contented　with　sixteen　neat；　nevertheless　the　Tenants　of　A　will　sell　the　proceed　of　their　bargain　at　the　same　rate；　that　the　Tenants　of　B　shall　do。　The　effect　of　all　this　is；　First；　that　the　Kings　fifth　part　of　B　his　Farm　shall　be　greater　then　before。　Secondly；　that　the　Farmer　to　B　shall　gain　more　then　before　the　Taxe。　Thirdly；　that　the　Tenant　or　Farmer　of　A　shall　gain　as　much　as　the　King　and　Tenant　to　B　both。　Fourthly；　the　Tax　doth　ultimately　light　upon　the　Landlord　A　and　the　Consumptioners。　From　whence　it　follows；　that　a　Land…taxe　resolves　into　an　irregular　Excize　upon　consumptions；　that　those；　bear　it　most；　who　least　complain。　And　lastly；　that　some。　Landlords　may　gain；　and　onely　such　whose　Rents　are　predetermined　shall　loose；　and　that　doubly；　viz。　one　way　by　the　raising　of　their　revenues；　and　the　other　by　exhausting　the　prices　of　provisions　upon　them。　　　　　6。　Another　way　is　an　Excisum　out　of　the　Rent　of　Houseing；　which　is　much　more　uncertain　then　that　of　Land。　For　an　House　is　of　a　double　nature；　viz。　one；　wherein　it　is　a　way　and　me