some considerations of the lowering of interest-第15章

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ent　he　pays；　be　divided。　From　hence　it　is　evident；　That　Taxes　laid　on　Land　do　not　in　the　least　make　Rents　fall。　　　　　But　suppose；　to　shift　off　the　Burthen　from　the　Land；　some　Country　Gentlemen　should　think　fit　to　raise　these　three　Millions　upon　Commodities；　to　let　the　Land　go　free。　First；　it　is　to　be　consider'd；　That　since　the　publick　Wants　require　three　Millions；　（for　that　we　supos'd　for　Argument　sake；　let　it　be　three　Millions；　or　one　Million；　that's　all　one；）　and　so　much　must　go　into　the　King's　Coffers；　or　else　the　Necessities　of　the　Government　will　not　be　supplied；　That　for　raising　these　three　Millions　on　Commodities；　and　bringing　so　much　into　the　Exchequer；　there　must　go　a　great　deal　more　than　three　Millions　out　of　the　Subjects　Pockets。　For　a　Tax　of　that　nature　cannot　be　levied　by　Officers；　to　watch　every　little　Rivulet　of　Trade；　without　a　great　Charge；　especially　at　first　trial。　But　supposing　no　more　Charge　in　raising　it；　than　of　a　Land　Tax；　and　that　there　are　only　three　Millions　to　be　paid；　'tis　evident　that　to　do　this　out　of　Commodities；　they　must　to　the　Consumer　be　raised　a　quarter　in　their　Price；　so　that　every　thing；　to　him　that　uses　it；　must　be　a　quarter　dearer。　Let　us　see　now　who　at　long　run　must　pay　this　quarter；　and　where　it　will　light。　'Tis　plain；　the　Merchant　and　Broker；　neither　will　nor　can；　for　if　he　pays　a　quarter　more　for　Commodities　than　he　did；　he　will　sell　them　at　a　Price　proportionably　raised。　The　poor　Labourer　and　Handicraftsman　cannot：　For　he　just　lives　from　hand　to　mouth　already；　and　all　his　Food；　Clothing　and　Utensils；　costing　a　quarter　more　than　they　did　before；　either　his　Wages　must　rise　with　the　Price　of　things；　to　make　him　live；　or　else；　not　being　able　to　maintain　himself　and　Family　by　his　Labour；　he　comes　to　the　Parish；　and　then　the　Land　bears　the　Burthen　a　heavier　way。　If　the　Labourer's　Wages　be　rais'd　in　proportion　to　the　encreas'd　Rates　of　things；　the　Farmer；　who　pays　a　quarter　more　for　Wages；　as　well　as　all　other　things；　whilst　he　sells　his　Corn　and　Wool；　either　at　the　same　rate；　or　lower；　at　the　Market；　（since　the　Tax　laid　upon　it　makes　People　less　forward　to　buy）　must　either　have　his　Rent　abated；　or　else　break　and　run　away　in　his　Landlord's　Debt：　And　so　the　yearly　Value　of　the　Land　is　brought　down。　And　who　then　pays　the　Tax　at　the　Years　end；　but　the　Landlord：　When　the　Tenant；　not　able　to　raise　his　Rent　by　his　Commodities；　either　runs　away　in　his　Landlord's　Debt；　or　cannot　be　continued　in　the　Farm　without　abatement　of　Rent？　For　when　the　yearly　charge　in　his　Farm　is　greater　by　the　increase　of　the　Labourers　Wages；　and　yet　his　product　Sells　cheaper　by　reason　of　the　Tax　laid　on　his　Commodities；　how　will　the　Farmer　be　able　to　make　up　his　Rent　at　Quarter…Day？　For　this　may　be　worth　our　Notice；　that　any　Tax　laid　on　Foreign　Commodities　in　England；　raises　its　price；　and　makes　the　Importer　get　more　for　his　Commodity。　But　on　the　contrary　a　Tax　laid　on　your　Native　Product；　and　home…made　Commodities；　lessens　their　price；　and　makes　them　yield　less　to　the　first　Seller。　　　　　The　Reason　whereof　is　plain。　For　the　Merchant　Importing　no　Commodity　but　what　the　necessity；　or　fashionable　Wantonness　of　your　People　gives　him　Vent　for；　will　not　only　proportion　his　Gain；　to　the　Cost　and　Risque　which　he　has　been　at　before　Landing；　but　will　expect　profit　of　his　Money　paid　here；　for　any　Tax　laid　on　it；　and　take　advantage　from　thence　to　raise　his　price　above　what　his　Tax　comes　to；　and　if　he　cannot　do　that；　he　will　Trade　no　more　in　that　Commodity。　For　it　being　not　the　Product　of　his　Farm；　he　is　not　tied　to　bring　it　to　Market；　if　he　finds　its　price　not　answer　his　Expectation　there；　but　turns　himself　to　other　Wares；　which　he　finds　your　Markets　take　off　better。　A　Merchant　will　never　continue　to　Trade　in　Wares；　which　the　change　of　Fashion；　or　Humour；　amongst　your　People；　has　made　less　vendible；　though　he　may　be　sometimes　caught　by　a　sudden　alteration。　But　that　seldom　happens　in　the　course　of　Trade；　so　as　to　influence　the　great　bulk　of　it。　For　things　of　Necessity　must　still　be　had；　and　things　of　Fashion　will　be　had　as　long　as　Men　have　Money　or　Credit；　whatever　Rates　they　cost；　and　the　rather　because　they　are　dear。　For　it　being　Vanity　not　Use　that　makes　the　Expensive　Fashion　of　your　People；　the　Emulation　is；　who　shall　have　the　finest；　that　is；　the　dearest　things；　not　the　most　convenient　or　useful。　How　many　things　do　we　value　or　buy；　because　they　come　at　dear　rates　from　Japan　and　China；　which　if　they　were　our　own　Manufacture　or　Product；　common　to　be　had；　and　for　a　little　Money；　would　be　contemned　and　neglected？　Have　not　several　of　our　own　Commodities　offered　to　Sale　at　reasonable　Rates　been　despised；　and　the　very　same　eagerly　bought　and　brag'd　of；　when　sold　for　Fiench　at　a　double　Price？　You　must　not　think　therefore　that　the　raising　their　Price　will　lessen　the　Vent　of　Fashionable　Foreign　Commodities　amongst　you；　as　long　as　Men　have　any　way　to　purchase　them；　but　rather　increase　it。　French　Wine　is　become　a　Modish　Drink　amongst　us；　and　a　Man　is　asham'd　to　Entertain　his　Friend；　or　almost　to　Dine　himself　Without　it。　The　Price　is　in　the　Memory　of　Man　rais'd　from　6　d。　to　2　s。　and　does　this　hinder　the　Drinking　of　it？　No；　the　quite　contrary；　a　Man's　way　of　Living　is　commended；　because　he　will　give　any　Rate　for　it：　And　a　Man　will　give　any　Rate　rather　than　pass　for　a　poor　Wretch；　or　Penurious　Curmudgeon；　that　is　not　able　or　knows　not　how　to　live　well；　nor　use　his　Friends　civilly。　Fashion　is　for　the　most　part　nothing　but　the　Ostentation　of　Riches；　and　therefore　the　high　price　of　what　serves　to　that；　rather　increases　than　lessens　its　Vent。　The　contest　and　glory　is　in　the　Expence；　not　the　Usefulness　of　it；　and　People　are　then　thought；　and　said　to　live　well；　when　they　can　make　a　shew　of　rare　and　foreign　things；　and　such　as　their　Neighbours　cannot　go　to　the　Price　of。　　　　　Thus　we　see　how　Foreign　Commodities　fall　not　in　their　Price　by　Taxes　laid　on　them；　because　the　Merchant　is　not　necessitated　to　bring　to　your　Market　any　but　Fashionable　Commodities；　and　those　go　off　the　better　for　their　high　rate。　But　on　the　contrary　your　Landholder　being　forced　to　bring　his　Commodities　to　Market；　such　as　his　Land　and　Industry　affords　them；　common　and　known　things；　must　sell　them　there　at　such　price　as　he　can　get。　This　the　buyer　knows；　and　these　home…bred　Commodities　being　seldom；　the　Favourites　of　your　People；　or　any　farther　acceptable；　than　as　great　conveniency　recommends　them　to　the　Vulgar；　or　downright　necessity　to　all；　as　soon　as　a　Tax　is　laid　on　them；　every　one　makes　as　sparing　a　use　of　them　as　he　can；　that　he　may　save　his　Money　for　other　necessary；　or　creditable　Expences；　whereby　the　price　they　yield　the　first　Seller　is　mightily　abated；　and　so　the　yearly　value　of　the　Land；　which　produces　them；　lessen'd　too。　　　　　If　therefore　the　laying　of　Taxes　upon　Commodities　does；　as　it　is　evident；　affect　the　Land；　that　is　out　at　Rack…rent；　it　is　plain　it　does　equally　affect　all　the　other　Land　in　England　too；　and　the　Gent。　will；　but　the　worst　way；　increase　their　own　Charges；　that　is　by　lessening　the　Yearly　Value　of　their　Estates；　if　they　hope　to　ease　their　Land；　by　charging　Commodities。　It　is　in　vain　in　a　Country　whose　great　Fund　is　Land；　to　hope　to　lay　the　publick　charge　of　the　Government　on　any　thing　else；　there　at　last　it　will　terminate。　The　Merchant　（do　what　you　can）　will　not　bear　it；　the　Labourer　cannot；　and　therefore　the　Landholder　must：　And　whether　he　were　best　do　it；　by　laying　it　directly；　where　it　will　at　last　settle；　or　by　letting　it　come　to　him　by　the　sinking　of　his　Rents；　which　when　they　are　once　fallen　every　one　knows　are　not　easily　raised　again；　let　him　consider。　　　　　Holland　is　brought　as　an　instance　of　laying　the　Charge　of　the　publique　upon　Trade；　and　'tis　possibly　（excepting　some　few　small　Free　Towns）　the　only　place　in　the　World　that　could　be　brought　to　favour　this　way。　But　yet　when　examin'd　will　be　found　to　shew　the　quite　contrary；　and　be　a　clear　Proof；　that　lay　the　Taxes　how　you　will；　Land　every　where；　in　proportion；　bears　the　greater　share　of　the　burthen。　The　publick　Charge　of　the　Government；　'tis　said；　is；　in　the　United　Provinces；　laid　on　Trade。　I　grant　it　is；　the　greatest　part　of　it；　But　is　the　Land　Excus'd　or　Eas'd　by　it？　By　no　means；　but　on　the　contrary　so　lo