1. William Nichols, D.D. in his Conference with a Theist, Page 64. says, To consider farther, how mightily this Nation of ours hath increased within a Century or two; notwithstanding the many civil and external Wars, and those vast Drains of People that have been made into our Plantations since the Discovery of America: How the City of London hath doubled itself within these forty Years, notwithstanding the last great Plague, and how the Country hath increased, though not in the like, yet in a considerable Proportion, etc.
2. I take this from Dr Nichols.
3. This is a certain Rule to know when the Ballance of Trade is for or against us with any Nation.
4. Timber hath been pretty reasonable these 2 or 3 Years past, which I suppose to be entirely owing to an extraordinary Destruction of it, the Gentlemen cutting it down in greater Quantities than usual, because the Farmers in general have not been able to pay their Rents as formerly.
5. By the Bills of Mortality of the Year 1730, which by the preceding and succeeding Years appears to be a moderate Year, there died in London and Westminister and the Suburbs thereof, under 2 Years old: 10368 persons; the medium which age is 1 year makes amongst them 10368 years. between 2 and 5: 2448; 3 1/2; 8568
5 and 10: 1092; 7 1/2; 8190
10 and 20: 901; 15; 12515
20 and 30; 2048; 25; 51100
30 and 40; 2471; 35; 86485
40 and 50; 2373; 45; 106785
50 and 60; 1713; 55; 94215
60 and 70; 1577; 65; 102505
70 and 80; 1601; 75; 75075
80 and 90; 622; 85; 52870
90 and 100; 138; 95; 13110
; 2; 101; 202
; 1; 102; 102
; 2; 103; 206
; 3; 104; 312
; 1; 105; 105
13908 Under 10 Years
By the Number of Deaths 26761, divide the Years they lived 623713, and 23 Years and about 1/3, according to the Bill of Mortality, appears to be the Par Term of human Life; multiply the Deaths by this Term, shews the Number of People living in the Bills of Mortality to be about 624,423 Persons; and if we suppose the Houses one with another to contain 10 Souls, then the Number of Houses inhabited will be 62,442. Now the London Evening Post of January 2, 1732-3, says upwards of 8000 Houses, according to Account lately taken are empty in London, Westminister, and Places with the Bills of Mortality; most of which, let at an Average at about 20 l. per Annum; at which Rate there is upwards of 160,000 l. Rent yearly lost in the Bills of Mortality, more than a ninth Part of the whole Building being empty. By this Bill of Mortality it also appears, that more than half the human Race die under 10 Years of Age; and if we consider the Number of young Persons, under and over this age, who live to supply the Places of those that die, in all the Stages of LIfe above this Term, there can be no doubt that Children make about half the Business of the World as I have asserted. And tho' it appears by this Bill of Mortality that the Term of Life, on the Par, is about 49 Years, excluding all those that die at 20 Years and under, yet I can't imagine the Term Men have to raise and provide for Families in the Marriage State doth much exceed 20 years, since it's pretty certain Marriages in general commence a few Years at least later than the Age of 20 years, and are undoubtedly generally dissolved by the Death of one of the Parties before they both reach the Term of 49 Years.
6. I am not unsensible that Mr Derham in his Pysico-Theology shews that the Deaths in London as in most great Cities are greater than the Births, whence an Objection may seem to arise to the Increase abovementioned, which I think is of no Weight, because if a Nation will absolutely double themselves in about 360 Years, notwithstanding Wars and Plagues, Cities must do so too; nay it's plain by what Dr Nichols says, London increased at so much greater Rate as to Double itself in 40 Years, notwithstanding the last great Plague which happened in that Period.
7. Doctor John Laurence, in his System of Agriculture. Page 45, says, Without all Question, Improvement of Lands, of what Kind soever, makes Riches and Plenty, and Plenty calls together Inhabitants, and People to consume it. And, Page 47, he says, So plain it is, that Inclosure is the greatest Encouragement to good Husbandry, and Remedy for Beggary, the Poor being imployed by the continual Labour bestowed on such Land, which is doubly repaid by the fruitful Crops it annually yields.
8. Sir William Pettis says, that a Nation will double their Number in 200 Years; which must always be understood thus, that it must be exempt from the Ravage of War, the Destruction of Pestilence, or being drained for distant Colonies.
9. Eras. Phillips, Esq; in his State of the Nation, etc., Page 13, says very truly. High Duties and Prohibitions on our Side beget high Duties and Prohibitions on theirs.
10. Eras. Phillips, Esq; Page 14. gloriously says, A trading Nation should be an open Ware house, where the Merchant may buy what he pleases, or sell what he can. Whatever is brought to you, if you don't want it, you won't purchase it; if you do want it, the Largeness of the Impost don't keep it from you.
11. This will in the Course of this Essay appear to be a necessary Consequence in this Case.
12. Mr Benjamin Ward of Yarmouth, in his State of the Woollen Manufactory considered, who seems to have informed himself thoroughly of this important Branch in foreign Nations, says, Page 4. "It's certain no country in Europe manufactures all Kinds of Goods so dear as the People of this Kingdom, which gives other Nations a vast Advantage in carrying their Manufactures to Market, and enabling them to become our Rivals in Trade to almost all Countries; and a little lower he says, 10 Pound and a half of Wool from the Sheeps Back will make a piece of Calimanco weighing eight pounds, which Wool will cost our Manufacturers about 6 s. ; the manufacturing thereof will cost 1 l. 4 s.; So that the Piece will cost us 1 l 10 s.
But though Foreigners must be at so great a Charge to get our Wool, that the same Quantity will cost them double, that is 12 s.; yet being able to manufacture the same for 12 s. which is 1 l. 4 s. they can and do undersel us 6 shillings, which is 20 per cent in such a Piece, of which he says, the manufacturing Part is as little as any Stuff we make; wherefore, as he says, Page 9, we are under an absolute Necessity to make our Goods as cheap as possibly we can, if we mean not to lose our foreign Trade."
And I say there is no way to do it but to reduce the Necessaries of Life to half their present Price, that we may work as cheap as any Nation that now interferes in any of our Manufactures or Branches of our Trade, which may certainly be done the Way I propose; and this will infallibly remedy all the Evils the foreign or domestick Trade of this Kingdom any ways suffers, and will make Money sufficiently plentiful amongst all Ranks of People, together with it; for these Things shew themselves, or are self evident.
Eras. Phillips, Esq: Page 8, says, "Next to lessening the Price of Labour is to bring down the Price of Wool: It hath been in a great Measure owing to the dearness of our Woollen Manufactures, that both Holland and France have thought it worth their Care to set up Looms of their own, to our great if not irreparable Detriment; and France hath so far succeeded, that she seems to have no further Occasion for our Cloaths at all.
And Holland hath found out this secret of Trade to buy up our Raw Cloaths, if I may be allowed the Expression, and dye and nap them so much cheaper than we, that they are able to undersel us in Goods of our own Produce."
13. This must not be done by making the Poor fare harder, or consume less than their reasonable Wants in that Station require; for they being the Bulk of Mankind would in this Case affect the Consumption of things in general so mightily, that there would be a want of Trade and Business amongst the other Part of the People, which will affect the Rents so much the more as the People this Way shall be distressed; but this must be done by imploying the Poor the right Way (i.e.) in Tillage and Cultivation of Land, to make the Plenty so great that they may have their Wants properly supplied for that Station of Life, and yet work so cheap as to make our Produce and Manufactures as cheap,as any of our neighbouring Nations make any thing whatsoever, wherewith they any Way interfere in any Branch of our Trade.
14. 'Tis a wrong Notion, that if our Poor who take Alms, were obliged to work at our Manufactures, instead of being assisted, that our Manufactures would thence become cheaper; the Poor wou'd in this Case soon make Labour so little worth as to starve each other, and then they must forsake that Business, be it what it will; and then those Manufactures must again fetch a Price that will pay all Charges, and support the Labourer, or they must cease to be made.
15. That the single Women are very numerous, will I believe be easily allowed; and then that the Number of single Men are greater is certain, since the Male sex are considerably more numerous than the Female, as I will presently shew.
16. To convince us of this, we need only compare the Magnificence and Splendour of a City or Town, whose maritime Trade is considerable, with the Rusticity and Meanness of the Country People; for let them set up Coaches, and build fine Seats, as many Merchants and Tradesmen in such Towns are continually doing, and then I'll acknowledge that Affluence and Power are so immediately connected with the Plow, that no Nation need concern themselves at all about maritime Commerce.
17. The labouring People being so great a Part of the whole as 7/8, for Argument Sake, I take them here for the whole.
18. Benjamin Motte's Philosophical Transactions abridged, Part 4. Page 24, demonstrate England or South Britain to contain 72,000 square Miles, or 46,800,000 Acres; he also says, the Province of Holland is computed to contain about a Million of Acres, which is said to contain 2,400,000 Souls, so that England, to be proportionably populous, must have 110 Millions of People; but he says, to allow Room enough for Persons of all Degrees under our British Monarchy, if England were half as populous as Holland, with only 55 Millions of People, it were a good Proportion, and would be near five times our present Number; so that according to him, we must have about eleven Millions of People in England.
He further says, that to people England with this Number, viz. 55 Millions, there are sundry Ways very practicably, by which he hath computed, the present Number may be doubled in 24 or 25 Years, and probably quadrupled in about 26 Years; but I think England is not capable to sustain double its present Number of Inhabitants, because it is undoubtedly at present above half cultivated and improved, yet I think I have made it evident, we have not near Land enough in Use to support its present Inhabitants.
Dr John Lawrence in his new System of Agriculture, Page 45, says, 'tis believed that almost one half Part of the Kingdom is Commons.
19. If we take the Rents of good Lands in England, at a Medium, to be about 10 Shillings per Acre, and the Rents of bad Lands, at a Medium, to be about two Shillings and Sixpence per Acre, and that their Quantities are near equal, then the Rents of Lands will be about 6 Shillings per Acre now at a Medium; and as far as I can learn 6 or 7 Shillings per Acre at Medium, is as much as the Lands of England are now worth; and I believe I may be bold to say, the Lands of England, at a Medium, have not let for less than one Shilling and Six-pence per Acre for four hundred Years backwards.
20. Money is the Tradesman's working Tools, without which he can't proceed in Trade at all; therefore, since the Increase of Money amongst the People will increase the Price of Things in greater Proportion than the Rents can be raised, the more Money circulates in Trade, the more must the Traders have in their Hands to carry it on; and this will necessarily raise Tradesmen so much nearer the Rank of Gentry, as the Quantity of Cash they circulate is greater in Proportion to the Rents, than it would be if the Price of Things were kept lower, the Way above suggested.
21. I would by no means have us follow their Example of burying our Money, any further, than that every Man should be his own Banker, that is, I would have no publick Banking any ways encouraged; nor any Companies ever incorporated; because, besides many Evils that necessarily adhere to all trading Corporations, their Stock and Bonds have the same Effects as Banking, viz. operating two Ways at the same time, in their Trade, and in our Markets; so that any thing can always be bought with them, just as if such Paper were Gold and Silver; I say, I would therefore have none of these Things encouraged; and then if Property were but sufficiently diffused amongst the People in general, we might sleep very safe with large Sums under slender Fastenings; for it is Necessity which makes Thieves.
Now if every Man were his own Banker, and Trade put on so good a Foot, as to diffuse Property so effectually, that every industrious and prudent Tradesman, though his Circumstances were not great, might get Money, there would soon be Millions locked up in the Hands of the People of this Kingdom; and as this is the fit and natural Way of burying Money, so this would reduce the Price of our Goods below the Rates, which the Cash, if it were all afloat, would support them at; and which now by Banking and other artificial Moneys, i.e. Paper Effects having the Operation of Money, are certainly, vastly above the Rates which the real Specie itself, which we have now amongst us, would support them at.
But perhaps the Merchants may object, they can't do so much Business without more Hands, if there were no Banking at all; to which I answer, that such as have so much Business as to require a Hand the more on that Account, must employ one; yet I will mention a Practice in Holland well known to many of our Merchants. The Merchants in Holland, frequently make large Payments in a coarse, and therefore a bulky Sort of Specie, called Sea d'Halve, which they deliver each other in Bags unopened, containing 375 Guldens, and numbered, or ticketed without Sides so many, and also weighing so much, which they may tell over at home if they please, and if any thing is found short, the merchant that paid it, on telling him how much it fell short, immediately, without any Questions, makes it good; and if there be an overplus, they always reckon themselves obliged to carry that overplus to the Owner. This honourable Way of dealing in the valuable Article of Money, may possibly seem strange to us, who are not used to it; but I believe if we had no Banking, and our Specie were as coarse and bulky as theirs, the Merchants would soon find it convenient to introduce this Practice amongst them, and no doubt would discharge it as honourably; and then large Payments might be made almost as quick as Draughts on the Bankers with the Entries they occasion, and the necessary Settlements with the Bankers about them afterwards; besides, that the vast Damage arising by Failure of Bankers, would this Way be intirely prevented.
22. The Indians are so politick, as to take only or chiefly Silver, because it's next to impossible it should ever be so plentiful, as to reduce its Value in respect of Gold, which to be sure they know to be continually growing so plentiful in Europe, as to lower its Value in respect of Silver; besides Silver being of so much less value than Gold can't be much diminished but it will be obvious; nor is there near the Temptation to counterfeit it.
What is it therefore, which infatuates us and other Nations to such a Degree, as to carry the Indians almost all our Silver? The Author of the Plan of the English Commerce, 2d Edition printed 1730, will answer this Question for me; for Page 65, he says, China and India, and other Eastern Countries have the most extended Manufactures, and the greatest Variety of them in the World; and their Manufactures push themselves on the World by the meer Stress of their Cheapness, which causes their Consumption; and Page 66, he says, the Wages of their labouring People do not exceed two Pence Sterling per Day.
23. If there were full Employment for the working People, their Wages would as certainly rise to the just Value of Labour, as we know every thing else doth, for which the Demand is equal to the Quantity; and therefore I deny that there is Work enough to employ the People, or that Property is reasonably or sufficiently diffused, till Necessaries are rendered so plentiful, and thereby so cheap, that the Wages of the labouring Man will purchase as many of them as the decent and comfortable Support of a middling Family requires in that Station of Life.
24. E. Phillips, Page 44, says, I believe I shall be allowed to compute the Rents of the Kingdom at 20 Millions.
25. All taxes on commodities of universal Consumption raise, at least, 10 per cent more than their Rate on the People, because the Dealers in those Commodities exact that Interest for the Money advanced for the Tax; If I put this Exceeding at 15 per cent, I believe Experience will justify me. See Fog's Journal of February the 20th, 1732-3.
If we consider that Taxes on Goods inhance the Charge of Living, and consequently of Labour, in some Degree at least, we can't doubt but that the Taxes on Goods must inhance their Price to the Consumer, at least as much as I have supposed, because Labour enters so essentially into every thing, as to constitute the chief Value thereof.
26. In a Mass of People, there is not above one half labouring or manufacturing. For suppose we have 8 Millions of People, and that the Limits of the Age of Labour be placed between 13 and 63, and that 2/3 of the People are between these Ages; from these we must deduct at least 1/6, under the following Classes; Female, sequestered from Labour by the Condition of their Sex; the Idle, by Rank or Choice; Men of Profession; such as vend the Manufacture of others, but add no real Value to them; the Sick and Impotent. By this Computation, there only remains one half labouring or manufacturing. I am persuaded I put the Number too high, and that there are not above three Millions of working People. The Price of Labour is raised in proportion to the Scarcity of Labourers; they being somewhat like their Commodities, dear in Proportion to their Scarcity: Any Number of labouring People sitting idle increaseth the Price of Labour, double of the Proportion which that Number bears in the whole. For Example: Suppose three Millions of labouring People, and 30,000 Men carrying Arms, or levying Taxes; 30,000 is one per cent on 3 Millions, and these living on the Labour of the rest makes another one per cent in all two, or double of that Proportion. See Fog's Journal of January 20th, 1732-3.
27. See the last Paragraph of the Spectator, no. 200.
28. The Sum coin'd in Queen Elizabeth's Time, who reform'd most of the old Specie, shews we then had not much Money amongst us; whereas the Sums coin'd in the Reigns of King Charles IId, and King James IId, being 6 Millions and an Half of Gold, and 2,200,000 in Silver, shew we had a vast Balance in our Favour, near 9 Millions being coin'd during these two Reigns. And this suggests that my Argument is just, that asserts the vast Increase of People during these Reigns, was owing to such a vast Balance of Trade in our Favour.
29. Mr Richard Bradley, Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge, and Fellow of the Royal Society, in his Philosophical Inquiry into the ate sever Winter, and Scarcity and Dearness of Provisions, printed 1729, page 5 and 6, says, "It was generally computed that we had in England, in the Year 1715, about 13 Millions Sterling Money; of which it was reckon'd there were about 11 Millions circulating: But since the Year 1720, and from thence to 1724 or 1725, there were scarce 7 Millions supposed to circulate; which, he says, must necessarily hurt the poorer Sort of People;" and I say, every other sort in general with them, though not in the same Degree, perhaps, because, we know, as the Proverb says, the weakest must go to the Wall.
30. Fog's Journal of January 20, 1738 says, the Interest due to Foreigners upon the Publick Funds, may be put at 400,000 l. per Annum: If so, we must owe them at least 10 Millions; for that Sum at 4 per cent comes to but 400,000 l. and if we reckon the Interest lower, the Principal must be greater in such Proportion.
31. That the Trade of this Metropolis is so much worse than it formerly was, is ascribed to the Peace, which hath open'd the Trade of all the Ports of the Kingdom, so that they can carry on Foreign Trade in most of them, which during the War was chiefly carried on at this Port only, the Trade of the other Ports not being considerable enough to obtain Convoys, without which hardly any foreign Trade could be carried on in War time. In answer to which, I shall only observe, that all the Ports in the Kingdom whereas open and free to carry on foreign Trade, during most part of the Period, in which it hath been shewn the People in London, Westminister, and Suburbs doubled, as those Ports have been since the Utrecht Peace.
32. Let us see how many Gentlemen we may be supposed to have in the Kingdom, by dividing the whole Rental of 20 Millions into L. 500 per Annum, for each Gentlemen, at a Medium; which I am sure is cutting it into as Pieces as it can be reasonably imagin'd there are Gentlemen that subsist solely on their Estates. Now 20 Millions divided by 500 gives 40,000, the Number of Gentlemen which, on this Supposition, live on their Estates in this
Kingdom; But if we consider how many large Estates there are, and how few Gentlemen can subsist on L. 500 per annum, as the Prices of Things now go, it's very likely there are near this Number of Gentlemen that subsist solely on their Estates. And yet this Number, which, including their Families, with Servants and all, I shall put at 8 souls at a Medium, is but 1/25 Part of 8 Millions of People, which are supposed to be the least we have in the Kingdom. the rest therefore, except such as have Places under the Government, must necessarily be subsisted by Trade or Labour; and their Number must, by this Rule, be more than 19/20 of all the People in the Kingdom, as I have asserted above.
33. Leghorn, Nov. 7. The Emperor hath strictly prohibited the Exportation of Corn from Naples and Sicily. -- Whence we hope the Demand for British Corn in Spain and Italy, will be so great, as to save our Farmers from the inevitable Ruin which must otherwise have attended them. London and Whitehall Evening Posts of Nov. 17, 1733.
34. If the Wants of the People are too much abridged, they must on that Account want Employment, and lose Time, which will made the rest of the Time they work more valuable, seeing they must have a whole Subsistence, tho' they shou'd be supposed to work but half their Time: Whence the Things they make will become too dear to answer, and turn to Account, because the Want of a sufficient Demand for, and Consumption of them, which are Consequences connected with these Circumstances, will at the same Time (that it inhances the Charge of making Things cheap, the People must, if possible, lose no Time; because only such full Employment can make every Thing cheap, and put it in the Power of the People to purchase, and consume all the Things they raise, and make. And hence only can the Demand become great enough, to make them answer, and turn to Account.
35. Dr John Lawrence, in his new System of Agriculture, Page 5, says, I can't but admire that the People of England should be so backward to enclose, which would be worth more to us than the Mines of the Indies to the King of Spain.
36. The Rent paid to such Parishes or Vestries, should be annually distributed to those who had a Right of Commoning on such Lands as may, from Time to Time, be enclosed and improv'd; and that in such Proportion as their several Rights may intitle them to; unless the Parliament should think it more useful and beneficial to apply such Rents to the Relief of the Poor, in those and other Parishes that may stand in need of Assistance and Relief, or direct its Application any other fitter Way; or unless those who have the Right of commoning, will enclose and improve it in such Parts, as their several Rights may intitle them to.
37. I look with Compassion upon the Hardships of the poor Artificers and Manufacturers. See his Majesty's most Gracious Speech of January 13, 1729.
38. This is the sole Rule concerning Trade, to which any Government should ever attend, and which, if sufficiently attended to, will always render them as powerful, and their People as happy, as the Nature of Things is capable of; and is therefore infinitely preferrable to any Encouragements or Restraints in favour of Trade, which ultimately will always terminate in Mischief to Trade.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。