treatise on taxes and contributions-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


tiffnecked　Refuser；　charged　with　Wife　and　Children；　gives　the　credulous　great　occasion　to　complain　of　Oppression；　and　breeds　ill　blood　as　to　all　other　matters；　feeding　the　ill　humours　already　in　being。　　　　　9。6。　Ignorance　of　the　Number；　Trade；　and　Wealth　of　the　people；　is　often　the　reason　why　the　said　people　are　needlesly　troubled；　viz。　with　the　double　charge　and　vexation　of　two；　or　many　Levies；　when　one　might　have　served：　Examples　whereof　have　been　seen　in　late　Poll…moneys；　in　which　（by　reason　of　not　knowing　the　state　of　the　people；　viz。　how　many　there　were　of　each　Taxable　sort；　and　the　want　of　sensible　markes　whereby　to　rate　men；　and　the　confounding　of　Estates　with　Titles　and　Offices）　great　mistakes　were　committed。　　　　　10。　Besides；　for　not　knowing　the　Wealth　of　the　people；　the　Prince　knows　not　what　they　can　bear；　and　for　not　knowing　the　Trade；　he　can　make　no　Judgment　of　the　proper　season　when　to　demand　his　Exhibitions。　　　　　11。7。　Obscurities　and　doubts；　about　the　right　of　imposing；　hath　been　the　cause　of　great　an　dugly　Reluctancies　in　the　people；　and　of　Involuntary　Severities　in　the　Prince；　an　eminent　Example　whereof　was　the　Ship…money；　no　small　cause　of　twenty　years　calamity　to　the　whole　Kingdom。　　　　　12。　8。　Fewness　of　people；　is　real　poverty；　and　a　Nation　wherein　are　Eight　Millions　of　people；　are　more　than　twice　as　rich　as　the　same　scope　of　Land　wherein　are　but　Four；　For　the　same　Governours　which　are　the　great　charge；　may　serve　near　as　well；　for　the　greater；　as　the　lesser　number。　　　　　13。　Secondly；　If　the　people　be　so　few；　as　that　they　can　live；　Ex　sponte　Creatis；　or　with　little　labour；　such　as　is　Grazing；　etc。　they　become　wholly　without　Art。　No　man　that　will　not　exercise　his　hands；　being　able　to　endure　the　tortures　of　the　mind；　which　much　thoughtfullness　doth　occasion。　　　　　14。9。　Scarcity　of　money；　is　another　cause　of　the　bad　payment　of　Taxes；　for　if　we　consider；　that　of　all　the　wealth　of　this　Nation；　viz。　Lands；　Housing；　Shipping；　Commodities；　Furniture；　Plate；　and　Money；　that　scarce　one　part　of　an　hundred　is　Coin；　and　that　perhaps　there　is　scarce　six　millions　of　Pounds　now　in　England；　that　is　but　twenty　shillings　a　head　for　every　head　in　the　Nation。　We　may　easily　judge；　how　difficult　it　is　for　men　of　competent　estates；　to　pay　a　Summe　of　money　on　　a　sudden；　which　if　they　cannot　compass；　Severities；　and　Charges　ensue；　and　that　with　reason；　though　unluckie　enough；　it　being　more　tolerable　to　undoe　one　particular　Member；　then　to　endanger　the　whole；　nothwithstanding　indeed　it　be　more　tolerable　for　one　particular　Member　to　be　undone　with　the　whole；　then　alone。　　　　　15。10。　It　seems　somewhat　hard；　that　all　Taxes　should　be　paid　in　money；　that　is；　（when　the　King　hath　occasion　to　Victual　his　Ships　at　Portsmouth）　that　Fat　Oxen；　and　Corn　should　not　be　received　in　kind；　but　that　Farmers　must　first　carry　their　corn　perhaps　ten　Miles　to　sell；　and　turn　into　money；　which　being　paid　to　the　King；　is　again　reconverted　into　Corn；　fetcht　many　miles　further。　　　　　16。　Moreover；　the　Farmer　for　haste　is　force　to　undersell　his　Corn；　and　the　King　for　haste　likewise；　is　forced　to　over…buy　his　provisions。　Whereas　the　paying　in　kinde；　Pro　Hic　&　Nunc；　would　lessen　a　considerable　grievance　to　the　poor　people。　　　　　17。　The　next　consideration　shall　be　of　the　consequences；　and　effects　of　too　great　a　Tax；　not　in　respect　of　particular　men；　of　which　we　have　spoken　before；　but　to　the　whole　people　in　general：　To　which　I　say；　that　there　is　a　certain　measure；　and　proportion　of　money　requisite　to　drive　the　trade　of　a　Nation；　more　or　less　then　which　would　prejudice　the　same。　Just　as　there　is　a　certain　proportion　of　Farthings　necessary　in　a　small　retail　Trade；　to　change　silver　money；　and　to　even　such　reckonings；　as　cannot　be　adjusted　with　the　smallest　silver　pieces。　For　money；　（made　of　Gold　and　silver）　is　to　the　**　*****　（that　is　to　the　matter　of　our　Food　and　Covering）　but　as　Farthings；　and　other　local　extrinsick　money；　is　to　the　Gold　and　Silver　species。　　　　　18。　Now　as　the　proportion　of　the　number　of　Farthings　requisite　in　comerse　is　to　be　taken　from　the　number　of　people；　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　s