Читать книгу An Essay on the State of England - John Cary - Страница 9

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THE following Treatise was the Imployment of some leisure Hours which I thought could not be better spent, than in digesting so copious a Subject as Trade is, I am sure could be no waymore advantageously imployed to the Nation's Interest, than by proposing Methods for itsImprovement; I have herein considered the State of England in respect to its Trade, its Poor,and its Taxes for carrying on the present War: The first I have divided into the Inland andOutland Trade; the Inland into three parts, viz. Buying and Selling, Husbandry, andManufactures; Under the former Head I have comprehended all those Imployments wherebyMen get by one another, without making any Addition to the Wealth of the Nation in general:Husbandry I have divided into Pasture and Tillage, and have been the longer thereon to shewfrom how small Foundations the Primums or Principles of all our Trade are derived; whichindeed is wonderful, when we consider that the Lands of England according to the Act of FourShillings in the Pound cannot come to above Eight Millions Five Hundred Thousand Poundssterling per annum, that whole Tax with Personal Estates amounting to Nineteen Hundred andSeventy Thousand Pounds, whereof I compute about Two Hundred and Seventy ThousandPounds to be raised on Personal Estates, so the Remainer is Seventeen Hundred thousandPounds, which being the fifth part of the whole (if that Tax were equally and justly laid) theComputation is rightly made; but suppose they are worth Thirteen Millions per annum, 'tis avery small Summ if compared with the vast Expences of this Nation, which, with the Chargesof carrying on the War, maintaining the Civil List, and the Profits laid up by particular Men,cannot be less than One Hundred Millions per annum, the rest is raised by Manufactures, Trade,and Labour; the first of which (though the third in my Division) is the most profitable part ofour Inland Trade, being That whereby our Product is advanced in its value, and made fit bothfor our own use, and also for Foreign Markets; from whence are again Imported hither sundryother Materials, the Foundations of Manufactures different in their Natures from our own; theseI have handled under several Heads, and likewise shew'd by what Methods they may beimproved, and so have closed the Inland Trade: Before I enter'd on the Outland, I haveconsider'd Navigation as the Medium between both, and given my Thoughts how some Evilsthat attend and discourage it may be removed; I have then proceeded to our Foreign Traffick, orthe Trade we drive with other Nations, which I have spoken to under several Heads, viz.East-Indies, West-Indies and Africa, Maderas, Ireland, Scotland, Canaries, Spain, Portugal, Turky,Italy, Holland, Hamburgh, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and France, and haveendeavour'd to shew how we get or lose by each, and by what Methods they may be improved,and made more advantageous to this Kingdom.

As to the second part of this Discourse, the Poor, I have shewed how this Habit of Laziness and Begging first crept in amongst us, how it may be prevented from spreading farther, howImployments may be provided for those who are willing to work, and a force put on those thatare able, and how the Impotent Poor may be maintained, and those whose Labour will notsupport their Charge assisted.

In the last place, I have proposed general Rules for raising of Taxes to carry on the present War, and better Husbanding the Money when raised, wherein I have rather aimed to shew that thesethings may be done, than published Methods for doing them, which (because they would swellthis Discourse above it designed Brevity) are omitted here, as being more proper to be laidbefore a Committee of Parliament.