ThereisnocountrywherepopulationiscarriedtoagreaterheightthaninChina。Thecommonpeoplearesupportedbyriceandricewater;theyworkalmostnakedandinthesouthernprovincestheyhavethreeplentifulharvestsofriceyearly,thankstotheirgreatattentiontoagriculture。Thelandisneverfallowandyieldsahundredfoldeveryyear。Thosewhoareclothedhavegenerallyclothingofcotton,whichneedssolittlelandforitsproductionthatanacreofland,itseems,iscapableofproducingaquantityfullsufficientfortheclothingoffivehundredgrownuppersons。TheChinesebytheprinciplesoftheirreligionareobligedtomarry,andbringupasmanychildrenastheirmeansofsubsistencewillafford。Theylookuponitasacrimetolaylandoutinpleasuregardensorparks,defraudingthepublicofmaintenance。Theycarrytravellersinsedanchairs,andsavetheworkofhorsesuponalltaskswhichcanbeperformedbymen。Theirnumberisincredibleiftherelationofvoyagesistobedependedupon,yettheyareforcedtodestroymanyoftheirchildreninthecradlewhentheyapprehendthemselvesnottobeabletobringthemup,keepingonlythenumbertheyareabletosupport。Byhardandindefatigablelabourtheydrawfromtheriversanextraordinaryquantityoffishandfromthelandallthatispossible。
Neverthelesswhenbadyearscometheystarveinthousandsinspiteofthecareoftheemperorwhostoresriceforsuchcontingencies。NumerousthenasthepeopleofChinaare,theyarenecessarilyproportionedtotheirmeansoflivinganddonotexceedthenumberthecountrycansupportaccordingtotheirstandardoflife;andonthisfootingasingleacreoflandwillsupportmanyofthem。
OntheotherhandthereisnocountrywheretheincreaseofpopulationismorelimitedthanamongthesavagesintheinteriorpartsofAmerica。Theyneglectagriculture,liveinwoods,andonthewildbeaststheyfindthere。Astheirforestsdestroythesweetnessandsubstanceoftheearththereislittlepastureforanimals,andsinceanIndianeatsseveralanimalsinayear,50
or100acressupplyonlyenoughfoodforasingleIndian。
AsmalltribeoftheseIndianswillhave40squareleaguesforitshuntingground。Thewageregularandbitterwarsovertheseboundaries,andalwaysproportiontheirnumberstotheirmeansofsupportfromthechase。
TheEuropeancultivatethelandanddrawcornfromitfortheirsubsistence。Thewoolanddrawcornfromitfortheirsubsistence。Thewooloftheirsheepprovidesthemwithclothing。
Wheatisthegrainonwhichmostofthemarefed,butsomepeasantsmaketheirbreadofrye,andinthenorthofbarleyandoats。ThefoodofthepeasantsandthepeopleisnotthesameinallcountriesofEurope,andlandisoftendifferentinqualityandfertility。
MostofthelandinFlandersandpartofthatinLombardyyields18to20foldwithoutlyingidle;theCampagnaofNaplesyieldsstillmore。ThereareafewpropertiesinFrance,Spain,EnglandandGermanywhichyieldthesameamount。CicerotellsusthatthelandofSicilyinhistimeyieldedtenfold,andtheelderPlinysaysthattheLeontinelandsinSicilyyieldedahundredfold,thoseofBabylonahundredandfifty,andsomeAfricanlandsagooddealmore。
TodaylandinEuropeyieldsontheaveragesixtimeswhatissown,sothatfivetimestheseedremainsfortheconsumptionofthepeople。Landusuallyrestsoneyearinthree,producingwheatthefirstyearandbarleythesecond。
Inthesupplementwillbefoundestimatesoftheamountoflandrequiredforthesupportofamanaccordingtothedifferentassumptionsofhismannerofliving。
Itwillbeseenthatamanwholivesonbread,garlicandroots,wearsonlyhempengarments,coarselinen,woodenshoes,anddrinksonlywater,likemanypeasantsinthesouthofFrance,canliveontheproduceofanacreandahalfoflandofmediumgoodness,yieldingasixfoldharvestandrestingoncein3years。
Ontheotherhandagrown-upmanwhowearsleathershoes,stockings,woollencloth,wholivesinahouseandhasachangeoflinen,abed,chairs,table,andothernecessaries,drinksmoderatelyofbeerorwine,eatseverydaymeat,butter,cheese,bread,vegetables,etc。sufficientlyandyetmoderatelyneedsforallthattheproduceof4to5acresoflandofmediumquality。
Itistruethatintheseestimatesnothingisallowedforthefoodofhorsesexceptfortheploughandcarriageofproducefortenmiles。
HistoryrecordsthatthefirstRomanseachmaintainedhisfamilyontwojournauxofland,equaltooneParisacreand330
squarefeetorthereabouts。Theywerealmostnaked,hadnowineoroil,layinthestraw,andhadhardlyanycomforts,butastheycultivatedintenselytheland,whichisfairlygoodaroundRome,theydrewfromitplentyofcornandofvegetables。
Iftheproprietorsoflandhadathearttheincreaseofpopulation,iftheyencouragedthepeasantstomarryyoungandbringupchildrenbypromisingtoprovidethemwithsubsistence,devotingtheirlandentirelytothatpurpose,theywoulddoubtlessincreasethepopulationuptothepointwhichthelandcouldsupport,accordingtotheproducetheyallottedforeachpersonwhetheranacreandahalforfourtofiveacresahead。
Butifinsteadofthattheprince,ortheproprietorsofland,causethelandtobeusedforotherpurposesthantheupkeepofthepeople:ifbythepricestheyofferinthemarketforproduceandmerchandisetheydeterminethefarmerstoemploythelandforotherpurposesthanthemaintenanceofman(forwehaveseenthatthepricestheyofferinthemarketandtheirconsumptiondeterminetheusemadeofthelandjustasiftheycultivateditthemselves)thepeoplewillnecessarilydiminishinnumber。Somewillbeforcedtoleavethecountryforlackofemployment,othersnotseeingthenecessarymeansofraisingchildren,willnotmarryorwillonlymarrylate,afterhavingputasidesomewhatforthesupportofthehousehold。
Iftheproprietorsoflandwholiveinthecountrygotoresideinthecitiesfarawayfromtheirland,horsesmustbefedforthetransportintothecitybothoftheirfoodandthatofallthedomesticservants,mechanicsandotherswhomtheirresidenceinthecityattractsthither。
ThecarriageofwinefromBurgundytoParisoftencostsmorethanthewineitselfcostsinBurgundy;andconsequentlythelandemployedfortheupkeepofthecarthorsesandthosewholookafterthemismoreconsiderablethanthelandwhichproducesthewineandsupportsthosewhohavetakenpartinitsproduction。
Themorehorsesthereareinastatethelessfoodwillremainforthepeople。Theupkeepofcarriagehorses,hunters,orchargers,oftentakesthreeorfouracresofland。
Butwhenthenobilityandproprietorsoflanddrawfromforeignmanufacturestheircloths,silks,laces,etc。andpayforthembysendingtotheforeignertheirnativeproducetheydiminishextraordinarythefoodofthepeopleandincreasethatofforeignerswhooftenbecomeenemiesofthestate。
IfaproprietorornoblemaninPoland,towhomhisfarmerspayyearlyarentequaltoaboutonethirdoftheproduceofhisland,pleasestousethecloths,linens,etc。ofHolland,hewillpayforthesemechandisesonehalfoftherenthereceivesandperhapsusetheotherhalfforthesubsistenceofhisfamilyonotherproductsandroughmanufacturesofPoland:buthalfhisrent,onoursupposition,correspondstothesixthpartoftheproduceofhisland,andthissixthpartwillbecarriedawaybytheDutchtowhomthefarmersofPolandwilldeliveritincorn,wool,hempandotherproduce。HereisthenasixthpartofthelandofPolandwithdrawnfromitspeople,tosaynothingofthefeedingofthecarthorses,carriagehorsesandchargersinPoland,maintainedbythemanneroflivingofthenobilitythere。
FurtherifoutofthetwothirdsoftheproduceofthelandallottedtothefarmerstherelastimitatingtheirmastersconsumeforeignmanufactureswhichtheywillalsopayforeignersforinrawproduceofPoland,therewillbeagoodthirdoftheproduceofthelandinPolandabstractedfromthefoodofthepeople,and,whatisworse,mostlysenttotheforeignerandoftenservingtosupporttheenemiesofthestate。IftheproprietorsoflandandthenobilityinPolandwouldconsumeonlythemanufacturesoftheirownstate,badastheymightbeattheoutset,theywouldsoonbecomebetter,andwouldkeepagreatnumberoftheirownpeopletoworkthere,insteadofgivingthisadvantagetoforeigners:andifallstateshadthelikecarenottobethedupesofotherstatesinmattersofcommerce,eachstatewouldbeconsiderableonlyinproportiontoitsproduceandtheindustryofitspeople。
IftheladiesofParisarepleasedtowearBrusselslace,andifFrancepaysforthislacewithChampagnewine,theproductofasingleacreofflaxmustbepaidforwiththeproductof16,000acresoflandundervines,ifmycalculationsarecorrect。
Thiswillbemorefullyexplainedelsewhereandthefiguresareshowninthesupplement。SufficetosayherethatinthistransactionagreatamountofproduceofthelandiswithdrawnfromthesubsistenceoftheFrench,andthatalltheproducesentabroad,unlessanequallyconsiderableamountofproducebebroughtbackinexchange,tendstodiminishthenumberofpeopleinthestate。
WhenIsaidthattheproprietorsoflandmightmultiplythepopulationasfarasthelandwouldsupportthem,Iassumedthatmostmendesirenothingbetterthantomarryiftheyaresetinapositiontokeeptheirfamiliesinthesamestyleastheyarecontenttolivethemselves。Thatis,ifamanissatisfiedwiththeproduceofanacreandahalfoflandhewillmarryiftheissureofhavingenoughtokeephisfamilyinthesameway。Butifheisonlysatisfiedwiththeproduceoffivetotenacreshewillbeinonhurrytomarryunlesshethinkshecanbringuphisfamilyinthesamemanner。
InEuropethechildrenofthenobilityarebroughtupinaffluence;andasthelargestshareofthepropertyisusuallygiventotheeldestsons,theyoungersonsareinnohurrytomarry。Theyusuallyliveasbachelors,eitherinthearmyorinthecloisters,butwillseldombefondunwillingtomarryiftheyareofferedheiressesandfortunes,orthemeansofsupportingafamilyonthefootingwhichtheyhaveinviewandwithoutwhichtheywouldconsiderthemselvestomaketheirchildrenwretched。
Inthelowerclassesofthestatealsotherearemenwhofromprideandfromreasonssimilartothoseofthenobility,prefertoliveincelibacyandtospendonthemselvesthelittlethattheyhaveratherthansettledowninfamilylife。Butmostofthemwouldgladlysetupafamilyiftheycouldcountuponkeepingitupastheywouldwish:theywouldconsiderthemselvestodoaninjusticetotheirchildreniftheybroughtthemuptofallintoalowerclassthanthemselves。Onlyafewmeninastateavoidmarriagefromsheerflightiness。Allthelowerorderswishtoliveandbringupchildrenwhocanlivelikethemselves。
Whenlabourersandmechanicsdonotmarryitisbecausetheywaittilltheysavesomethingtoenablethemtosetupahouseholdortofindsomeyoungwomanwhobringsalittlecapitalforthatpurpose,sincetheyseeeverydayotherslikethemwhoforlackofsuchprecautionstarthousekeepingandfallintothemostfrightfulpoverty,beingobligedtodeprivethemselvesoftheirownfoodtonourishtheirchildren。
FromtheobservationsofMrHalley,atBreslawinSilesia,itisfoundthatofallthefemalescapableofchildbearing,from16to45yearsofage,notoneinsixactuallybearsachildeveryyear,while,saysMrHalley,thereoughttobeatleast4
or6whoshouldhavechildreneveryyear,withoutincludingthosewhoarebarrenorhavestillbirths。Thereasonwhyfourwomenoutofsixdonotbearchildreneveryyearisthattheycannotmarrybecauseofthediscouragementsanddifficultiesintheirway。Ayoungwomantakescarenottobecomeamotherifsheisnotmarried;shecannotmarryunlessshefindsamanwhoisreadytoruntheriskofit。Mostofthepeopleinastatearehiredorareundertakers;mostaredependentandliveinuncertaintywhethertheywillfindbytheirlabourortheirundertakingsthemeansofsupportingtheirhouseholdonthefootingtheyhaveinview。Thereforetheydonotallmarry,ormarrysolatethatofsixwomen,oratleastfour,whoshouldproduceachildeveryyearthereisactuallyonlyoneinsixwhobecomesamother。
Iftheproprietorsoflandhelptosupportthefamilies,asinglegenerationsufficestopushtheincreaseofpopulationasfarastheproduceofthelandwillsupplymeansofsubsistence。
Childrendonotrequiresomuchofthisproduceasgrown-uppersons。Bothcanliveonmoreorlessaccordingtotheirconsumption。Thenorthernpeople,wherethelandproduceslittle,havebeenknowntoliveonsolittleproducethattheyhavesentoutcolonistsandswarmsofmentoinvadethelandsofthesouthanddestroyitsinhabitantstoappropriatetheirland。Accordingtothedifferentmannerofliving,400,000peoplemightsubsistonthesameproduceofthelandwhichordinarilysupportsbut100,000。Amanwholivesupontheproduceofanacreandahalfofland,maybestrongerandstouterthanhewhospendstheproduceoffiveortenacres;itthereforeseemsprettyclearthatthenumberofinhabitantsofastatedependsonthemeansallottedthemofobtainingtheirsupport;andasthismeansofsubsistencearisesfromthemethodofcultivatingthesoil,andthismethoddependschieflyonthetaste,humoursandmanneroflivingoftheproprietorsofland,theincreaseanddecreaseofpopulationalsostandonthesamefoundation。
Theincreaseofpopulationcanbecarriedfurthestinthecountrieswherethepeoplearecontenttolivethemostpoorlyandtoconsumetheleastproduceofthesoil。Incountrieswhereallthepeasantsandlabourersareaccustomedtoeatmeatanddrinkwine,beer,etc。somanyinhabitantscannotbesupported。
SirWilliamPetty,andafterhimMrDavenant,InspectoroftheCustomsinEngland,seemtodepartfromnaturewhentheytrytoestimatethepropagationoftheracebyprogressivegenerationsfromAdam,thefirstfather。Theircalculationsseemtobepurelyimaginaryanddrawnupathazard。Onthebasisofwhattheyhaveseenoftheactualbirthrateincertaindistricts,howcouldtheyexplainthedecreaseofthoseinnumerablepeopleformerlyfoundinAsia,Egypt,etc。andeveninEurope?Ifseventeencenturiesagotherewere26millionsofpeopleinItaly,nowreducedto6millionatmost,howcanitbedeterminedbytheprogressionsofMrKingthatEnglandwhichtodaycontains5or6millionsofinhabitantswillprobablyhave13millionsinacertainnumberofyears?WeseedailythatEnglishmen,ingeneral,consumemoreoftheproduceofthelandthantheirfathersdid,andthisistherealreasonwhytherearefewerinhabitantsthaninthepast。
Menmultiplylikemiceinabarniftheyhaveunlimitedmeansofsubsistence;andtheEnglishinthecolonieswillbecomemorenumerousinproportioninthreegenerationsthantheywouldbeinthirtyinEngland,becauseinthecoloniestheyfindforcultivationnewtractsoflandfromwhichtheydrivethesavages。
Inallcountriesatalltimesmenhavewagedwarsforthelandandthemeansofsubsistence。Whenwarshavedestroyedordiminishedthepopulationofacountry,thesavagesandcivilisednationssoonrepopulateinintimesofpeace;especiallywhentheprinceandtheproprietorsoflandlendtheirencouragement。
Astatewhichhasconqueredseveralprovincesmay,bytributeimposedonthevanquished,acquireanincreaseofsubsistenceforitsownpeople。TheRomansdrewagreatpartoftheirsubsistencefromEgypt,SicilyandAfricaandthatiswhyItalythencontainedsomanyinhabitants。
Astatewhereminesarefound,havingmanufactureswhichdonotrequiremuchoftheproduceofthelandtosendthemintoforeigncountries,anddrawingfromtheminexchangeplentifulmerchandiseandproduceoftheland,acquiresanincreasedfundforthesubsistenceofitssubjects。
TheDutchexchangetheirlabourinnavigation,fishingormanufacturesprincipallywithforeigners,fortheproductsoftheirland。OtherwiseHollandcouldnotsupportofitselfitspopulation。Englandbuysfromabroadconsiderableamountsoftimber,hempandothermaterialsorproductsofthesoilandconsumesmuchwineforwhichshepaysinminerals,manufactures,etc。ThatsavestheEnglishagreatquantityoftheproductsoftheirsoil。WithouttheseadvantagesthepeopleofEngland,onthefootingoftheexpenseoflivingthere,couldnotbesonumerousastheyare。Thecoalminessavethemseveralmillionsofacresoflandwhichwouldotherwisebeneededtogrowtimber。
ButalltheseadvantagesarerefinementsandexceptionalcaseswhichImentiononlyincidentally。Thenaturalandconstantwayofincreasingpopulationinastateistofindemploymentforthepeoplethere,andtomakethelandservefortheproductionoftheirmeansofsupport。
Itisalsoaquestionoutsideofmysubjectwhetheritisbettertohaveagreatmultitudeofinhabitants,poorandbadlyprovided,thanasmallernumber,muchmoreattheirease:amillionwhoconsumetheproduceof6acresperheador4millionwholiveontheproductofanacreandahalf。
ChapterSixteenThemoreLabourthereisinaStatethemorenaturallyrichtheStateisesteemedInalongcalculationworkedoutinthesupplementitisshownthatthelabourof25grownpersonssufficestoprovide100
others,alsogrownup,withallthenecessariesoflifeaccordingtotheEuropeanstandard。Intheseestimatesitistruethefood,clothing,housing,etc。arecoarseandratherelementary,butthereiseaseandplenty。Itmaybeassumedthatagoodthirdofthepeopleofstatearetooyoungortoooldfordailyworkandthatanothersixthareproprietorsofland,sick,orundertakersofdifferentsortswhodonotbythelabouroftheirhands,contributetothedifferentneedsofmen。Thatmakeshalfthepeoplewithoutwork,oratleastwithouttheworkinquestion。Soif25personsdoalltheworkneededforthemaintenanceofahundredothers,thereremain25personsoutofthehundredwhoarecapableofworkingbutwouldhavenothingtodo。
Thesoldiers,andthedomesticservantsinwell-to-dofamilies,willformpartofthese25;andifalltheothersarebusiedinworkingupbyadditionallabourthethingsnecessaryforlife,likemakingfinelinen,finecloth,etc。thestatewillbedeemedrichinproportiontothisincreaseinwork,thoughitaddnothingtothequantityofthingsneededforthesubsistenceandmaintenanceofman。
Labourgivesanadditionalrelishtofoodanddrink。Afork,aknife,etc。nicelywrought,aremoreesteemedthanthoseroughlyandhastilymade。Thesamemaybesaidofahouse,abed,atableandeverythingneededforthecomfortoflife。
Itistruethatitisoflittledifferenceinastatewhetherpeopleareaccustomedtowearcoarseorfineclothesifbothareequallylasting,andwhetherpeopleeatnicelyorcoarselyiftheyhaveenoughandareingoodhealth,sincedrink,food,clothing,etc。areequallyconsumedwhetherfineorcoarse,andthatnothingisleftinthestateofthissortofwealth。
Butitisalwaystruetosaythatthestateswherefinecloths,finelinen,etc。areworn,andwherethefeedingisdaintyanddelicate,arericherandmoreesteemedthanthosewherethesethingsareruder,andeventhatthestateswhereoneseesmorepeoplelivinginthemannerofthefirstnamedaremorehighlyesteemedthanthosewhereoneseesfewerinproportion。
Butifthe25personsinahundredofwhomwehavespokenwereemployedtoproducepermanentcommodities,todrawfromtheminesiron,lead,tin,copper,etc。andworkthemupintotoolsandinstrumentsfortheuseofman,bowls,platesandotherusefulobjectsmuchmoredurablethanearthenware,thestatewillnotonlyappeartobericherforitbutwillbesoinreality。
Itwillbesoespeciallyifthesepeopleareemployedindrawingfromtheearthgoldandsilverwhichmetalsarenotonlydurablebutsotospeakpermanent,whichfireitselfcannotdestroy,whicharegenerallyacceptedasthemeasureofvalue,andwhichcanalwaysbeexchangedforanyofthenecessariesoflife:andiftheseinhabitantsworktodrawgoldandsilverintoastateinexchangeforthemanufacturesandworkwhichtheyproduceandsendabroad,theirlabourwillbeequallyusefulandwillinrealityimprovethestate。
Thepointwhichseemstodeterminethecomparativegreatnessofstatesistheirreservestockabovetheyearlyconsumption,likemagazinesofcloth,linen,corn,etc。toanswerinbadyears,orwar。Andasgoldandsilvercanalwaysbuythesethings,evenfromtheenemiesofthestate,goldandsilverarethetruereservestockofastate,andthelargerorsmalleractualquantityofthisstocknecessarilydeterminesthecomparativegreatnessofkingdomsandstates。
Ifitthecustomtodrawgoldandsilverfromabroadbyexportingmerchandisesandproduceofthestate,suchascorn,wine,wool,etc。thiswillnotfailtoenrichthestateatthecostofadecreaseofthepopulation;butifgoldandsilverbeattractedfromabroadinexchangeforthelabourofthepeople,suchasmanufacturesandarticleswhichcontainlittleoftheproduceofthesoil,thiswillenrichthestateinausefulandessentialmanner。Inagreatstate,indeed,the25personsinahundredofwhomwehavespoken,cannotbeemployedtomakearticlesforforeignconsumption。Amillionmenwillmakemorecloth,forexample,thenwillbeconsumedannuallyinallthemercantileworld,becausethegreaternumberofpeopleineverycountry,andtherewillseldombefoundinanystate100,000
personsemployeduponclothingforforeigners。ThisisshowninthesupplementwithregardtoEngland,whichofallthenationsofEuropesuppliesmostclothtoforeigners。
Inorderthattheconsumptionofthemanufacturesofastateshouldbecomeconsiderableinforeignparts,thesemanufacturesmustbemadegoodandvaluablebyalargeconsumptionintheinteriorofthestate。Itisneedfultodiscourageallforeignmanufacturesandtogiveplentyofemploymenttotheinhabitants。
Ifenoughemploymentcannotbefoundtooccupythe25
personsinahundreduponworkusefulandprofitabletothestate,Iseenoobjectiontoencouragingemploymentwhichservesonlyforornamentoramusement。Thestateisnotconsideredlessrichforathousandtoyswhichservetotrickouttheladiesorevenmen,orareusedingamesanddiversions,thanitisforusefulandserviceableobjects。Diogenes,atthesiegeofCorinth,issaidtohavefellarollinghistubthathemightnotseemidlewhileallotherswereatwork;andwehavetodaysocietiesofmenandwomenoccupiedinworkandexerciseasuselesstothestateasthatofDiogenes。Howlittlesoeverthelabourofamansuppliesornamentorevenamusementinastateitisworthwhiletoencourageitunlessthemancanfindawaytoemployhimselfusefully。
Itisalwaystheinspirationoftheproprietorsoflandwhichencouragesordiscouragesthedifferentoccupationsofthepeopleandthedifferentkindsoflabourwhichtheyinvent。
Theexampleoftheprince,followedbyhiscourt,isgenerallycapableofdeterminingtheinspirationandtastesoftheotherproprietorsofland,andtheexampleoftheselastnaturallyinfluencesallthelowerranks。Aprince,then,withoutdoubtisablebyhisownexampleandwithoutanyconstrainttogivesuchaturnashelikestothelabourofhissubjects。
Ifeachproprietorinastatehadonlyalittlepieceofland,likethatwhichisusuallyleasedtoasinglefarmer,therewouldbehardlyanycities。Thepeoplewouldbemorenumerousandthestateveryrichifeveryproprietoremployedonsomeusefulworktheinhabitantssupportedonhisland。
Butwhenthenobleshavegreatlandedpossessions,theyofnecessitybringaboutluxuryandidleness。WhetheranAbbotattheheadofahundredmonksliveontheproduceofseveralfineestates,oranoblemanwith50domesticservants,andhorseskeptonlyforhisservice,liveontheseestates,wouldbeindifferenttothestateifitcouldremaininconstantpeace。
Butanoblemanwithhisretinueandhishorsesisusefultothestateintimeofwar;hecanalwaysbeusefulinthemagistracyandthekeepingoforderinthestateinpeacetime;
andineverycaseheisagreatornamenttothecountry,whilethemonksare,aspeoplesay,neitherusefulnorornamentalinpeaceorwaronthissideofheaven。
TheconventsofMendicantFriarsaremuchmorepernicioustoastatethanthoseoftheclosedorders。Theselastusuallydonomoreharmthantooccupyestateswhichmightservetosupplythestatewithofficersandmagistrates,whiletheMendicantswhoarethemselveswithoutusefulemployment,ofteninterruptandhinderthelabourofotherpeople。Theytakefrompoorpeopleincharitiesthesubsistencewhichoughttofortifythemfortheirlabour。Theycausethemtolosemuchtimeinuselessconversation,nottospeakofthosewhointriguethemselvesintofamiliesandthosewhointriguethemselvesinfamiliesandthosewhoarevicious。ExperienceshowsthatthecountrieswhichhaveembracedProtestantismandhaveneithermonksnormendicantshavebecomevisiblymorepowerful。TheyhavealsotheadvantageofhavingsuppressedagreatnumberofholydayswhennoworkisdoneinRomanCatholiccountries,andwhichdiminishthelabourofthepeoplebyaboutaneighthpartoftheyear。
Ifitweredesiredtomakeuseofeverythinginastateitmightbepossible,itseems,todiminishthenumberofmendicantsbyincorporatingthemintothemonasteriesasvacanciesordeathsoccurthere,withoutforbiddingtheseretreatstothosewhocangivenoevidenceoftheirskillinspeculativesciences,whoarecapableofadvancingthepracticalarts,i。e。insomesectionofmathematics。Thecelibacyofchurchmenisnotsodisadvantageousasispopularlysupposed,asisshownintheprecedingchapter,buttheiridlenessisveryinjurious。
ChapterSeventeenOfMetalsandMoney,andespeciallyofgoldandsilverAslandproducesmoreorlesscornaccordingtoitsfertilityandthelabourspentuponit,sotheminesofiron,lead,tin,gold,silver,etc。producemoreorlessofthesemetalsaccordingtotherichnessoftheminesandthequantityandqualityofthelabourspentuponthem,indigging,draining,smelting,refining,etc。Workinsilverminesisdearonaccountofthemortalityincauses,sincerarelymorethanfiveorsixyearsarespentinthatlabour。
Therealorintrinsicvalueofmetalsislikeeverythingelseproportionabletothelandandlabourthatentersintotheirproduction。Theoutlayonthelandforthisproductionisconsiderableonlysofarastheowneroftheminecanobtainaprofitfromtheworkoftheminerswhentheveinsareunusuallyrich。Thelandneededforthesubsistenceoftheminersandworkers,thatisthemininglabour,isoftentheprincipalexpenseandtheruinoftheproprietor。
Themarketvalueofmetals,asofothermerchandiseorproduce,issometimesabove,sometimesbelow,theintrinsicvalue,andvarieswiththeirplentyorscarcityaccordingtothedemand。
Iftheproprietorsoflandandthelowerordersinastatewhoimitatethem,rejectedtheuseoftimeandcopper,wronglysupposingthattheyareinjurioustohealth,andiftheyallmadeuseofdishesandutensilsofearthenware,thesemetalswouldbeataverylowpriceinthemarketsandtheworkthatwascarriedontoextractthemfromtheminewouldbediscontinued。Butasthesemetalsarefounduseful,andareemployedintheserviceoflife,theywillalwayshaveamarketvaluecorrespondingtotheirplentyorrarityandthedemandforthem;andtheywillalwaysbeminedtoreplacewhatislostbydailyuse。
Ironisnotmerelyserviceableforthedailyuseofcommonlifebutmaybesaidtobeinacertainsensenecessarily;andiftheAmericans,whodidnotmakeuseofitbeforethediscoveryoftheircontinent,hadfoundminesofitandknownhowtouseit,theywoulddoubtlesshavelabouredtoproduceitatanycost。
Goldandsilverarecapableofservingnotonlythesamepurposeastinandcopperbutmostofthepurposesofleadandiron。Theyhavethisfurtheradvantageoverothermetalsthattheyarenotconsumedbyfireandaresodurablethattheymaybeesteemedpermanentbodies。Itisnotsurprising,therefore,thatmenwhofoundtheothermetalsusefulshouldhaveesteemedgoldandsilverevenbeforetheyareusedinexchange。TheRomansprizedthemfromthefoundationofRomeandyetonlyusedthemasmoney500yearslater。Perhapsallothernationsdidthelikeandonlyadoptedthesemetalsasmoneylongafterusingthemforotherpurposes。HoweverwefindfromtheoldesthistoriansthatfromtimeimmemorialgoldandsilverwereusedasmoneyinEgyptandAsia,andwelearnintheBookofGenesisthatsilvermoniesweremadeinthetimeofAbraham。
LetussupposethatsilverwasfirstfoundinamineofMountNiphatesinMesopotamia。Itisnaturaltothinkthatoneormoreproprietorsofland,findingthismetalbeautifulanduseful,werethefirsttouseit,andwillinglyencouragedtheminerorundertakertoextractmoreofitfromthemine,givinghiminreturnforhisworkandthatofhisassistantssomuchoftheproduceofthelandastheyneededfortheirmaintenance。
ThismetalbecomingmoreandmoreesteemedinMesopotamia,ifthelargelandownersboughtewersofsilver,thelowerclasses,accordingtotheirmeansorsavings,mightbuysilvercups;andtheundertakerofthemine,seeingaconstantdemandforhismerchandise,gaveitwithoutdoubtavalueproportionabletoitqualityorweightagainsttheotherproductsormerchandisewhichhetookinexchange。Whileeverybodylookedonthismetalasapreciousanddurableobjectandstrovetoownafewpiecesofit,theundertaker,whoalonecouldsupplyit,wasinamannermastertodemandinexchangeanarbitraryquantityofotherproduceandmerchandise。
SupposenowthatonthefurthersideoftheRiverTigris,andthereforeoutsideMesopotamia,anewsilvermineisdiscovered,ofwhichtheveinsareincomparablyricherandlargerthanthoseofMountNiphates,andthattheworkingofthisnewMinewhichwaseasilydrainedwaslesslaboriousthanthatofthefirst。
TheundertakerofthisnewminewasnaturallyinapositiontosupplysilvermuchcheaperthantheundertakerofMountNiphates,andthepeopleofMesopotamiawhowishedtohavepiecesandobjectsofsilverwouldfinditmoreadvantageoustoexporttheirmerchandiseandgiveittotheundertakerofthenewmineinexchangeforsilverthantotakeitfromtheoriginalundertaker。Thislast,findingasmallerdemand,wouldofnecessityreducehisprice;butthenewundertakerloweringhispriceinproportionthefirstadventurerwouldbeobligedtostophisoutput,andthenthepriceofsilverinexchangeforothermerchandiseandproducewouldbenecessarilyfixedbythatwhichwasputuponitatthenewmine。SilverthencostlesstothepeoplebeyondTigristhantothoseofMesopotamiawhohadtobearthecostofalongcarriageoftheirmerchandiseandproducetoobtainsilver。
Itiseasytoperceivethatwhenseveralsilvermineswerefoundandtheproprietorsoflandhadtakenafancytothismetal,theywereimitatedbytheotherclasses,andthatthepiecesandfragmentsofsilver,evenwhennotworkedup,weresoughtaftereagerly,becausenothingwaseasierthantomakesucharticlesfromthemasweredesired,accordingtotheirquantityandweight。Asthismetalwasesteemedasitscostvalue,atleast,afewpeoplewhopossessedsomeofit,findingthemselvesinneed,couldpawnittoborrowthethingstheywanted,andeventosellitlateroutright。Thencearosethecustomoffixingitsvalueinproportiontoitsquantityorweightasagainstallproductsandmerchandise。Butassilvercanbecombinedwithiron,lead,tin,copper,etc。whicharenotsuchscarcemetalsandaremindedatlessexpense,theexchangeofsilverwassubjecttomuchfraud,andthiscausedseveralkingdomstoestablishmintsinordertocertifybyapubliccoinagethetruequantityofsilverthateachcoincontainsandtoreturntoindividualswhobringbarsoringotsofsilvertoitthesamequantityincoinsbearingastamporcertificateofthetruequantityofsilvertheycontain。
Thecostsofthesecertificatesorcoinagearesometimespaidbythepublic,orbytheprince,——themethodfollowedinancienttimesatRomeandtodayinEngland;sometimesthosewhotakesilvertobecoinedpayformintingasinthecustominFrance。
Puresilverishardlyeverfoundinthemines。Theancientsdidnotknowtheartofrefiningtoperfection。Theyalwaysmadetheirsilvercoinsoffincesilver,andyetthosewhichremaintousoftheGreeks,Romans,JewsandAsiaticsareneverperfectlypure。Todaythereismoreskill,thesecretofmakingsilverpurhasbeendiscovered。Thedifferentmethodsofrefiningitarenotpartofmysubject。Manyauthorshavetreatedofit,MrBoizardamongothers。Iwillonlyobservethatthereisagooddealofexpenseinrefiningsilverandforthisreasonanounceoffinesilverisgenerallypreferredtotwoounceswhichcontainonehalfofcopperorotheralloy。Itisexpensivetoseparatethealloyandextracttheoneounceofpuresilverwhichisinthesetwoounces,whilebysimplemeltinganyothermetalcanbecombinedwithsilverinanyproportiondesired。Ifcopperissometimesusedasanalloytofinesilveritisonlytorenderitmoremalleableandmoresuitablefortheobjectsmadeofit。Butinthevaluationofallsilverthecopperoralloyisreckonedatnothingandonlytheamountoffinepuresilverisconsidered。
Forthisreasonanassayisalwaysmadetoascertaintheamountofpuresilver。
Assayingismerelyrefiningalittlepieceofabarofsilver,forexample,tofindhowmuchpuresilveritcontainsandtojudgethewholebarbythissmallsample。Asmallportionofthebar,12grainsforexample,iscutoffandnicelyweighedinbalanceswhicharesoaccuratethatathousandthpartofagrainwillsometimesturnthescale。Thenthesampleisrefinedbyaquafortisorbyfireandthecopperoralloyseparated。Whenthesilverispuritisweighedagaininthesamebalanceandifitthenweighs11grainsinsteadof12theassayersaysthatthebaris11partsfine,i。e。itcontains11partsofpuresilverand1
ofcopperoralloy。Thiswillbemoreeasilyunderstoodbythosewhohavethecuriositytoseeassayscarriedout。Thereisnothingmysteriousaboutit。Goldisassayedinthesameway,withthisdifferenceonlythatthedegreesoffinenessofgoldaredividedinto24partscalledcarats,sincegoldismoreprecious;andthesecaratsaredividedinto32parts,whilethedegreesoffinenessofsilverareonlydividedintotwelfths,calleddeniers,andthesearedividedinto24grainsapiece。
Usagehasconferredupongoldandsilverthetitleintrinsicvalue,todesignateandsignifythequantityoftruegoldorsilvercontainedinabar;butinthisessayIhavealwaysusedthetermintrinsicvaluetosignifytheamountoflandandlabourwhichenterintoproduction,nothavingfoundanytermmoresuitabletoexpressmymeaning。Imentionthisonlytoavoidmisunderstanding。Whengoldandsilverarenotinquestionthetermwillalwaysholdgoodwithoutanyconfusion。
Wehaveseenthatthemetalssuchasgold,silver,iron,etc。serveseveralpurposesandhaveavalueproportionabletothelandandlabourwhichenterintotheirproduction。WeshallseeinpartIIofthisessaythatmenhavebeenforcedofnecessitytoemployacommonmeasuretofindintheirdealingstheproportionandthevalueoftheproductsandmerchandisetheywishedtoexchange。Theonlyquestioniswhatproductormerchandisewouldbemostsuitableforthiscommonmeasure,andwhetherithasnotbeennecessityratherthatfancywhichhasgiventhispreferencetogold,silverandcopperwhicharegenerallyinusetodayforthispurpose。
Ordinaryproductslikecorn,wine,meat,etc。havearealvalueandservetheneedsoflife,buttheyareallperishableanddifficulttobetransported,andthereforehardlysuitabletoserveasacommonmeasure。
Merchandisesuchascloth,linen,leather,etc。ispersishablealsoandcannotbesubdividedwithoutinsomesortchangingtheirvaluefortheserviceofman。Likerawproducetheycostagooddealforcarriage;theyevencauseexpenseforstorage,andconsequentlyareunsuitableforacommonmeasure。
Diamondsandotherpreciousstones,eveniftheyhadnoinstrinsicvalueandwereesteemedonlyfromfancy,wouldbesuitableforacommonmeasureiftheywerenotsusceptibleofimitationandiftheycouldbedividedwithoutloss。Withthesedefectsandthatofbeingunserviceableinusetheycannotserveasacommonmeasure。
Iron,whichisalwaysusefulandfairlydurablewouldnotservebadlyindefaultofabetter。Itisconsumedbyfire,andistoobulkyowingtoitsquantity。ItwasusedfromthetimeofLycurgustillthePeloponnesianWar;butasitsvaluewasnecessarilybasedinstrinsically,orinproportiontothelandandlabourwhichenteredintoitsproduction,agreatquantityofitwasneededforsmallvalue。Itiscuriousthatitsqualitywasspoiledbyvinegartomakeituselessforserviceandtokeepitforexchangeonly。ThusitcouldservetheaustereSpartansalone,andcouldnotcontinuetodosoevenwiththemassoonastheyextendedtheircommunicationwithothercountries。Toruinthespartansitneededonlytofindrichironmines,tomakemoneyliketheirs,andtodrawinexchangetheirproductsandmerchandisewhilsttheycouldgetnothingfromabroadfortheirspoilediron。Atthattimetheydidnotconcernthemselveswithanyforeigntrade,butonlywithwar。
Leadandtinhavethesamedisadvantageofbulkasironandareconsumablebyfire,butincaseofneedtheywouldnotdobadlyforexchangeifcopperwerenotmoresuitableanddurable。
CopperaloneservedasmoneytotheRomansuntil484yearsafterthefoundingofRome,andinSwedenitisstillusedeveninlargepayments:butitistoobulkyforveryconsiderablepayments,andtheSwedesthemselvespreferpaymentingoldorsilverratherthanincopper。
IntheAmericanColoniestobacco,sugar,andcocoahavebeenusedasmoney:butthesecommoditiesaretoobulky,perishable,andofunequalquality:theyarethereforehardlysuitabletoserveasmoneyoracommonmeasureofvalue。
Goldandsilveraloneareofsmallvolume,equalgoodness,easilytransported,divisiblewithoutloss,convenienttokeep,beautifulandbrilliantinthearticlesmadeofthemanddurablealmosttoeternity。Allwhohaveusedotherarticlesasmoneyreturntotheseassoonastheycangetenoughofthemforexchange。Itisonlyinthesmallestpurchasesthatgoldandsilverareunsuitable。Goldorevensilvercoinsofthevalueofaliardoradenierwouldbetoosmalltobehandledeasily。ItissaidthattheChinese,insmalltransactions,cutofflittlepieceswithscissorsfromtheirplatesofsilver,andweighedthepieces。ButsincetheirtradewithEuropetheyhavebeguntousecopperforsuchoccasions。
Itisthennotsurprisingthatallcountrieshavearrivedatusinggoldandsilverasmoneyoracommonmeasureofvalueandcopperforsmallpayments。Utilityandneedhavedecidedthem,andnotfancyorconsent。Silverrequiresmuchlabouranddearlabourforitsproduction。Silverminersarehighlypaidbecausetheyrarelylivemorethanfiveorsixyearsatthiswork,whichcausesahighmortality:andsoalittlesilvercoincorrespondstoasmuchlandandlabourasalargecoppercoin。
Moneyorthecommonmeasureofvaluemustcorrespondinfactandrealityintermsoflandandlabourtothearticlesexchangedforit。Otherwiseitwouldhaveonlyanimaginaryvalue。Ifforexampleaprinceorarepublicgavecurrencyinthestatetosomethingwhichhadnotsucharealandinstrinsicvalue,notonlywouldtheotherstatesrefusetoacceptitonthatfootingbuttheinhabitantsthemselveswouldrejectitwhentheyperceiveditslackofrealvalue。WhentowardstheendofthefirstPunicWartheRomanswishedtogivethecopperas,weighingtwoounces,thesamevalueastheasof1poundor12ounceshadbefore,itcouldnotlongbemaintainedinexchange。Thehistoryofalltimesshewsthatwhenprinceshavedebasedtheirmoney,keepingitatthesamenominalvalue,allrawproduceandmanufacturershavegoneupinpriceinproportiontothedebasementofthecoinage。
MrLockesaysthattheconsentofmankindhasgivenitsvaluetogoldandsilver。Thiscannotbedoubtedsinceabsolutenecessityhadnoshareinit。Itisthesameconsentwhichhasgivenanddoesgiveeverydayavaluetolace,line,finecloths,copper,andothermetals。Mancouldsubsistwithoutanyofthesethings,butitmustnotbeconcludedthattheyhavebutanimaginaryvalue。Theyhaveavalueproportionabletothelandandlabourwhichenterintotheirproduction。Goldandsilver,likeothermerchandiseandrawproduce,canonlybeproducedatcostsroughlyproportionabletothevaluesetuponthem,andwhatevermanproducesbylabour,thislabourmustfurnishhismaintenance。
Itisthegreatprinciplethatonehearseverydayfromthemouthsofthehumbleclasseswhohavenopartinourspeculations,andwholivebytheirlabourortheirundertakings。
"Everybodymustlive。"
Endofthefirstpart。
PartTwoChapterOneOfBarterInPartIanattemptwasmadetoprivethattherealvalueofeverythingusedbymanisproportionatetothequantityofLandusedforitsproductionandfortheupkeepofthosewhohavefashionedit。Inthissecondpart,aftersummingupthedifferentdegreesoffertilityofthelandinseveralcountiresandthedifferentkindsofproduceitcanbringforthwithgreaterabundanceaccordingtoitsintrinsicquality,andassumingtheestablishmentoftownsandtheirmarketstofacilitatethesaleoftheseproducts,itwillbeshewnbycomparingexchangeswhichmaybemade,wineforcloth,cornforshoes,hats,etc。andbythedifficultywhichthetransportofthesedifferentproductsormerchandiseswouldinvolve,thatitwasimpossibletofixtheirrespectiveintrinsicvalue,andtherewasabsolutenecessityformantofindasubstanceeasilytransportable,notperishable,andhavingbyweightaproportionorvalueequaltothedifferentproductsandmerchandises,necessaryorconvenient。Thencearosethechoiceofgoldandsilverforlargebusinessandofcopperforsmalltraffic。
Thesemetalsarenotonlydurableandeasilytransportedbutcorrespondtotheemploymentofalargeareaoflandfortheirproduction,whichgivesthemtherealvaluedesirableinexchange。
MrLockewho,likealltheEnglishwritersonthissubject,haslookedonlytomarketprices,laysdownthatthevalueofallthingsinproportionabletotheirabundanceorscarcity,andtheabundanceorscarcityofthesilverforwhichtheyareexchanged。ItisgenerallyknownthatthepricesofproduceandmerchandisehavebeenraisedinEuropesincesogreataquantityofsilverhasbeenbroughtthitherfromtheWestIndies。
ButIconsiderthatwemustnotsupposeasageneralrulethatthemarketpricesofthingsshouldbeproportionabletotheirquantityandtothatofthesilveractuallycirculatinginoneplace,becausetheproductsandmerchandisesentawaytobesoldelsewheredonotinfluencethepriceofthosewhichremain。
If,forexample,inamarkettownwherethereistwiceasmuchcornasisconsumedthere,wecomparedthewholequantityofcorntothatofsilver,thecornwouldbemoreabundantofcorntothatofsilver,thecornwouldbemoreabundantinproportionthanthesilverdestinedforitspurchase;themarketprice,however,willbemaintainedjustasiftherewereonlyhalfthequantityofcorn,sincetheotherhalfcanbeandevenmustbe,sentintothecity,andthecostoftransportwillbeincludedinthecitypricewhichisalwayshigherthanthatofthetown。Butapartfromthecaseofhopingtosellinanothermarket,I
considerthatMrLocke’sideaiscorrectinthesenseofthefollowingchapter,andnototherwise。
ChapterTwoOfMarketPricesSupposethebutchersononesideandthebuyersontheother。Thepriceofmeatwillbesettledaftersomealtercations,andapoundofbeefwillbeinvaluetoapieceofsilverprettynearlyasthewholebeefofferedforsaleinthemarketistoallthesilverbroughttheretobuybeef。
Thisproportioniscomeatbybargaining。Thebutcherkeepsuphispriceaccordingtothenumberofbuyershesees;thebuyers,ontheirside,offerlessaccordingastheythinkthebutcherwillhavelesssale:thepricesetbysomeisusuallyfollowedbyothers。Somearemorecleverinpuffinguptheirwares,otherinrunningthemdown。Thoughthismethodoffixingmarketpriceshasnoexactorgeometricalfoundation,sinceitoftendependsupontheeagernessoreasytemperamentofafewbuyersorsellers,itdoesnotseemthatitcouldbedoneinanymoreconvenientway。Itisclearthatthequantityofproduceorofmerchandiseofferedforsale,inproportiontothedemandornumberofbuyers,isthebasisonwhichisfixedoralwayssupposedtobefixedtheactualmarketprices;andthatingeneralthesepricesdonotvarymuchfromtheintrinsicvalue。
Letustakeanothercase。Severalma顃red’h魌elshavebeentoldtobuygreenpeaswhentheyfirstcomein。Onemasterhasorderedthepurchaseof10litronsfor60livres,another10
litronsfor50livres,athird10for40livresandafourth10
livresfor30livres。Iftheseordersaretobecarriedouttheremustbe40litronsofgreenpeasinthemarket。Supposethereareonly20。Thevendors,seeingmanybuyers,willkeepuptheirprices,andthebuyerswillcomeuptothepricesprescribedtothem:sothatthosewhooffer60livresfor10litronswillbethefirstserved。Thesellers,seeinglaterthatnoonewillgoabove50,willlettheother10litronsgoatthatprice。Thosewhohadordersnottoexceed40and30livreswillgoawayempty。
Ifinsteadof40litronstherewere400,notonlywouldthema顃red’h魌elsgetthenewpeasmuchbelowthesumslaiddownforthem,butthesellersinordertobepreferredonetotheotherbythefewbuyerswilllowertheirnewpeasalmosttotheirintrinsicvalue,andinthatcasemanyma顃resd’h魌elswhohadnoorderswillbuysome。
Itoftenhappensthatsellerswhoaretooobstinateinkeepinguptheirpriceinthemarket,misstheopportunityofsellingtheirproduceormerchandisetoadvantageandarelosersthereby。Italsohappensthatbystickingtotheirpricestheymaybeabletosellmoreprofitablyanotherday。
Distantmarketsmayalwayseffectthepricesofthemarketwhereoneis:ifcornisextremelydearinFranceitwillgoupinEnglandandinotherneighbouringcountries。
ChapterThreeOftheCirculationofMoneyItisthegeneralopinioninEnglandthatafarmermustmakethreerents。(1)Theprincipalandtruerentwhichhepaystotheproprietor,supposedequalinvaluetotheproduceofonethirdofhisfarm,asecondrentforhismaintenanceandthatofthemenandhorsesheemploystocultivatethefarm,andathirdwhichoughttoremainwithhimtomakehisundertakingprofitable。
ThesameideaobtainsgenerallyintheothercountriesofEurope,thoughinsome,liketheMilanesestate,thefarmergivesthelandlordhalftheproduceinsteadofathird,andmanylandlordsinallcountriestrytolettheirfarmsatthehighestrenttheycan;butwhenthisisaboveathirdoftheproducethefarmersaregenerallyverypoor。IdoubtnotthattheChineselandownerextractsfromhisfarmermorethanthreefourthsoftheproduce。
Howeverwhenafarmerhassomecapitaltocarryonthemanagementofthisfarmtheproprietorwholetshimthefarmforathirdoftheproducewillbesureofpaymentandwillbebetteroffbysuchabargainthanifhelethislandatahigherratetoabeggarlyfarmerattheriskoflosingallhisrent。Thelargerthefarmthebetteroffthefarmerwillbe。ThisisseeninEnglandwherethefarmersaregenerallymoreprosperousthaninothercountrieswherethefarmsaresmall。
TheassumptionIshallmakeinthisenquiryastothecirculationofmoneyisthatfarmersearnthreerentsandspendthethirdrentonlivingmorecomfortablyinsteadofsavingit。
Itisinfactthecasewiththegreatestnumberoffarmersinallcountries。
Alltheproduceofthecountrycomesdirectlyorindirectlyfromthehandsofthefarmersaswellasallthematerialsfromwhichcommoditiesaremade。Itisthelandwhichproduceseverythingbutfish,andeventhenthefishermenwhocatchthefishmustbemaintainedontheproduceoftheland。
Thethreerentsofthefarmermustthereforebeconsideredastheprincipalsourcesorsotospeakthemainspringofcirculationinthestate。Thefirstrentmustbepaidtothelandownerinreadymoney:forthesecondandthirdrentsreadymoneyisneededfortheiron,tin,copper,salt,sugar,clothandgenerallyallthemerchandiseofthecityconsumedinthecountry;butallthathardlyexceedsthesixthpartofthetotalorthreerents。Asforthefoodanddrinkofthecountryfolkreadymoneyisnotnecessarilytoobtainit。
Thefarmermaybrewhisbeerormakehiswinewithoutspendingcash,hecanmakehisbread,killtheoxen,sheep,pigs,etc。thatareeateninthecountry:hecanpayincorn,meatanddrinkmostofhisassistants——notonlylabourersbutcountryartisans,valuingtheproduceatthepricesofthenearestmarketsandlabourattheordinarypriceofthelocality。
Thethingsnecessarytolifearefood,cloths,andlodging。Thereisnoneedofcashtoobtainfoodinthecountry,asIhavejustexplained。Ifcoarselinenandclothsaremadethere,ifhousesarebuiltthere,asisoftendone,thelabourforallthismaybepaidinbarterbyvaluationwithoutcashbeingneeded。
Theonlycashneededinthecountryisthatfortheprincipalrentofthelandlordandforthemanufactureswhichthecountrynecessarilydrawsfromthecity,suchasknives,scissors,pins,needles,clothsforsomefarmersorotherwell-to-dopeople,thekitchenutensils,plates,andgenerallyallthatisgotfromthecity。Ihavealreadyobservedthatitisreckonedthathalftheinhabitantsofastateliveinthecities,andconsequentlythecitizensspendmorethanhalftheproduceoftheland。Cashisthereforenecessary,notonlyfortherentofthelandlord,correspondingtoonethirdoftheproduce,butalsoforthecitymerchandiseconsumedinthecountry,whichmayamounttosomethingmorethanonesixthoftheproduceofthesoil。Butonethirdandonesixthamounttohalftheproduce。Thecashcirculatinginthecountrymustthereforebeequaltoatleastonehalftheproduceoftheland,bywhichmeanstheotherhalforsomewhatlessmaybeconsumedinthecountrywithoutneedofcash。
Thecirculationofthismoneytakesplacewhenthelandlordsspendindetailinthecitytherentswhichthefarmershavepaidtheminlumpsums,andwhentheundertakersofthecities,butchers,bakers,brewers,etc。collectlittlebylittlethissamemoneytobuyfromthefarmersinlumpsumscattle,wheat,barley,etc。Inthiswayallthelargesumsofmoneyaredistributedinsmallamounts,andallthesmallamountsarethencollectedtomakepaymentsinlargeamounts,directlyorindirectly,tothefarmers,andthismoneylargeorsmallalwayspassesinreturnforservices。
WhenIstatedthatforthecountrycirculationthereisneededaquantityofmoneyoftenequalinvaluetohalftheproduceoftheland,thisistheminimum;andinorderthatthecountrycirculationshouldbeeasilyconductedIwillsupposethatthereadycashwhichconductsthecirculationofthethreerents,isequalinvaluetotwooftheserents,ortwothirdsoftheproduceoftheland。Itwillbeseenlaterthatthissuppositionisnotfarfromthetruth。
Letusnowimaginethatthemoneywhichconductsthewholecirculationofalittlestateisequalto10,000ouncesofsilver,andthatallthepaymentsmadewiththismoney,countrytocity,andcitytocountry,aremadeonceayear;andthatthese10,000ouncesofsilverareequalinvaluetotwooftherentsofthefarmersortwothirdsoftheproduceoftheland。
Therentsofthelandlordswillcorrespondto5000ounces,andthewholecirculationoftheremainingsilverbetweenthecountrypeopleandthecitizens,madebyannualpayments,willcorrespondalsoto5000ounces。
Butifthelandlordsstipulatewiththeirfarmersforhalfyearlyinsteadofyearlypayments,andifthedebtorsofthetwootherrentsalsomaketheirpaymentseverysixmonths,thiswillaltertherapidityofcirculation:andwhereas10,000ounceswereneededtomaketheannualpayments,only5000willnowberequired,since5000ouncespaidtwiceoverwillhavethesameeffectas10,000ouncespaidonce。
Furtherifthelandlordsstipulatewiththeirfarmersforquarterlypayments,oriftheyaresatisfiedtoreceivetheirrentsfromthefarmersaccordingasthefourseasonsoftheyearenablethemtoselltheirproduce,andifallotherpaymentsaremadequarterly,only2500ounceswillbeneededforthesamecirculationwhichwouldhavebeenconductedby10,000ouncespaidonceayear。Therefore,supposingallpaymentsmadequarterlyinthelittlestateinquestion,theproportionofthevalueofthemoneyneededforthecirculationistotheannualproduceofthesoil(orthethreerents),as2500livresisto15,000livres,oras1to6,sothatthemoneywouldcorrespondtothesixthpartoftheannualproduce。
Butseeingthateachbranchofthecirculationinthecitiesiscarriedoutbyundertakers,thattheconsumptionoffoodismetbydaily,weeklyormonthlypayments,andthatpaymentfortheclothingpurchasedonceortwiceayearbyfamiliesismadeatdifferenttimesbydifferentpeople;andwhereastheexpenditureondrinkisusuallymadedaily,thatonsmallbeer,coal,andathousandotherarticlesofconsumptionisveryprompt,itwouldseemthattheproportionwehaveestablishedforquarterlypaymentswouldbetoohighandthatthecirculationofalandproduceof15,000ouncesofsilverinvaluecouldbeconductedwithmuchlessthan2500ouncesofsilverinreadymoney。
AshoweverthefarmershavetomakelargepaymentstothelandlordsatleasteveryquarterandthetaxeswhichtheprinceorthestatecollectsuponconsumptionareaccumulatedbythecollectorstomakelargepaymentstotheReceivers-General,theremustbeenoughreadycashincirculationtomaketheselargepaymentswithoutdifficulty,withouthinderingthecirculationofcurrencyforthefoodandclothingofthepeople。
Itwillbeseenfromthisthattheproportionoftheamountofmoneyneededforcirculationinastateisnotincomprehensible,andthatthisamountmaybegreaterorlessinastateaccordingtothemodeoflivingandtherapidityofpayments。Butitisverydifficulttolaydownanythingdefiniteasregardsthisquantityingeneral,astheproportionmaydifferindifferentcountries,anditisonlyconjecturalwhenIsaythat"therealcashormoneynecessarytocarryonthecirculationandexchangeinastateisaboutequalinvaluetoonethirdofalltheannualrentsoftheproprietorsofthesaidstate。"
Supposingthemoneyincirculationequaltothethirdofalltherentsofthelandownersandtheserentsequaltothethirdoftheannualproduceoftheland,itfollowsthat"themoneycirculatinginastateisequalinvaluetotheninthpartofalltheannualproduceofthesoil。"
SirWilliamPetty,inamanuscriptof1685,supposesfrequentlythatthemoneyincirculationisequaltoonetenthoftheproduceofthesoil。Hegivesnoreason。IsupposeitisanopinionwhichheformedfromexperienceandfromhispracticalknowledgebothofthemoneycirculatinginIreland(agreatpartofthelandofwhichcountryhehadmeasuredasasurveyor)andoftheproducewhichheestimatedroughlyfromobservation。Iamnotfarremovedfromhisconclusiontothelandlords’rentswhichareordinarilypaidinmoneyandeasilyascertainablebyauniformlandtax,ratherthantotheproductsofthesoil,thepricesofwhichvarydailyinthemarkets,andalargepartofwhichisconsumedwithoutenteringintothemarket。InthenextchapterIshallgiveseveralreasons,supportedbyexamples,toconfirmmyconclusion。Ithinkituseful,evenifnotmathematicallyexactineachcountry。Itisenoughifitisnearthetruthandifitpreventsthegovernorsofstatesfromformingextravagantideasoftheamountofmoneyincirculation。Thereisnobranchofknowledgeinwhichoneismoresubjecttoerrorthanstatisticswhentheyarelefttoimagination,andnonemoredemonstrablewhentheyarebasedupondetailedfacts。
Somecitiesandstateswhichhavenolandbelongingtothemsubsistbyexchangingtheirlabourormanufacturesfortheproduceofthelandofothers。SuchareHamburg,Dantzig,severalothercitiesoftheEmpire,andevenpartofHolland。Inthesestatesitseemsmoredifficulttoestimatethecirculation。Butifwecouldestimatetheamountofforeignlandwhichfurnishestheirsubsistence,thecalculationwouldprobablynotdifferfromthatIhavemadefortheotherstateswhichlivechieflyontheirownproduceandarethesubjectofthisessay。
Astothecashneededtocarryonforeigntradeitseemsthatnomoreisrequiredthanwhatisincirculationinthestatewhenthebalanceofforeigntradeisequal,thatiswhentheproductsandmerchandisesentabroadareequalinvaluetothoseimported。