treatise on taxes and contributions-第15节

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y　shift；　without　intention　of　continuing　it。　　　　　16。　The　third　inconvenience　is；　that　abovementioned；　viz。　the　necessity　of　another　way　of　Tax；　to　take　in　the　Manufactures　of　those　Commodities　which　pay　the　Tax　of　Tythes；　whereas　possibly　there　is　a　way　of　Tax　equal　in　its　own　nature；　and　which　needs　not　to　be　pieced　up　by　any　other；　so　as　the　Officers　about　that　may　have　a　full　employment；　and　none　others　wanted；　whose　wide　intervals　of　leasure　shall　make　them　seem　Drones；　as　they　are　also　the　Caterpillars　of　any　State。

Chapter　13

Of　Several　smaller　wayes　of　levying　Money

　　　　When　the　people　are　weary　of　any　one　sort　of　Tax；　presently　some　Projector　propounds　another；　and　gets　himself　audience；　by　affirming　he　can　propound　a　way　how　all　the　publick　charge　may　be　born　without　the　way　that　is。　As　for　example；　if　a　Land…tax　be　the　present　distasted　way；　and　the　people　weary　of　it；　then　he　offers　to　do　the　business　without　such　a　Land…tax；　and　propound　either　a　Poll…money；　Excize；　or　the　institution　of　some　new　Office　or　Monopoly；　and　hereby　draws　some　or　other　to　hearken　to　him；　which　is　readily　enough　done　by　those　who　are　not　in　the　places　of　profit　relating　to　the　way　of　Levies　in　use；　but　hope　to　make　themselves　Offices　in　the　new　Institution。　　　　　2。　I　shall　enumerate　a　few　of　the　smaller　wayes　which　I　have　observed　in　several　places　of　Europe；　viz。　　　　　First；　in　some　places　the　State　is　common　Cashier　for　all　or　most　moneys；　as　where　Banks　are；　thereby　gaining　the　interest　of　as　much　money　as　is　deposited　in　their　hands。　　　　　Secondly；　Sometimes　the　State　is　the　common　Usurer；　as　where　Loan　Banks；　and　montes　pietatis　are　in　use；　and　might　be　more　copiously　and　effectively　where　Registers　of　Lands　are　kept。　　　　　Thirdly；　Sometimes　the　State　is　or　may　be　Common　Ensurer；　either　upon　the　danger　onely　of　Enemies　at　sea；　according　to　the　supposed　primitive　end　of　our　Customs　in　England；　or　else　of　the　casualties　of　the　Enemy；　Weather；　Sea；　and　Vessel　taken　together。　　　　　Fourly；　Sometimes　the　State　hath　the　whole　sale　and　benefit　of　certain　Commodities；　as　of　Amber　in　the　Duke　of　Brandenburghs　Countrey；　Tobacco　formerly　in　Ireland；　Salt　in　France；　etc。　　　　　Fifthy；　Sometimes　the　State　is　common　Beggar；　as　'tis　almost　in　Holland；　where　particular　Charity　seems　only　to　serve　for　the　relief　of　concealed　wants；　and　to　save　these　wanting　from　the　shame　of　discovering　their　poverty；　and　not　so　much　to　relieve　any　wants　that　are　declared；　and　already　publickly　known。　　　　　Sixthly；　In　some　places　the　State　is　the　sole　Guardian　of　Minors；　Lunaticks；　and　Idiots。　　　　　Seventhly；　In　some　other　Countreys　the　State　sets　up　and　maintains　play…houses；　and　public　Entertainments；　giving　Sallaries　to　the　Actors；　but　receiving　the　bulk　of　the　profit　to　themselves。　　　　　Eightly；　In　some　places　Houses　are　ensured　fromfire　by　the　State　at　a　small　Rent　per　annum　upon　each。　　　　　Ninthly；　In　some　places　Tolls　are　taken　upon　passage　over　Bridges；　Causeys；　and　Ferries　built　and　maintained　at　the　Publick　Charge。　　　　　Tenthly；　In　some　places　men　that　dye　are　obliged　leave　a　certain　pittance　to　the　publick；　the　same　is　practised　in　other　places　upon　Marriages；　and　may　be　in　others　upon　Births。　　　　　Eleventhly；　In　some　places　strangers　expecially　Jews；　are　particularly　taxed；　which　may　be　good　in　over…peopled　Countreys；　though　bad　in　the　contrary　case。　　　　　3。　As　for　Jews；　they　may　well　bear　somewhat　extraordinary；　because　they　seldom　eat　and　drink　with　Christians；　hold　it　no　disparagement　to　live　frugally；　and　even　sordidly　among　themselves；　by　which　way　alone　they　become　able　to　under…sell　any　other　Traders；　to　elude　the　Excize；　which　bears　but　according　to　mens　expences；　as　also　other　Duties；　by　dealing　so　much　in　Bills　of　Exchange；　Jewels；　and　Money；　and　by　practising　of　several　frauds　with　more　impunity　then　others；　for　by　their　being　at　home　every　where；　and　yet　no　where　they　become　responsible　almost　for　nothing。　　　　　4。　Twelfthly；　There　have　been　in　our　times；　wayes　of　levying　an　aliquot　part　of　mens　Estates；　as　a　Fifth；　and　Twentieth；　viz。　of　their　Estates　real　and　personal；　yea　of　their　Offices；　Faculties；　and　imaginary　Estates　also；　in　and　about　which　way　may　be　so　much　fraud；　collusion；　oppresion；　and　trouble；　some　purposely　getting　themselves　taxed　to　gain　more　trust；　Others　bribing　to　be　taxed　low；　and　it　being　impossible　to　check　or　examine　or　trace　these　Collections　by　the　print　of　any　foot…steps　they　leave　（such　as　the　Harths　of　Chimneys　are）　that　I　have　not　patience　to　speak　more　against　it；　daring　rather　conclude　without　much　ado；　in　the　words　of　our　Comick　to　be　naught；　yea　exceeding　naught；　very　abominable；　and　not　good。

Chapter　14

Of　raising；　depressing；　or　embasing　of　Money

　　　　Sometimes　it　hath　hapned；　that　States　（I　know　not　by　what　raw　advice）　have　raised　or　embased　their　money；　hoping　thereby；　as　it　were；　to　multiply　it；　and　make　it　pass　for　more　then　it　did　before；　that　is；　to　purchase　more　commodity　or　labour　with　it：　All　which　indeed　and　in　truth；　amounts　to　no　more　then　a　Tax；　upon　such　People　unto　whom　the　State　is　indebted；　or　a　defalkation　of　what　is　due；　as　also　the　like　burthen　upon　all　that　live　upon　Pensions；　established　Rents；　Annuities；　Fees；　Gratuities；　etc。　　　　　2；　To　explain　this　fully；　one　might　lanch　out　into　the　deep　Ocean　of　all　the　Mysteries　concerning　Money；　which　is　done　for　other　ends　elsewhere；　nevertheless　I　shall　do　it　the　best　I　can；　by　expounding　the　reasons　pro　&　contra　for　embasing　and　raising　of　Money：　and　first　of　embasing。　　　　　3。　Copper　or　Tin　Money　mad　ad　valorem　in　its　matter；　is　no　embasing；　the　same　being　onely　cumbersom　and　baser　then　silver　money；　onely　because　less　convenient　and　portable。　　　　　And　Copper　money　ad　valorem　in　workmanship　and　matter　both　together；　（such　as　on　which　the　Effigies　and　Scutcheon　are　so　curiously　graven　and　impressed；　as　the　moneys　seem　rather　a　Medal。）　is　not　embasing；　unless　the　numbers　of　such　pieces　be　excessive；　（the　measures　whereof　I　shall　not　set　down；　until　I　shall　hereafter　propound　the　fittest　Sections　of　the　abstracted　pound　into　which　I　would　have　money　coyned；　and　determine　how　many　pieces　of　each　Section　should　be　in　an　hundred　pound）　for　in　case　of　such　excess；　the　workmanship　being　of　no　other　use　but　to　look　upon；　becomes　base　by　its　being　too　common。　　　　　4。　Nor　are　such　Tokens　base　as　are　coyned　for　Exchange　in　retailing　by　particular　men；　（if　such　men　be　responsible　and　able　to　take　them　back；and　give　Silver　for　them。）　　　　　5。　But　that　Gold　I　count　to　be　embased；　which　hath　more　ally　either　of　Copper　or　Silver　in　it；　then　serves　to　correct　its　too　great　natural　softness　and　flexibility；　whereby　it　wears　too　fast　in　Money：　And　that　Silver　I　reckon　also　embased；　wherein　is　commixed　more　Copper　then　will　sufficeintly　toughen　it；　and　save　it　from　cracking　under　the　Hammer；　Press；　or　Mill　that　must　coin　it；　or　the　like。　　　　　6。　Base　Money　is　therefore　such　as　Ductch　Shillings；　Stivers；　French　Soulz；　Irish　Bon…galls；　etc。　and　for　the　most　part　considting　great　pieces；though　of　small　value。　To　answer　the　first　reason　or　pretence　of　making　them；　which　is；　that　the　said　Pieces　might　be　more　bulky；　handleable；　and　the　silver　in　them　less　apt　to　be　lost　or　worn　away。　　　　　7。　The　other　reason　（besides　that　of　allay　which　we　must　allow　in　the　Measures　abovementioned）　is　to　save　it　from　being　melted　down　by　Goldsmiths　and　Bullioners；　or　exported　by　strangers；　neither　of　which　can　happen　but　to　their　loss：　for　suppose　a　Stiver　of　two　pence　had　a　penny　of　pure　silver；　if　the　Bullioner　melts　it　for　the　sake　of　the　silver　onely；　in　the　separation　he　shall　lose　the　Copper　and　charge　of　refining　the　Silver；　nor　will　strangers　export　it　into　places　where　the　local　value　of　the　Piece　perisheth；　the　intrinsick　leaving　him　to　loss。　　　　　8。　Secondly；　In　case　samll　pieces　of　this　Money；　viz。　pieces　of　two　pence　should　happen　to　be　raised　or　depressed　twelve；　fifteen；　or　sixteen　per　cent　then　there　will　be　a　certain　loss　by　reason　of　the　fractions；　which　the　vulgar　cannot　reckon。　As　for　example；　if　such　Money　were　depressed　but　ten；　eleven　or　twelve　per　cent　then　the　two　pence　piece　would　be　worth　but　three　half　pence；　which　is　twenty　five　per　cent　and　so　of　other　proportions。　　　　　9。　Thirdly；　In　case　the　Inconvenience　of　this　Money　should　be　so　great　as　to　necissitate　a　new　Coinage　of　it；　then　will　happen　all　the　losses　we　mentioned　before　in　melting　it　down　by　Bullioners。　　　　　10　Fourthly；　If　the　two　pence　piece　contained　but　1/8th　part　of　the　Silver　usually　in　a　shilling；　then　Dealers　would　have　fifteen　pence　paid　in　this　money　for　the　same　Commodity；　for　which　they　would　take　a　shilling　in　Standard　Silver。　　　　　11。　Raising　of　Money　is　either　the　cutting　the　pound　Troy　of　Standard　Silver　into　more　pieces　then　formerly；　as　into　above　sixty；　whereas　heretofore　the　same　was　made　but　into　twenty；　and　yet　both　sorts　called　shillings；　or　else　calling　the　money　already　made　by　higher　names：　The　reasons　or　pretences　given　for　such　raising　are　these；　viz。　That　the　raising　of　Money　will　bring　it　in；　and　the　material　thereof　more　plentifully；　for　trial　whereof　suppose　one　shilling　were　proclaimed；　for　trial　whereof　suppose　one　shilling　were　proclaimed　to　be　worth　two　what　other　effect　could　this　h