treatise on taxes and contributions-第11章

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　as　much　Commodity；　as　by　all　endeavour　was　possible；　then　what　is　wanting　must　be　brought　from　a　far；　and　that　which　is　near；　advanced　in　price　accordingly；　or　if　by　the　said　Shires　by　greater　labour　then　now　is　used；　（as　by　digging　instead　of　Ploughing；　setting　instead　of　sowing；　picking　of　choice　feed　instead　of　taking　it　promiscuously；　steeping　it　instead　of　using　it　wholly　unprepared；　and　manuring　the　ground　with　salt　instead　of　rotten　straw；　etc。）　then　will　the　Rent　be　as　much　more　advanced；　as　the　excess　of　encrease　exceeds　that　of　labour。　　　　　15。　Now　the　price　of　labour　must　be　certain；　（as　we　see　it　made　by　the　Statutes　which　limit　the　day　wages　of　several　work　men；）　the　non…observance　of　which　Laws；　and　the　not　adapting　them　to　the　change　of　times；　is　by　the　way　very　dangerous；　and　confusive　to　all　endeavours　of　bettering　the　Trade　of　Nation。　　　　　16。　Moreover；　the　touchstone　to　try　whether　it　be　better　to　use　those　improvements　or　not；　is　to　examine　whether　the　labour　of　fetching　these　things　even　from　the　places　where　they　grow　wilde；　or　with　less　Culture；　be　not　less　then　that　of　the　said　improvements。　　　　　17。　Against　all　this　will　be　objected；　that　these　computations　are　very　hard　if　not　impossible　to　make；　to　which　I　answer　onely　this；　that　are　so；　especially　if　none　will　trouble　their　hands　or　heads　to　make　them；　or　give　authority　for　so　doing：　But　withall；　I　say；　that　until　this　be　done；　Trade　will　be　too　conjectural　a　work　for　any　man　to　employ　his　thoughts　about；　for　it　will　be　the　same　wisdom　in　order　to　win　with　fair　Dice；　to　spend　much　time　in　considering　how　to　hold　them；　how　much　to　shake　them；　and　how　hard　to　throw　them；　and　on　what　angles　they　should　hit　the　side　of　the　Tables；　as　to　consider　how　to　advance　the　Trade　of　this　Nation；　where　at　present　particular　men　get　from　their　neighbours　（not　from　the　earth　and　sea）　rather　by　hit　then　wit；　and　by　the　false　opinions　of　others；　rather　then　their　own　judgements；　Credit　every　where；　but　chiefly　in　London；　being　become　a　meer　conceit；　that　a　man　is　responsible　or　not；　without　any　certain　knowledge　of　his　Wealth　or　true　Estate。　Whereas　I　think　the　nature　of　credit　should　be　limited　onely　to　an　opinion　of　a　mans　faculites　to　get　by　his　art　and　industry。　The　way　of　knowing　his　Estate　being　to　be　made　certain；　and　the　way　of　making　him　pay　what　he　owes　to　the　utmost　of　his　ability；　being　to　be　expected　from　the　good　execution　of　our　Laws。　　　　　18。　I　should　here　enlarge　upon　a　Paradox；　to　prove　that　if　every　mans　Estate　could　be　alwayes　read　in　his　forehead；　our　Trade　would　much　be　advanced　thereby；　although　the　poorer　ambitious　man　be　commonly　the　more　industrious。　But　of　this　elsewhere。　　　　　19。　The　next　objection　against　this　so　exact　computation　of　the　Rents　and　works　of　lands；etc。　is；　that　the　Sovereign　would　know　too　exactly　every　mans　Estate；　to　which　I　answer；　that　if　the　Charge　of　the　Nation　be　brough　as　low　as　it　may　be；　（which　depends　much　upon　the　people　in　Parliament　to　do）　and　if　the　people　be　willing　and　ready　to　pay；　and　if　care　be　taken；　that　although　they　have　not　ready　money；　the　credit　of　their　Lands　and　Goods　shall　be　as　good；　and　lastly；　that　it　would　be　a　great　discommodity　to　the　Prince　to　take　more　then　he　needs；　as　was　proved　before；　where　is　the　evil　of　this　so　exact　knowledge？　And　as　for　the　proportion　of　every　Contributor；　why　should　any　man　hope　or　accept　to　ease　himself　by　his　craft　and　interest　in　a　confusion？　or　why　should　he　not　fear；　though　he　may　be　advantaged　this　time　to　suffer　in　the　next。

Chapter　6

Of　Customs　and　Free　Ports

　　　　Custom　is　a　Contribution　of　Excisium　out　of　Goods　sent　out　or　imported　into　the　Princes　Dominions：　In　these　Countreys　of　a　twentieth　part　not　according　to　the　Prices　currant　among　Merchants　of　each　respective　Commodity；　but　according　to　other　standing　Rates　set　by　the　State；　though　advised　for　the　most　part　by　concerned　Persons。　　　　　2。　I　cannot　well　imagine　what　should　be　the　natural　Reasons；　why　a　Prince　should　be　paid　this　duty　inward　and　outward　both；　there　seems　indeed　to　be　some；　why　he　should　be　paid　for　indulging　the　Exportation　of　some　such　things　as　other　Countreys　do　really　want。　　　　　3。　Wherefore　I　think；　that　Customs　at　the　first　were　a　praemium　allowed　the　Prince　for　protecting　the　Carriage　of　Goods　both　inward　and　outward　from　the　Pyrats；　and　this　I　should　verily　believe；　if　the　Prince　were　bound　to　make　good　losses　of　that　kinde。　And　I　thought　that　the　proportion　of　five　pound　per　cent　was　pitched　upon　computation；　that　the　Merchants　before　the　said　undertaking　and　compostion；　had　usually　lost　more　by　Pyracy：　And　finally；　that　the　Customs　had　been　an　ensurance　upon　losses　by　enemies；　as　the　ensurance　now　usual；　is　of　the　casualities　of　sea；　winde；　weather；　and　Vessel；　or　altogether；　or　like　the　ensurance　in　some　Countreys　of　Houses　from　Fires　for　a　certain　small　part　of　their　yearly　Rent。　But　be　it　what　it　will；　it　is　anciently　established　by　Law；　and　ought　to　be　paid　until　it　shall　be　abolished。　Onely　I　take　leave　as　an　idle　Philosopher　to　discourse　upon　the　Nature　and　Measures　of　it。　　　　　4。　The　Measures　of　Customs　outwards　may　be　such；　as　after　reasonable　proft　to　the　Exporter　will　leave　such　of　our　own　Commodities　as　are　necessary　to　Forreigners　somewhat　cheaper　unto　them　then　they　can　be　had　from　elsewhere。　　　　　As　for　example；　Tin　is　a　Native　Commodity；　which　governs　the　Market；　that　is；　there　is　none　so　good　and　so　easie　to　be　had　and　exported。　　　　　Now　suppose　Tin　might　be　made　in　Cornwall　for　four　pence　the　pound；　and　that　the　same　would　yield　twelve　pence　at　the　nearest　part　in　France；　I　say；　that　this　extraordinary　profit　ought　to　be　esteemed　as　a　Mine　Royal；　Tresor　Trouve；　and　the　Sovereign　ought　to　have　his　share　in　it：　Which　he　will　have；　by　imposing　so　great　a　duty　upon　Tin　Exported；　as　on　one　side　may　leave　a　subsistence　to　the　Workmen；　（and　no　more）　with　a　competent　profit　to　the　owners　of　the　ground；　and　on　the　other　side；　may　leave　the　price　abroad　less　then　that　for　which　Tin　may　be　had　from　any　other　place。　　　　　5。　The　same　Imposition　might　also　be　made　on　the　Tin　spent　at　home；　unless　it　be　as　impossible　so　to　do；　as　for　the　King　of　France　to　impose　the　Gabel　upon　Salt　in　the　very　place　where　it　is　made。　　　　　6。　But　it　is　observed；　that　such　high　duties　make　men　endeavour　not　to　enter　any　such　Goods　at　all；　or　pay　for　them；　provided　the　charge　of　smuckling　and　bribing；　with　the　hazzard　of　being　seized　do　not　communibus　vicibus　exceed　the　Duty。　　　　　7。　Wherefore　the　Measures　of　this　Nature　are；　that　it　be　more　easie；　safe　and　profitable　for　men　to　keep　the　Law；　then　to　break　it；　unless　it　be　in　such　cases；　where　the　Magistrate　can　with　certainty　execute　the　Law。　As　for　example；　it　would　be　hard　to　save　the　Duties　upon　Horses　shipped　at　a　small　Port；　without　adjacent　Creeks；　and　that　but　some　certain　two　hours　every　Tide；　forasmuch　as　Horses　cannot　be　disguised；　put　up　in　bags　or　cask；　or　shipped　without　noise　and　the　help　of　many　hands。　　　　　8。　The　Measures　of　Customs　upon　imported　Commodities　are；　I。　That　all　things　ready　and　ripe　for　consumption　may　be　made　somewhat　dearer　then　the　same　things　grown　or　made　at　home；　if　the　same　be　feasible　caeteris　talibus。　　　　　2。