some considerations of the lowering of interest-第31章

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mination。　Whereas；　would　they　look　into　those　Discourses；　enquire　what　meaning　their　Words　have；　they　would　find；　for　the　most　part；　either　their　Positions　to　be　false；　their　Deductions　to　be　wrong；　or　（which　often　happens）　their　words　to　have　no　distinct　meaning　at　all。　Where　none　of　these　be；　there　their　plain；　true；　honest　Sense；　would　prove　very　easie　and　intelligible；　if　express'd　in　ordinary　and　direct　Language。　　　　　That　this　is　so；　I　shall　shew；　by　examining　a　Printed　Sheet　on　this　Subject；　Intituled；　Remarks　on　a　Paper　given　in　to　the　Lords；　&c。　　　　　Remarks。　'Tis　certain；　That　what　place　soever　will　give　most　for　Silver　by　weight；　it　will　thither　be　carried　and　Sold：　And　if　of　the　Money　which　now　passes　in　England；　there　can　be　5　s。　5　d。　the　Ounce；　given　for　Standard　Silver　at　the　Mint；　when　but　5　s。　4　d。　ofthe　very　same　Money　can　be　given　elsewhere　for　it；　it　will　be　certainly　brought　to　the　Mint；　and　when　Coin'd；　cannot　be　Sold；　（having　one　Penny　over…value　set　upon　it　by　the　Ounce）　for　the　same　that　other　Plate　may　be　bought　for；　so　will　be　left　unmelted；　at　least；　'twill　be　the　Interest　of　any　Exporters；　to　buy　Plate　to　send　out；　before　Money；　whereas　now　'tis　his　Interest　to　buy　Money　to　send　out　before　Plate。　　　　　Answ。　The　Author　would　do　well　to　make　it　intelligible；　how；　of　the　Money　that　now　passes　in　England；　at　the　Mint　can　be　given　5　s。　5　d。　the　Ounce；　for　Standard　Silver；　when　but　5　s。　4　d。　of　the　same　Money　can　be　given　elsewhere　for　it。　Next；　How　it　has　one　Penny　over…value　set　wpon　it　by　the　Ounce；　So　that；　When　Coin'd　it　cannot　be　Sold？　This；　to　an　ordinary　Reader；　looks　very　Mysterious；　and；　I　fear；　is　so；　as　either　signifying　nothing　at　all；　or　nothing　that　will　hold。　For；　　　　　1。　I　ask　who　is　it　at　the　Mint；　that　can　give　5　s。　5d。　per　Ounce；　for　Standard　Silver；　when　no　body　else　can　give　above　5　s。　4　d。？　Is　it　the　king；　or　is　it　the　Master　Worker；　or　any　ofthe　Officers？　For　to　give　5　s。　5　d。　for　what　will　yield　but　5　s　4　d。　to　any　body　else；　is　to　give　One　sixty　fifth　part　more　than　it　is　worth。　For　so　much　every　thing　is　worth；　as　it　will　yield。　And　I　do　not　see　how　this　can　turn　to　account　to　the　king；　or　be　born　by　any　body　else。　　　　　2。　I　ask；　How　a　Penny　over…value　can　be　set　upon　it　by　the　Ounce；　so　that　it　cannot　be　sold？　This　is　so　Mysterious　that　I　think　it　near　impossible。　For　an　equal　quantity　of　Standard　Silver　will　always　be　just　worth　an　equal　quantity　of　Standard　Silver。　And　it　is　utterly　impossible　to　make　64　parts　of　Standard　Silver　equal　to；　or　worth　65　parts　of　the　same　Standard　Silver；　which　is　meant　by　setting　a　Penny　over…value　upon　it　by　the　Ounce；　if　that　has　any　meaning　at　all。　Indeed；　by　the　Workmanship　of　it；　64　Ounces　of　Standard　Silver　may　be　made　not　only　worth　65　Ounces；　but　70　or　80。　But　the　Coinage；　which　is　all　the　Workmanship　here；　being　paid　for　by　a　Tax；　I　do　not　see　how　that　can　be　reckon'd　at　all：　Or　if　it　be；　it　must　raise　every　5　s。　and　4　d。　Coin'd；　to　above　5　s。　5　d。　If　I　carry　64　Ounces　of　Standard　Silver　in　Bullion　to　the　Mint；　to　be　Coin'd；　shall　I　not　have　just　64　Ounces　back　again　for　it　in　Coin？　And　if　so；　Can　these　64　Ounces　of　Coin'd　Standard　Silver；　be　possibly　made　worth　65　Ounces　of　the　same　Standard　Silver　uncoin'd；　when　they　cost　me　no　more；　and　I　can；　for　barely　going　to　the　Mint；　have　64　Ounces　of　Standard　Silver　in　Bullion　turned　into　Coin？　Cheapness　of　Coinage　in　England；　where　it　costs　nothing；　will；　indeed；　make　Money　be　sooner　brought　to　the　Mint；　than　any　where　else：　because　there　I　have　the　convenience　of　having　it　made　into　Money　for　nothing。　But　this　will　no　more　keep　it　in　England；　than　if　it　were　perfect　Bullion。　Nor　will　it　hinder　it　from　being　melted　down；　because　it　cost　no　more　in　Coin　than　in　Bullion：　And　this　equally；　whether　your　Pieces；　of　the　same　Denomination；　be　lighter；　heavier；　or　just　as　they　were　before。　This　being　explain'd；　'will　be　easie　to　see；　whether　the　other　things；　said　in　the　same　Paragraph；　be　true　or　false；　and　particularly；　whether　'twill　be　the　Interest　of　every　Exporter；　to　buy　Plate　to　send　out　before　Money。　　　　　Remark。　'Tis　only　barely　asserted；　That　if　Silver　be　raised　at　the　Mint；　That　'twill　rise　elsewhere　above　it；　but　can　never　be　known　till　it　be　tried。　　　　　Answ。　The　Author　tells　us　in　the　last　Paragraph；　That　Silver　that　is　worth　but　5　s。　2　d。　per　Ounce　at　the　Mint；　is　worth　5　s。　4　d。　elsewhere。　This；　how　true；　or　what　inconvenience　it　hath；　I　will　not　here　examine。　But　be　the　Inconvenience　of　it　what　it　will；　this　raising　the　Money　he　proposes　as　a　Remedy：　And　to　those　who　say；　upon　raising　our　Money　Silver　will　rise　too；　he　makes　this　Answer；　That　it　can　never　be　known；　whether　it　will　Or　no；　till　it　be　tried。　To　which　I　reply；　That　it　may　be　known　as　certainly；　without　Trial；　as　it　can；　That　two　Pieces　of　Silver；　that　weighed　equally　yesterday；　will　weigh　equally　again　to　morrow　in　the　same　Scales。　　　　　There　is　Silver　（says　our　Author）　whereof　an　Ounce　（i。e。　480　Grains）　will　change　for　5　s。　4　d。　（i。e。　496　Grains）　of　our　Standard　Silver　Coin'd。　To　morrow　you　Coin　your　Money　lighter；　so　that　then　5　s。　4　d。　will　have　but　472　Grains　of　Coin'd　Standard　Silver　in　it。　Can　it　not　then　be　known；　without　Trial；　whether　that　Ounce　of　Silver；　which　to　day　will　change　for　496　Grains　of　Standard　Silver　Coin'd；　will　change　to　morrow　but　for　472　Grains　of　the　same　Standard　Silver　Coin'd？　Or　can　any　one　imagine　that　480　Grains　of　the　same　Silver　which　to　day　are　worth　496　Grains　of　our　Coin'd　Silver；　will　to　morrow　be　worth　but　472　Grains　of　the　same　Silver；　a　little　differently　Coin'd？　He　that　can　have　a　Doubt　about　this　till　it　be　tried；　may　as　well　demand　a　Trial　to　be　made；　to　prove；　That　the　same　thing　is　equiponderant；　or　equivalent　to　it　self。　For　I　think　it　is　as　clear；　That　472　Grains　of　Silver　are　equiponderant　to　496　Grains　of　Silver；　as　that　an　Ounce　of　Silver；　that　is　to　day　worth　496　Grains　of　Standard　Silver；　should　to　morrow　be　worth　but　472　Grains　of　the　same　Standard　Silver；　all　Circumstances　remaining　the　same；　but　the　different　Weight　of　the　Pieces　stamp'd：　which　is　that　our　Author　asserts；　when　he　savs；　That　'tis　only　barely　asserted；　&c。　What　has　been　said　to　this；　may　serve　also　for　an　Answer　to　the　next　Paragraph。　Only　I　desire　it　may　be　taken　notice　of；　That　the　Author　seems　to　insinuate　that　Silver　goes　not　in　England；　as　in　Foreign　Parts；　by　Weight：　Which　is　a　very　dangerous　as　well　as　false　Position；　and　which；　if　allowed；　may　let　into　our　Mint　what　Corruption　and　Debasing　of　our　Money　one　pleases。　　　　　Remark。　That　Our　Trade　hath　heretofore　furnished　us　with　an　Overplus；　brought　home　in　Gold　and　Silver；　is　true；　But　that　we　bring　home　from　any　place　more　Goods　than　we　now　Export　to　it；　I　do　not　conceive　to　be　so。　And　more　Goods　might　be　sent　to　those　parts；　but　by　reason　of　the　great　value　of　Silver　in　this　part　of　the　World；　more　Money　is　to　be　got　by　Exporting　Silver；　than　by　any　other　thing　that　can　be　sent；　and　that　is　the　reason　ofit。　And　for　its　being　melted　down；　and　sent　out；　because　it　is　so　heavy；　is　not　by　their　Paper　denied。　　　　　Answ。　That　we　bring　home　from　any　place　more　Goods　than　we　now　export；　（The　Author　tells　us）　he　doth　not　conceive。　　　　　Would　he　had　told　us　a　Reaso