第41章

Again, if it were true, as this Objection suggests, that we have already so much Land in Use, as makes the Plenty so great, as to reduce the Price of the Produce so low, that the landlords can get no Rent for the lands; yet if it can be made appear (as Ithink by what I have said in this Essay it doth) that more Land is wanted to give full Employment to all the People, and thereby to supply their reasonable Wants, it will follow, whether Gentlemen can or cannot get any Rent for their Lands, that the People have a just and reasonable Right to have so much more Land put to Use, as shall be needful and sufficient to give them full Employment, and subsist them comfortably; because every Person is, by Nature, as much intitled to all the Land he can cultivate and use, as he is to the Air in which he breathes: For he can no more live without cultivating the Ground to supply his Wants, than he can breathe without Air. And therefore, since Mankind are all by Nature born equal in this respect, it can never be reasonable to abridge any Part of Mankind of this their natural Right, unless it can be clearly prov'd, that it is for the Good of every Individual to be thus abridged; and therefore, that they ought either to purchase, or pay Rent for the Land they shall use and enjoy. And this indeed, I doubt not, I could clearly make appear, if I were to shew the Preference of Civil Government, rightly administer'd, to a simple State of Nature without Government; of which the Hottentots seem to me to be the chief, if not the only Instance we have now perhaps in the World; and yet, I believe, I should prefer their abject Condition to any arbitrary or oppressive Government on Earth. But I deny that there is, or ever was such a Plenty as this Objection suggests;because the Produce of the Ground, when brought to Market by the Farmers, is always sold for ready Money. Now it is impossible that any Thing can properly be said to be too plentiful, for which the Demand is always so great, as to make it a ready Money Commodity. For if the Plenty were really too great for the Demand, it would, as we know many sorts of Goods and Manufactures are, necessarily be sold for Time. And since nothing but a greater Plenty of any Thing, than the Demand for it requires, is the Foundation and Cause of selling such Things on Credit, it follows that the Produce is not too plentiful, since it's always sold for ready Money, Nay, Victuals and Drink, which are the only Things in this Objection I am properly concern'd with, are so far from being too plentiful, that they are generally sold for ready Money, even down to the meanest Consumer. For the Number of those who do not pay present Money for these immediate Necessaries, are not only few in Comparison, but even those Persons, generally speaking, always pay for these immediate Necessaries in a very short time, unless when such a one happens to be trusted, that is not able to pay at all. And this, I believe, is so generally known to be true, that I need not fear having the Concurrence of the People in general on my side; by which the Truth of this Argument must stand or fall, no other Proof being possible in this Case.

If therefore it be not the Plenty of the Produce, that is the Cause that it is at present sold so cheap, that the Farmers can pay not Rent, as I think I have sufficiently proved it is not, it will be necessarily required to shew what is the Cause of so melancholy a Truth, as this objection is founded on. For I allow that perhaps there never were so many Farms quitted, and thrown on the Gentlemens Hands in England, as at this Time.

Now this Cause I assert is chiefly, if not solely owing to too great a Scarcity of Money amongst the People in general. And in order to prove this, I must shew what are the Signs of a sufficient Plenty, and of too great a Scarcity of Money amongst the People.

Now the signs of a sufficient Plenty of Money are these; the Houses well fill'd with Inhabitants, the Rents well paid for them, and Fines exacted; as also, that the Rents of Lands in general be well and duly paid; and that we be not over-burden'd with Poor; nor our Roads or Streets infested with Highwaymen and Robbers: When Things are thus circumstance, Trade may be truely said to be in a flourishing State, or Money, on which Trade floats, may be said to be sufficiently plentiful; and more plentiful than this it never can be.

On the other hand, since it is now notorious that the Number of empty Houses is very great, and instead of Fines for them, as formerly, the Rents are lower'd, and still falling; besides, that the Landlords very frequently fit them up too for the Tenants;and our Poor are so very much increased, that we are obliged to transport many of them; and our Roads and Streets are so exceedingly infested with Highwaymen and Robbers, as perhaps the like was never; and since the Objection says, the Landlords can now hardly get any Rents for their Farms: These Signs therefore, being exactly the Reverse of the former, must needs be as certain and evident Proofs of a Decay of Trade, or, which is tantamount, of too great a Scarcity of Money amongst the People in general, as the aforemention'd Circumstances were Signs and Proofs of a flourishing Trade, and a sufficient Plenty of Money amongst the People in general; nor do I know what Kinds of Proofs could be produced, or reasonably required besides, or stronger than these.