The Querist Part 15

148. Qu. Whether, all things considered, a general raising the value of gold and silver be not so far from bringing greater quant.i.ties thereof into the kingdom that it would produce a direct contrary effect, inasmuch as less, in that case, would serve, and therefore less be wanted? And whether men do not import a commodity in proportion to the demand or want of it?

149. Qu. Whether the lowering of our gold would not create a fever in the State? And whether a fever be not sometimes a cure, but whether it be not the last cure a man would choose?

150. Qu. What if our other gold were raised to a par with Portugal gold, and the value of silver in general raised with regard to that of gold?

151. Qu. Whether the pubic ends may or may not be better answered by such augmentation, than by a reduction of our coin?

152. Qu. Provided silver is multiplied, be it by raising or diminis.h.i.+ng the value of our coin, whether the great end is not answered?

153. Qu. Whether raising the value of a particular species will not tend to multiply such species, and to lessen others in proportion thereunto? And whether a much less quant.i.ty of cash in silver would not, in reality, enrich the nation more than a much greater in gold?

154. Qu. Whether, if a reduction be thought necessary, the obvious means to prevent all hards.h.i.+ps and injustice be not a national bank?

155. Qu. Upon supposition that the cash of this kingdom was five hundred thousand pounds, and by lowering the various species each one-fifth of its value the whole sum was reduced to four hundred thousand pounds, whether the difficulty of getting money, and consequently of paying rents, would not be increased in the proportion of five to four?

156. Qu. Whether such difficulty would not be a great and unmerited distress on all the tenants in the nation? But if at the same time with the aforesaid reduction there were uttered one hundred thousand pounds additional to the former current stock, whether such difficulty or inconvenience would then be felt?

157. Qu. Whether, ceteris paribus, it be not true that the prices of things increase as the quant.i.ty of money increaseth, and are diminished as that is diminished? And whether, by the quant.i.ty of money is not to be understood the amount of the denominations, all contracts being nominal for pounds, s.h.i.+llings, and pence, and not for weights of gold or silver?

158. Qu. Whether in any foreign market, twopence advance in a kilderkin of corn could greatly affect our trade?

159. Qu. Whether in regard of the far greater changes and fluctuations of prices from the difference of seasons and other accidents, that small rise should seem considerable?

160. Qu. Whether our exports do not consist of such necessaries as other countries cannot well be without?

161. Qu. Whether upon the circulation of a national bank more land would not be tilled, more hands employed, and consequently more commodities exported?

162. Qu. Whether, setting aside the a.s.sistance of a national bank, it will be easy to reduce or lower our coin without some hards.h.i.+p (at least for the present) on a great number of particular persons?

163. Qu. Whether, nevertheless, the scheme of a national bank doth not entirely stand clear of this question; and whether such bank may not completely subsist and answer its ends, although there should be no alteration at all made in the value of our coin?

164. Qu. Whether, if the ill state of our coin be not redressed, that scheme would not be still more necessary, inasmuch as a national bank, by putting new life and vigour into our commerce, may prevent our feeling the ill effects of the want of such redress?

165. Qu. Whether men united by interest are not often divided by opinion; and whether such difference in opinion be not an effect of misapprehension?

166. Qu. Whether two things are not manifest, first, that some alteration in the value of our coin is highly expedient, secondly, that whatever alteration is made, the tenderest care should be had of the properties of the people, and even a regard paid to their prejudices?

167. Qu. Whether our taking the coin of another nation for more than it is worth be not, in reality and in event, a cheat upon ourselves?

168. Qu. Whether a particular coin over-rated will not be sure to flow in upon us from other countries beside that where it is coined?

169. Qu. Whether, in case the wisdom of the nation shall think fit to alter our coin, without erecting a national bank, the rule for lessening or avoiding present inconvenience should not be so to order matters, by raising the silver and depressing the gold, as that the total sum of coined cash within the kingdom shall, in denomination, remain the same, or amount to the same nominal value, after the change that it did before?

170. Qu. Whether all inconvenience ought not to be lessened as much as may be; but after, whether it would be prudent, for the sake of a small inconvenience, to obstruct a much greater good? And whether it may not sometimes happen that an inconvenience which in fancy and general discourse seems great shall, when accurately inspected and cast up, appear inconsiderable?

171. Qu. Whether in public councils the sum of things, here and there, present and future, ought not to be regarded?

172. Qu. Whether silver and small money be not that which circulates the quickest, and pa.s.seth through all hands, on the road, in the market, at the shop?

173. Qu. Whether, all things considered, it would not be better for a kingdom that its cash consisted of half a million in small silver, than of five times that sum in gold?

174. Qu. Whether there be not every day five hundred lesser payments made for one that requires gold?

175. Qu. Whether Spain, where gold bears the highest value, be not the laziest, and China, where it bears the lowest, be not the most industrious country in the known world?

176. Qu. Money being a ticket which ent.i.tles to power and records the t.i.tle, whether such power avails otherwise than as it is exerted into act?

177. Qu. Whether it be not evidently the interest of every State, that its money should rather circulate than stagnate?

178. Qu. Whether the princ.i.p.al use of cash be not its ready pa.s.sing from hand to hand, to answer common occasions of the common people, and whether common occasions of all sorts of people are not small ones?

179. Qu. Whether business at fairs and markets is not often at a stand and often hindered, even though the seller hath his commodities at hand and the purchaser his gold, yet for want of change?

180. Qu. Whether beside that value of money which is rated by weight, there be not also another value consisting in its aptness to circulate?

181. Qu. As wealth is really power, and coin a ticket conveying power, whether those tickets which are the fittest for that use ought not to be preferred?

182. Qu. Whether those tickets which singly transfer small shares of power, and, being multiplied, large shares, are not fitter for common use than those which singly transfer large shares?

183. Qu. Whether the public is not more benefited by a s.h.i.+lling that circulates than a pound that lies dead?

184. Qu. Whether sixpence twice paid be not as good as a s.h.i.+lling once paid?

185. Qu. Whether the same s.h.i.+lling circulating in a village may not supply one man with bread, another with stockings, a third with a knife, a fourth with paper, a fifth with nails, and so answer many wants which must otherwise have remained unsatisfied?

186. Qu. Whether facilitating and quickening the circulation of power to supply wants be not the promoting of wealth and industry among the lower people? And whether upon this the wealth of the great doth not depend?

187. Qu. Whether, without the proper means of circulation, it be not vain to hope for thriving manufacturers and a busy people?

188. Qu. Whether four pounds in small cash may not circulate and enliven an Irish market, which many four-pound pieces would permit to stagnate?

189. Qu. Whether a man that could move nothing less than a hundred-pound weight would not be much at a loss to supply his wants; and whether it would not be better for him to be less strong and more active?

190. Qu. Whether the natural body can be in a state of health and vigour without a due circulation of the extremities, even? And whether the political body, any in the fingers and toes more than the natural, can thrive without a proportionable circulation through the minutest and most inconsiderable parts thereof?

191. Qu. If we had a mint for coining only s.h.i.+llings, sixpences, and copper-money, whether the nation would not soon feel the good effects thereof?

192. Qu. Whether the greater waste by wearing of small coins would not be abundantly overbalanced by their usefulness?

193. Qu. Whether it be not the industry of common people that feeds the State, and whether it be possible to keep this industry alive without small money?

194. Qu. Whether the want of this be not a great bar to our employing the people in these manufactures which are open to us, and do not interfere with Great Britain?

195. Qu. Whether therefore such want doth not drive men into the lazy way of employing land under sheep-walk?

196. Qu. Whether the running of wool from Ireland can so effectually be prevented as by encouraging other business and manufactures among our people?

197. Qu. Whatever commodities Great Britain importeth which we might supply, whether it be not her real interest to import them from us rather than from any other people?