Dr. C. seems to be offended at my meddling in this affair, having, as he says, borrow’d what I know of this subject from him. Two persons may project the same thing, but so far as I can judge, what I am to propose is different from his, and what I had form’d a scheme of several years before I had seen any of his papers: which I can prove, if that were necessary, by persons of worth I then show’d it to. I have not, to my knowledge, borrowed any thing from Dr. C. land indeed is the value upon which he founds his proposal, and ’tis upon land that I found mine: if for that reason I have incroached upon his proposal, the bank of Scotland may be said to have done the same: there were banks in Europe long before the Dr’s proposal, and books have been writ on the subject before and since. the foundation I go upon has been known so long as money has been lent on land, and so long as an heretable bond has been equal to a quantity of land. whether the structure he or I have built upon that foundation be most safe, advantageous and practicable, the parliament can best judge. Dr. C’s proposal is by anticipation, to make land worth 50 or a 100 years purchase; and maintains that a 100 lib. to be payed yearly for 10, 50, or a 100 years, is a valuable pledge for a 1000, 5000, or a 10000l. of bills: and that these bills will be equal to silver-money. if he can satisfie the nation that his proposal is practicable, he does a very great service, and gives a certain advantage to the landed-man, without wronging the money’d-man. I have shown the reasons why I think the proposal is not practicable; and that notwithstanding any act of parliament made to force these bills, they would fall much under the value of silver. but allowing they were at first equal to silver, it is next to impossible that two different species of money, shall continue equal in value to one another. Every thing receives a value from its use, and the value is rated, according to its quality, quantity and demand. tho’ goods of different kinds are equal in value now, yet they will change their value, from any unequal change in their quality, quantity, or demand. And as he leaves it to choice of the debtor, to pay in silver-money or bills; he confines the value of the bills, to the value of the silver-money, but cannot confine the value of the silver-money to the value of the bills: so that these bills must fall in value as silver-money falls, and may fall lower: silver may rise above the value of these bills, but these bills cannot rise above the value of silver. What I shall propose, is to make money of land equal to its value; and that money to be equal in value to silver-money; and not lyable to fall in value as silver-money falls.