Money and trade considered : $b With a proposal for supplying the nation with moneyLaw, John
General
Money and trade considered : $b With a proposal for supplying the nation with money
Law, John
Banks and banking -- Scotland; Currency question -- Great Britain
It is objected that we are under a necessity of having goods from
countries who will take none of ours. France does not allow money to
be exported, nor any ship to import goods, unless French goods are
exported from the same port, to the value of the goods which were
imported. by our law we are forbid to export money. but as I don’t
think the example of nations a good answer, I shall endeavour to give
a better. suppose our money is not valued abroad, and we have occasion
for goods from Denmark, who takes none of ours. these goods being
necessary here, will be valued higher than other goods that are not so
necessary; and the value of Scots goods sold in other countries, will
be carried to Denmark, in such goods as will sell there, or in foreign
money, and these necessary goods be brought home: because the trader
makes a greater profit by them, than by such goods as could have been
imported from that country, where the goods exported were sold.
But as this addition to the money will employ the people who are now
idle, and these now employ’d to more advantage: so the product will be
encreas’d, and manufacture advanc’d. if the consumption of the nation
continues as now, the export will be greater, and a ballance due to us:
and as the exchange depends on the ballance, so paper money here, will
be equal to a greater quantity of silver money abroad.
Suppose the yearly value of Scotland a million and a half, the yearly
value of England 40 millions; the value of Scotland, is only about one
28th part of the value of England. yet the quantity and quality of the
lands, and the numbers of people consider’d; Scotland will be at least
as 1 to 6. and if there was money to employ the people, we would be
as one to 6; for we have advantages peculiar to us, that do more than
equal the Plantation and East-India trades.
England is not improv’d so far as it might be, by a greater quantity of
money. we may have money equal to the demand, by applying our land to
that use. so our country may be improv’d above the proportion of one to
6. but if the propos’d addition to our money, improved the country only
so as to bear a proportion with England of one to 13, our yearly value
would be 3 millions: and our consumption not being half what the same
number of people consume in England; if the consumption continued as
now, the ballance due to Scotland would be greater, than the ballance
due to England.
This addition to our yearly value may be thought by some people, a
supposition that’s extravagant, but I desire these people will consider
what consequences the plenty of money has had in other places. as the
money of England has increas’d, the yearly value has increas’d; and as
the money has decreas’d, the yearly value has decreas’d.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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