made of Flax, and there spent, as is worth above ½ a Million of Money. As shall hereafter be shewn[1].
Wherefore having shewn, that Silver Money is useless to the poor People of |[44]| Ireland; that half the Hearth Money could not be raised by reason thereof; that the People are not a fifth part employed; that the People and Land of Ireland, are competently qualified for Flax; That one Pennyworth of Land, will produce Ten Shillings[2] worth of the same; and that there is Market enough and enough, for above an Hundred Thousand Pounds worth; I conceive my Proposition sufficiently proved; at least to set forwards and promote a practice, which both the present Law and Interest of the Country doth require: Especially, since if all the Flax so produced should yield nothing, yet there is nothing lost; the same time having been worse spent before. Upon the same grounds, the like Tax of 2s. per Head, may be raised with the like advantage upon the People of England; which will amount to Six Hundred Thousand Pound per annum; to be paid in Flax, Manufactured, into all the sorts of Linnens, Threds, Tapes, and Laces; which we now receive from France, Flanders, Holland, and Germany; the value whereof doth far exceed the summ last mentioned, as hath appeared by the examination of particulars. |[45]|
Duties put upon redundant Commodities may be a harmless Tax.It is observed by Clothiers, and others, who employ great numbers of poor people, that when Corn is extremely plentiful[3], that the Labour of the poor is proportionably dear[4]: And scarce to be had at all (so licentious are they who labour only to eat, or rather to drink.) Wherefore when so many Acres sown with Corn, as do usually produce a sufficient store for the Nation, shall produce perhaps double to what is expected or necessary; it seems not unreasonable- ↑ The promise was not kept.
- ↑ S, 'about 10s.'
- ↑ S, 'extream plentiful.'
- ↑ The common assumption of economic theory has been precisely the reverse, viz. that wages will be low when food is plentiful. Petty's assertion, however, is confirmed by the observant author (?W. Temple, or J. Cunningham) of An Essay on Trade and Commerce (1770), pp. 14—16, and Ricardo admitted that it was true of Ireland even in his time. Letters to Malthus, 138. See also Malthus, Political Economy (1820), pp. 382—388, Cunningham, English Industry, ii. 689.
