THOUGHTS ΟΝ ΤΗΕ CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE PRESENT HIGH PRICE O F PROVISION S. Privatus illis cenfus erat brevis Ff **** THOUGHTS ΟΝ ΤΗΕ CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE Prefent High Price of PROVISIONS. THE HE high price of provifions, and all the neceffaries of life, is an evil fo inconvenient to all conditions of men, and fo intolerable to fome, that it is not furprising that all fhould fuffer It with much difcontent, and many be drove by it into defpair, or into riots, rapine, and all kinds of diforders. The latter, indeed, we cannot but expect, if we confider, that the enemies of all government and fubordination, fo numerous in this country, will not fail to avail themselves of this favourable opportunity, to spread univerfal diffatisfaction, and inflame the minds of the people to feek redress by fuch infamous and dangerous methods. This they endeavour, too fuccessfully, Ff 2 to to effect, by daily reprefenting in the public papers, that this calamity arifes from the artifices of monopolizers, regraters, foreftallers, and engroffers, encouraged, or at leaft connived at, by minifters defirous of oppreffing the people, and parliaments unattentive to their complaints. It is hard to fay, whether the ignorance of thefe writers, or their malevolence, is fuperior; or, whether the abfurdity of their principles, or the mifchief of them, is the greateft: but one may venture to affirm, that our people, notwithstanding the prefent fcarcity, are ftill better fed than taught. This undoubtedly makes it neceffary, at this time, that the true caufes of this evil thould be explained to them; which, if it leffens not their wants, may in fome measure abate their ill-founded indignation. To this end I fhall endeavour to fhew, as concifely as poffible, that the prefent high price of provisions arifes principally from two fources; the increase of our national debts, and the increase of our riches; that is, from the poverty of the public, and the wealth of private individuals. From what caufes thefe have been increased, and what have been the effects of that increase, fhall be the fubject of the few following pages. Ir will furely be unneceffary to inquire into the caufes of the late immenfe increafe of our national debt; whoever remembers the many millions an nually nually borrowed, funded, and expended, during the laft war, can be under no difficulty to account for its increase. To pay intereft for thefe new funds, new taxes were every year impofed, and additional burthens laid on every comfort, and almost every neceffary of life, by former taxes, occafioned by former wars, before fufficiently loaded. Thefe muft unavoidably increafe the prices of them, and that in a much greater proportion than is ufually understood: for a duty laid on any commodity does not only add the value of that duty to the price of that commodity, but the dealer in it must advance the price double or treble times that fum; for he muft not only repay himf.If the original tax, but must have compenfation for his loffes in trade by bad debts, and lofs of intereft by his increafed capital. Befides this, every new tax does not only affect the price of the commodity on which it is laid, but that of all others, whether taxed or not, and with which, at firft fight, it feems to have no manner of connection. for instance, a tax on candles must raise the price of a coat, or a pair of breeches; becaufe, out of thefe, all the taxes on the candles of the woolcomber, weaver, and the taylor, must be paid: a duty upon ale muft raife the price of fhoes; becaufe from them all the taxes upon ale drank by the tanner, leather-dreffer, and fhoemaker, which is not a little, must be refunded. No tax is immediately laid upon corn, but the price of it Ff3 Thus, mult |