treatise on taxes and contributions-第10部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　most；　that　is；　that　by　how　much　the　poorer　they　are；　by　so　much　the　harder　are　they　taxed。　　　　　6。　The　Conveniencies　are；　first；　that　it　may　be　suddenly　collected；　and　with　small　charge：　Secondly；that　the　number　of　the　people　being　alwayes　know；　it　may　be　sufficiently　computed　what　the　same　will　amount　unto。　Thirdly；　It　seems　to　be　a　spur　unto　all　men；　to　set　their　Children　to　some　profitable　employment　upon　their　very　first　capacity；　out　of　the　proceed　whereof；　to　pay　each　childe　his　own　Poll…money。　　　　　7。　The　next　Poll…money　is　upon　every　head；　but　distinguished　by　Titles　of　meer　Honour；　without　any　kinde　of　Office　or　Faculty；　as；　Dukes；　Marquesses；　Earls；　Viscounts；　Barons；　Baronets；　Knights；　and　Esquires；　viz。　the　eldest　Sons　of　Knights　in　perpetuum；　and　Gentlement　if　they　write　themselves　so。　This　way　is　much　more　equal　then　the　other；　forasmuch　as　those　who　are　Titled；　are　for　the　most　part　rich　proportionably；　or　if　they　were　not；　yet　men　so　dignified　shall　command　a　preheminence　and　place；　even　although　they　do　not　or　cannot　buy　it　of　the　vulgar　by　their　Expence：　my　meaning　hereby　is；　that　a　Title　may　possibly　save　a　man　as　much　as　his　Poll…money　may　exceed　the　Plebeian　Level　by　reason　of　such　title。　　　　　8。　Moreover；　good　and　multiform　Accompts　being　kept　of　the　People；　this　Tax　may　be　also　easily　speedily　and　inexpensively　collected；　and　also　being　capable　of　being　computed　aforehand；　may　be　fitted　and　seized　according　to　the　needs　of　the　Prince。　　　　　9。　As　for　Offices；　they　are　indeed　Dignities　for　the　most　part；　but　paid　for　by　the　trouble　of　administring　them；　as　for　example；　to　be　an　Alderman　suppose　of　London；　is　indeed　an　honour；　yet　many　pay　five　hundred　pounds　to　be　excused　from　receiving　it。　　　　　Nevertheless　it　may　not　be　improper　to　tax　Offices　sought；　or　such　as　are　accepted；　although　they　might　be　refused：　And　on　the　other　side　no　Titulado　should　be　forced　to　pay　Poll…money　according　to　his　Title；　if　he　be　contented　to　lay　it　down；　and　never　resume　it　more。　　　　　10。　The　Titles　of　Faculties　and　Callings　ought　to　be　no　Qualification　in　a　Poll…money；　because　they　do　not　necessarily　nor　probably　inferr　ability　to　pay；　but　carry　with　them　vaste　inequalities。　But　therefore　if　a　man　by　his　Licence　to　practise　get　much；　it　may　be　presumed　he　will　spend　accordingly；　in　which　net　the　way　of　Excize　will　certainly　take　him；　as　it　will　the　Officers　aforementioned。　　　　　11。　Harth…money　seems　to　be　a　Poll…money；　but　is　not；　being　rather　a　way　of　Accumulative　Excize；　of　which　hereafter。

Chapter　8。

Of　Lotteries。

　　　　Men　that　accept　Titles　may　foresee；　that　they　may　be　taxed　by　them　as　aforesaid；　（although　it　be　unlikely　（one　House　of　Parliament　being　all　Tituladoes；　and　the　greatest　part　of　the　other　being　such　also）　that　any　such　way　of　Leavy　should　pass）　and　therefore　they　do　as　it　were　a　priori　consent　unto　the　Tax　in　their　own　Individuals。　　　　　2。　Now　inthe　way　of　Lottery　men　do　also　tax　themselves　in　the　general；　though　out　of　hopes　of　Advantage　in　particular：　A　Lottery　therefore　is　properly　a　Tax　upon　unfortunate　self…conceited　fools；　men　that　have　good　opinion　of　their　own　luckiness；　or　that　have　believed　some　Fortune…teller　or　Astrologer；　who　had　promised　them　great　success　about　the　time　and　place　of　the　Lottery；　lying　Southwest　perhaps　from　the　place　where　the　destiny　was　read。　　　　　3。　Now　because　the　world　abounds　with　this　kinde　of　fools；　it　is　not　fit　that　every　man　that　will　may　cheat　every　man　that　would　be　cheated；　but　it　is　rather　ordained；　that　the　Sovereign　should　have　the　Guardianship　of　these　fools；　or　that　some　Favourite　should　beg　the　Sovereigns　right　of　taking　advantage　of　such　mens　folly；　even　as　in　the　case　of　Lunaticks　and　Idiots。　　　　　4。　Wherefore　a　Lottery　is　not　tollerated　without　authority；　assigning　the　proportion　in　which　the　people　shall　pay　for　their　errours；　and　taking　care　that　they　be　not　so　much　and　so　often　couzened；　as　they　themselves　would　be。　　　　　5。　This　way　of　Lottery　is　used　but　for　small　Leavies；　and　rather　uon　privato…publick　accompts；　（then　for　maintaining　Armies　or　Equipping　Fleets；）　such　as　are　Aque…Ducts；　Bridges；　and　perhaps　Highwayes；　etc。　Wherefore　we　shall　say　no　more　of　it　upon　this　occasion。

Chapter　9

Of　Benevolence。

　　　　The　raising　of　Money　by　Benevolence；　seems　to　be　no　force　upon　any　man；　nor　to　take　from　any　man　but　what　himself　knows　he　can　spare；　nevertheless　there　is　more　in　it；　for　to　be　but　brow…beaten　by　a　Prince　or　Grandee；　proves　often　as　heavy　as　to　be　distained　upon　for　an　Assessment　or　Subsidy；　and　the　danger　of　being　misrepresented　by　linsy　pick…thanks　and　Informers　as　disaffected　to　the　Cause　for　which　the　Leavy　is　made；　is　more　frequent　then　the　payment　of　any　summe　in　a　due　proportion　with　all　other　men　（which　I　have　said　is　no　impoverishment）　can　possibly　be　hurtful。　　　　　The　benefits　of　this　way　are　these；　viz。　That　forasmuch　as　it　sometimes　falls　out　（as　in　the　late　Differences　with　the　Scots；　annis　1638　and　1639　when　the　Church　Dignitaries　were　most　concerned）　that　the　cause　of　the　Expence　concerns　some　men　more　than　others；　that　then　an　Imposition　shoudl　not　pass　upon　all　for　the　sakes　of　a　part；　Sometimes　it　happens；　that　one　sort　of　men　have　received　greater　and　fersher　favours　then　another；　as　upon　the　late　Restoration　of　his　Majesty　Anno　1660　those　who　needed　an　Act　of　Indempnity　did：　And　sometimes　it　is　visible；　that　some　men　have　had　better　times　of　gain　and　advantages　then　others；　as　the　Clergy　most　eminently　have　had　since　his　Majesties　said　Restoration。　In　all　these　Cases；　the　proposal　of　a　Benevolence　may　be　offered；　although　in　no　cases　it　be　without　its　inconveniencies；　the　which　are　principally　these。　　　　　1。　The　abovementioned　Brow…beating　and　distaste　given；　if　a　man　have　not　contributed　as　largely　as　envious　observers　think　he　should　have　done。　　　　　2。　A　Benevolence　in　many　cases　may　divide　a　whole　Nation　into　parties；　or　at　least　make　the　strength　of　Parties　too　well　known　to　such　as　need　not　know　it：　and　withall　it　may　（on　the　contrary　and　upon　design）　disguize　the　same；　and　elude　the　measures　which　the　Governours　thought　to　have　taken　by　such　an　exploratory　artifice。　　　　　3。　Some　men　may　have　particular　reasons　to　contribute　large；　viz。　complacency　with；　and　hopes　of　being　repaired　by　the　favour　of　some　Grandee；　who　favours　the　business；　and　the　very　same　may　make　to　the　prejudice　of　others。　　　　　4。　Men　of　sinking　Estates；　（who　nevertheless　love　to　live　high；　and　appear　splendid；　and　such　who　make　themselves　friends；　（by　their　hospitality　paid　for；　in　effect　by　others）　enough　to　be　protected；　even　from　Justice）　do　often　upon　this　occasion　of　Benevolence　set　extravagant　Examples　unto　others；　who　have　laboured　hardly　for　what　they　have；　those　not　caring　what　they　pay；　because　it　encreaseth　their　credit；　to　borrow　the　more；　so　as　at　length　the　whole　burthen　of　such　Bankrupts　Benevolence；　lights　upon　the　frugal　Patriots；　by　whom　the　Publique　Weal　subsists。

Chapter　10

Of　Penalties。

　　　　The　usual　Penalties　are　Death；　Mutilations；　Imprisonment；　Publick　disgrace；　Corporal　transient　pains；　and　great　Tortures；　besides　the　Pecuniary　Mulcts。　Of　which　last　we　shall　most　insist；　speaking　of　the　others　but　in　order　to　examine　whether　they　may　not　be　comuted　for　these。　　　　　2。　There　be　some　certain　Crimes；　for　which　the　Law　of　God　appoints　death；　and　these　must　be　punished　with　it；　unless　we　say　that　those　were　but　the　Civil　Laws　of　the　Jewish　Commonwealth；　although　given　by　God　himself；　of　which　opinion　certainly　most　modern　States　are；　in　as　much　as　they　punish　not　Adulteries；　etc。　with　death；　as　among　the　Jewes；　and　yet　punish　small　Thefts　with　Death　instead　of　multiple　reparation。　　　　　3。　Upon　this　supposition　we　shall　venture　to　offer；　whether　the　reason　of　simple　Death　be　not　to　punish　incorrigle　Committers　of　great　faults？　　　　　4。　Of　publick　Death　with　Torments；　to　affright　men　from　Treasons；　which　cause　the　deaths　and　miseries　of　many　thousand　innocent　and　useful　people？　　　　　5。　Of　Death　secretly　executed；　to　punish　secret　and　unknown　Crimes；　such　as　Publick　Executions　would　teach　to　the　World？　Or　else　to　suffocate　betimes　some　dangerous　Novelties　in　Religion　which　the　patient　suffering　of　the　worst　man　would　much　spread　and　encourage。　　　　　6。　Mutilations　suppose　of　Ears；　Nose；　etc。　are　used　for　perpetual　disgrace；　as　standing　in　the　Pillory　is　for　temporary　and　tansient；　whichand　such　other　punishments　have　（by　the　way）　made　some　corrigible　offenders；　to　become　desperate　and　incurable。　　　　　7。　Mutilations　of　parts　of　Fingers；　are　proper　to　disable　such　as　have　abused　their　dextrous　use　of　them；　by　Pocket…picking；　Counterfeiting　of　Seals　and　Writings；　etc。　Mutilations　of　other　parts；　may　serve　to　punish　and　prevent　Adulteries；　Rapes；　Incests；　etc。　And　the　smaller　Corporal　pains；　serve　to　punish　those；　who　can　pay　no　pecuinary　mulcts。　　　　　8。　Imprisonment　seems　rather　to　be　the　punishments　of　suspected　then　guilty　persons；　and　such　as　by　their　carriage　give　the　Magistrate　occasion　to　think；　either　they　have　done　some　smaller　particular　Crime；　as　Thefts；　etc。　or　that　they　would　commit　greater；　as　Treasons　and　Seditions。　But　where　Imprisonment　is　not　a　securing　men　untill　their　Trialls；　but　a　sentence　after　Triall；　it　seems　to　me　proper　onely　to　seclude　such　men　from　conversation；　whose　Discourses　are　bewitching；　and　Practices　infectious；　and　in　whom　neverthelesse　remains　some　hopes　of　their　future　Amendments；　or　usefulnesse　for　some　service　not　yet　appearing。　　　　　9。　As　for　perpetual　Imprisonment　by　sentence；　it　seems　but　the　same　with　death　it　self；　to　be　executed　by　nature　it　self；　quickened　with　such　Diseases；　as　close　living；　sadness；　solitude；　and　reflections　upon　a　past　and　better　condition；　doth　commonly　beget：　Nor　do　men　sentenced　hereunto　live　longer；　though　they　be　longer　in　dying。　　　　　10。　Here　we　are　to　remember　in　consequence　of　our　opinion。　＇That　Labour　is　the　Father　and　active　principle　of　Wealth；　as　Lands　are　the　Mother＇　that　the　State　by　killing；　mutilating；　or　imprisoning　their　members；　do　withall　punish　themselves；　wherefore　such　punishments　ought　（as　much　as　possible）　to　be　avoided　and　commuted　for　pecuniary　mulcts；　which　will　encrease　labour　and　publick　wealth。　　　　　11。　Upon　which　account；　why　should　not　a　man　of　Estate；　fo