JB_037_054_001.xml

Title: [1821. April 14. First Lines]

Description: 1821. April 14.

First Lines

Means of Accomplishment

The great cause by which decrease is reduced in the abundance fund always without pleasure and in too great degree without proportionable security to the possessions, is that which consists of the draughts made upon it by Government. See below distribution of burthens: see also Constitutional Law.

The abundance fund, being composed of savings made out the subsistence fund, included in it the subsistence fund: some without, some not without, nor otherwise tan by exchange the materials or instruments of abundance are the materials or matter of subsistence.

Subject to this distinction, the greater the quantity and value of the matter of the abundance fund, the greater the degree of security it affords for subsistence.

Subject to this distinction, the greater the quantity and value of the matter of the abundance fund, the greater the degree of security it affords for subsistence.

Diminution of consumption being one of the two means of encrease to the abundance fund, hence under occasion where under the notion of providing security in all its branches for the several instruments of felicity — draughts are made by government upon the abundance fund by taxes, some indirection may be afforded respecting the subjects on which, with least detriment, the taxes may be imposed.

With or without design, in so far as a tax is imposed upon any article, the consumption, the use, and thereby the production of it, is discouraged: to that article, discouragement is applied, and by the same process to all other articles in so far as they are rivals to it, encouragement.

Hence, other aspects laid out of the question, for encrease of abundance-fund with a view to subsistence, there is a use in imposing taxes rather on objects to the use of which prompt consumption is necessary rather than on objects to the use of which slow and gradual consumption is sufficient: on objects applicable to the purpose of subsistence of themselves, and without exchange rather than on objects not applicable to that purpose otherwise than by exchange, especially if not otherwise than by exchange with foreign or distant countries.

037_053.xml

Title: [1821. April 14. First Lines]

Description: 1821. April 14.

First Lines

Means of accomplishment

But why seek to benefit A. for coercion applied to A: His regard for himself is greater than yours can be: his knowledge of what is most beneficial to himself is greater than yours can be: his experience of what has been most beneficial and most hurtful to himself is greater than yours can be.

Why seek to benefit A, by coercion applied to B., C, and D. and so forth? Coercion is evil - positive evil - suffering: absence of encrease is but negative evil. No suffering is the result of it. A. is but one: B. C. D. and the rest of them are many: by the number of them all, after allowance made for the lessening of loss by the distribution of it, is the quantity of the suffering produced by the coercion multiplied.

Encrease can not thus be sought to be given to production otherwise than at the expence of equality: by violations made of the rules of equality, for the importance of which to the greatest happiness of the greatest number see above.

For security, yes without decrease and with encrease to the greatest happiness of the greatest number the rules of equality may be violated /infringed/: for encrease to abundance, without decrease to the greatest happiness of the greatest number, they can not be infringed.

II. Negative means of increase to the abundance fund, decrease of consumption. In so far as it is by voluntary consumption that decrease is made in the amount of the abundance fund by the respective proprietors, pleasure and security, in all their various shapes, are the effects of it, and are in proportion to it: in the case of by far the greatest portion in quantity and value of the produc of labour, subsistence, plaeasure and security, in all their several shapes, have place only in so far as consumption has place. In each individual instance, from which of two causes, pleasure or security, or both, are derived by him in greatest quantity - viz. from consumption or from avoidance of consumption, in a word from preservation, is better known to the proprietor himself than it can be to any body and not at all known to you.

The

037_052.xml

Title: [1821. April 14. First Lines]

Description: 1821. April 14.

First Lines

Means of accomplishment

Distributive Benefits

Abundance

II. Abundance.

Under abundance Of the instruments of abundance, the fund is comosed of the surplus of the means of subsistence, deduction made of the quantity destroyed by consumption in all its shapes.

Increase of production - decrease of consumption - under one or other of these two heads may be comprehended all the possible causes of increase to the abundance fund.

Natural and factitious - under one or other of these two heads may be comprehended all the possible modes of increase to production.

By natural, understand all those that have place without intervention on the part of the Legislator /Government/ in this particular view. Under this same head natural, is therefore comprehended whatsoever assistance is afforded to production by the security afforded to produce.

By factitious modes of increase to production, understand all such as are employed by Government in that special view.

Here comes in with propriety one general and all-comprehensive rule Rule. In so far as the natural means of increase to the abundance fund suffice for the production of the effect, think not /forbear/ to employ any factitious means for giving increase /addition/ or acceleration to it.

Reasons. Neither for this purpose /on this occasion/, nor for /on/ any other, can the hand /power/ of Government be employed, but coercion must be applied: immediately, as where the means /in so far as the inducements/ employed are of the remunerative kind: but it is only by coecion that any means of remuneration can be collected.

In favour, and for the benefit of, A. you can not seek to give encrease to production in the hands of A. except in so far as coercion is applied - either to A. himself, or to B., C. and D. and so forth.

But