29 Aug. 1801

Polit. Economy

E

9

Method

Finances

Taxation

Foreign capital obtained on loans is doubly useful: at the time of borrowing

/contracting debt/, by diminishing the /that/ consumption of capital, by which

the mass of growing wealth is diminished: at the time of paying off debt, by

diminishing that inordinate encrease of capital, by which as if it were by an

unproductive income tax the income of money'd men is reduced.(a)

Ever since the existence of Government Annuities, men have cried out against the

Annuitants, especially such of them as are foreigners as so many drones and

bloodsuckers: with as much reason might they cry out against the Baker they deal

with as a bloodsucker for taking money for his bread.

The quantity of foreign capital that in an unascertainable but always a very

considerable quantity has always been sent by foreigners for the purchase of

British Government Annuities has been a fruit and evidence of probity and good

faith.

Note

(a) If however the quantity of capital employ'd by foreigners in the purchase of

British Government Annuities has been such as to produce an influx of the

materials of money, and thence of money to such an amount as to overballance the

increase in the same time in the mass of vendible commodities, and thereby to

produce encrease of prices depretiation of money, and indirect income tax, so

much as operates in that character does thereby more harm than good. But without

the addition to money by paper money, addition of this sort would hardly have

taken place.