| Page | [149], | last line, for 1581, read 1551. |
| [158], | l. 3, for extravagance, read examination. | |
| [194], | l. 24, for 20 millions, read 27 millions. | |
| [198], | l. 10, for 46s. read 46s. 8d. | |
| [308], | l. 13, for will content, read will not content. |
Transcriber’s Note: The errata have been corrected, along with a few minor typographical errors.
CONTENTS.
| Page | |
| Thoughts on the Mechanism of Societies. | [1] |
| A general View of the present State of Great Britain. | [3] |
| A more particular View of the same Subject. | [12] |
| Clear Savings of the Manufactories, Trade, and other Branches of Industry. | [17] |
| Thoughts on Impost and Reimbursements. The Accumulation of public Treasure considered as the Means of preventing Taxation. | [27] |
| On the grievous, but necessary Part of the Impost. | [36] |
| Of the Part of the Impost which is more useful than grievous. | [41] |
| Objections of another Kind against paying off the national Debt. | [51] |
| In what Manner the Interest of the national Debt will be probably paid off. | [59] |
| Reflexions on the two foregoing Articles. | [76] |
| A Thought substituted to that of a Reimbursement. | [83] |
| General Balance of Trade in England. | [93] |
| Reflexions on some private Balances of England, both of the favourable and unfavourable Kind. | [111] |
| Balance between England and Holland. | [116] |
| ⸺ between England and France. | [123] |
| Further Reasons why all Ideas of a favourable Balance different from that which I have supposed should be rejected. | [126] |
| Equilibrium necessary in all Things. Of the surest Means of establishing it. | [130] |
| Various Causes of the Alterations in the Prices. | [137] |
| On the Influences of the national Prices on the Sales in foreign Markets. | [151] |
| A necessary Principle of Trade considered both as direct and in competition. | [159] |
| Reflexion on a Letter from Philadelphia inserted in the English News-papers. | [170] |
| Under what Point of View Premiums and other Encouragements of Exportation may be considered. | [182] |
| On the Influence of the various Kinds of Taxation upon national Prices. | [188] |
| On the Object of all Ministers of Finance in laying Taxes. | [192] |
| Effects of a general Poll-tax. | [193] |
| Effects of a Land-tax. | [196] |
| Reflexions on the foregoing System. | [203] |
| Effects of an Impost exclusively laid on Luxury. | [208] |
| Effects of a merciless Tax upon all Articles of the most general Consumption. | [218] |
| Effects of compound Taxation. | [223] |
| Some Doubts on the supposed Impossibility of laying all Taxes on Consumption. | [231] |
| Recapitulation of the foregoing Thoughts on Taxes, and their Effects. | [242] |
| Further Considerations on the Necessity of a Correspondence between the Prices of Agriculture and those of Industry. | [248] |
| Of a Cause little suspected of high Prices. | [257] |
| The happy Issue of a desperate Combat between Monopoly and some private Interests. | [265] |
| Reflexions on a very strange Revolution in France. | [270] |
| The pretended Balance of France in Point of Trade. | [291] |
| Exportations and Importations considered as a Game. | [308] |
| The nominal Value of the generality of Exports considered, with Respect to its Effect on foreign Correspondence. | [338] |
| On Luxury. | [352] |
| On Colonies. | [372] |
| Preface in French. | [399] |
THOUGHTS
ON THE
MECHANISM of SOCIETIES.
The first step that led to civilisation was, probably, some kind of slavery, whatever might be its nature. It seems impossible that the strongest and most industrious, following no other impulse than that of a consciousness of his superiority, should have come to the noble resolution of sharing generously, with the weak and idle, the fruits of his own labours and industry; nor can it be supposed that he could suffer any one, but himself, to pronounce on the prerogatives due to his courage and his abilities. But the most consummate knowledge of the means which may have paved the way to despotism, would throw but a faint light on the various subjects which I propose to take under consideration. The Epoch which it may be useful to dwell upon, is that, wherein the chiefs of the different states, being in no anxiety for an authority which is no longer contested, are the first to acknowledge its limits, and begin at last to be solicitous for the happiness of their subjects.
Such, in my opinion, is now the prevailing system all over Europe. The advantage of true freedom is fully felt, and its influence over all-commanding wealth universally acknowledged. But, in order to compare the inferences with the principles, to appreciate the measures by their effects, I shall fix upon that Nation whose avowed maxims, and best known circumstances, are most likely to furnish me with a train of arguments, without having recourse to any further suppositions but such as may appear necessary to clear up the facts that will be adduced in support of those arguments, and to render the consequences, to be deduced from them, more lucid and pointed.