Those who suffer by the debasement of the standard, are
1mo. Every person who is creditor in a contract entered into before the debasement of the standard.
2do. In proportion as the disorder in the coin continues, and as the currency becomes lighter, every man who sells to merchants is a loser.
In a trading nation such as England, it is not possible that any currency can long sustain itself by virtue of the stamp, at a higher value than its intrinsic worth. Whoever therefore, from a habit of selling any particular merchandize, continues to consider a currency which is daily becoming lighter as remaining at the same value, is deceived in his dealings by every man who is instructed in the matter of fact.
ought only to benefit by the restitution,
Those, I think, are the only persons who are really losers by the debasement of the standard, and who have a right to be redressed.
I must not omit however, to mention another set of people infinitely more considerable than both, who think fit to rank themselves in this class, without having the smallest pretension to enter into it.
These are such who would be gainers, were the government of England to restore the standard upon the supposition that justice required it, without giving themselves the trouble to examine into the merits of that important question.
and not the whole class of creditors,
Of this class are all the public creditors, all enjoying any salary, pension, or pay whatsoever for personal service; all annuitants, landlords, &c. In short, every man in the kingdom, so far as he is a creditor upon any public or private interest.