I'llK NATUKK ANJJ CAUSES OF
2GG
CHAP. II.
Of Money , considered as a ‘particular Branch of the general
Sloth of the Society, or of the Expense of maintaining the
National Capital.
It lias been shewn in the first Book , that the price of thegreater part of commodities resolves itself into three parts, ofwhich one pays the wages of the labour, another the profitsof the stock, and a third the rent of the land which had beenemployed in producing and bringing them to market: thatthere are, indeed, some commodities of which the price ismade up of two of those parts only, the wages of labour, andthe profits of stock; and a very few in which it consists alto-gether in one, the wages of labour; but that the price of everycommodity necessarily resolves itself into some one or other,or all of these three parts; every part of it which goesneither to rent nor to wages, being necessarily profit to some-body.
Since this is the case, it has been observed, with regard toevery particular commodity, taken separately; it must be sowith regard to all the commodities which compose the wholeannual produce of the land and labour of every country, takencomplexly. The whole price or exchangeable value of thatannual produce, must resolve itself into the same three parts,and be parcelled out among the different inhabitants of thecountry, either as the wages of their labour,the profits of theirstock, or the rent of their land.
But though the whole value of the annual produce of theland and labour of every country is thus divided among andconstitutes a revenue to its different inhabitants; yet as in therent of a private estate we distinguish between the gross rentand the neat rent, so may we likewise in the revenue of allthe inhabitants of a great country.
The gross rent of a private estate comprehends whateveris paid by the farmer; the neat rent, what remains free to thelandlord, after deducting the expense of management, of re-pairs, and all other necessary charges; or what, withouthurting his estate, he can afford to place in his stock reservedfor immediate consumption, or to spend upon bistable, etpii-page, the ornaments of his house and furniture, his privateenjoyments and amusements. His real wealth is in propor-tion, not to his gross, but to his neat rent.