Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/281

No. 88] From all which I beg leave to conclude, that is not the names things get for the present but the real nature of them, that will be found to hold against all events & that in the instance of Paper money where it is regulated by just Laws and where the Publick have not acted contrary to them their credit is in reason better established than the credit of any private Persons or Society and that the method used to catch the common opinion of mankind by offering them their money when they please is nothing but a fashionable Bubble which People are every day sufferers by when a Banker breaks & that even the best founded Societys can not maintain their Credit when there is the Greatest need of them. But that all Credit finally centers in the Security of ye Governmt

I take the liberty further to observe to your Lordships on how many occasions the Government of Great Britain has found it impracticable to raise all the money wanted within the year from whence all the present debts of the nation have arisen : The same necessity lyes often upon the Plantations where frequently a sum of ready money is wanted, which it would be an intolerable Tax to raise at once, and therefore they are forced to imitate the Parliament at home, in anticipating upon remote funds. And as there is no Bank nor East India company nor even private subscribers capable of lending the Province the money they want at least without demanding the extravagant Interest of 8 Pr Cent which is the common Interest here, but would ruin the publick to pay since this is a Case there is no possible way left to make distant funds provide ready money, when it is necessarily wanted, but making paper Bills to be sunk by such funds. Without this Carolina would have been ruined by their Indian War Boston could not now support theirs nor could any of the Provinces have furnished such considerable Sums to the Expeditions against Canada Nor could at present any of the necessary repairs of this Fort be provided for, nor the arrears of the Revenue be discharged, which is done by this Act in a Tax to be levyed in 4 years nor indeed any publick Service readily and sufficiently effected

And I may add one thing more that this manner of compulsive credit does in fact keep up its value here and that it occasions much more Trade and business than would be without it and that more Specie is exported to England by reason of these Paper Bills than could be if there was no circulation but of Specie for which reason all the merchants here seem now well satisfied with it