Humble proposal to the honourable the House of Commons

Ail Humble
PROPOSAL
To the Honourable
IOje ^otife of Commons;
By Doftor HvGHC HA MB E R L E M.
■ Hereas this Honourgble Houle have now before them the ,
Ipeedy Raifing fuch a Tax as may Difcharge the Arrears of.
the Navy and Army,/ and fupport the Charge of the War.
Now the faid Dothor Gbamberkn humbly prays to be
admitted, tofhew, to a Committee of Parliament, a Method that will cer¬
tainly anfwer the aforefaid Ends, without any new Impofition on the People;
and will, moreover, effedually provide for ail the Poor, aud repair all the
High-ways for ever.
And this to beeffeded, by fubftituting a new Mint or Eftablifliment for
a neW Species of Money, by Aiithority of Parliament, in fuch a Proportion,
and fo circumftandated, as to Value, Duration arid Convenience, that the
prelent Pubiick Stock of the Nation lhall be faftly erxreafed^ to the general
Benefit, without Injury to any.
* - I •
A Jhort Scheme or Specimen of it if, viz.
The Rates for the Poor and High-ways are now probably * efteemed above * The true
tfro Millions per annum ^ hitherto they have been ineffedual to thofe Ends, Quantum
and for what appears may ever be fo: Let thofe Rates be reduced to one the
-Million per annum, and fettled for an hundred Years above Reprifals. koJe* 'y
Let there be iflried out of this new Mint or Eftablilhipent one hundred Mil¬
lions, in this New Species of Money, under a Parliamentary Regulation and
Infpedion *, upon Condition to receive back one Million per annum, to be
cancelled as paid.
And thufr, at the end of an hundred Years, the whole new Species will be
quite ddtroyed: Yet lathe mean time the whole hundred Millions will in a
few. Years be an Additional Stock tp the Nation ; of which ten Millions to
be employed for the War, fifty more for the Poor and High-ways; the Or¬
phans of London?\fa to be paid, and other Great and National Works to be
done. '
All great things had once a beginning when no Precedent could be brought
for them.
Things mean, or ill,, derive ho Authority from Precedent.
Things excellent in themfel ves carry their own Weight.
If this Propofal can be reduced to Pra&ice, it will anfwer rill it pretends
too : And that it can be fafely and eaiily effected, this Propoler is ready molh
clearly to evince, only praying a calm and equal Hearing; and that no Ob¬
jection may be taken for granted,till his Anfwer has been heard and weighed*
d NOTE, ' I
I. That at the end of this hundred Years, the annual Payment of one Mil¬
lion will entirely ceafe; and the Poor and High-ways be thence forward, for
ever, maintained without a Penny Charge to the People.
II. The whole Sum is butthe intereft of fifty Millions to be laid out on the
Poor and High ways only, and thatlntereft but for forty Years, and at
five Pound per Cent, without paying the Principal *, and thatforty Years
intereft to be an hundred Years paying.
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