wealbk04-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


but　they　buy　upon　credit；　both　at　home　and　abroad；　an　unusual

quantity　of　goods；　which　they　send　to　some　distant　market　in

hopes　that　the　returns　will　come　in　before　the　demand　for

payment。　The　demand　comes　before　the　returns；　and　they　have

nothing　at　hand　with　which　they　can　either　purchase　money；　or

give　solid　security　for　borrowing。　It　is　not　any　scarcity　of　gold

and　silver；　but　the　difficulty　which　such　people　find　in

borrowing；　and　which　their　creditors　find　in　getting　payment；

that　occasions　the　general　complaint　of　the　scarcity　of　money。

　　　　　It　would　be　too　ridiculous　to　go　about　seriously　to　prove

that　wealth　does　not　consist　in　money；　or　in　gold　and　silver；　but

in　what　money　purchases；　and　is　valuable　only　for　purchasing。

Money；　no　doubt；　makes　always　a　part　of　the　national　capital；　but

it　has　already　been　shown　that　it　generally　makes　but　a　small

part；　and　always　the　most　unprofitable　part　of　it。

　　　　　It　is　not　because　wealth　consists　more　essentially　in　money

than　in　goods　that　the　merchant　find　it　generally　more　easy　to

buy　goods　with　money　than　to　buy　money　with　goods；　but　because

money　is　the　known　and　established　instrument　of　commerce；　for

which　everything　is　readily　given　in　exchange；　but　which　is　not

always　with　equal　readiness　to　be　got　in　exchange　for　everything。

The　greater　part　of　goods；　besides；　are　more　perishable　than

money；　and　he　may　frequently　sustain　a　much　greater　loss　by

keeping　them。　When　his　goods　are　upon　hand；　too；　he　is　more

liable　to　such　demands　for　money　as　he　may　not　be　able　to　answer

than　when　he　has　got　their　price　in　his　coffers。　Over　and　above

all　this；　his　profit　arises　more　directly　from　selling　than　from

buying；　and　he　is　upon　all　these　accounts　generally　much　more

anxious　to　exchange　his　goods　for　money　than　his　money　for　goods。

But　though　a　particular　merchant；　with　abundance　of　goods　in　his

warehouse；　may　sometimes　be　ruined　by　not　being　able　to　sell　them

in　time；　a　nation　or　country　is　not　liable　to　the　same　accident。

The　whole　capital　of　a　merchant　frequently　consists　in　perish；

able　goods　destined　for　purchasing　money。　But　it　is　but　a　very

small　part　of　the　annual　produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　a

country　which　can　ever　be　destined　for　purchasing　gold　and　silver

from　their　neighbours。　The　far　greater　part　is　circulated　and

consumed　among　themselves；　and　even　of　the　surplus　which　is　sent

abroad；　the　greater　part　is　generally　destined　for　the　purchase

of　other　foreign　goods。　Though　gold　and　silver；　therefore；　could

not　be　had　in　exchange　for　the　goods　destined　to　purchase　them；

the　nation　would　not　be　ruined。　It　might；　indeed；　suffer　some

loss　and　inconveniency；　and　be　forced　upon　some　of　those

expedients　which　are　necessary　for　supplying　the　place　of　money。

The　annual　produce　of　its　land　and　labour；　however；　would　be　the

same；　or　very　nearly　the　same；　as　usual；　because　the　same；　or

very　nearly　the　same；　consumable　capital　would　be　employed　in

maintaining　it。　And　though　goods　do　not　always　draw　money　so

readily　as　money　draws　goods；　in　the　long　run　they　draw　it　more

necessarily　than　even　it　draws　them。　Goods　can　serve　many　other

purposes　besides　purchasing　money；　but　money　can　serve　no　other

purpose　besides　purchasing　goods。　Money；　therefore；　necessarily

runs　after　goods；　but　goods　do　not　always　or　necessarily　run

after　money。　The　man　who　buys　does　not　always　mean　to　sell　again；

but　frequently　to　use　or　to　consume；　whereas　he　who　sells　always

means　to　buy　again。　The　one　may　frequently　have　done　the　whole；

but　the　other　can　never　have　done　more　than　the　one…half　of　his

business。　It　is　not　for　its　own　sake　that　men　desire　money；　but

for　the　sake　of　what　they　can　purchase　with　it。

　　　　　Consumable　commodities；　it　is　said；　are　soon　destroyed；

whereas　gold　and　silver　are　of　a　more　durable　nature；　and；　were

it　not　for　this　continual　exportation；　might　be　accumulated　for

ages　together；　to　the　incredible　augmentation　of　the　real　wealth

of　the　country。　Nothing；　therefore；　it　is　pretended；　can　be　more

disadvantageous　to　any　country　than　the　trade　which　consists　in

the　exchange　of　such　lasting　for　such　perishable　commodities。　We

do　not；　however；　reckon　that　trade　disadvantageous　which　consists

in　the　exchange　of　the　hardware　of　England　for　the　wines　of

France；　and　yet　hardware　is　a　very　durable　commodity；　and　were　it

not　for　this　continual　exportation　might；　too；　be　accumulated　for

ages　together；　to　the　incredible　augmentation　of　the　pots　and

pans　of　the　country。　But　it　readily　occurs　that　the　number　of

such　utensils　is　in　every　country　necessarily　limited　by　the　use

which　there　is　for　them；　that　it　would　be　absurd　to　have　more

pots　and　pans　than　were　necessary　for　cooking　the　victuals

usually　consumed　there；　and　that　if　the　quantity　of　victuals　were

to　increase；　the　number　of　pots　and　pans　would　readily　increase

along　with　it；　a　part　of　the　increased　quantity　of　victuals　being

employed　in　purchasing　them；　or　in　maintaining　an　additional

number　of　workmen　whose　business　it　was　to　make　them。　It　should

as　readily　occur　that　the　quantity　of　gold　and　silver　is　in　every

country　limited　by　the　use　which　there　is　for　those　metals；　that

their　use　consists　in　circulating　commodities　as　coin；　and　in

affording　a　species　of　household　furniture　as　plate；　that　the

quantity　of　coin　in　every　country　is　regulated　by　the　value　of

the　commodities　which　are　to　be　circulated　by　it：　increase　that

value；　and　immediately　a　part　of　it　will　be　sent　abroad　to

purchase；　wherever　it　is　to　be　had；　the　additional　quantity　of

coin　requisite　for　circulating　them：　that　the　quantity　of　plate

is　regulated　by　the　number　and　wealth　of　those　private　families

who　choose　to　indulge　themselves　in　that　sort　of　magnificence：

increase　the　number　and　wealth　of　such　families；　and　a　part　of

this　increased　wealth　will　most　probably　be　employed　in

purchasing；　wherever　it　is　to　be　found；　an　additional　quantity　of

plate：　that　to　attempt　to　increase　the　wealth　of　any　country；

either　by　introducing　or　by　detaining　in　it　an　unnecessary

quantity　of　gold　and　silver；　is　as　absurd　as　it　would　be　to

attempt　to　increase　the　good　cheer　of　private　families　by

obliging　them　to　keep　an　unnecessary　number　of　kitchen　utensils。

As　the　expense　of　purchasing　those　unnecessary　utensils　would

diminish　instead　of　increasing　either　the　quantity　of　goodness　of

the　family　provisions；　so　the　expense　of　purchasing　an

unnecessary　quantity　of　gold　and　silver　must；　in　every　country；

as　necessarily　diminish　the　wealth　which　feeds；　clothes；　and

lodges；　which　maintains　and　employs　the　people。　Gold　and　silver；

whether　in　the　shape　of　coin　or　of　plate；　are　utensils；　it　must

be　remembered；　as　much　as　the　furniture　of　the　kitchen。　Increase

the　use　for　them；　increase　the　consumable　commodities　which　are

to　be　circulated；　managed；　and　prepared　by　means　of　them；　and　you

will　infallibly　increase　the　quantity；　but　if　you　attempt；　by

extraordinary　means；　to　increase　the　quantity；　you　will　as

infallibly　diminish　the　use　and　even　the　quantity　too；　which　in

those　metals　can　never　be　greater　than　what　the　use　requires。

Were　they　ever　to　be　accumulated　beyond　this　quantity；　their

transportation　is　so　easy；　and　the　loss　which　attends　their　lying

idle　and　unemployed　so　great；　that　no　law　could　prevent　their

being　immediately　sent　out　of　the　country。

　　　　　It　is　not　always　necessary　to　accumulate　gold　and　silver　in

order　to　enable　a　country　to　carry　on　foreign　wars；　and　to

maintain　fleets　and　armies　in　distant　countries。　Fleets　and

armies　are　maintained；　not　with　gold　and　silver；　but　with

consumable　goods。　The　nation　which；　from　the　annual　produce　of

its　domestic　industry；　from　the　annual　revenue　arising　out　of　its

lands；　labour；　and　consumable　stock；　has　wherewithal　to　purchase

those　consumable　goods　in　distant　countries；　can　maintain　foreign

wars　there。

　　　　　A　nation　may　purchase　the　pay　and　provisions　of　an　army　in　a

distant　country　three　different　ways：　by　sending　abroad　either；

first；　some　part　of　its　accumulated　gold　and　silver；　or；

secondly；　some　part　of　the　annual　produce　of　its　manufactures；

or；　last　of　all；　some　part　of　its　annual　rude　produce。

　　　　　The　gold　and　silver　which　can　properly　be　considered　as

accumulated　or　stored　up　in　any　country　may　be　distinguished　into

three　parts：　first；　the　circulating　money；　secondly；　the　plate　of

private　families；　and；　last　of　all；　the　money　which　may　have　been

collected　by　many　years'　parsimony；　and　laid　up　in　the　treasury

of　the　prince。

　　　　　It　can　seldom　happen　that　much　can　be　spared　from　the

circulating　money　of　the　country；　because　in　that　there　can

seldom　be　much　redundancy。　The　value　of　goods　annually　bought　and

sold　in　any　country　requires　a　certain　quantity　of　money　to

circulate　and　distribute　them　to　their　proper　consumers；　and　can

give　employment　to　no　more。　The　channel　of　circulation

necessarily　draws　to　itself　a　sum　sufficient　to　fill　it；　and

never　admits　any　more。　Something；　however；　is　generally　withdrawn

from　this　channel　in　the　case　of　foreign　war。　By　the　great　number

of　people　who　are　maintained　abroad；　fewer　are　maintained　at

home。　Fewer　goods　are　circulated　there；　and　less　money　becomes

necessary　to　circulate　them。　An　extraordinary　quantity　of　paper

money；　of　some　sort　or　other；　such　as　exchequer　notes；　navy

bills；　and　bank　bills　in　England；　is　generally　issued　upon　such

occasions；　and　by　supplying　the　place　of　circulating　gold　and

silver；　gives　an　opportunity　of　sending　a　greater　quantity　of　it

abroad。　All　this；　however；　could　afford　but　a　poor　resource　for

maintaining　a　foreign　war　of　great　expense　and　several　years

duration。

　　　　　The　melting　down　the　plate　of　private　families　has　upon

every　occasion　been　found　a　still　more　insignificant　one。　The

French；　in　the　beginning　of　the　last　war；　did　not　derive　so　much

advantage　from　this　expedient　as　to　compensate　the　loss　of　the

fashion。

　　　　　The　accumulated　treasures　of　the　prince　have；　in　former

times；　afforded　a　much　greater　and　more　lasting　resource。　In　the

present　times；　if　you　except　the　king　of　Prussia；　to　accumulate

treasure　seems　to　be　no　part　of　the　policy　of　European　princes。

　　　　　The　funds　which　maintained　the　foreign　wars　of　the　present

century；　the　most　expensive　perhaps　which　history　records；　seem

to　have　had　little　dependency　upon　the　exportation　either　of　the

circulating　money；　or　of　the　plate　of　private　families；　or　of　the

treasure　of　the　prince。　The　last　French　war　cost　Great　Britain

upwards　of　ninety　millions；　including　not　only　the　seventy…five

millions　of　new　debt　that　was　contracted；　but　the　additional　two

shillings　in　the　pound　land…tax；　and　what　was　annually　borrowed

of　the　sinking　fund。　More　than　two…thirds　of　this　expense　were

laid　out　in　distant　countries；　in　Germany；　Portugal；　America；　in

the　ports　of　the　Mediterranean；　in　the　East　and　West　Indies。　The

kings　of　England　had　no　accumulated　treasure。　We　never　heard　of

any　extraordinary　quantity　of　plate　being　melted　down。　The

circulating　gold　and　silver　of　the　country