wealbk04-第34章

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market　for　it；　the　law　encourages　them　to　extend　this　culture

much　beyond　the　consumption　of　a　thinly　inhabited　country；　and

thus　to　provide　beforehand　an　ample　subsistence　for　a　continually

increasing　population。

　　　　　In　a　country　quite　covered　with　wood；　where　timber

consequently　is　of　little　or　no　value；　the　expense　of　clearing

the　ground　is　the　principal　obstacle　to　improvement。　By　allowing

the　colonies　a　very　extensive　market　for　their　lumber；　the　law

endeavours　to　facilitate　improvement　by　raising　the　price　of　a

commodity　which　would　otherwise　be　of　little　value；　and　thereby

enabling　them　to　make　some　profit　of　what　would　otherwise　be　a

mere　expense。

　　　　　In　a　country　neither　half…peopled　nor　half…cultivated；

cattle　naturally　multiply　beyond　the　consumption　of　the

inhabitants；　and　are　often　upon　that　account　of　little　or　no

value。　But　it　is　necessary；　it　has　already　been　shown；　that　the

price　of　cattle　should　bear　a　certain　proportion　to　that　of　corn

before　the　greater　part　of　the　lands　of　any　country　can　be

improved。　By　allowing　to　American　cattle；　in　all　shapes；　dead　or

alive；　a　very　extensive　market；　the　law　endeavors　to　raise　the

value　of　a　commodity　of　which　the　high　price　is　so　very　essential

to　improvement。　The　good　effects　of　this　liberty；　however；　must

be　somewhat　diminished　by　the　4th　of　George　III；　c。　15；　which

puts　hides　and　skins　among　the　enumerated　commodities；　and

thereby　tends　to　reduce　the　value　of　American　cattle。

　　　　　To　increase　the　shipping　and　naval　power　of　Great　Britain；

by　the　extension　of　the　fisheries　of　our　colonies；　is　an　object

which　the　legislature　seems　to　have　had　almost　constantly　in

view。　Those　fisheries；　upon　this　account；　have　had　all　the

encouragement　which　freedom　can　give　them；　and　they　have

flourished　accordingly。　The　New　England　fishery　in　particular

was；　before　the　late　disturbances；　one　of　the　most　important；

perhaps；　in　the　world。　The　whale…fishery　which；　notwithstanding

an　extravagant　bounty；　is　in　Great　Britain　carried　on　to　so

little　purpose　that　in　the　opinion　of　many　people　（which　I　do

not；　however；　pretend　to　warrant）　the　whole　produce　does　not　much

exceed　the　value　of　the　bounties　which　are　annually　paid　for　it；

is　in　New　England　carried　on　without　any　bounty　to　a　very　great

extent。　Fish　is　one　of　the　principal　articles　with　which　the

North　Americans　trade　to　Spain；　Portugal；　and　the　Mediterranean。

　　　　　Sugar　was　originally　an　enumerated　commodity　which　could　be

exported　only　to　Great　Britain。　But　in　1731；　upon　a

representation　of　the　sugar…planters；　its　exportation　was

permitted　to　all　parts　of　the　world。　The　restrictions；　however；

with　which　this　liberty　was　granted；　joined　to　the　high　price　of

sugar　in　Great　Britain；　have　rendered　it；　in　a　great　measure；

ineffectual。　Great　Britain　and　her　colonies　still　continue　to　be

almost　the　sole　market　for　all　the　sugar　produced　in　the　British

plantations。　Their　consumption　increases　so　fast　that；　though　in

consequence　of　the　increasing　improvement　of　Jamaica；　as　well　as

of　the　Ceded　Islands；　the　importation　of　sugar　has　increased　very

greatly　within　these　twenty　years；　the　exportation　to　foreign

countries　is　said　to　be　not　much　greater　than　before。

　　　　　Rum　is　a　very　important　article　in　the　trade　which　the

Americans　carry　on　to　the　coast　of　Africa；　from　which　they　bring

back　negro　slaves　in　return。

　　　　　If　the　whole　surplus　produce　of　America　in　grain　of　all

sorts；　in　salt　provisions　and　in　fish；　had　been　put　into　the

enumeration；　and　thereby　forced　into　the　market　of　Great　Britain；

it　would　have　interfered　too　much　with　the　produce　of　the

industry　of　our　own　people。　It　was　probably　not　so　much　from　any

regard　to　the　interest　of　America　as　from　a　jealousy　of　this

interference　that　those　important　commodities　have　not　only　been

kept　out　of　the　enumeration；　but　that　the　importation　into　Great

Britain　of　all　grain；　except　rice；　and　of　salt　provisions；　has；

in　the　ordinary　state　of　the　law；　been　prohibited。

　　　　　The　non…enumerated　commodities　could　originally　be　exported

to　all　parts　of　the　world。　Lumber　and　rice；　having　been　once　put

into　the　enumeration；　when　they　were　afterwards　taken　out　of　it；

were　confined；　as　to　the　European　market；　to　the　countries　that

lie　south　of　Cape　Finisterre。　By　the　6th　of　George　III；　c。　52；

all　non…enumerated　commodities　were　subjected　to　the　like

restriction。　The　parts　of　Europe　which　lie　south　of　Cape

Finisterre　are　not　manufacturing　countries；　and　we　were　less

jealous　of　the　colony　ships　carrying　home　from　them　any

manufactures　which　could　interfere　with　our　own。

　　　　　The　enumerated　commodities　are　of　two　sorts：　first；　such　as

are　either　the　peculiar　produce　of　America；　or　as　cannot　be

produced；　or　at　least　are　not　produced；　in　the　mother　country。　Of

this　kind　are　molasses；　coffee；　cocoa…nuts；　tobacco；　pimento；

ginger；　whalefins；　raw　silk；　cotton…wool；　beaver；　and　other

peltry　of　America；　indigo；　fustic；　and　other　dyeing　woods；

secondly；　such　as　are　not　the　peculiar　produce　of　America；　but

which　are　and　may　be　produced　in　the　mother　country；　though　not

in　such　quantities　as　to　supply　the　greater　part　of　her　demand；

which　is　principally　supplied　from　foreign　countries。　Of　this

kind　are　all　naval　stores；　masts；　yards；　and　bowsprits；　tar；

pitch；　and　turpentine；　pig　and　bar　iron；　copper　ore；　hides　and

skins；　pot　and　pearl　ashes。　The　largest　importation　of

commodities　of　the　first　kind　could　not　discourage　the　growth　or

interfere　with　the　sale　of　any　part　of　the　produce　of　the　mother

country。　By　confining　them　to　the　home　market；　our　merchants；　it

was　expected；　would　not　only　be　enabled　to　buy　them　cheaper　in

the　plantations；　and　consequently　to　sell　them　with　a　better

profit　at　home；　but　to　establish　between　the　plantations　and

foreign　countries　an　advantageous　carrying　trade；　of　which　Great

Britain　was　necessarily　to　be　the　centre　or　emporium；　as　the

European　country　into　which　those　commodities　were　first　to　be

imported。　The　importation　of　commodities　of　the　second　kind　might

be　so　managed　too；　it　was　supposed；　as　to　interfere；　not　with　the

sale　of　those　of　the　same　kind　which　were　produced　at　home；　but

with　that　of　those　which　were　imported　from　foreign　countries；

because；　by　means　of　proper　duties；　they　might　be　rendered　always

somewhat　dearer　than　the　former；　and　yet　a　good　deal　cheaper　than

the　latter。　By　confining　such　commodities　to　the　home　market；

therefore；　it　was　proposed　to　discourage　the　produce；　not　of

Great　Britain；　but　of　some　foreign　countries　with　which　the

balance　of　trade　was　believed　to　be　unfavourable　to　Great

Britain。

　　　　　The　prohibition　of　exporting　from　the　colonies；　to　any　other

country　but　Great　Britain；　masts；　yards；　and　bowsprits；　tar；

pitch；　and　turpentine；　naturally　tended　to　lower　the　price　of

timber　in　the　colonies；　and　consequently　to　increase　the　expense

of　clearing　their　lands；　the　principal　obstacle　to　their

improvement。　But　about　the　beginning　of　the　present　century；　in

1703；　the　pitch　and　tar　company　of　Sweden　endeavoured　to　raise

the　price　of　their　commodities　to　Great　Britain；　by　prohibiting

their　exportation；　except　in　their　own　ships；　at　their　own　price；

and　in　such　quantities　as　they　thought　proper。　In　order　to

counteract　this　notable　piece　of　mercantile　policy；　and　to　render

herself　as　much　as　possible　independent；　not　only　of　Sweden；　but

of　all　the　other　northern　powers；　Great　Britain　gave　a　bounty

upon　the　importation　of　naval　stores　from　America；　and　the　effect

of　this　bounty　was　to　raise　the　price　of　timber　in　America　much

more　than　the　confinement　to　the　home　market　could　lower　it；　and

as　both　regulations　were　enacted　at　the　same　time；　their　joint

effect　was　rather　to　encourage　than　to　discourage　the　clearing　of

land　in　America。

　　　　　Though　pig　and　bar　iron　too　have　been　put　among　the

enumerated　commodities；　yet　as；　when　imported　from　America；　they

were　exempted　from　considerable　duties　to　which　they　are　subject

when　imported　from　any　other　country；　the　one　part　of　the

regulation　contributes　more　to　encourage　the　erection　of　furnaces

in　America　than　the　other　to　discourage　it。　There　is　no

manufacture　which　occasions　so　great　a　consumption　of　wood　as　a

furnace；　or　which　can　contribute　so　much　to　the　clearing　of　a

country　overgrown　with　it。

　　　　　The　tendency　of　some　of　these　regulations　to　raise　the　value

of　timber　in　America；　and　thereby　to　facilitate　the　clearing　of

the　land；　was　neither；　perhaps；　intended　nor　understood　by　the

legislature。　Though　their　beneficial　effects；　however；　have　been

in　this　respect　accidental；　they　have　not　upon　that　account　been

less　real。

　　　　　The　most　perfect　freedom　of　trade　is　permitted　between　the

British　colonies　of　America　and　the　West　Indies；　both　in　the

enumerated　and　in　the　non…enumerated　commodities。　Those　colonies

are　now　become　so　populous　and　thriving　that　each　of　them　finds

in　some　of　the　others　a　great　and　extensive　market　for　every　part

of　its　produce。　All　of　them　taken　together；　they　make　a　great

internal　market　for　the　produce　of　one　another。

　　　　　The　liberality　of　England；　however；　towards　the　trade　of　her

colonies　has　been　confined　chiefly　to　what　concerns　the　market

for　their　produce；　either　in　its　rude　state；　or　in　what　may　be

called　the　very　first　stage　of　manufacture。　The　more　advanced　or

more　refined　manufactures　even　of　the　colony　produce；　the

merchants　and　manufacturers　of　Great　Britain　choose　to　reserve　to

themselves；　and　have　prevailed　upon　the　legislature　to　prevent

their　establishment　in　the　colonies；　sometimes　by　high　duties；

and　sometimes　by　absolute　prohibitions。

　　　　　While；　for　example；　Muskovado　sugars　from　the　British

plantations　pay　upon　importation　only　6s。　4d。　the　hundredweight；

white　sugars　pay　L1　1s。　1d。；　and　refined；　either　double　or

single；　in　loaves　L4　2s。　5　8/20d。　When　those　high　duties　were

imposed；　Great　Britain　was　the　sole；　and　she　still　continues　to

be　the　principal　market　to　which　the　sugars　of　the　British

colonies　could　be　exported。　They　amounted；　therefore；　to　a

prohibition；　at　first　of　claying　or　refining　sugar　for　any

foreign　market；　and　at　present　of　claying　or　refining　it　for　the

market；　which　takes　off；　perhaps；　more　than　nine…tenths　of　the

whole　produce。　The　manufacture　of　claying　or　refining　sugar

accordingly；　though　it　has　flourished　in　all　the　sugar　colonies

of　France；　has　been　little　cultivated　in　any　of　those　of　England

except　for　the　market　of　the　colonies　themselves。　While　Grenada

was　in　the　hands　of　the　French　there　was　a　refinery　of　sugar；　by

claying　at　least；　upon　almost　every　plantation。　Since　it　fell

into　those　of　the　English；　almost　all　works　of　this　kind　have

been　given　tip；　and　there　are　at　present；　October　1773；　I　am

assured　not　above　two　or　three　remaining　in　the　island。　At

present；　however；　by　an　indulgence　of　the　custom…house；　clayed　or

refined　sugar；　if　reduced　from　loaves　into　powder；　is　commonly

imported　as　Muskovado。

　　　　　While　Great　Britain　encourages　in　America　the　manufactures

of　pig　and　bar　iron；