wealbk04-第42章

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inhabitants　of　the　country　derive　from　the　profits　of　stock；　a

small　profit　upon　a　great　capital　generally　affording　a　greater

revenue　than　a　great　profit　upon　a　small　one。　The　monopoly　raises

the　rate　of　profit；　but　it　hinders　the　sum　of　profit　from　rising

so　high　as　it　otherwise　would　do。

　　　　　All　the　original　sources　of　revenue；　the　wages　of　labour；

the　rent　of　land；　and　the　profits　of　stock；　the　monopoly　renders

much　less　abundant　than　they　otherwise　would　be。　To　promote　the

little　interest　of　one　little　order　of　men　in　one　country；　it

hurts　the　interest　of　all　other　orders　of　men　in　that　country；

and　of　all　men　in　all　other　countries。

　　　　　It　is　solely　by　raising　the　ordinary　rate　of　profit　that　the

monopoly　either　has　proved　or　could　prove　advantageous　to　any　one

particular　order　of　men。　But　besides　all　the　bad　effects　to　the

country　in　general；　which　have　already　been　mentioned　as

necessarily　resulting　from　a　high　rate　of　profit；　there　is　one

more　fatal；　perhaps；　than　all　these　put　together；　but　which；　if

we　may　judge　from　experience；　is　inseparably　connected　with　it。

The　high　rate　of　profit　seems　everywhere　to　destroy　that

parsimony　which　in　other　circumstances　is　natural　to　the

character　of　the　merchant。　When　profits　are　high　that　sober

virtue　seems　to　be　superfluous　and　expensive　luxury　to　suit

better　the　affluence　of　his　situation。　But　the　owners　of　the

great　mercantile　capitals　are　necessarily　the　leaders　and

conductors　of　the　whole　industry　of　every　nation；　and　their

example　has　a　much　greater　influence　upon　the　manners　of　the

whole　industrious　part　of　it　than　that　of　any　other　order　of　men。

If　his　employer　is　attentive　and　parsimonious；　the　workman　is

very　likely　to　be　so　too；　but　if　the　master　is　dissolute　and

disorderly；　the　servant　who　shapes　his　work　according　to　the

pattern　which　his　master　prescribes　to　him　will　shape　his　life

too　according　to　the　example　which　he　sets　him。　Accumulation　is

thus　prevented　in　the　hands　of　all　those　who　are　naturally　the

most　disposed　to　accumulate；　and　the　funds　destined　for　the

maintenance　of　productive　labour　receive　no　augmentation　from　the

revenue　of　those　who　ought　naturally　to　augment　them　the　most。

The　capital　of　the　country；　instead　of　increasing；　gradually

dwindles　away；　and　the　quantity　of　productive　labour　maintained

in　it　grows　every　day　less　and　less。　Have　the　exorbitant　profits

of　the　merchants　of　Cadiz　and　Lisbon　augmented　the　capital　of

Spain　and　Portugal？　Have　they　alleviated　the　poverty；　have　they

promoted　the　industry　of　those　two　beggarly　countries？　Such　has

been　the　tone　of　mercantile　expense　in　those　two　trading　cities

that　those　exorbitant　profits；　far　from　augmenting　the　general

capital　of　the　country；　seem　scarce　to　have　been　sufficient　to

keep　up　the　capitals　upon　which　they　were　made。　Foreign　capitals

are　every　day　intruding　themselves；　if　I　may　say　so；　more　and

more　into　the　trade　of　Cadiz　and　Lisbon。　It　is　to　expel　those

foreign　capitals　from　a　trade　which　their　own　grows　every　day

more　and　more　insufficient　for　carrying　on　that　the　Spaniards　and

Portuguese　endeavour　every　day　to　straighten　more　and　more　the

galling　bands　of　their　absurd　monopoly。　Compare　the　mercantile

manners　of　Cadiz　and　Lisbon　with　those　of　Amsterdam；　and　you　will

be　sensible　how　differently　the　conduct　and　character　of

merchants　are　affected　by　the　high　and　by　the　low　profits　of

stock。　The　merchants　of　London；　indeed；　have　not　yet　generally

become　such　magnificent　lords　as　those　of　Cadiz　and　Lisbon；　but

neither　are　they　in　general　such　attentive　and　parsimonious

burghers　as　those　of　Amsterdam。　They　are　supposed；　however；　many

of　them；　to　be　a　good　deal　richer　than　the　greater　part　of　the

former；　and　not　quite　so　rich　as　many　of　the　latter。　But　the　rate

of　their　profit　is　commonly　much　lower　than　that　of　the　former；

and　a　good　deal　higher　than　that　of　the　latter。　Light　come；　light

go；　says　the　proverb；　and　the　ordinary　tone　of　expense　seems

everywhere　to　be　regulated；　not　so　much　according　to　the　real

ability　of　spending；　as　to　the　supposed　facility　of　getting　money

to　spend。

　　　　　It　is　thus　that　the　single　advantage　which　the　monopoly

procures　to　a　single　order　of　men　is　in　many　different　ways

hurtful　to　the　general　interest　of　the　country。

　　　　　To　found　a　great　empire　for　the　sole　purpose　of　raising　up　a

people　of　customers　may　at　first　sight　appear　a　project　fit　only

for　a　nation　of　shopkeepers。　It　is；　however；　a　project　altogether

unfit　for　a　nation　of　shopkeepers；　but　extremely　fit　for　a　nation

whose　government　is　influenced　by　shopkeepers。　Such　statesmen；

and　such　statesmen　only；　are　capable　of　fancying　that　they　will

find　some　advantage　in　employing　the　blood　and　treasure　of　their

fellow…citizens　to　found　and　maintain　such　an　empire。　Say　to　a

shopkeeper；　〃Buy　me　a　good　estate；　and　I　shall　always　buy　my

clothes　at　your　shop；　even　though　I　should　pay　somewhat　dearer

than　what　I　can　have　them　for　at　other　shops〃；　and　you　will　not

find　him　very　forward　to　embrace　your　proposal。　But　should　any

other　person　buy　you　such　an　estate；　the　shopkeeper　would　be　much

obliged　to　your　benefactor　if　he　would　enjoin　you　to　buy　all　your

clothes　at　his　shop。　England　purchased　for　some　of　her　subjects；

who　found　themselves　uneasy　at　home；　a　great　estate　in　a　distant

country。　The　price；　indeed；　was　very　small；　and　instead　of　thirty

years'　purchase；　the　ordinary　price　of　land　in　the　present　times；

it　amounted　to　little　more　than　the　expense　of　the　different

equipments　which　made　the　first　discovery；　reconnoitred　the

coast；　and　took　a　fictitious　possession　of　the　country。　The　land

was　good　and　of　great　extent；　and　the　cultivators　having　plenty

of　good　ground　to　work　upon；　and　being　for　some　time　at　liberty

to　sell　their　produce　where　they　pleased；　became　in　the　course　of

little　more　than　thirty　or　forty　years　（between　1620　and　1660）　so

numerous　and　thriving　a　people　that　the　shopkeepers　and　other

traders　of　England　wished　to　secure　to　themselves　the　monopoly　of

their　custom。　Without　pretending；　therefore；　that　they　had　paid

any　part；　either　of　the　original　purchase…money；　or　of　the

subsequent　expense　of　improvement；　they　petitioned　the　Parliament

that　the　cultivators　of　America　might　for　the　future　be　confined

to　their　shop；　first；　for　buying　all　the　goods　which　they　wanted

from　Europe；　and；　secondly；　for　selling　all　such　parts　of　their

own　produce　as　those　traders　might　find　it　convenient　to　buy。　For

they　did　not　find　it　convenient　to　buy　every　part　of　it。　Some

parts　of　it　imported　into　England　might　have　interfered　with　some

of　the　trades　which　they　themselves　carried　on　at　home。　Those

particular　parts　of　it；　therefore；　they　were　willing　that　the

colonists　should　sell　where　they　could…　the　farther　off　the

better；　and　upon　that　account　purposed　that　their　market　should

be　confined　to　the　countries　south　of　Cape　Finisterre。　A　clause

in　the　famous　Act　of　Navigation　established　this　truly　shopkeeper

proposal　into　a　law。

　　　　　The　maintenance　of　this　monopoly　has　hitherto　been　the

principal；　or　more　properly　perhaps　the　sole　end　and　purpose　of

the　dominion　which　Great　Britain　assumes　over　her　colonies。　In

the　exclusive　trade；　it　is　supposed；　consists　the　great　advantage

of　provinces；　which　have　never　yet　afforded　either　revenue　or

military　force　for　the　support　of　the　civil　government；　or　the

defence　of　the　mother　country。　The　monopoly　is　the　principal

badge　of　their　dependency；　and　it　is　the　sole　fruit　which　has

hitherto　been　gathered　from　that　dependency。　Whatever　expense

Great　Britain　has　hitherto　laid　out　in　maintaining　this

dependency　has　really　been　laid　out　in　order　to　support　this

monopoly。　The　expense　of　the　ordinary　peace　establishment　of　the

colonies　amounted；　before　the　commencement　of　the　present

disturbances；　to　the　pay　of　twenty　regiments　of　foot；　to　the

expense　of　the　artillery；　stores；　and　extraordinary　provisions

with　which　it　was　necessary　to　supply　them；　and　to　the　expense　of

a　very　considerable　naval　force　which　was　constantly　kept　up；　in

order　to　guard；　from　the　smuggling　vessels　of　other　nations；　the

immense　coast　of　North　America；　and　that　of　our　West　Indian

islands。　The　whole　expense　of　this　peace　establishment　was　a

charge　upon　the　revenue　of　Great　Britain；　and　was；　at　the　same

time；　the　smallest　part　of　what　the　dominion　of　the　colonies　has

cost　the　mother　country。　If　we　would　know　the　amount　of　the

whole；　we　must　add　to　the　annual　expense　of　this　peace

establishment　the　interest　of　the　sums　which；　in　consequence　of

her　considering　her　colonies　as　provinces　subject　to　her

dominion；　Great　Britain　has　upon　different　occasions　laid　out

upon　their　defence。　We　must　add　to　it；　in　particular；　the　whole

expense　of　the　late　war；　and　a　great　part　of　that　of　the　war

which　preceded　it。　The　late　war　was　altogether　a　colony　quarrel；

and　the　whole　expense　of　it；　in　whatever　part　of　the　world　it　may

have　been　laid　out；　whether　in　Germany　or　the　East　Indies；　ought

justly　to　be　stated　to　the　account　of　the　colonies。　It　amounted

to　more　than　ninety　millions　sterling；　including　not　only　the　new

debt　which　was　contracted；　but　the　two　shillings　in　the　pound

additional　land　tax；　and　the　sums　which　were　every　year　borrowed

from　the　sinking　fund。　The　Spanish　war；　which　began　in　1739；　was

principally　a　colony　quarrel。　Its　principal　object　was　to　prevent

the　search　of　the　colony　ships　which　carried　on　a　contraband

trade　with　the　Spanish　Main。　This　whole　expense　is；　in　reality；　a

bounty　which　has　been　given　in　order　to　support　a　monopoly。　The

pretended　purpose　of　it　was　to　encourage　the　manufactures；　and　to

increase　the　commerce　of　Great　Britain。　But　its　real　effect　has

been　to　raise　the　rate　of　mercantile　profit；　and　to　enable　our

merchants　to　turn　into　a　branch　of　trade；　of　which　the　returns

are　more　slow　and　distant　than　those　of　the　greater　part　of　other

trades；　a　greater　proportion　of　their　capital　than　they　otherwise

would　have　done；　two　events　which；　if　a　bounty　could　have

prevented；　it　might　perhaps　have　been　very　well　worth　while　to

give　such　a　bounty。

　　　　　Under　the　present　system　of　management；　therefore；　Great

Britain　derives　nothing　but　loss　from　the　dominion　which　she

assumes　over　her　colonies。

　　　　　To　propose　that　Great　Britain　should　voluntarily　give　up　all

authority　over　her　colonies；　and　leave　them　to　elect　their　own

magistrates；　to　enact　their　own　laws；　and　to　make　peace　and　war

as　they　might　think　proper；　would　be　to　propose　such　a　measure　as

never　was；　and　never　will　be　adopted；　by　any　nation　in　the　world。

No　nation　ever　voluntarily　gave　up　the　dominion　of　any　province；

how　troublesome　soever　it　might　be　to　govern　it；　and　how　small

soever　the　revenue　which　it　afforded　might　be　in　proportion　to

the　expense　which　it　occasioned。　Such　sacrifices；　though　they

might　frequently　be　agreeable　to　the　interest；　are　always

mortifying　to　the　pride　of　every　nation；　and　what　is　perhaps　of

still　greater　consequence；　they　are　always　contrary　to　the

private　interest