wealbk02-第9章

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　　　　　A　banking　company；　which　issues　more　paper　than　can　be

employed　in　the　circulation　of　the　country；　and　of　which　the

excess　is　continually　returning　upon　them　for　payment；　ought　to

increase　the　quantity　of　gold　and　silver；　which　they　keep　at　all

times　in　their　coffers；　not　only　in　proportion　to　this　excessive

increase　of　their　circulation；　but　in　a　much　greater　proportion；

their　notes　returning　upon　them　much　faster　than　in　proportion　to

the　excess　of　their　quantity。　Such　a　company；　therefore；　ought　to

increase　the　first　article　of　their　expense；　not　only　in

proportion　to　this　forced　increase　of　their　business；　but　in　a

much　greater　proportion。

　　　　　The　coffers　of　such　a　company　too；　though　they　ought　to　be

filled　much　fuller；　yet　must　empty　themselves　much　faster　than　if

their　business　was　confined　within　more　reasonable　bounds；　and

must　require；　not　only　a　more　violent；　but　a　more　constant　and

uninterrupted　exertion　of　expense　in　order　to　replenish　them。　The

coin　too；　which　is　thus　continually　drawn　in　such　large

quantities　from　their　coffers；　cannot　be　employed　in　the

circulation　of　the　country。　It　comes　in　place　of　a　paper　which　is

over　and　above　what　can　be　employed　in　that　circulation；　and　is

therefore　over　and　above　what　can　be　employed　in　it　too。　But　as

that　coin　will　not　be　allowed　to　lie　idle；　it　must；　in　one　shape

or　another；　be　sent　abroad；　in　order　to　find　that　profitable

employment　which　it　cannot　find　at　home；　and　this　continual

exportation　of　gold　and　silver；　by　enhancing　the　difficulty；　must

necessarily　enhance　still　further　the　expense　of　the　bank；　in

finding　new　gold　and　silver　in　order　to　replenish　those　coffers；

which　empty　themselves　so　very　rapidly。　Such　a　company；

therefore；　must；　in　proportion　to　this　forced　increase　of　their

business；　increase　the　second　article　of　their　expense　still　more

than　the　first。

　　　　　Let　us　suppose　that　all　the　paper　of　a　particular　bank；

which　the　circulation　of　the　country　can　easily　absorb　and

employ；　amounts　exactly　to　forty　thousand　pounds；　and　that　for

answering　occasional　demands；　this　bank　is　obliged　to　keep　at　all

times　in　its　coffers　ten　thousand　pounds　in　gold　and　silver。

Should　this　bank　attempt　to　circulate　forty…four　thousand　pounds；

the　four　thousand　pounds　which　are　over　and　above　what　the

circulation　can　easily　absorb　and　employ；　will　return　upon　it

almost　as　fast　as　they　are　issued。　For　answering　occasional

demands；　therefore；　this　bank　ought　to　keep　at　all　times　in　its

coffers；　not　eleven　thousand　pounds　only；　but　fourteen　thousand

pounds。　It　will　thus　gain　nothing　by　the　interest　of　the　four

thousand　pounds'　excessive　circulation；　and　it　will　lose　the

whole　expense　of　continually　collecting　four　thousand　pounds　in

gold　and　silver；　which　will　be　continually　going　out　of　its

coffers　as　fast　as　they　are　brought　into　them。

　　　　　Had　every　particular　banking　company　always　understood　and

attended　to　its　own　particular　interest；　the　circulation　never

could　have　been　overstocked　with　paper　money。　But　every

particular　banking　company　has　not　always　understood　or　attended

to　its　own　particular　interest；　and　the　circulation　has

frequently　been　overstocked　with　paper　money。

　　　　　By　issuing　too　great　a　quantity　of　paper；　of　which　the

excess　was　continually　returning；　in　order　to　be　exchanged　for

gold　and　silver；　the　Bank　of　England　was　for　many　years　together

obliged　to　coin　gold　to　the　extent　of　between　eight　hundred

thousand　pounds　and　a　million　a　year；　or　at　an　average；　about

eight　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　pounds。　For　this　great　coinage

the　bank　（in　consequence　of　the　worn　and　degraded　state　into

which　the　gold　coin　had　fallen　a　few　years　ago）　was　frequently

obliged　to　purchase　gold　bullion　at　the　high　price　of　four　pounds

an　ounce；　which　it　soon　after　issued　in　coin　at　53　17s。　10　1/2d。

an　ounce；　losing　in　this　manner　between　two　and　a　half　and　three

per　cent　upon　the　coinage　of　so　very　large　a　sum。　Though　the　bank

therefore　paid　no　seignorage；　though　the　government　was　properly

at　the　expense　of　the　coinage；　this　liberality　of　government　did

not　prevent　altogether　the　expense　of　the　bank。

　　　　　The　Scotch　banks；　in　consequence　of　an　excess　of　the　same

kind；　were　all　obliged　to　employ　constantly　agents　at　London　to

collect　money　for　them；　at　an　expense　which　was　seldom　below　one

and　a　half　or　two　per　cent。　This　money　was　sent　down　by　the

waggon；　and　insured　by　the　carriers　at　an　additional　expense　of

three　quarters　per　cent　or　fifteen　shillings　on　the　hundred

pounds。　Those　agents　were　not　always　able　to　replenish　the

coffers　of　their　employers　so　fast　as　they　were　emptied。　In　this

case　the　resource　of　the　banks　was　to　draw　upon　their

correspondents　in　London　bills　of　exchange　to　the　extent　of　the

sum　which　they　wanted。　When　those　correspondents　afterwards　drew

upon　them　for　the　payment　of　this　sum；　together　with　the　interest

and　a　commission；　sonic　of　those　banks；　from　the　distress　into

which　their　excessive　circulation　had　thrown　them；　had　sometimes

no　other　means　of　satisfying　this　draught　but　by　drawing　a　second

set　of　bills　either　upon　the　same；　or　upon　some　other

correspondents　in　London；　and　the　same　sum；　or　rather　bills　for

the　same　sum；　would　in　this　manner　make　sometimes　more　than　two

or　three　journeys；　the　debtor；　bank；　paying　always　the　interest

and　commission　upon　the　whole　accumulated　sum。　Even　those　Scotch

banks　which　never　distinguished　themselves　by　their　extreme

imprudence；　were　sometimes　obliged　to　employ　this　ruinous

resource。

　　　　　The　gold　coin　which　was　paid　out　either　by　the　Bank　of

England；　or　by　the　Scotch　banks；　in　exchange　for　that　part　of

their　paper　which　was　over　and　above　what　could　be　employed　in

the　circulation　of　the　country；　being　likewise　over　and　above

what　could　be　employed　in　that　circulation；　was　sometimes　sent

abroad　in　the　shape　of　coin；　sometimes　melted　down　and　sent

abroad　in　the　shape　of　bullion；　and　sometimes　melted　down　and

sold　to　the　Bank　of　England　at　the　high　price　of　four　pounds　an

ounce。　It　was　the　newest；　the　heaviest；　and　the　best　pieces　only

which　were　carefully　picked　out　of　the　whole　coin；　and　either

sent　abroad　or　melted　down。　At　home；　and　while　they　remained　in

the　shape　of　coin；　those　heavy　pieces　were　of　no　more　value　than

the　light。　But　they　were　of　more　value　abroad；　or　when　melted

down　into　bullion；　at　home。　The　Bank　of　England；　notwithstanding

their　great　annual　coinage；　found　to　their　astonishment　that

there　was　every　year　the　same　scarcity　of　coin　as　there　had　been

the　year　before；　and　that　notwithstanding　the　great　quantity　of

good　and　new　coin　which　was　every　year　issued　from　the　bank；　the

state　of　the　coin；　instead　of　growing　better　and　better；　became

every　year　worse　and　worse。　Every　year　they　found　themselves

under　the　necessity　of　coining　nearly　the　same　quantity　of　gold

as　they　had　coined　the　year　before；　and　from　the　continual　rise

in　the　price　of　gold　bullion；　in　consequence　of　the　continual

wearing　and　clipping　of　the　coin；　the　expense　of　this　great

annual　coinage　became　every　year　greater　and　greater。　The　Bank　of

England；　it　is　to　be　observed；　by　supplying　its　own　coffers　with

coin；　is　indirectly　obliged　to　supply　the　whole　kingdom；　into

which　coin　is　continually　flowing　from　those　coffers　in　a　great

variety　of　ways。　Whatever　coin　therefore　was　wanted　to　support

this　excessive　circulation　both　of　Scotch　and　English　paper

money；　whatever　vacuities　this　excessive　circulation　occasioned

in　the　necessary　coin　of　the　kingdom；　the　Bank　of　England　was

obliged　to　supply　them。　The　Scotch　banks；　no　doubt；　paid　all　of

them　very　dearly　for　their　own　imprudence　and　inattention。　But

the　Bank　of　England　paid　very　dearly；　not　only　for　its　own

imprudence；　but　for　the　much　greater　imprudence　of　almost　all　the

Scotch　banks。

　　　　　The　overtrading　of　some　bold　projectors　in　both　parts　of　the

United　Kingdom　was　the　original　cause　of　this　excessive

circulation　of　paper　money。

　　　　　What　a　bank　can　with　propriety　advance　to　a　merchant　or

undertaker　of　any　ki