wealbk05-第14章

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stock；　sometimes　have；　and　sometimes　have　not；　exclusive

privileges。

　　　　　Regulated　companies　resemble；　in　every　respect；　the

corporations　of　trades　so　common　in　the　cities　and　towns　of　all

the　different　countries　of　Europe；　and　are　a　sort　of　enlarged

monopolies　of　the　same　kind。　As　no　inhabitant　of　a　town　can

exercise　an　incorporated　trade　without　first　obtaining　his

freedom　in　the　corporation；　so　in　most　cases　no　subject　of　the

state　can　lawfully　carry　on　any　branch　of　foreign　trade；　for

which　a　regulated　company　is　established；　without　first　becoming

a　member　of　that　company。　The　monopoly　is　more　or　less　strict

according　as　the　terms　of　admission　are　more　or　less　difficult；

and　according　as　the　directors　of　the　company　have　more　or　less

authority；　or　have　it　more　or　less　in　their　power　to　manage　in

such　a　manner　as　to　confine　the　greater　part　of　the　trade　to

themselves　and　their　particular　friends。　In　the　most　ancient

regulated　companies　the　privileges　of　apprenticeship　were　the

same　as　in　other　corporations；　and　entitled　the　person　who　had

served　his　time　to　a　member　of　the　company　to　become　himself　a

member；　either　without　paying　any　fine；　or　upon　paying　a　much

smaller　one　than　what　was　exacted　of　other　people。　The　usual

corporation　spirit；　wherever　the　law　does　not　restrain　it；

prevails　in　all　regulated　companies。　When　they　have　been　allowed

to　act　according　to　their　natural　genius；　they　have　always；　in

order　to　confine　the　competition　to　as　small　a　number　of　persons

as　possible；　endeavoured　to　subject　the　trade　to　many　burden　some

regulations。　When　the　law　has　restrained　them　from　doing　this；

they　have　become　altogether　useless　and　insignificant。

　　　　　The　regulated　companies　for　foreign　commerce　which　at

present　subsist　in　Great　Britain　are　the　ancient　merchant

adventurers'　company；　now　commonly　called　the　Hamburg　Company；

the　Russia　Company；　the　Eastland　Company；　the　Turkey　Company；　and

the　African　Company。

　　　　　The　terms　of　admission　into　the　Hamburg　Company　are　now　said

to　be　quite　easy；　and　the　directors　either　have　it　not　their

power　to　subject　the　trade　to　any　burdensome　restraint　or

regulations；　or；　at　least；　have　not　of　late　exercised　that　power。

It　has　not　always　been　so。　About　the　middle　of　the　last　century；

the　fine　for　admission　was　fifty；　and　at　one　time　one　hundred

pounds；　and　the　conduct　of　the　company　was　said　to　be　extremely

oppressive。　In　1643；　in　1645；　and　in　1661；　the　clothiers　and　free

traders　of　the　West　of　England　complained　of　them　to　Parliament

as　of　monopolists　who　confined　the　trade　and　oppressed　the

manufactures　of　the　country。　Though　those　complaints　produced　an

Act　of　Parliament；　they　had　probably　intimidated　the　company　so

far　as　to　oblige　them　to　reform　their　conduct。　Since　that　time；

at　least；　there　has　been　no　complaints　against　them。　By　the　10th

and　11th　of　William　III；　c。　6；　the　fine　for　admission　into　the

Russia　Company　was　reduced　to　five　pounds；　and　by　the　25th　of

Charles　II；　c。　7；　that　for　admission　into　the　Eastland　Company　to

forty　shillings；　while；　at　the　same　time；　Sweden；　Denmark；　and

Norway；　all　the　countries　on　the　north　side　of　the　Baltic；　were

exempted　from　their　exclusive　charter。　The　conduct　of　those

companies　had　probably　given　occasion　to　those　two　Acts　of

Parliament。　Before　that　time；　Sir　Josiah　Child　had　represented

both　these　and　the　Hamburg　Company　as　extremely　oppressive；　and

imputed　to　their　bad　management　the　low　state　of　the　trade　which

we　at　that　time　carried　on　to　the　countries　comprehended　within

their　respective　charters。　But　though　such　companies　may　not；　in

the　present　times；　be　very　oppressive；　they　are　certainly

altogether　useless。　To　be　merely　useless；　indeed；　is　perhaps　the

highest　eulogy　which　can　ever　justly　be　bestowed　upon　a　regulated

company；　and　all　the　three　companies　above　mentioned　seem；　in

their　present　state；　to　deserve　this　eulogy。

　　　　　The　fine　for　admission　into　the　Turkey　Company　was　formerly

twenty…five　pounds　for　all　persons　under　twenty…six　years　of　age；

and　fifty　pounds　for　all　persons　above　that　age。　Nobody　but　mere

merchants　could　be　admitted；　a　restriction　which　excluded　all

shopkeepers　and　retailers。　By　a　bye…law；　no　British　manufactures

could　be　exported　to　Turkey　but　in　the　general　ships　of　the

company；　and　as　those　ships　sailed　always　from　the　port　of

London；　this　restriction　confined　the　trade　to　that　expensive

port；　and　the　traders　to　those　who　lived　in　London　and　in　its

neighbourhood。　By　another　bye…law；　no　person　living　within　twenty

miles　of　London；　and　not　free　of　the　city；　could　be　admitted　a

member；　another　restriction　which；　joined　to　the　foregoing；

necessarily　excluded　all　but　the　freemen　of　London。　As　the　time

for　the　loading　and　sailing　of　those　general　ships　depended

altogether　upon　the　directors；　they　could　easily　fill　them　with

their　own　goods　and　those　of　their　particular　friends；　to　the

exclusion　of　others；　who；　they　might　pretend；　had　made　their

proposals　too　late。　In　this　state　of　things；　therefore；　this

company　was　in　every　respect　a　strict　and　oppressive　monopoly。

Those　abuses　gave　occasion　to　the　act　of　the　26th　of　George　II；

c。　18；　reducing　the　fine　for　admission　to　twenty　pounds　for　all

persons；　without　any　distinction　of　ages；　or　any　restriction；

either　to　mere　merchants；　or　to　the　freemen　of　London；　and

granting　to　all　such　persons　the　liberty　of　exporting；　from　all

the　ports　of　Great　Britain　to　any　port　in　Turkey；　all　British

goods　of　which　the　exportation　was　not　prohibited；　and　of

importing　from　thence　all　Turkish　goods　of　which　the　importation

was　not　prohibited；　upon　paying　both　the　general　duties　of

customs；　and　the　particular　duties　assessed　for　defraying　the

necessary　expenses　of　the　company；　and　submitting；　at　the　same

time；　to　the　lawful　authority　of　the　British　ambassador　and

consuls　resident　in　Turkey；　and　to　the　bye　laws　of　the　company

duly　enacted。　To　prevent　any　oppression　by　those　bye…laws；　it　was

by　the　same　act　ordained；　that　if　any　seven　members　of　the

company　conceived　themselves　aggrieved　by　any　bye…law　which

should　be　enacted　after　the　passing　of　this　act；　they　might

appeal　to　the　Board　of　Trade　and　Plantations　（to　the　authority　of

which　a　committee　of　the　Privy　Council　has　now　succeeded）；

provided　such　appeal　was　brought　within　twelve　months　after　the

bye…law　was　enacted；　and　that　if　any　seven　members　conceived

themselves　aggrieved　by　any　bye…law　which　had　been　enacted　before

the　passing　of　this　act；　they　might　bring　a　like　appeal；　provided

it　was　within　twelve　months　after　the　day　on　which　this　act　was

to　take　place。　The　experience　of　one　year；　however；　may　not

always　be　sufficient　to　discover　to　all　the　members　of　a　great

company；　the　pernicious　tendency　of　a　particular　bye…law；　and　if

several　of　them　should　afterwards　discover　it；　neither　the　Board

of　Trade；　nor　the　committee　of　council；　can　afford　them　any

redress。　The　object；　besides；　of　the　greater　part　of　the　bye…laws

of　all　regulated　companies；　as　well　as　of　all　other　corporations；

is　not　so　much　to　oppress　those　who　are　already　members；　as　to

discourage　others　from　becoming　so；　which　may　be　done；　not　only

by　a　high　fine；　but　by　many　other　contrivances。　The　constant　view

of　such　companies　is　always　to　raise　the　rate　of　their　own　profit

as　high　as　they　can；　to　keep　the　market；　both　for　the　goods　which

they　export；　and　for　those　which　they　import；　as　much

understocked　as　they　can：　which　can　be　done　only　by　restraining

the　competition；　or　by　discouraging　new　adventurers　from　entering

into　the　trade。　A　fine　even　of　twenty　pounds；　besides；　though　it

may　not　perhaps　be　sufficient　to　discourage　any　man　from　entering

into　the　Turkey　trade　with　an　intention　to　continue　in　it；　may　be

enough　to　discourage　a　speculative　merchant　from　hazarding　a

single　adventure　in　it。　In　all　trades；　the　regular　established

traders；　even　though　not　incorporated；　naturally　combine