wealbk05-第62章

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taxed　would　be　carried　on　with　much　more　advantage　than　at

present。　If　those　commodities　were　delivered　out　of　the　public

warehouse　for　foreign　exportation；　being　in　this　case　exempted

from　all　taxes；　the　trade　in　them　would　be　perfectly　free。　The

carrying　trade　in　all　sorts　of　goods　would　under　this　system

enjoy　every　possible　advantage。　If　those　commodities　were

delivered　out　for　home　consumption；　the　importer　not　being

obliged　to　advance　the　tax　till　he　had　an　opportunity　of　selling

his　goods；　either　to　some　dealer；　or　to　some　consumer；　he　could

always　afford　to　sell　them　cheaper　than　if　he　had　been　obliged　to

advance　it　at　the　moment　of　importation。　Under　the　same　taxes；

the　foreign　trade　of　consumption　even　in　the　taxed　commodities

might　in　this　manner　be　carried　on　with　much　more　advantage　than

it　can　be　at　present。

　　　　　It　was　the　object　of　the　famous　excise　scheme　of　Sir　Robert

Walpole　to　establish；　with　regard　to　wine　and　tobacco；　a　system

not　very　unlike　that　which　is　here　proposed。　But　though　the　bill

which　was　then　brought　into　Parliament　comprehended　those　two

commodities；　only　it　was　generally　supposed　to　be　meant　as　an

introduction　to　a　more　extensive　scheme　of　the　same　kind；

faction；　combined　with　the　interest　of　smuggling　merchants；

raised　so　violent；　though　so　unjust；　a　clamour　against　that　bill；

that　the　minister　thought　proper　to　drop　it；　and　from　a　dread　of

exciting　a　clamour　of　the　same　kind；　none　of　his　successors　have

dared　to　resume　the　project。

　　　　　The　duties　upon　foreign　luxuries　imported　for　home

consumption；　though　they　sometimes　fall　upon　the　poor；　fall

principally　upon　people　of　middling　or　more　than　middling

fortune。　Such　are；　for　example；　the　duties　upon　foreign　wines；

upon　coffee；　chocolate；　tea；　sugar；　etc。

　　　　　The　duties　upon　the　cheaper　luxuries　of　home　produce

destined　for　home　consumption　fall　pretty　equally　upon　people　of

all　ranks　in　proportion　to　their　respective　expense。　The　poor　pay

the　duties　upon　malt；　hops；　beer；　and　ale；　upon　their　own

consumption：　the　rich；　upon　both　their　own　consumption　and　that

of　their　servants。

　　　　　The　whole　consumption　of　the　inferior　ranks　of　people；　or　of

those　below　the　middling　rank；　it　must　be　observed；　is　in　every

country　much　greater；　not　only　in　quantity；　but　in　value；　than

that　of　the　middling　and　of　those　above　the　middling　rank。　The

whole　expense　of　the　inferior　is　much　greater　than　that　of　the

superior　ranks。　In　the　first　place；　almost　the　whole　capital　of

every　country　is　annually　distributed　among　the　inferior　ranks　of

people　as　the　wages　of　productive　labour。　Secondly；　a　great　part

of　the　revenue　arising　from　both　the　rent　of　land　and　the　profits

of　stock　is　annually　distributed　among　the　same　rank　in　the　wages

and　maintenance　of　menial　servants；　and　other　unproductive

labourers。　Thirdly；　some　part　of　the　profits　of　stock　belongs　to

the　same　rank　as　a　revenue　arising　from　the　employment　of　their

small　capitals。　The　amount　of　the　profits　annually　made　by　small

shopkeepers；　tradesmen；　and　retailers　of　all　kinds　is　everywhere

very　considerable；　and　makes　a　very　considerable　portion　of　the

annual　produce。　Fourthly；　and　lastly；　some　part　even　of　the　rent

of　land　belongs　to　the　same　rank；　a　considerable　part　of　those

who　are　somewhat　below　the　middling　rank；　and　a　small　part　even

to　the　lowest　rank；　common　labourers　sometimes　possessing　in

property　an　acre　or　two　of　land。　Though　the　expense　of　those

inferior　ranks　of　people；　therefore；　taking　them　individually；　is

very　small；　yet　the　whole　mass　of　it；　taking　them　collectively；

amounts　always　to　by　much　the　largest　portion　of　the　whole

expense　of　the　society；　what　remains　of　the　annual　produce　of　the

land　and　labour　of　the　country　for　the　consumption　of　the

superior　ranks　being　always　much　less；　not　only　in　quantity；　but

in　value。　The　taxes　upon　expense；　therefore；　which　fall　chiefly

upon　that　of　the　superior　ranks　of　people；　upon　the　smaller

portion　of　the　annual　produce；　are　likely　to　be　much　less

productive　than　either　those　which　fall　indifferently　upon　the

expense　of　all　ranks；　or　even　those　which　fall　chiefly　upon　that

of　the　inferior　ranks；　than　either　those　which　fall　indifferently

upon　the　whole　annual　produce；　or　those　which　fall　chiefly　upon

the　larger　portion　of　it。　The　excise　upon　the　materials　and

manufacture　of　home…made　fermented　and　spirituous　liquors　is

accordingly；　of　all　the　different　taxes　upon　expense；　by　far　the

most　productive；　and　this　branch　of　the　excise　falls　very　much；

perhaps　principally；　upon　the　expense　of　the　common　people。　In

the　year　which　ended　on　the　5th　of　July　1775；　the　gross　produce

of　this　branch　of　the　excise　amounted　to　L3；341；837　9s。　9d。

　　　　　It　must　always　be　remembered；　however；　that　it　is　the

luxurious　and　not　the　necessary　expense　of　the　inferior　ranks　of

people　that　ought　ever　to　be　taxed。　The　final　payment　of　any　tax

upon　their　necessary　expense　would　fall　altogether　upon　the

superior　ranks　of　people；　upon　the　smaller　portion　of　the　annual

produce；　and　not　upon　the　greater。　Such　a　tax　must　in　all　cases

either　raise　the　wages　of　labour；　or　lessen　the　demand　for　it。　It

could　not　raise　the　wages　of　labour　without　throwing　the　final

payment　of　the　tax　upon　the　superior　ranks　of　people。　It　could

not　lessen　the　demand　for　labour　without　lessening　the　annual

produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　the　country；　the　fund　from

which　all　taxes　must　be　finally　paid。　Whatever　might　be　the　state

to　which　a　tax　of　this　kind　reduced　the　demand　for　labour；　it

must　always　raise　wages　higher　than　they　otherwise　would　be　in

that　state；　and　the　final　payment　of　this　enhancement　of　wages

must　in　all　cases　fall　upon　the　superior　ranks　of　people。

　　　　　Fermented　liquors　brewed；　and　spirituous　liquors　distilled；

not　for　sale；　but　for　private　use；　are　not　in　Great　Britain

liable　to　any　duties　of　excise。　This　exemption；　of　which　the

object　is　to　save　private　families　from　the　odious　visit　and

examination　of　the　tax…gatherer；　occasions　the　burden　of　those

duties　to　fall　frequently　much　lighter　upon　the　rich　than　upon

the　poor。　It　is　not；　indeed；　very　common　to　distil　for　private

use；　though　it　is　done　sometimes。　But　in　the　country　many

middling　and　almost　all　rich　and　great　families　brew　their　own

beer。　Their　strong　beer；　therefore；　costs　them　eight　shillings　a

barrel　less　than　it　costs　the　common　brewer；　who　must　have　his

profit　upon　the　tax　as　well　as　upon　all　the　other　expense　which

he　advances。　Such　families；　therefore；　must　drink　their　beer　at

least　nine　or　ten　shillings　a　barrel　cheaper　than　any　liquor　of

the　same　quality　can　be　drunk　by　the　common　people；　to　whom　it　is

everywhere　more　convenient　to　buy　their　beer；　by　little　and

little；　from　the　brewery　or　the　alehouse。　Malt；　in　the　same

manner；　that　is　made　for　the　use　of　a　private　family　is　not

liable　to　the　visit　or　examination　of　the　tax…gatherer；　but　in

this　case　the　family　must　compound　at　seven　shillings　and

sixpence　a　head　for　the　tax。　Seven　shillings　and　sixpence　are

equal　to　the　excise　upon　ten　bushels　of　malt…　a　quantity　fully

equal　to　what　all　the　different　members　of　any　sober　family；　men；

women；　and　children；　are　at　an　average　likely　to　consume。　But　in

rich　and　great　families；　where　country　hospitality　is　much

practised；　the　malt　liquors　consumed　by　the　members　of　the　family

make　but　a　small　part　of　the　consumption　of　the　house。　Either　on

account　of　this　composition；　however；　or　for　other　reasons；　it　is

not　near　so　common　to　malt　as　to　brew　for　private　use。　It　is

difficult　to　imagine　any　equitable　reason　why　those　who　either

brew　or　distil　for　private　use　should　not　be　subject　to　a

composition　of　the　same　kind。

　　　　　A　greater　revenue　than　what　is　at　present　drawn　from　all　the

heavy　taxes　upon　malt；　beer；　and　ale　might　be　raised；　it　has

frequently　been　said；　by　a　much　lighter　tax　upon　malt；　the

opportunities　of　defrauding　the　revenue　being　m