of the balance of trade-第2章

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are　found　in　that　kingdom。　But；　notwithstanding　this　great
obstruction；　the　force　of　the　causes　abovementioned　is　still　evident。
The　skill　and　ingenuity　of　EUROPE　in　general　surpasses　perhaps　that　of
CHINA；　with　regard　to　manual　arts　and　manufactures；　yet　are　we　never
able　to　trade　thither　without　great　disadvantage。　And　were　it　not　for
the　continual　recruits；　which　we　receive　from　AMERICA；　money　would
soon　sink　in　EUROPE；　and　rise　in　CHINA；　till　it　came　nearly　to　a　level
in　both　places。　Nor　can　any　reasonable　man　doubt；　but　that　industrious
nation；　were　they　as　near　us　as　POLAND　or　BARBARY；　would　drain　us　of
the　overplus　of　our　specie；　and　draw　to　themselves　a　larger　share　of
the　WEST　INDIAN　treasures。　We　need　not　have　recourse　to　a　physical
attraction；　in　order　to　explain　the　necessity　of　this　operation。　There
is　a　moral　attraction；　arising　from　the　interests　and　passions　of　men；
which　is　full　as　potent　and　infallible。
　　　　How　is　the　balance　kept　in　the　provinces　of　every　kingdom　among
themselves；　but　by　the　force　of　this　principle；　which　makes　it
impossible　for　money　to　lose　its　level；　and　either　to　rise　or　sink
beyond　the　proportion　of　the　labour　and　commodities　which　are　in　each
province？　Did　not　long　experience　make　people　easy　on　this　head；　what
a　fund　of　gloomy　reflections　might　calculations　afford　to　a　melancholy
YORKSHIREMAN；　while　he　computed　and　magnified　the　sums　drawn　to　LONDON
by　taxes；　absentees；　commodities；　and　found　on　comparison　the　opposite
articles　so　much　inferior？　And　no　doubt；　had　the　Heptarchy　subsisted
in　ENGLAND；　the　legislature　of　each　state　had　been　continually　alarmed
by　the　fear　of　a　wrong　balance；　and　as　it　is　probable　that　the　mutual
hatred　of　these　states　would　have　been　extremely　violent　on　account　of
their　close　neighbourhood；　they　would　have　loaded　and　oppressed　all
commerce；　by　a　jealous　and　superfluous　caution。　Since　the　union　has
removed　the　barriers　between　SCOTLAND　and　ENGLAND；　which　of　these
nations　gains　from　the　other　by　this　free　commerce？　Or　if　the　former
kingdom　has　received　any　encrease　of　riches；　can　it　reasonably　be
accounted　for　by　any　thing　but　the　encrease　of　its　art　and　industry？
It　was　a　common　apprehension　in　ENGLAND；　before　the　union；　as　we　learn
from　L'ABBE　DU　BOS；　that　SCOTLAND　would　soon　drain　them　of　their
treasure；　were　an　open　trade　allowed；　and　on　the　other　side　the　TWEED
a　contrary　apprehension　prevailed：　With　what　justice　in　both；　time　has
shown。











　　　　What　happens　in　small　portions　of　mankind；　must　take　place　in
greater。　The　provinces　of　the　ROMAN　empire；　no　doubt；　kept　their
balance　with　each　other；　and　with　ITALY；　independent　of　the
legislature；　as　much　as　the　several　counties　of　GREAT　BRITAIN；　or　the
several　parishes　of　each　county。　And　any　man　who　travels　over　EUROPE
at　this　day；　may　see；　by　the　prices　of　commodities；　that　money；　in
spite　of　the　absurd　jealousy　of　princes　and　states；　has　brought　itself
nearly　to　a　level；　and　that　the　difference　between　one　kingdom　and
another　is　not　greater　in　this　respect；　than　it　is　often　between
different　provinces　of　the　same　kingdom。　Men　naturally　flock　to
capital　cities；　sea…ports；　and　navigable　rivers。　There　we　find　more
men；　more　industry；　more　commodities；　and　consequently　more　money；　but
still　the　latter　difference　holds　proportion　with　the　former；　and　the
level　is　preserved。
　　　　Our　jealousy　and　our　hatred　of　FRANCE　are　without　bounds；　and　the
former　sentiment；　at　least；　must　be　acknowledged　reasonable　and　well…
grounded。　These　passions　have　occasioned　innumerable　barriers　and
obstructions　upon　commerce；　where　we　are　accused　of　being　commonly　the
aggressors。　But　what　have　we　gained　by　the　bargain？　We　lost　the　FRENCH
market　for　our　woollen　manufactures；　and　transferred　the　commerce　of
wine　to　SPAIN　and　PORTUGAL；　where　we　buy　worse　liquor　at　a　higher
price。　There　are　few　ENGLISHMEN　who　would　not　think　their　country
absolutely　ruined；　were　FRENCH　wines　sold　in　ENGLAND　so　cheap　and　in
such　abundance　as　to　supplant；　in　some　measure；　all　ale；　and　home…
brewed　liquors：　But　would　we　lay　aside　prejudice；　it　would　not　be
difficult　to　prove；　that　nothing　could　be　more　innocent；　perhaps
advantageous。　Each　new　acre　of　vineyard　planted　in　FRANCE；　in　order　to
supply　ENGLAND　with　wine；　would　make　it　requisite　for　the　FRENCH　to
take　the　produce　of　an　ENGLISH　acre；　sown　in　wheat　or　barley；　in　order
to　subsist　themselves；　and　it　is　evident；　that　we　should　thereby　get
command　of　the　better　commodity。
　　　　There　are　many　edicts　of　the　FRENCH　king；　prohibiting　the　planting
of　new　vineyards；　and　ordering　all　those　which　are　lately　planted　to
be　grubbed　up：　So　sensible　are　they；　in　that　country；　of　the　superior
value　of　corn；　above　every　other　product。
　　　　Mareschal　VAUBAN　complains　often；　and　with　reason；　of　the　absurd
duties　which　load　the　entry　of　those　wines　of　LANGUEDOC；　GUIENNE；　and
other　southern　provinces；　that　are　imported　into　BRITANNY　and
NORMANDY；　He　entertained　no　doubt　but　these　latter　provinces　could
preserve　their　balance；　notwithstanding　the　open　commerce　which　he
recommends。　And　it　is　evident；　that　a　few　leagues　more　navigation　to
ENGLAND　would　make　no　difference；　or　if　it　did；　that　it　must　operate
alike　on　the　commodities　of　both　kingdoms。
　　　　There　is　indeed　one　expedient　by　which　it　is　possible　to　sink；　and
another　by　which　we　may　raise　money　beyond　its　natural　level　in　any
kingdom；　but　these　cases；　when　examined；　will　be　found　to　resolve　into
our　general　theory；　and　to　bring　additional　authority　to　it。
　　　　I　scarcely　know　any　method　of　sinking　money　below　its　level；　but
those　institutions　of　banks；　funds；　and　paper…credit；　which　are　so
much　practised　in　this　kingdom。　These　render　paper　equivalent　to
money；　circulate　it　throughout　the　whole　state；　make　it　supply　the
place　of　gold　and　silver；　raise　proportionably　the　price　of　labour　and
commodities；　and　by　that　means　either　banish　a　great　part　of　those
precious　metals；　or　prevent　their　farther　encrease。　What　can　be　more












shortsighted　than　our　reasonings　on　this　head？　We　fancy；　because　an
individual　would　be　much　richer；　were　his　stock　of　money　doubled；　that
the　same　good　effect　would　follow　were　the　money　of　every　one
encreased；　not　considering；　that　this　would　raise　as　much　the　price　of
every　commodity；　and　reduce　every　man；　in　time；　to　the　same　condition
as　before。　It　is　only　in　our　public　negociations　and　transactions　with
foreigners；　that　a　greater　stock　of　money　is　advantageous；　and　as　our
paper　is　there　absolutely　insignificant；　we　feel；　by　its　means；　all
the　ill　effects　arising　from　a　great　abundance　of　money；　without
reaping　any　of　the　advantages。
　　　　Suppose　that　there　are　l2　millions　of　paper；　which　circulate　in
the　kingdom　as　money；　（for　we　are　not　to　imagine；　that　all　our
enormous　funds　are　employed　in　that　shape）　and　suppose　the　real　cash
of　the　kingdom　to　be　18　millions：　Here　is　a　state　which　is　found　by
experience　to　be　able　to　hold　a　stock　of　30　millions。　I　say；　if　it　be
able　to　hold　it；　it　must　of　necessity　have　acquired　it　in　gold　and
silver；　had　we　not　obstructed　the　entrance　of　these　metals　by　this　new
invention　of　paper。　Whence　would　it　have　acquired　that　sum？　From　all
the　kingdoms　of　the　world。　But　why？　Because；　if　you　remove　these　12
millions；　money　in　this　state　is　below　its　level；　compared　with　our
neighbours；　and　we　must　immediately　draw　from　all　of　them；　till　we　be
full　and　saturate；　so　to　speak；　and　can　hold　no　more。　By　our　present
politics；　we　are　as　careful　to　stuff　the　nation　with　this　fine
commodity　of　bank…bills　and　chequer…notes；　as　if　we　were　afraid　of
being　overburthened　with　the　precious　metals。
　　　　It　is　not　to　be　doubted；　but　the　great　plenty　of　bullion　in　FRANCE
is；　in　a　great　measure；　owing　to　the　want　of　paper…credit。　The　FRENCH
have　no　banks：　Merchants　bills　do　not　there　circulate　as　with　us：
Usury　or　lending　on　interest　is　not　directly　permitted；　so　that　many
have　large　sums　in　their　coffers：　Great　quantities　of　plate　are　used
in　private　houses；　and　all　the　churches　are　full　of　it。　By　this　means；
provisions　and　labour　still　remain　cheaper　among　them；　than　in　nations
t