wealbk04-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


It　is　upon　this　account；　perhaps；　that　we　so　seldom　find　a

reasonable　system　established　with　regard　to　either　of　those　two

capital　objects。

　　　　　IV。　The　trade　of　the　merchant　carrier；　or　of　the　importer　of

foreign　corn　in　order　to　export　it　again；　contributes　to　the

plentiful　supply　of　the　home　market。　It　is　not　indeed　the　direct

purpose　of　his　trade　to　sell　his　corn　there。　But　he　will

generally　be　willing　to　do　so；　and　even　for　a　good　deal　less

money　than　he　might　expect　in　a　foreign　market；　because　he　saves

in　this　manner　the　expense　of　loading　and　unloading；　of　freight

and　insurance。　The　inhabitants　of　the　country　which；　by　means　of

the　carrying　trade；　becomes　the　magazine　and　storehouse　for　the

supply　of　other　countries　can　very　seldom　be　in　want　themselves。

Though　the　carrying　trade　might　thus　contribute　to　reduce　the

average　money　price　of　corn　in　the　home　market；　it　would　not

thereby　lower　its　real　value。　It　would　only　raise　somewhat　the

real　value　of　silver。

　　　　　The　carrying　trade　was　in　effect　prohibited　in　Great

Britain；　upon　all　ordinary　occasions；　by　the　high　duties　upon　the

importation　of　foreign　corn；　of　the　greater　part　of　which　there

was　no　drawback；　and　upon　extraordinary　occasions；　when　a

scarcity　made　it　necessary　to　suspend　those　duties　by　temporary

statutes；　exportation　was　always　prohibited。　By　this　system　of

laws；　therefore；　the　carrying　trade　was　in　effect　prohibited　upon

all　occasions。

　　　　　That　system　of　laws；　therefore；　which　is　connected　with　the

establishment　of　the　bounty；　seems　to　deserve　no　part　of　the

praise　which　has　been　bestowed　upon　it。　The　improvement　and

prosperity　of　Great　Britain；　which　has　been　so　often　ascribed　to

those　laws；　may　very　easily　be　accounted　for　by　other　causes。

That　security　which　the　laws　in　Great　Britain　give　to　every　man

that　he　shall　enjoy　the　fruits　of　his　own　labour　is　alone

sufficient　to　make　any　country　flourish；　notwithstanding　these

and　twenty　other　absurd　regulations　of　commerce；　and　this

security　was　perfected　by　the　revolution　much　about　the　same　time

that　the　bounty　was　established。　The　natural　effort　of　every

individual　to　better　his　own　condition；　when　suffered　to　exert

itself　with　freedom　and　security　is　so　powerful　a　principle　that

it　is　alone；　and　without　any　assistance；　not　only　capable　of

carrying　on　the　society　to　wealth　and　prosperity；　but　of

surmounting　a　hundred　impertinent　obstructions　with　which　the

folly　of　human　laws　too　often　incumbers　its　operations；　though

the　effect　of　these　obstructions　is　always　more　or　less　either　to

encroach　upon　its　freedom；　or　to　diminish　its　security。　In　Great

Britain　industry　is　perfectly　secure；　and　though　it　is　far　from

being　perfectly　free；　it　is　as　free　or　freer　than　in　any　other

part　of　Europe。

　　　　　Though　the　period　of　the　greatest　prosperity　and　improvement

of　Great　Britain　has　been　posterior　to　that　system　of　laws　which

is　connected　with　the　bounty；　we　must　not　upon　that　account

impute　it　to　those　laws。　It　has　been　posterior　likewise　to　the

national　debt。　But　the　national　debt　has　most　assuredly　not　been

the　cause　of　it。

　　　　　Though　the　system　of　laws　which　is　connected　with　the　bounty

has　exactly　the　same　tendency　of　tendency　with　the　police　of

Spain　and　Portugal；　to　lower　somewhat　the　value　of　the　precious

metals　in　the　country　where　it　takes　place；　yet　Great　Britain　is

certainly　one　of　the　richest　countries　in　Europe；　while　Spain　and

Portugal　are　perhaps　among　the　most　beggarly。　This　difference　of

situation；　however；　may　easily　be　accounted　for　from　two

different　causes。　First；　the　tax　of　Spain；　the　prohibition　in

Portugal　of　exporting　gold　and　silver；　and　the　vigilant　police

which　watches　over　the　execution　of　those　laws；　must；　in　two　very

poor　countries；　which　between　them　import　annually　upwards　of　six

millions　sterling；　operate　not　only　more　directly　but　much　more

forcibly　in　reducing　the　value　of　those　metals　there　than　the

corn　laws　can　do　in　Great　Britain。　And；　secondly；　this　bad　policy

is　not　in　those　countries　counterbalanced　by　the　general　liberty

and　security　of　the　people。　Industry　is　there　neither　free　nor

secure；　and　the　civil　and　ecclesiastical　governments　of　both

Spain　and　Portugal　are　such　as　would　alone　be　sufficient　to

perpetuate　their　present　state　of　poverty；　even　though　their

regulations　of　commerce　were　as　wise　as　the　greater　part　of　them

are　absurd　and　foolish。

　　　　　The　13th　of　the　present　king；　c。　43；　seems　to　have

established　a　new　system　with　regard　to　the　corn　laws　in　many

respects　better　than　the　ancient　one；　but　in　one　or　two　respects

perhaps　not　quite　so　good。

　　　　　By　this　statute　the　high　duties　upon　importations　for　home

consumption　are　taken　off　so　soon　as　the　price　of　middling　wheat

rises　to　forty…eight　shillings　the　quarter；　that　of　middling　rye；

pease　or　beans；　to　thirty…two　shillings；　that　of　barley　to

twenty…four　shillings；　and　that　of　oats　to　sixteen　shillings；　and

instead　of　them　a　small　duty　is　imposed　of　only　sixpence　upon　the

quarter　of　wheat；　and　upon　that　of　other　grain　in　proportion。

With　regard　to　all　these　different　sorts　of　grain；　but

particularly　with　regard　to　wheat；　the　home　market　is　thus　opened

to　foreign　supplies　at　prices　considerably　lower　than　before。

　　　　　By　the　same　statute　the　old　bounty　of　five　shillings　upon

the　exportation　of　wheat　ceases　so　soon　as　the　price　rises　to

forty…four　shillings　the　quarter；　instead　of　forty…eight；　the

price　at　which　it　ceased　before；　that　of　two　shillings　and

sixpence　upon　the　exportation　of　barley　ceases　so　soon　as　the

price　rises　to　twenty…two　shillings；　instead　of　twenty…four；　the

price　at　which　it　ceased　before；　that　of　two　shillings　and

sixpence　upon　the　exportation　of　oatmeal　ceases　so　soon　as　the

price　rises　to　fourteen　shillings；　instead　of　fifteen；　the　price

at　which　it　ceased　before。　The　bounty　upon　rye　is　reduced　from

three　shillings　and　sixpence　to　three　shillings；　and　it　ceases　so

soon　as　the　price　rises　to　twenty…eight　shillings　instead　of

thirty…two；　the　price　at　which　it　ceased　before。　If　bounties　are

as　improper　as　I　have　endeavoured　to　prove　them　to　be；　the　sooner

they　cease；　and　the　lower　they　are；　so　much　the　better。

　　　　　The　same　statute　permits；　at　the　lowest　prices；　the

importation　of　corn；　in　order　to　be　exported　again　duty　free；

provided　it　is　in　the　meantime　lodged　in　a　warehouse　under　the

joint　locks　of　the　king　and　the　importer。　This　liberty；　indeed；

extends　to　no　more　than　twenty…five　of　the　different　ports　of

Great　Britain。　They　are；　however；　the　principal　ones；　and　there

may　not；　perhaps；　be　warehouses　proper　for　this　purpose　in　the

greater　part　of　the　others。

　　　　　So　far　this　law　seems　evidently　an　improvement　upon　the

ancient　system。

　　　　　But　by　the　same　law　a　bounty　of　two　shillings　the　quarter　is

given　for　the　exportation　of　oats　whenever　the　price　does　not

exceed　fourteen　shillings。　No　bounty　had　ever　been　given　before

for　the　exportation　of　this　grain；　no　more　than　for　that　of　pease

or　beans。

　　　　　By　the　same　law；　too；　the　exportation　of　wheat　is　prohibited

so　soon　as　the　price　rises　to　forty…four　shillings　the　quarter；

that　of　rye　so　soon　as　it　rises　to　twenty…eight　shillings；　that

of　barley　so　soon　as　it　rises　to　twenty…two　shillings；　and　that

of　oats　so　soon　as　they　rise　to　fourteen　shillings。　Those　several

prices　seem　all　of　them　a　good　deal　too　low；　and　there　seems　to

be　an　impropriety；　besides；　in　prohibiting　exportation　altogether

at　those　precise　prices　at　which　that　bounty；　which　was　given　in

order　to　force　it；　is　withdrawn。　The　bounty　ought　certainly

either　to　have　been　withdrawn　at　a　much　lower　price；　or

exportation　ought　to　have　been　allowed　at　a　much　higher。

　　　　　So　far；　therefore；　this　law　seems　to　be　inferior　to　the

ancient　system。　With　all　its　imperfections；　however；　we　may

perhaps　say　of　it　what　was　said　of　the　laws　of　Solon；　that；

though　not　the　best　in　itself；　it　is　the　best　which　the

interests；　prejudices；　and　temper　of　the　times　would　admit　of。　It

may　perhaps　in　due　time　prepare　the　way　for　a　bette