wealbk04-第45章

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succession。　The　plenty　and　cheapness　of　good　land；　it　has　already

been　observed；　are　the　principal　causes　of　the　rapid　prosperity

of　new　colonies。　The　engrossing　of　land；　in　effect；　destroys　this

plenty　and　cheapness。　The　engrossing　of　uncultivated　land；

besides；　is　the　greatest　obstruction　to　its　improvement。　But　the

labour　that　is　employed　in　the　improvement　and　cultivation　of

land　affords　the　greatest　and　most　valuable　produce　to　the

society。　The　produce　of　labour；　in　this　case；　pays　not　only　its

own　wages；　and　the　profit　of　the　stock　which　employs　it；　but　the

rent　of　the　land　too　upon　which　it　is　employed。　The　labour　of　the

English　colonists；　therefore；　being　more　employed　in　the

improvement　and　cultivation　of　land；　is　likely　to　afford　a

greater　and　more　valuable　produce　than　that　of　any　of　the　other

three　nations；　which；　by　the　engrossing　of　land；　is　more　or　less

diverted　towards　other　employments。

　　　　　Thirdly；　the　labour　of　the　English　colonists　is　not　only

likely　to　afford　a　greater　and　more　valuable　produce；　but；　in

consequence　of　the　moderation　of　their　taxes；　a　greater

proportion　of　this　produce　belongs　to　themselves；　which　they　may

store　up　and　employ　in　putting　into　motion　a　still　greater

quantity　of　labour。　The　English　colonists　have　never　yet

contributed　anything　towards　the　defence　of　the　mother　country；

or　towards　the　support　of　its　civil　government。　They　themselves；

on　the　contrary；　have　hitherto　been　defended　almost　entirely　at

the　expense　of　the　mother　country。　But　the　expense　of　fleets　and

armies　is　out　of　all　proportion　greater　than　the　necessary

expense　of　civil　government。　The　expense　of　their　own　civil

government　has　always　been　very　moderate。　It　has　generally　been

confined　to　what　was　necessary　for　paying　competent　salaries　to

the　governor；　to　the　judges；　and　to　some　other　officers　of

police；　and　for　maintaining　a　few　of　the　most　useful　public

works。　The　expense　of　the　civil　establishment　of　Massachusetts

Bay；　before　the　commencement　of　the　present　disturbances；　used　to

be　but　about　L18；000　a　year。　That　of　New　Hampshire　and　Rhode

Island；　L3500　each。　That　of　Connecticut；　L4000。　That　of　New　York

and　Pennsylvania；　L4500　each。　That　of　New　Jersey；　L1200。　That　of

Virginia　and　South　Carolina；　L8000　each。　The　civil　establishments

of　Nova　Scotia　and　Georgia　are　partly　supported　by　an　annual

grant　of　Parliament。　But　Nova　Scotia　pays；　besides；　about　L7000　a

year　towards　the　public　expenses　of　the　colony；　and　Georgia　about

L2500　a　year。　All　the　different　civil　establishments　in　North

America；　in　short；　exclusive　of　those　of　Maryland　and　North

Carolina；　of　which　no　exact　account　has　been　got；　did　not；　before

the　commencement　of　the　present　disturbances；　cost　the

inhabitants　above　L64；700　a　year；　an　ever…memorable　example　at

how　small　an　expense　three　millions　of　people　may　not　only　be

governed；　but　well　governed。　The　most　important　part　of　the

expense　of　government；　indeed；　that　of　defence　and　protection；

has　constantly　fallen　upon　the　mother　country。　The　ceremonial；

too；　of　the　civil　government　in　the　colonies；　upon　the　reception

of　a　new　governor；　upon　the　opening　of　a　new　assembly；　etc。；

though　sufficiently　decent；　is　not　accompanied　with　any　expensive

pomp　or　parade。　Their　ecclesiastical　government　is　conducted　upon

a　plan　equally　frugal。　Tithes　are　unknown　among　them；　and　their

clergy；　who　are　far　from　being　numerous；　are　maintained　either　by

moderate　stipends；　or　by　the　voluntary　contributions　of　the

people。　The　power　of　Spain　and　Portugal；　on　the　contrary；　derives

some　support　from　the　taxes　levied　upon　their　colonies。　France；

indeed；　has　never　drawn　any　considerable　revenue　from　its

colonies；　the　taxes　which　it　levies　upon　them　being　generally

spent　among　them。　But　the　colony　government　of　all　these　three

nations　is　conducted　upon　a　much　more　expensive　ceremonial。　The

sums　spent　upon　the　reception　of　a　new　viceroy　of　Peru；　for

example；　have　frequently　been　enormous。　Such　ceremonials　are　not

only　real　taxes　paid　by　the　rich　colonists　upon　those　particular

occasions；　but　they　serve　to　introduce　among　them　the　habit　of

vanity　and　expense　upon　all　other　occasions。　They　are　not　only

very　grievous　occasional　taxes；　but　they　contribute　to　establish

perpetual　taxes　of　the　same　kind　still　more　grievous；　the　ruinous

taxes　of　private　luxury　and　extravagance。　In　the　colonies　of　all

those　three　nations　too；　the　ecclesiastical　government　is

extremely　oppressive。　Tithes　take　place　in　all　of　them；　and　are

levied　with　the　utmost　rigour　in　those　of　Spain　and　Portugal。　All

of　them；　besides；　are　oppressed　with　a　numerous　race　of　mendicant

friars；　whose　beggary　being　not　only　licensed　but　consecrated　by

religion；　is　a　most　grievous　tax　upon　the　poor　people；　who　are

most　carefully　taught　that　it　is　a　duty　to　give；　and　a　very　great

sin　to　refuse　them　their　charity。　Over　and　above　all　this；　the

clergy　are；　in　all　of　them；　the　greatest　engrossers　of　land。

　　　　　Fourthly；　in　the　disposal　of　their　surplus　produce；　or　of

what　is　over　and　above　their　own　consumption；　the　English

colonies　have　been　more　favoured；　and　have　been　allowed　a　more

extensive　market；　than　those　of　any　other　European　nation。　Every

European　nation　has　endeavoured　more　or　less　to　monopolise　to

itself　the　commerce　of　its　colonies；　and；　upon　that　account；　has

prohibited　the　ships　of　foreign　nations　from　trading　to　them；　and

has　prohibited　them　from　importing　European　goods　from　any

foreign　nation。　But　the　manner　in　which　this　monopoly　has　been

exercised　in　different　nations　has　been　very　different。

　　　　　Some　nations　have　given　up　the　whole　commerce　of　their

colonies　to　an　exclusive　company；　of　whom　the　colonists　were

obliged　to　buy　all　such　European　goods　as　they　wanted；　and　to

whom　they　were　obliged　to　sell　the　whole　of　their　own　surplus

produce。　It　was　the　interest　of　the　company；　therefore；　not　only

to　sell　the　former　as　dear；　and　to　buy　the　latter　as　cheap　as

possible；　but　to　buy　no　more　of　the　latter；　even　at　this　low

price　than　what　they　could　dispose　of　for　a　very　high　price　in

Europe。　It　was　their　interest；　not　only　to　degrade　in　all　cases

the　value　of　the　surplus　produce　of　the　colony；　but　in　many　cases

to　discourage　and　keep　down　the　natural　increase　of　its　quantity。

Of　all　the　expedients　that　can　well　be　contrived　to　stunt　the

natural　growth　of　a　new　colony；　that　of　an　exclusive　company　is

undoubtedly　the　most　effectual。　This；　however；　has　been　the

policy　of　Holland；　though　their　company；　in　the　course　of　the

present　century；　has　given　up　in　many　respects　the　exertion　of

their　exclusive　privilege。　This；　too；　was　the　policy　of　Denmark

till　the　reign　of　the　late　king。　It　has　occasionally　been　the

policy　of　France；　and　of　late；　since　1755；　after　it　had　been

abandoned　by　all　other　nations　on　account　of　its　absurdity；　it

has　become　the　policy　of　Portugal　with　regard　at　least　to　two　of

the　principal　provinces　of　Brazil；　Fernambuco　and　Marannon。

　　　　　Other　nations；　without　establishing　an　exclusive　company；

have　confined　the　whole　commerce　of　their　colonies　to　a

particular　port　of　the　mother　country；　from　whence　no　ship　was

allowed　to　sail；　but　either　in　a　fleet　and　at　a　particular

season；　or；　if　single；　in　consequence　of　a　particular　licence；

which　in　most　cases　was　very　well　paid　for。　This　policy　opened；

indeed；　the　trade　of　the　colonies　to　all　the　natives　of　the

mother　country；　provided　they　traded　from　the　proper　port；　at　the

proper　season；　and　in　the　proper　vessels。　But　as　all　the

different　merchants；　who　joined　their　stocks　in　order　to　fit　out

those　licensed　vessels；　would　find　it　for　their　interest　to　act

in　concert；　the　trade　which　was　carried　on　in　this　manner　would

necessarily　be　conducted　very　nearly　upon　the　same　principles　as

that　of　an　exclusive　company。　The　profit　of　those　merchants　would

be　almost　equally　exorbitant　and　oppressive。　The　colonies　would

be　ill　supplied；　and　would　be　obliged　both　to　buy　very　dear；　and

to　sell　very　cheap。　This；　however；　till　within　these　few　years；

had　always　been　the　policy