wealbk04-第55章

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great　market。　Her　commerce；　instead　of　running　in　a　great　number

of　small　channels；　has　been　taught　to　run　principally　in　one

great　channel。　But　the　whole　system　of　her　industry　and　commerce

has　thereby　been　rendered　less　secure；　the　whole　state　of　her

body　politic　less　healthful　than　it　otherwise　would　have　been。　In

her　present　condition；　Great　Britain　resembles　one　of　those

unwholesome　bodies　in　which　some　of　the　vital　parts　are

overgrown；　and　which；　upon　that　account；　are　liable　to　many

dangerous　disorders　scarce　incident　to　those　in　which　all　the

parts　are　more　properly　proportioned。　A　small　stop　in　that　great

blood…vessel；　which　has　been　artificially　swelled　beyond　its

natural　dimensions；　and　through　which　an　unnatural　proportion　of

the　industry　and　commerce　of　the　country　has　been　forced　to

circulate；　is　very　likely　to　bring　on　the　most　dangerous

disorders　upon　the　whole　body　politic。　The　expectation　of　a

rupture　with　the　colonies；　accordingly；　has　struck　the　people　of

Great　Britain　with　more　terror　than　they　ever　felt　for　a　Spanish

armada；　or　a　French　invasion。　It　was　this　terror；　whether　well　or

ill　grounded；　which　rendered　the　repeal　of　the　Stamp　Act；　among

the　merchants　at　least；　a　popular　measure。　In　the　total　exclusion

from　the　colony　market；　was　it　to　last　only　for　a　few　years；　the

greater　part　of　our　merchants　used　to　fancy　that　they　foresaw　an

entire　stop　to　their　trade；　the　greater　part　of　our　master

manufacturers；　the　entire　ruin　of　their　business；　and　the　greater

part　of　our　workmen；　an　end　of　their　employment。　A　rupture　with

any　of　our　neighbours　upon　the　continent；　though　likely；　too；　to

occasion　some　stop　or　interruption　in　the　employments　of　some　of

all　these　different　orders　of　people；　is　foreseen；　however；

without　any　such　general　emotion。　The　blood；　of　which　the

circulation　is　stopped　in　some　of　the　smaller　vessels；　easily

disgorges　itself　into　the　greater　without　occasioning　any

dangerous　disorder；　but；　when　it　is　stopped　in　any　of　the　greater

vessels；　convulsions；　apoplexy；　or　death；　are　the　immediate　and

unavoidable　consequences。　If　but　one　of　those　overgrown

manufactures；　which；　by　means　either　of　bounties　or　of　the

monopoly　of　the　home　and　colony　markets；　have　been　artificially

raised　up　to　an　unnatural　height；　finds　some　small　stop　or

interruption　in　its　employment；　it　frequently　occasions　a　mutiny

and　disorder　alarming　to　government；　and　embarrassing　even　to　the

deliberations　of　the　legislature。　How　great；　therefore；　would　be

the　disorder　and　confusion；　it　was　thought；　which　must

necessarily　be　occasioned　by　a　sudden　and　entire　stop　in　the

employment　of　so　great　a　proportion　of　our　principal

manufacturers。

　　　　　Some　moderate　and　gradual　relaxation　of　the　laws　which　give

to　Great　Britain　the　exclusive　trade　to　the　colonies；　till　it　is

rendered　in　a　great　measure　free；　seems　to　be　the　only　expedient

which　can；　in　all　future　times；　deliver　her　from　this　danger；

which　can　enable　her　or　even　force　her　to　withdraw　some　part　of

her　capital　from　this　overgrown　employment；　and　to　turn　it；

though　with　less　profit；　towards　other　employments；　and　which；　by

gradually　diminishing　one　branch　of　her　industry　and　gradually

increasing　all　the　rest；　can　by　degrees　restore　all　the　different

branches　of　it　to　that　natural；　healthful；　and　proper　proportion

which　perfect　liberty　necessarily　establishes；　and　which　perfect

liberty　can　alone　preserve。　To　open　the　colony　trade　all　at　once

to　all　nations　might　not　only　occasion　some　transitory

inconveniency；　but　a　great　permanent　loss　to　the　greater　part　of

those　whose　industry　or　capital　is　at　present　engaged　in　it。　The

sudden　loss　of　the　employment　even　of　the　ships　which　import　the

eighty…two　thousand　hogsheads　of　tobacco；　which　are　over　and

above　the　consumption　of　Great　Britain；　might　alone　be　felt　very

sensibly。　Such　are　the　unfortunate　effects　of　all　the　regulations

of　the　mercantile　system！　They　not　only　introduce　very　dangerous

disorders　into　the　state　of　the　body　politic；　but　disorders　which

it　is　often　difficult　to　remedy；　without　occasioning　for　a　time

at　least；　still　greater　disorders。　In　what　manner；　therefore；　the

colony　trade　ought　gradually　to　be　opened；　what　are　the

restraints　which　ought　first；　and　what　are　those　which　ought　last

to　be　taken　away；　or　in　what　manner　the　natural　system　of　perfect

liberty　and　justice　ought　gradually　to　be　restored；　we　must　leave

to　the　wisdom　of　future　statesmen　and　legislators　to　determine。

　　　　　Five　different　events；　unforeseen　and　unthought　of；　have

very　fortunately　concurred　to　hinder　Great　Britain　from　feeling；

so　sensibly　as　it　was　generally　expected　she　would；　the　total

exclusion　which　has　now　taken　place　for　more　than　a　year　（from

the　first　of　December；　1774）　from　a　very　important　branch　of　the

colony　trade；　that　of　the　twelve　associated　provinces　of　North

America。　First；　those　colonies；　in　preparing　themselves　for　their

non…importation　agreement；　drained　Great　Britain　completely　of

all　the　commodities　which　were　fit　for　their　market；　secondly；

the　extraordinary　demand　of　the　Spanish　Flota　has；　this　year；

drained　Germany　and　the　North　of　many　commodities；　linen　in

particular；　which　used　to　come　into　competition；　even　in　the

British　market；　with　the　manufactures　of　Great　Britain；　thirdly；

the　peace　between　Russia　and　Turkey　has　occasioned　an

extraordinary　demand　from　the　Turkey　market；　which；　during　the

distress　of　the　country；　and　while　a　Russian　fleet　was　cruising

in　the　Archipelago；　had　been　very　poorly　supplied；　fourthly；　the

demand　of　the　North　of　Europe　for　the　manufactures　of　Great

Britain　has　been　increasing　from　year　to　year　for　some　time　past；

and　fifthly；　the　late　partition　and　consequential　pacification　of

Poland；　by　opening　the　market　of　that　great　country；　have　this

year　added　an　extraordinary　demand　from　thence　to　the　increasing

demand　of　the　North。　These　events　are　all；　except　the　fourth；　in

their　nature　transitory　and　accidental；　and　the　exclusion　from　so

important　a　branch　of　the　colony　trade；　if　unfortunately　it

should　continue　much　longer；　may　still　occasion　some　degree　of

distress。　This　distress；　however；　as　it　will　come　on　gradually；

will　be　felt　much　less　severely　than　if　it　had　come　on　all　at

once；　and；　in　the　meantime；　the　industry　and　capital　of　the

country　may　find　a　new　employment　and　direction；　so　as　to　prevent

this　distress　from　ever　rising　to　any　considerable　height。

　　　　　The　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade；　therefore；　so　far　as　it

has　turned　towards　that　trade　a　greater　proportion　of　the　capital

of　Great　Britain　than　what　would　otherwise　have　gone　to　it；　has

in　all　cases　turned　it；　from　a　foreign　trade　of　consumption　with

a　neighbouring　into　one　with　a　more　distant　country；　in　many

cases；　from　a　direct　foreign　trade　of　consumption　into　a

round…about　one；　and　in　some　cases；　from　all　foreign　trade　of

consumption　into　a　carrying　trade。　It　has　in　all　cases；

therefore；　turned　it　from　a　direction　in　which　it　would　have

maintained　a　greater　quantity　of　productive　labour　into　one　in

which　it　can　maintain　a　much　smaller　quantity。　By　suiting；

besides；　to　one　particular　market　only　so　great　a　part　of　the

industry　and　commerce　of　Great　Britain；　it　has　rendered　the　whole

state　of　that　industry　and　commerce　more　precarious　and　less

secure　than　if　their　produce　had　been　accommodated　to　a　greater

variety　of　markets。

　　　　　We　must　carefully　distinguish　between　the　effects　of　the

colony　trade　and　those　of　the　monopoly　of　that　trade。　The　former

are　always　and　necessarily　beneficial；　the　latter　always　and

necessarily　hurtful。　But　the　former　are　so　beneficial　that　the

colony　trade；　though　subject　to　a　monopoly；　and　notwithstanding

the　hurtful　effects　of　that　monopoly；　is　still　upon　the　whole

beneficial；　and　greatly　beneficial；　though　a　good　deal　less　so

than　it　otherwise　would　be。

　　　　　The　effect　of　the　colony　trade　in　its　natural　and　free　state

is　to　open　a　great；　though　distant；　market　for　such　parts　of　the

produce　of　British　industry　as　may　exceed　the　demand　of