wealbk04-第58章

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than　what　I　can　have　them　for　at　other　shops〃；　and　you　will　not

find　him　very　forward　to　embrace　your　proposal。　But　should　any

other　person　buy　you　such　an　estate；　the　shopkeeper　would　be　much

obliged　to　your　benefactor　if　he　would　enjoin　you　to　buy　all　your

clothes　at　his　shop。　England　purchased　for　some　of　her　subjects；

who　found　themselves　uneasy　at　home；　a　great　estate　in　a　distant

country。　The　price；　indeed；　was　very　small；　and　instead　of　thirty

years'　purchase；　the　ordinary　price　of　land　in　the　present　times；

it　amounted　to　little　more　than　the　expense　of　the　different

equipments　which　made　the　first　discovery；　reconnoitred　the

coast；　and　took　a　fictitious　possession　of　the　country。　The　land

was　good　and　of　great　extent；　and　the　cultivators　having　plenty

of　good　ground　to　work　upon；　and　being　for　some　time　at　liberty

to　sell　their　produce　where　they　pleased；　became　in　the　course　of

little　more　than　thirty　or　forty　years　（between　1620　and　1660）　so

numerous　and　thriving　a　people　that　the　shopkeepers　and　other

traders　of　England　wished　to　secure　to　themselves　the　monopoly　of

their　custom。　Without　pretending；　therefore；　that　they　had　paid

any　part；　either　of　the　original　purchase…money；　or　of　the

subsequent　expense　of　improvement；　they　petitioned　the　Parliament

that　the　cultivators　of　America　might　for　the　future　be　confined

to　their　shop；　first；　for　buying　all　the　goods　which　they　wanted

from　Europe；　and；　secondly；　for　selling　all　such　parts　of　their

own　produce　as　those　traders　might　find　it　convenient　to　buy。　For

they　did　not　find　it　convenient　to　buy　every　part　of　it。　Some

parts　of　it　imported　into　England　might　have　interfered　with　some

of　the　trades　which　they　themselves　carried　on　at　home。　Those

particular　parts　of　it；　therefore；　they　were　willing　that　the

colonists　should　sell　where　they　could…　the　farther　off　the

better；　and　upon　that　account　purposed　that　their　market　should

be　confined　to　the　countries　south　of　Cape　Finisterre。　A　clause

in　the　famous　Act　of　Navigation　established　this　truly　shopkeeper

proposal　into　a　law。

　　　　　The　maintenance　of　this　monopoly　has　hitherto　been　the

principal；　or　more　properly　perhaps　the　sole　end　and　purpose　of

the　dominion　which　Great　Britain　assumes　over　her　colonies。　In

the　exclusive　trade；　it　is　supposed；　consists　the　great　advantage

of　provinces；　which　have　never　yet　afforded　either　revenue　or

military　force　for　the　support　of　the　civil　government；　or　the

defence　of　the　mother　country。　The　monopoly　is　the　principal

badge　of　their　dependency；　and　it　is　the　sole　fruit　which　has

hitherto　been　gathered　from　that　dependency。　Whatever　expense

Great　Britain　has　hitherto　laid　out　in　maintaining　this

dependency　has　really　been　laid　out　in　order　to　support　this

monopoly。　The　expense　of　the　ordinary　peace　establishment　of　the

colonies　amounted；　before　the　commencement　of　the　present

disturbances；　to　the　pay　of　twenty　regiments　of　foot；　to　the

expense　of　the　artillery；　stores；　and　extraordinary　provisions

with　which　it　was　necessary　to　supply　them；　and　to　the　expense　of

a　very　considerable　naval　force　which　was　constantly　kept　up；　in

order　to　guard；　from　the　smuggling　vessels　of　other　nations；　the

immense　coast　of　North　America；　and　that　of　our　West　Indian

islands。　The　whole　expense　of　this　peace　establishment　was　a

charge　upon　the　revenue　of　Great　Britain；　and　was；　at　the　same

time；　the　smallest　part　of　what　the　dominion　of　the　colonies　has

cost　the　mother　country。　If　we　would　know　the　amount　of　the

whole；　we　must　add　to　the　annual　expense　of　this　peace

establishment　the　interest　of　the　sums　which；　in　consequence　of

her　considering　her　colonies　as　provinces　subject　to　her

dominion；　Great　Britain　has　upon　different　occasions　laid　out

upon　their　defence。　We　must　add　to　it；　in　particular；　the　whole

expense　of　the　late　war；　and　a　great　part　of　that　of　the　war

which　preceded　it。　The　late　war　was　altogether　a　colony　quarrel；

and　the　whole　expense　of　it；　in　whatever　part　of　the　world　it　may

have　been　laid　out；　whether　in　Germany　or　the　East　Indies；　ought

justly　to　be　stated　to　the　account　of　the　colonies。　It　amounted

to　more　than　ninety　millions　sterling；　including　not　only　the　new

debt　which　was　contracted；　but　the　two　shillings　in　the　pound

additional　land　tax；　and　the　sums　which　were　every　year　borrowed

from　the　sinking　fund。　The　Spanish　war；　which　began　in　1739；　was

principally　a　colony　quarrel。　Its　principal　object　was　to　prevent

the　search　of　the　colony　ships　which　carried　on　a　contraband

trade　with　the　Spanish　Main。　This　whole　expense　is；　in　reality；　a

bounty　which　has　been　given　in　order　to　support　a　monopoly。　The

pretended　purpose　of　it　was　to　encourage　the　manufactures；　and　to

increase　the　commerce　of　Great　Britain。　But　its　real　effect　has

been　to　raise　the　rate　of　mercantile　profit；　and　to　enable　our

merchants　to　turn　into　a　branch　of　trade；　of　which　the　returns

are　more　slow　and　distant　than　those　of　the　greater　part　of　other

trades；　a　greater　proportion　of　their　capital　than　they　otherwise

would　have　done；　two　events　which；　if　a　bounty　could　have

prevented；　it　might　perhaps　have　been　very　well　worth　while　to

give　such　a　bounty。

　　　　　Under　the　present　system　of　management；　therefore；　Great

Britain　derives　nothing　but　loss　from　the　dominion　which　she

assumes　over　her　colonies。

　　　　　To　propose　that　Great　Britain　should　voluntarily　give　up　all

authority　over　her　colonies；　and　leave　them　to　elect　their　own

magistrates；　to　enact　their　own　laws；　and　to　make　peace　and　war

as　they　might　think　proper；　would　be　to　propose　such　a　measure　as

never　was；　and　never　will　be　adopted；　by　any　nation　in　the　world。

No　nation　ever　voluntarily　gave　up　the　dominion　of　any　province；

how　troublesome　soever　it　might　be　to　govern　it；　and　how　small

soever　the　revenue　which　it　afforded　might　be　in　proportion　to

the　expense　which　it　occasioned。　Such　sacrifices；　though　they

might　frequently　be　agreeable　to　the　interest；　are　always

mortifying　to　the　pride　of　every　nation；　and　what　is　perhaps　of

still　greater　consequence；　they　are　always　contrary　to　the

private　interest　of　the　governing　part　of　it；　who　would　thereby

be　deprived　of　the　disposal　of　many　places　of　trust　and　profit；

of　many　opportunities　of　acquiring　wealth　and　distinction；　which

the　possession　of　the　most　turbulent；　and；　to　the　great　body　of

the　people；　the　most　unprofitable　province　seldom　fails　to

afford。　The　most　visionary　enthusiast　would　scarce　be　capable　of

proposing　such　a　measure　with　any　serious　hopes　at　least　of　its

ever　being　adopted。　If　it　was　adopted；　however；　Great　Britain

would　not　only　be　immediately　freed　from　the　whole　annual　expense

of　the　peace　establishment　of　the　colonies；　but　might　settle　with

them　such　a　treaty　of　commerce　as　would　effectually　secure　to　her

a　free　trade；　more　advantageous　to　the　great　body　of　the　people；

though　less　so　to　the　merchants；　than　the　monopoly　which　she　at

present　enjoys。　By　thus　parting　good　friends；　the　natural

affection　of　the　colonies　to　the　mother　country　which；　perhaps；

our　late　dissensions　have　well　nigh　extinguished；　would　quickly

revive。　It　might　dispose　them　not　only　to　respect；　for　whole

centuries　together；　that　treaty　of　commerce　which　they　had

concluded　with　us　at　parting；　but　to　favour　us　in　war　as　well　as

in　trade；　and；　instead　of　turbulent　and　factious　subjects；　to

become　our　most　faithful；　affectionate；　and　generous　allies；　and

the　same　sort　of　parental　affection　on　the　one　side；　and　filial

respect　on　the　other；　might　revive　between　Great　Britain　and　her

colonies；　which　used　to　subsist　between　those　of　ancient　Greece

and　the　mother　city　from　which　they　descended。

　　　　　In　order　to　render　any　province　advantageous　to　the　empire

to　which　it　belongs；　it　ought　to　afford；　in　time　of　peace；　a

revenue　to　the　public　sufficient　not　only　for　defraying　the　whole

expense　of　its　own　peace　establishment；　but　for　contributing　its

proportion　to　the　support　of　the　general　government　of　the

empire。　Every　province　necessarily　contributes；　more　or　less；　to

inc