wealbk04-第75章

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cultivators　can　purchase　both　the　foreign　goods　and　the

manufactured　produce　of　their　own　country　which　they　have

occasion　for　with　the　produce　of　a　much　smaller　quantity　of　their

own　labour　than　what　they　would　be　obliged　to　employ　if　they　were

to　attempt；　in　an　awkward　and　unskilful　manner；　either　to　import

the　one　or　to　make　the　other　for　their　own　use。　By　means　of　the

unproductive　class；　the　cultivators　are　delivered　from　many　cares

which　would　otherwise　distract　their　attention　from　the

cultivation　of　land。　The　superiority　of　produce；　which；　in

consequence　of　this　undivided　attention；　they　are　enabled　to

raise；　is　fully　sufficient　to　pay　the　whole　expense　which　the

maintenance　and　employment　of　the　unproductive　class　costs　either

the　proprietors　or　themselves。　The　industry　of　merchants；

artificers；　and　manufacturers；　though　in　its　own　nature

altogether　unproductive；　yet　contributes　in　this　manner

indirectly　to　increase　the　produce　of　the　land。　It　increases　the

productive　powers　of　productive　labour　by　leaving　it　at　liberty

to　confine　itself　to　its　proper　employment；　the　cultivation　of

land；　and　the　plough　goes　frequently　the　easier　and　the　better　by

means　of　the　labour　of　the　man　whose　business　is　most　remote　from

the　plough。

　　　　　It　can　never　be　the　interest　of　the　proprietors　and

cultivators　to　restrain　or　to　discourage　in　any　respect　the

industry　of　merchants；　artificers；　and　manufacturers。　The　greater

the　liberty　which　this　unproductive　class　enjoys；　the　greater

will　be　the　competition　in　all　the　different　trades　which　compose

it；　and　the　cheaper　will　the　other　two　classes　be　supplied；　both

with　foreign　goods　and　with　the　manufactured　produce　of　their　own

country。

　　　　　It　can　never　be　the　interest　of　the　unproductive　class　to

oppress　the　other　two　classes。　It　is　the　surplus　produce　of　the

land；　or　what　remains　after　deducting　the　maintenance；　first；　of

the　cultivators；　and　afterwards　of　the　proprietors；　that

maintains　and　employs　the　unproductive　class。　The　greater　this

surplus　the　greater　must　likewise　be　the　maintenance　and

employment　of　that　class。　The　establishment　of　perfect　justice；

of　perfect　liberty；　and　of　perfect　equality　is　the　very　simple

secret　which　most　effectually　secures　the　highest　degree　of

prosperity　to　all　the　three　classes。

　　　　　The　merchants；　artificers；　and　manufacturers　of　those

mercantile　states　which；　like　Holland　and　Hamburg；　consist

chiefly　of　this　unproductive　class；　are　in　the　same　manner

maintained　and　employed　altogether　at　the　expense　of　the

proprietors　and　cultivators　of　land。　The　only　difference　is；　that

those　proprietors　and　cultivators　are；　the　greater　part　of　them；

placed　at　a　most　inconvenient　distance　from　the　merchants；

artificers；　and　manufacturers　whom　they　supply　with　the　materials

of　their　work　and　the　fund　of　their　subsistences…　the　inhabitants

of　other　countries　and　the　subjects　of　other　governments。

　　　　　Such　mercantile　states；　however；　are　not　only　useful；　but

greatly　useful　to　the　inhabitants　of　those　other　countries。　They

fill　up；　in　some　measure；　a　very　important　void；　and　supply　the

place　of　the　merchants；　artificers；　and　manufacturers　whom　the

inhabitants　of　those　countries　ought　to　find　at　home；　but　whom；

from　some　defect　in　their　policy；　they　do　not　find　at　home。

　　　　　It　can　never　be　the　interest　of　those　landed　nations；　if　I

may　call　them　so；　to　discourage　or　distress　the　industry　of　such

mercantile　states　by　imposing　high　duties　upon　their　trade　or

upon　the　commodities　which　they　furnish。　Such　duties；　by

rendering　those　commodities　dearer；　could　serve　only　to　sink　the

real　value　of　the　surplus　produce　of　their　own　land；　with　which；

or；　what　comes　to　the　same　thing；　with　the　price　of　which　those

commodities　are　purchased。　Such　duties　could　serve　only　to

discourage　the　increase　of　that　surplus　produce；　and　consequently

the　improvement　and　cultivation　of　their　own　land。　The　most

effectual　expedient；　on　the　contrary；　for　raising　the　value　of

that　surplus　produce；　for　encouraging　its　increase；　and

consequently　the　improvement　and　cultivation　of　their　own　land

would　be　to　allow　the　most　perfect　freedom　to　the　trade　of　all

such　mercantile　nations。

　　　　　This　perfect　freedom　of　trade　would　even　be　the　most

effectual　expedient　for　supplying　them；　in　due　time；　with　all　the

artificers；　manufacturers；　and　merchants　whom　they　wanted　at

home；　and　for　filling　up　in　the　properest　and　most　advantageous

manner　that　very　important　void　which　they　felt　there。

　　　　　The　continual　increase　of　the　surplus　produce　of　their　land

would；　in　due　time；　create　a　greater　capital　than　what　could　be

employed　with　the　ordinary　rate　of　profit　in　the　improvement　and

cultivation　of　land；　and　the　surplus　part　of　it　would　naturally

turn　itself　to　the　employment　of　artificers　and　manufacturers　at

home。　But　those　artificers　and　manufacturers；　finding　at　home

both　the　materials　of　their　work　and　the　fund　of　their

subsistence；　might　immediately　even　with　much　less　art　and　skill

be　able　to　work　as　cheap　as　the　like　artificers　and　manufacturers

of　such　mercantile　states　who　had　both　to　bring　from　a　great

distance。　Even　though；　from　want　of　art　and　skill；　they　might　not

for　some　time　be　able　to　work　as　cheap；　yet；　finding　a　market　at

home；　they　might　be　able　to　sell　their　work　there　as　cheap　as

that　of　the　artificers　and　manufacturers　of　such　mercantile

states；　which　could　not　be　brought　to　that　market　but　from　so

great　a　distance；　and　as　their　art　and　skill　improved；　they　would

soon　be　able　to　sell　it　cheaper。　The　artificers　and　manufacturers

of　such　mercantile　states；　therefore；　would　immediately　be

rivalled　in　the　market　of　those　landed　nations；　and　soon　after

undersold　and　jostled　out　of　it　altogether。　The　cheapness　of　the

manufactures　of　those　landed　nations；　in　consequence　of　the

gradual　improvements　of　art　and　skill；　would；　in　due　time；　extend

their　sale　beyond　the　home　market；　and　carry　them　to　many　foreign

markets；　from　which　they　would　in　the　same　manner　gradually

jostle　out　many　of　the　manufacturers　of　such　mercantile　nations。

　　　　　This　continual　increase　both　of　the　rude　and　manufactured

produce　of　those　landed　nations　would　in　due　time　create　a

greater　capital　than　could；　with　the　ordinary　rate　of　profit；　be

employed　either　in　agriculture　or　in　manufactures。　The　surplus　of

this　capital　would　naturally　turn　itself　to　foreign　trade；　and　be

employed　in　exporting　to　foreign　countries　such　parts　of　the　rude

and　manufactured　produce　of　its　own　country　as　exceeded　the

demand　of　the　home　market。　In　the　exportation　of　the　produce　of

their　own　country；　the　merchants　of　a　landed　nation　would　have　an

advantage　of　the　same　kind　over　those　of　mercantile　nations　which

its　artificers　and　manufacturers　had　over　the　artificers　and

manufacturers　of　such　nations；　the　advantage　of　finding　at　home

that　cargo　and　those　stores　and　provisions　which　the　others　were

obliged　to　seek　for　at　a　distance。　With　inferior　art　and　skill　in

navigation；　therefore；　they　would　be　able　to　sell　that　cargo　as

cheap　in　foreign　markets　as　the　merchants　of　such　mercantile

nations；　and　with　equal　art　and　skill　they　would　be　able　to　sell

it　cheaper。　They　would　soon；　therefore；　rival　those　mercantile

nations　in　this　branch　of　foreign　trade；　and　in　due　time　would

jostle　them　out　of　it　altogether。

　　　　　According　to　this　liberal　and　generous　system；　therefore；

the　most　advantageous　method　in　which　a　landed　nation　can　raise

up　artificers；　manufacturers；　and　merchants　of　its　own　is　to

grant　the　most　perfect　freedom　of　trade　to　the　artificers；

manufacturers；　and　merchants　of　all　other　nations。　It　thereby

raises　the　value　of　the　surplus　produce　of　its　own　land；　of　which

the　continual　increase　gradually　establishes　a　fund；　which　in　due

time　necessarily　raises　up　all　the　artificers；　manufacturers；　and

merchants　whom　it　has　occasion　for。

　　　　　When　a　landed　nation；　on　the　contrary；　oppresses　either　by

high　duties　or　by　prohibitions　the　trade　of　foreign　nations；　it

necessarily　hurts　its　own　interest　in　tw