wealbk04-第76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！


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

necessarily　hurts　its　own　interest　in　two　different　ways。　First；

by　raising　the　price　of　all　foreign　goods　and　of　all　sorts　of

manufactures；　it　necessarily　sinks　the　real　value　of　the　surplus

produce　of　its　own　land；　with　which；　or；　what　comes　to　the　same

thing；　with　the　price　of　which　it　purchases　those　foreign　goods

and　manufactures。　Secondly；　by　giving　a　sort　of　monopoly　of　the

home　market　to　its　own　merchants；　artificers；　and　manufacturers；

it　raises　the　rate　of　mercantile　and　manufacturing　profit　in

proportion　to　that　of　agricultural　profit；　and　consequently

either　draws　from　agriculture　a　part　of　the　capital　which　had

before　been　employed　in　it；　or　hinders　from　going　to　it　a　part　of

what　would　otherwise　have　gone　to　it。　This　policy；　therefore；

discourages　agriculture　in　two　different　ways；　first；　by　sinking

the　real　value　of　its　produce；　and　thereby　lowering　the　rate　of

its　profit；　and；　secondly；　by　raising　the　rate　of　profit　in　all

other　employments。　Agriculture　is　rendered　less　advantageous；　and

trade　and　manufactures　more　advantageous　than　they　otherwise

would　be；　and　every　man　is　tempted　by　his　own　interest　to　turn；

as　much　as　he　can；　both　his　capital　and　his　industry　from　the

former　to　the　latter　employments。

　　　　　Though；　by　this　oppressive　policy；　a　landed　nation　should　be

able　to　raise　up　artificers；　manufacturers；　and　merchants　of　its

own　somewhat　sooner　than　it　could　do　by　the　freedom　of　trade　a

matter；　however；　which　is　not　a　little　doubtful…　yet　it　would

raise　them　up；　if　one　may　say　so；　prematurely；　and　before　it　was

perfectly　ripe　for　them。　By　raising　up　too　hastily　one　species　of

industry；　it　would　depress　another　more　valuable　species　of

industry。　By　raising　up　too　hastily　a　species　of　industry　which

only　replaces　the　stock　which　employs　it；　together　with　the

ordinary　profit；　it　would　depress　a　species　of　industry　which；

over　and　above　replacing　that　stock　with　its　profit；　affords

likewise　a　net　produce；　a　free　rent　to　the　landlord。　It　would

depress　productive　labour；　by　encouraging　too　hastily　that　labour

which　is　altogether　barren　and　unproductive。

　　　　　In　what　manner；　according　to　this　system；　the　sum　total　of

the　annual　produce　of　the　land　is　distributed　among　the　three

classes　above　mentioned；　and　in　what　manner　the　labour　of　the

unproductive　class　does　no　more　than　replace　the　value　of　its　own

consumption；　without　increasing　in　any　respect　the　value　of　that

sum　total；　is　represented　by　Mr。　Quesnai；　the　very　ingenious　and

profound　author　of　this　system；　in　some　arithmetical　formularies。

The　first　of　these　formularies；　which　by　way　of　eminence　he

peculiarly　distinguishes　by　the　name　of　the　Economical　Table；

represents　the　manner　in　which　he　supposes　the　distribution　takes

place　in　a　state　of　the　most　perfect　liberty　and　therefore　of　the

highest　prosperity…　in　a　state　where　the　annual　produce　is　such

as　to　afford　the　greatest　possible　net　produce；　and　where　each

class　enjoys　its　proper　share　of　the　whole　annual　produce。　Some

subsequent　formularies　represent　the　manner　in　which　he　supposes

this　distribution　is　made　in　different　states　of　restraint　and

regulation；　in　which　either　the　class　of　proprietors　or　the

barren　and　unproductive　class　is　more　favoured　than　the　class　of

cultivators；　and　in　which　either　the　one　or　the　other　encroaches

more　or　less　upon　the　share　which　ought　properly　to　belong　to

this　productive　class。　Every　such　encroachment；　every　violation

of　that　natural　distribution；　which　the　most　perfect　liberty

would　establish；　must；　according　to　this　system；　necessarily

degrade　more　or　less；　from　one　year　to　another；　the　value　and　sum

total　of　the　annual　produce；　and　must　necessarily　occasion　a

gradual　declension　in　the　real　wealth　and　revenue　of　the　society；

a　declension　of　which　the　progress　must　be　quicker　or　slower；

according　to　the　degree　of　this　encroachment；　according　as　that

natural　distribution　which　the　most　perfect　liberty　would

establish　is　more　or　less　violated。　Those　subsequent　formularies

represent　the　different　degrees　of　declension　which；　according　to

this　system；　correspond　to　the　different　degrees　in　which　this

natural　distribution　is　violated。

　　　　　Some　speculative　physicians　seem　to　have　imagined　that　the

health　of　the　human　body　could　be　preserved　only　by　a　certain

precise　regimen　of　diet　and　exercise；　of　which　every；　the

smallest；　violation　necessarily　occasioned　some　degree　of　disease

or　disorder　proportioned　to　the　degree　of　the　violation。

Experience；　however；　would　seem　to　show　that　the　human　body

frequently　preserves；　to　all　appearances　at　least；　the　most

perfect　state　of　health　under　a　vast　variety　of　different

regimens；　even　under　some　which　are　generally　believed　to　be　very

far　from　being　perfectly　wholesome。　But　the　healthful　state　of

the　human　body；　it　would　seem；　contains　in　itself　some　unknown

principle　of　preservation；　capable　either　of　preventing　or　of

correcting；　in　many　respects；　the　bad　effects　even　of　a　very

faulty　regimen。　Mr。　Quesnai；　who　was　himself　a　physician；　and　a

very　speculative　physician；　seems　to　have　entertained　a　notion　of

the　same　kind　concerning　the　political　body；　and　to　have　imagined

that　it　would　thrive　and　prosper　only　under　a　certain　precise

regimen；　the　exact　regimen　of　perfect　liberty　and　perfect

justice。　He　seems　not　to　have　considered　that；　in　the　political

body；　the　natural　effort　which　every　man　is　continually　making　to

better　his　own　condition　is　a　principle　of　preservation　capable

of　preventing　and　correcting；　in　many　respects；　the　bad　effects

of　a　political　economy；　in　some　degree；　both　partial　and

oppressive。　Such　a　political　economy；　though　it　no　doubt　retards

more　or　less；　is　not　always　capable　of　stopping　altogether　the

natural　progress　of　a　nation　towards　wealth　and　prosperity；　and

still　less　of　making　it　go　backwards。　If　a　nation　could　not

prosper　without　the　enjoyment　of　perfect　liberty　and　perfect

justice；　there　is　not　in　the　world　a　nation　which　could　ever　have

prospered。　In　the　political　body；　however；　the　wisdom　of　nature

has　fortunately　made　ample　provision　for　remedying　many　of　the

bad　effects　of　the　folly　and　injustice　of　man；　in　the　same　manner

as　it　has　done　in　the　natural　body　for　remedying　those　of　his

sloth　and　intemperance。

　　　　　The　capital　error　of　this　system；　however；　seems　to　lie　in

its　representing　the　class　of　artificers；　manufacturers；　and

merchants　as　altogether　barren　and　unproductive。　The　following

observations　may　serve　to　show　the　impropriety　of　this

representation。

　　　　　First；　this　class；　it　is　acknowledged；　reproduces　annually

the　value　of　its　own　annual　consumption；　and　continues；　at　least；

the　existence　of　the　stock　or　capital　which　maintains　and　employs

it。　But　upon　this　account　alone　the　denomination　of　barren　or

unproductive　should　seem　to　be　very　improperly　applied　to　it。　We

should　not　call　a　marriage　barren　or　unproductive　though　it

produced　only　a　son　and　a　daughter；　to　replace　the　father　and

mother；　and　though　it　did　not　increase　the　number　of　the　human

species；　but　only　continued　it　as　it　was　before。　Farmers　and

country　labourers；　indeed；　over　and　above　the　stock　which

maintains　and　employs　them；　reproduce　annually　a　net　produce；　a

free　rent　to　the　landlord。　As　a　marriage　which　affords　three

children　is　certainly　more　productive　than　one　which　affords　only

two；　so　the　labour　of　farmers　and　country　labourers　is　certainly

more　productive　than　that　of　merchants；　artificers；　and

manufacturers。　The　superior　produce　of　the　one　class；　however；

does　not　render　the　other　barren　or　unproductive。

　　　　　Secondly；　it　seems；　upon　this　account；　altogether　improper

to　consider　artificers；　manufacturers；　and　merchants　in　the　same

light　as　menial　servants。　The　labour　of　menial　servants　does　not

continue　the　existence　of　the　fund　which　maintains　and　employs

them。　Their　maintenance　and　employment　is　altogether　at　the

expense　of　their　masters；　and　the　work　which　they　perform　is　not

of　a　nature