the spirit of laws-第93章

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　entered　into　economical　commerce。　They　have　forbidden　their　importing　any　merchandise；　except　the　product　of　their　respective　countries；　and　have　permitted　them　to　traffic　only　in　vessels　built　in　the　kingdom　to　which　they　brought　their　commodities。

It　is　necessary　that　the　kingdom　which　imposes　these　laws　should　itself　be　able　easily　to　engage　in　commerce；　otherwise　it　will；　at　least；　be　an　equal　sufferer。　It　is　much　more　advantageous　to　trade　with　a　commercial　nation；　whose　profits　are　moderate；　and　who　are　rendered　in　some　sort　dependent　by　the　affairs　of　commerce；　with　a　nation　whose　larger　views　and　whose　extended　trade　enables　them　to　dispose　of　their　superfluous　merchandise；　with　a　wealthy　nation；　who　can　take　off　many　of　their　commodities；　and　make　them　a　quicker　return　in　specie；　with　a　nation　under　a　kind　of　necessity　to　be　faithful；　pacific　from　principle；　and　that　seeks　to　gain；　and　not　to　conquer：　it　is　much　better；　I　say；　to　trade　with　such　a　notion　than　with　others；　their　constant　rivals；　who　will　never　grant　such　great　advantages。

9。　Of　the　Prohibition　of　Commerce。　It　is　a　true　maxim　that　one　nation　should　never　exclude　another　from　trading　with　it；　except　for　very　great　reasons。　The　Japanese　trade　only　with　two　nations；　the　Chinese　and　the　Dutch。　The　Chinese＇7＇　gain　a　thousand　per　cent　upon　sugars；　and　sometimes　as　much　by　the　goods　they　take　in　exchange。　The　Dutch　make　nearly　the　same　profits。　Every　nation　that　acts　upon　Japanese　principles　must　necessarily　be　deceived；　for　it　is　competition　which　sets　a　just　value　on　merchandise；　and　establishes　the　relation　between　them。

Much　less　ought　a　state　to　lay　itself　under　an　obligation　of　selling　its　manufactures　only　to　a　single　nation；　under　a　pretence　of　their　taking　all　at　a　certain　price。　The　Poles；　in　this　manner；　dispose　of　their　corn　to　the　city　of　Danzig；　and　several　Indian　princes　have　made　a　like　contract　for　their　spices　with　the　Dutch。＇8＇　These　agreements　are　proper　only　for　a　poor　nation；　whose　inhabitants　are　satisfied　to　forego　the　hopes　of　enriching　themselves；　provided　they　can　be　secure　of　a　certain　subsistence；　or　for　nations　whose　slavery　consists　either　in　renouncing　the　use　of　those　things　which　nature　has　given　them；　or　in　being　obliged　to　submit　to　a　disadvantageous　commerce。

10。　An　Institution　adapted　to　economical　Commerce。　In　states　that　carry　on　an　economical　commerce；　they　have　luckily　established　banks；　which　by　their　credit　have　formed　a　new　species　of　wealth：　but　it　would　be　quite　wrong　to　introduce　them　into　governments　whose　commerce　is　founded　only　on　luxury。　The　erecting　of　banks　in　countries　governed　by　an　absolute　monarch　supposes　money　on　the　one　side；　and　on　the　other　power：　that　is；　on　the　one　hand；　the　means　of　procuring　everything；　without　any　power；　and　on　the　other；　the　power；　without　any　means　of　procuring　at　all。　In　a　government　of　this　kind；　none　but　the　prince　ever　had；　or　can　have；　a　treasure；　and　wherever　there　is　one；　it　no　sooner　becomes　great　than　it　becomes　the　treasure　of　the　prince。

For　the　same　reason；　all　associations　of　merchants；　in　order　to　carry　on　a　particular　commerce；　are　seldom　proper　in　absolute　governments。　The　design　of　these　companies　is　to　give　to　the　wealth　of　private　persons　the　weight　of　public　riches。　But　in　those　governments　this　weight　can　be　found　only　in　the　prince。　Nay；　they　are　not　even　always　proper　in　states　engaged　in　economical　commerce；　for；　if　the　trade　be　not　so　great　as　to　surpass　the　management　of　particular　persons；　it　is　much　better　to　leave　it　open　than；　by　exclusive　privileges；　to　restrain　the　liberty　of　commerce。

11。　The　same　Subject　continued。　A　free　port　may　be　established　in　the　dominions　of　states　whose　commerce　is　economical。　That　economy　in　the　government　which　always　attends　the　frugality　of　individuals　is；　if　I　may　so　express　myself；　the　soul　of　its　economical　commerce。　The　loss　it　sustains　with　respect　to　customs　it　can　repair　by　drawing　from　the　wealth　and　industry　of　the　republic。　But　in　a　monarchy　a　step　of　this　kind　must　be　opposite　to　reason；　for　it　could　have　no　other　effect　than　to　ease　luxury　of　the　weight　of　taxes。　This　would　be　depriving　itself　of　the　only　advantage　that　luxury　can　procure；　and　of　the　only　curb　which；　in　a　constitution　like　this；　it　is　capable　of　receiving。

12。　Of　the　Freedom　of　Commerce。　The　freedom　of　commerce　is　not　a　power　granted　to　the　merchants　to　do　what　they　please：　this　would　be　more　properly　its　slavery。　The　constraint　of　the　merchant　is　not　the　constraint　of　commerce。　It　is　in　the　freest　countries　that　the　merchant　finds　innumerable　obstacles；　and　he　is　never　less　crossed　by　laws　than　in　a　country　of　slaves。

England　prohibits　the　exportation　of　her　wool；　coals　must　be　brought　by　sea　to　the　capital；　no　horses；　except　geldings；　are　allowed　to　be　exported；　and　the　vessels　of　her　colonies　trading　to　Europe　must　take　in　water　in　England。＇9＇　The　English　constrain　the　merchant；　but　it　is　in　favour　of　commerce。

13。　What　it　is　that　destroys　this　Liberty。　Wherever　commerce　subsists；　customs　are　established。　Commerce　is　the　exportation　and　importation　of　merchandise；　with　a　view　to　the　advantage　of　the　state：　customs　are　a　certain　right　over　this　same　exportation　and　importation；　founded　also　on　the　advantage　of　the　state。　Hence　it　becomes　necessary　that　the　state　should　be　neutral　between　its　customs　and　its　commerce；　that　neither　of　these　two　interfere　with　each　other；　and　then　the　inhabitants　enjoy　a　free　commerce。

The　farming　of　the　customs　destroys　commerce　by　its　injustice　and　vexations；　as　well　as　by　the　excess　of　the　imposts：　but　independent　of　this；　it　destroys　it　even　more　by　the　difficulties　that　arise　from　it；　and　by　the　formalities　it　exacts。　In　England；　where　the　customs　are　managed　by　the　king's　officers；　business　is　negotiated　with　a　singular　dexterity：　one　word　of　writing　accomplishes　the　greatest　affairs。　The　merchant　needs　not　lose　an　infinite　deal　of　time；　he　has　no　occasion　for　a　particular　commissioner；　either　to　obviate　all　the　difficulties　of　the　farmers；　or　to　submit　to　them。

14。　The　Laws　of　Commerce　concerning　the　Confiscation　of　Merchandise。　The　Magna　Charta　of　England　forbids　the　seizing　and　confiscating；　in　case　of　war；　the　effects　of　foreign　merchants；　except　by　way　of　reprisals。　It　is　an　honour　to　the　English　nation　that　they　have　made　this　one　of　the　articles　of　their　liberty。

In　the　late　war　between　Spain　and　England；　the　former　made　a　law　which　punished　with　death　those　who　brought　English　merchandise　into　the　dominions　of　Spain；　and　the　same　penalty　on　those　who　carried　Spanish　merchandise　into　England。＇10＇　An　ordinance　like　this　cannot；　I　believe；　find　a　precedent　in　any　laws　but　those　of　Japan。　It　equally　shocks　humanity；　the　spirit　of　commerce；　and　the　harmony　which　ought　to　subsist　in　the　proportion　of　penalties；　it　confounds　all　our　ideas；　making　that　a　crime　against　the　state　which　is　only　a　violation　of　civil　polity。

15。　Of　seizing　the　Persons　of　Merchants。　Solon　made　a　law　that　the　Athenians　should　no　longer　seize　the　body　for　civil　debts。＇11＇　This　law　he　received　from　Egypt。　It　had　been　made　by　Boccoris；　and　renewed　by　Sesostris。＇12＇

This　law　is　extremely　good　with　respect　to　the　generality　of　civil　affairs；　but　there　is　sufficient　reason　for　its　not　being　observed　in　those　of　commerce。＇13＇　For　as　merchants　are　obliged　to　entrust　large　sums；　frequently　for　a　very　short　time；　and　to　pay　money　as　well　as　to　receive　it；　there　is　a　necessity　that　the　debtor　should　constantly　fulfil　his　engagements　at　the　time　prefixed；　and　hence　it　becomes　necessary　to　lay　a　constraint　on　his　person。

In　affairs　relating　to　common　civil　contracts；　the　law　ought　not　to　permit　the　seizure　of　the　person；　because　the　liberty　of　one　citizen　is　of　greater　importance　to　the　public　than　the　ease　or　prosperity　of　another。　But　in　conventions　derived　from　commerce；　the　law　ought　to　consider　the　public　prosperity　as　of　greater　importance　than　the　liberty　of　a　citizen；　which；　however；　does　not　hinder　the　restrictions　and　limitations　that　humanity　and　good　policy　demand。

16。　An　excellent　Law。　Admirable　is　that　law　of　Geneva　which　excludes　from　the　magistracy；　and　even　from　the　admittan