wealbk04-第13章

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do　another　injury　ourselves；　not　only　to　those　classes；　but　to

almost　all　the　other　classes　of　them。　When　our　neighbours

prohibit　some　manufacture　of　ours；　we　generally　prohibit；　not

only　the　same；　for　that　alone　would　seldom　affect　them

considerably；　but　some　other　manufacture　of　theirs。　This　may　no

doubt　give　encouragement　to　some　particular　class　of　workmen

among　ourselves；　and　by　excluding　some　of　their　rivals；　may

enable　them　to　raise　their　price　in　the　home　market。　Those

workmen；　however；　who　suffered　by　our　neighbours'　prohibition

will　not　be　benefited　by　ours。　On　the　contrary；　they　and　almost

all　the　other　classes　of　our　citizens　will　thereby　be　obliged　to

pay　dearer　than　before　for　certain　goods。　Every　such　law；

therefore；　imposes　a　real　tax　upon　the　whole　country；　not　in

favour　of　that　particular　class　of　workmen　who　were　injured　by

our　neighbours'　prohibition；　but　of　some　other　class。

　　　　　The　case　in　which　it　may　sometimes　be　a　matter　of

deliberation；　how　far；　or　in　what　manner；　it　is　proper　to　restore

the　free　importation　of　foreign　goods；　after　it　has　been　for　some

time　interrupted；　is；　when　particular　manufactures；　by　means　of

high　duties　or　prohibitions　upon　all　foreign　goods　which　can　come

into　competition　with　them；　have　been　so　far　extended　as　to

employ　a　great　multitude　of　hands。　Humanity　may　in　this　case

require　that　the　freedom　of　trade　should　be　restored　only　by　slow

gradations；　and　with　a　good　deal　of　reserve　and　circumspection。

Were　those　high　duties　and　prohibitions　taken　away　all　at　once；

cheaper　foreign　goods　of　the　same　kind　might　be　poured　so　fast

into　the　home　market　as　to　deprive　all　at　once　many　thousands　of

our　people　of　their　ordinary　employment　and　means　of　subsistence。

The　disorder　which　this　would　occasion　might　no　doubt　be　very

considerable。　It　would　in　all　probability；　however；　be　much　less

than　is　commonly　imagined；　for　the　two　following　reasons：…

　　　　　First；　all　those　manufactures；　of　which　any　part　is　commonly

exported　to　other　European　countries　without　a　bounty；　could　be

very　little　affected　by　the　freest　importation　of　foreign　goods。

Such　manufactures　must　be　sold　as　cheap　abroad　as　any　other

foreign　goods　of　the　same　quality　and　kind；　and　consequently　must

be　sold　cheaper　at　home。　They　would　still；　therefore；　keep

possession　of　the　home　market；　and　though　a　capricious　man　of

fashion　might　sometimes　prefer　foreign　wares；　merely　because　they

were　foreign；　to　cheaper　and　better　goods　of　the　same　kind　that

were　made　at　home；　this　folly　could；　from　the　nature　of　things；

extend　to　so　few　that　it　could　make　no　sensible　impression　upon

the　general　employment　of　the　people。　But　a　great　part　of　all　the

different　branches　of　our　woollen　manufacture；　of　our　tanned

leather；　and　of　our　hardware；　are　annually　exported　to　other

European　countries　without　any　bounty；　and　these　are　the

manufactures　which　employ　the　greatest　number　of　hands。　The　silk；

perhaps；　is　the　manufacture　which　would　suffer　the　most　by　this

freedom　of　trade；　and　after　it　the　linen；　though　the　latter　much

less　than　the　former。

　　　　　Secondly；　though　a　great　number　of　people　should；　by　thus

restoring　the　freedom　of　trade；　be　thrown　all　at　once　out　of

their　ordinary　employment　and　common　method　of　subsistence；　it

would　by　no　means　follow　that　they　would　thereby　be　deprived

either　of　employment　or　subsistence。　By　the　reduction　of　the　army

and　navy　at　the　end　of　the　late　war；　more　than　a　hundred　thousand

soldiers　and　seamen；　a　number　equal　to　what　is　employed　in　the

greatest　manufactures；　were　all　at　once　thrown　out　of　their

ordinary　employment；　but；　though　they　no　doubt　suffered　some

inconveniency；　they　were　not　thereby　deprived　of　all　employment

and　subsistence。　The　greater　part　of　the　seamen；　it　is　probable；

gradually　betook　themselves　to　the　merchant…service　as　they　could

find　occasion；　and　in　the　meantime　both　they　and　the　soldiers

were　absorbed　in　the　great　mass　of　the　people；　and　employed　in　a

great　variety　of　occupations。　Not　only　no　great　convulsion；　but

no　sensible　disorder　arose　from　so　great　a　change　in　the

situation　of　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　men；　all　accustomed　to

the　use　of　arms；　and　many　of　them　to　rapine　and　plunder。　The

number　of　vagrants　was　scarce　anywhere　sensibly　increased　by　it；

even　the　wages　of　labour　were　not　reduced　by　it　in　any

occupation；　so　far　as　I　have　been　able　to　learn；　except　in　that

of　seamen　in　the　merchant　service。　But　if　we　compare　together　the

habits　of　a　soldier　and　of　any　sort　of　manufacturer；　we　shall

find　that　those　of　the　latter　do　not　tend　so　much　to　disqualify

him　from　being　employed　in　a　new　trade；　as　those　of　the　former

from　being　employed　in　any。　The　manufacturer　has　always　been

accustomed　to　look　for　his　subsistence　from　his　labour　only：　the

soldier　to　expect　it　from　his　pay。　Application　and　industry　have

been　familiar　to　the　one；　idleness　and　dissipation　to　the　other。

But　it　is　surely　much　easier　to　change　the　direction　of　industry

from　one　sort　of　labour　to　another　than　to　turn　idleness　and

dissipation　to　any。　To　the　greater　part　of　manufactures　besides；

it　has　already　been　observed；　there　are　other　collateral

manufactures　of　so　similar　a　nature　that　a　workman　can　easily

transfer　his　industry　from　one　of　them　to　another。　The　greater

part　of　such　workmen　too　are　occasionally　employed　in　country

labour。　The　stock　which　employed　them　in　a　particular　manufacture

before　will　still　remain　in　the　country　to　employ　an　equal　number

of　people　in　some　other　way。　The　capital　of　the　country　remaining

the　same；　the　demand　for　labour　will　likewise　be　the　same；　or

very　nearly　the　same；　though　it　may　be　exerted　in　different

places　and　for　different　occupations。　Soldiers　and　seamen；

indeed；　when　discharged　from　the　king's　service；　are　at　liberty

to　exercise　any　trade；　within　any　town　or　place　of　Great　Britain

or　Ireland。　Let　the　same　natural　liberty　of　exercising　what

species　of　industry　they　please；　be　restored　to　all　his　Majesty's

subjects；　in　the　same　manner　as　to　soldiers　and　seamen；　that　is；

break　down　the　exclusive　privileges　of　corporations；　and　repeal

the　Statute　of　Apprenticeship；　both　which　are　real　encroachments

upon　natural　liberty；　and　add　to　these　the　repeal　of　the　Law　of

Settlements；　so　that　a　poor　workman；　when　thrown　out　of

employment　either　in　one　trade　or　in　one　place；　may　seek　for　it

in　another　trade　or　in　another　place　without　the　fear　either　of　a

prosecution　or　of　a　removal；　and　neither　the　public　nor　the

individuals　will　suffer　much　more　from　the　occasional　disbanding

some　particular　classes　of　manufacturers　than　from　that　of

soldiers。　Our　manufacturers　have　no　doubt　great　merit　with　their

country；　but　they　cannot　have　more　than　those　who　defend　it　with

their　blood；　nor　deserve　to　be　treated　with　more　delicacy。

　　　　　To　expect；　indeed；　that　the　freedom　of　trade　should　ever　be

entirely　restored　in　Great　Britain　is　as　absurd　as　to　expect　that

an　Oceana　or　Utopia　should　ever　be　established　in　it。　Not　only

the　prejudices　of　the　public；　but　what　is　much　more

unconquerable；　the　private　interests　of　many　individuals；

irresistibly　oppose　it。　Were　the　officers　of　the　army　to　oppose

with　the　same　zeal　and　unanimity　any　reduction　in　the　numbers　of

forces　with　which　master　manufacturers　set　themselves　against

every　law　that　is　likely　to　increase　the　number　of　their　rivals

in　the　home　market；　were　the　former　to　animate　their　soldiers　in

the　same　manner　as　the　latter　enflame　their　workmen　to　attack

with　violence　and　outrage　the　proposers　of　any　such　regulation；

to　attempt　to　reduce　the　army　would　be　as　dangerous　as　it　has　now

become　to　attempt　to　diminish　in　any　respect　the　monopoly　which

our　manufacturers　have　obtained　against　us。　This　monopoly　has　so

much　increased　the　number　of　some　particular　tribes　of　them　that；

like　an　overgrown　standing　army；　they　have　become　formidable　to

the　government；　and　upon　many　occasions　intimidate　the

legislature。　The　Member　of　Parliament　who　supports　every　proposal

for　strengthening　this　monopoly　is　sure　to