wealbk04-第34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！






　　　　　The　distress　which；　in　years　of　scarcity；　the　strict

execution　of　those　laws　might　have　brought　upon　the　people；　would

probably　have　been　very　great。　But；　upon　such　occasions；　its

execution　was　generally　suspended　by　temporary　statutes；　which

permitted；　for　a　limited　time；　the　importation　of　foreign　corn。

The　necessity　of　these　temporary　statutes　sufficiently

demonstrates　the　impropriety　of　this　general　one。

　　　　　These　restraints　upon　importation；　though　prior　to　the

establishment　of　the　bounty；　were　dictated　by　the　same　spirit；　by

the　same　principles；　which　afterwards　enacted　that　regulation。

How　hurtful　soever　in　themselves；　these　or　some　other　restraints

upon　importation　became　necessary　in　consequence　of　that

regulation。　If；　when　wheat　was　either　below　forty…eight　shillings

the　quarter；　or　not　much　above　it；　foreign　corn　could　have　been

imported　either　duty　free；　or　upon　paying　only　a　small　duty；　it

might　have　been　exported　again；　with　the　benefit　of　the　bounty；

to　the　great　loss　of　the　public　revenue；　and　to　the　entire

perversion　of　the　institution；　of　which　the　object　was　to　extend

the　market　for　the　home　growth；　not　that　for　the　growth　of

foreign　countries。

　　　　　III。　The　trade　of　the　merchant　exporter　of　corn　for　foreign

consumption　certainly　does　not　contribute　directly　to　the

plentiful　supply　of　the　home　market。　It　does　so；　however；

indirectly。　From　whatever　source　this　supply　may　be　usually

drawn；　whether　from　home　growth　or　from　foreign　importation；

unless　more　corn　is　either　usually　grown；　or　usually　imported

into　the　country；　than　what　is　usually　consumed　in　it；　the　supply

of　the　home　market　can　never　be　very　plentiful。　But　unless　the

surplus　can　in　all　ordinary　cases　be　exported；　the　growers　will

be　careful　never　to　grow　more；　and　the　importers　never　to　import

more；　than　what　the　bare　consumption　of　the　home　market　requires。

That　market　will　very　seldom　be　overstocked；　but　it　will

generally　be　understocked；　the　people　whose　business　it　is　to

supply　it　being　generally　afraid　lest　their　goods　should　be　left

upon　their　hands。　The　prohibition　of　exportation　limits　the

improvement　and　cultivation　of　the　country　to　what　the　supply　of

its　own　inhabitants　requires。　The　freedom　of　exportation　enables

it　to　extend　cultivation　for　the　supply　of　foreign　nations。

　　　　　By　the　12th　of　Charles　II；　c。　4；　the　exportation　of　corn　was

permitted　whenever　the　price　of　wheat　did　not　exceed　forty

shillings　the　quarter；　and　that　of　other　grain　in　proportion。　By

the　15th　of　the　same　prince；　this　liberty　was　extended　till　the

price　of　wheat　exceeded　forty…eight　shillings　the　quarter；　and　by

the　22nd；　to　all　higher　prices。　A　poundage；　indeed；　was　to　be

paid　to　the　king　upon　such　exportation。　But　all　grain　was　rated

so　low　in　the　book　of　rates　that　this　poundage　amounted　only　upon

wheat　to　a　shilling；　upon　oats　to　fourpence；　and　upon　all　other

grain　to　sixpence　the　quarter。　By　the　1st　of　William　and　Mary；

the　act　which　established　the　bounty；　this　small　duty　was

virtually　taken　off　whenever　the　price　of　wheat　did　not　exceed；

forty…eight　shillings　the　quarter；　and　by　the　11th　and　l2th　of

William　III；　c。　20；　it　was　expressly　taken　off　at　all　higher

prices。

　　　　　The　trade　of　the　merchant　exporter　was；　in　this　manner；　not

only　encouraged　by　a　bounty；　but　rendered　much　more　free　than

that　of　the　inland　dealer。　By　the　last　of　these　statutes；　corn

could　be　engrossed　at　any　price　for　exportation；　but　it　could　not

be　engrossed　for　inland　sale　except　when　the　price　did　not　exceed

forty…eight　shillings　the　quarter。　The　interest　of　the　inland

dealer；　however；　it　has　already　been　shown；　can　never　be　opposite

to　that　of　the　great　body　of　the　people。　That　of　the　merchant

exporter　may；　and　in　fact　sometimes　is。　If；　while　his　own　country

labours　under　a　dearth；　a　neighbouring　country　should　be

afflicted　with　a　famine；　it　might　be　his　interest　to　carry　corn

to　the　latter　country　in　such　quantities　as　might　very　much

aggravate　the　calamities　of　the　dearth。　The　plentiful　supply　of

the　home　market　was　not　the　direct　object　of　those　statutes；　but；

under　the　pretence　of　encouraging　agriculture；　to　raise　the　money

price　of　corn　as　high　as　possible；　and　thereby　to　occasion；　as

much　as　possible；　a　constant　dearth　in　the　home　market。　By　the

discouragement　of　importation；　the　supply　of　that　market；　even　in

times　of　great　scarcity；　was　confined　to　the　home　growth；　and　by

the　encouragement　of　exportation；　when　the　price　was　so　high　as

forty…eight　shillings　the　quarter；　that　market　was　not；　even　in

times　of　considerable　scarcity；　allowed　to　enjoy　the　whole　of

that　growth。　The　temporary　laws；　prohibiting　for　a　limited　time

the　exportation　of　corn；　and　taking　off　for　a　limited　time　the

duties　upon　its　importation；　expedients　to　which　Great　Britain

has　been　obliged　so　frequently　to　have　recourse；　sufficiently

demonstrate　the　impropriety　of　her　general　system。　Had　that

system　been　good；　she　would　not　so　frequently　have　been　reduced

to　the　necessity　of　departing　from　it。

　　　　　Were　all　nations　to　follow　the　liberal　system　of　free

exportation　and　free　importation；　the　different　states　into　which

a　great　continent　was　divided　would　so　far　resemble　the　different

provinces　of　a　great　empire。　As　among　the　different　provinces　of

a　great　empire　the　freedom　of　the　inland　trade　appears；　both　from

reason　and　experience；　not　only　the　best　palliative　of　a　dearth；

but　the　most　effectual　preventative　of　a　famine；　so　would　the

freedom　of　the　exportation　and　importation　trade　be　among　the

different　states　into　which　a　great　continent　was　divided。　The

larger　the　continent；　the　easier　the　communication　through　all

the　different　parts　of　it；　both　by　land　and　by　water；　the　less

would　any　one　particular　part　of　it　ever　be　exposed　to　either　of

these　calamities；　the　scarcity　of　any　one　country　being　more

likely　to　be　relieved　by　the　plenty　of　some　other。　But　very　few

countries　have　entirely　adopted　this　liberal　system。　The　freedom

of　the　corn　trade　is　almost　everywhere　more　or　less　restrained；

and；　in　many　countries；　is　confined　by　such　absurd　regulations　as

frequently　aggravate　the　unavoidable　misfortune　of　a　dearth　into

the　dreadful　calamity　of　a　famine。　The　demand　of　such　countries

for　corn　may　frequently　become　so　great　and　so　urgent　that　a

small　state　in　their　neighbourhood；　which　happened　at　the　same

time　to　be　labouring　under　some　degree　of　dearth；　could　not

venture　to　supply　them　without　exposing　itself　to　the　like

dreadful　calamity。　The　very　bad　policy　of　one　country　may　thus

render　it　in　some　measure　dangerous　and　imprudent　to　establish

what　would　otherwise　be　the　best　policy　in　another。　The　unlimited

freedom　of　exportation；　however；　would　be　much　less　dangerous　in

great　states；　in　which　the　growth　being　much　greater；　the　supply

could　seldom　be　much　affected　by　any　quantity　of　corn　that　was

likely　to　be　exported。　In　a　Swiss　canton；　or　in　some　of　the

little　states　of　Italy；　it　may　perhaps　sometimes　be　necessary　to

restrain　the　exportation　of　corn。　In　such　great　countries　as

France　or　England　it　scarce　ever　can。　To　hinder；　besides；　the

farmer　from　sending　his　goods　at　all　times　to　the　best　market　is

evidently　to　sacrifice　the　ordinary　laws　of　justice　to　an　idea　of

public　utility；　to　a　sort　of　reasons　of　state；　an　act　of

legislative　authority　which　ought　to　be　exercised　only；　which　can

be　pardoned　only　in　cases　of　the　most　urgent　necessity。　The　price

at　which　the　exportation　of　corn　is　prohibited；　if　it　is　ever　to

be　prohibited；　ought　always　to　be　a　very　high　price。

　　　　　The　laws　concerning　corn　may　everywhere　be　compared　to　the

laws　concerning　religion。　The　people　feel　themselves　so　much

interested　in　what　relates　either　of　their　subsistence　in　this

life；　or　to　their　happiness　in　a　life　to　come；　that　government

must　yield　to　their　prejudices；　and；　in　order　to　preserve　the

public　tranquillity；　establish　that　system　which　they　approve　of。

It　is　upon　this　account；　perhaps；　that　we　so　seldom　find　a

reasonable　system　established　with　regard