wealbk04-第44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！


European　nations。　In　the　course　of　the　seventeenth　century；

therefore；　the　English；　French；　Dutch；　Danes；　and　Swedes；　all　the

great　nations　who　had　any　ports　upon　the　ocean；　attempted　to　make

some　settlements　in　the　new　world。

　　　　　The　Swedes　established　themselves　in　New　Jersey；　and　the

number　of　Swedish　families　still　to　be　found　there　sufficiently

demonstrates　that　this　colony　was　very　likely　to　prosper　had　it

been　protected　by　the　mother　country。　But　being　neglected　by

Sweden；　it　was　soon　swallowed　up　by　the　Dutch　colony　of　New　York；

which　again；　in　1674；　fell　under　the　dominion　of　the　English。

　　　　　The　small　islands　of　St。　Thomas　and　Santa　Cruz　are　the　only

countries　in　the　new　world　that　have　ever　been　possessed　By　the

Danes。　These　little　settlements；　too；　were　under　the　government

of　an　exclusive　company；　which　had　the　sole　right；　both　of

purchasing　the　surplus　produce　of　the　colonists；　and　of　supplying

them　with　such　goods　of　other　countries　as　they　wanted；　and

which；　therefore；　both　in　its　purchases　and　sales；　had　not　only

the　power　of　oppressing　them；　but　the　greatest　temptation　to　do

so。　The　government　of　an　exclusive　company　of　merchants　is；

perhaps；　the　worst　of　all　governments　for　any　country　whatever。

It　was　not；　however；　able　to　stop　altogether　the　progress　of

these　colonies；　though　it　rendered　it　more　slow　and　languid。　The

late　King　of　Denmark　dissolved　this　company；　and　since　that　time

the　prosperity　of　these　colonies　has　been　very　great。

　　　　　The　Dutch　settlements　in　the　West；　as　well　as　those　in　the

East　Indies；　were　originally　put　under　the　government　of　an

exclusive　company。　The　progress　of　some　of　them；　therefore；

though　it　has　been　considerable；　in　comparison　with　that　of

almost　any　country　that　has　been　long　peopled　and　established；

has　been　languid　and　slow　in　comparison　with　that　of　the　greater

part　of　new　colonies。　The　colony　of　Surinam；　though　very

considerable；　is　still　inferior　to　the　greater　part　of　the　sugar

colonies　of　the　other　European　nations。　The　colony　of　Nova

Belgia；　now　divided　into　the　two　provinces　of　New　York　and　New

Jersey；　would　probably　have　soon　become　considerable　too；　even

though　it　had　remained　under　the　government　of　the　Dutch。　The

plenty　and　cheapness　of　good　land　are　such　powerful　causes　of

prosperity　that　the　very　worst　government　is　scarce　capable　of

checking　altogether　the　efficacy　of　their　operation。　The　great

distance；　too；　from　the　mother　country　would　enable　the　colonists

to　evade　more　or　less；　by　smuggling；　the　monopoly　which　the

company　enjoyed　against　them。　At　present　the　company　allows　all

Dutch　ships　to　trade　to　Surinam　upon　paying　two　and　a　half　per

cent　upon　the　value　of　their　cargo　for　a　licence；　and　only

reserves　to　itself　exclusively　the　direct　trade　from　Africa　to

America；　which　consists　almost　entirely　in　the　slave　trade。　This

relaxation　in　the　exclusive　privileges　of　the　company　is　probably

the　principal　cause　of　that　degree　of　prosperity　which　that

colony　at　present　enjoys。　Curacoa　and　Eustatia；　the　two　principal

islands　belonging　to　the　Dutch；　are　free　ports　open　to　the　ships

of　all　nations；　and　this　freedom；　in　the　midst　of　better　colonies

whose　ports　are　open　to　those　of　one　nation　only；　has　been　the

great　cause　of　the　prosperity　of　those　two　barren　islands。

　　　　　The　French　colony　of　Canada　was；　during　the　greater　part　of

the　last　century；　and　some　part　of　the　present；　under　the

government　of　an　exclusive　company。　Under　so　unfavourable　an

administration　its　progress　was　necessarily　very　slow　in

comparison　with　that　of　other　new　colonies；　but　it　became　much

more　rapid　when　this　company　was　dissolved　after　the　fall　of　what

is　called　the　Mississippi　scheme。　When　the　English　got　possession

of　this　country；　they　found　in　it　near　double　the　number　of

inhabitants　which　Father　Charlevoix　had　assigned　to　it　between

twenty　and　thirty　years　before。　That　Jesuit　had　travelled　over

the　whole　country；　and　had　no　inclination　to　represent　it　as　less

considerable　than　it　really　was。

　　　　　The　French　colony　of　St。　Domingo　was　established　by　pirates

and　freebooters；　who；　for　a　long　time；　neither　required　the

protection；　nor　acknowledged　the　authority　of　France；　and　when

that　race　of　banditti　became　so　far　citizens　as　to　acknowledge

this　authority；　it　was　for　a　long　time　necessary　to　exercise　it

with　very　great　gentleness。　During　this　period　the　population　and

improvement　of　this　colony　increased　very　fast。　Even　the

oppression　of　the　exclusive　company；　to　which　it　was　for　some

time　subjected；　with　all　the　other　colonies　of　France；　though　it

no　doubt　retarded；　had　not　been　able　to　stop　its　progress

altogether。　The　course　of　its　prosperity　returned　as　soon　as　it

was　relieved　from　that　oppression。　It　is　now　the　most　important

of　the　sugar　colonies　of　the　West　Indies；　and　its　produce　is　said

to　be　greater　than　that　of　all　the　English　sugar　colonies　put

together。　The　other　sugar　colonies　of　France　are　in　general　all

very　thriving。

　　　　　But　there　are　no　colonies　of　which　the　progress　has　been

more　rapid　than　that　of　the　English　in　North　America。

　　　　　Plenty　of　good　land；　and　liberty　to　manage　their　own　affairs

their　own　way；　seem　to　be　the　two　great　causes　of　the　prosperity

of　all　new　colonies。

　　　　　In　the　plenty　of　good　land　the　English　colonies　of　North

America；　though　no　doubt　very　abundantly　provided；　are　however

inferior　to　those　of　the　Spaniards　and　Portuguese；　and　not

superior　to　some　of　those　possessed　by　the　French　before　the　late

war。　But　the　political　institutions　of　the　English　colonies　have

been　more　favourable　to　the　improvement　and　cultivation　of　this

land　than　those　of　any　of　the　other　three　nations。

　　　　　First；　the　engrossing　of　uncultivated　land；　though　it　has　by

no　means　been　prevented　altogether；　has　been　more　restrained　in

the　English　colonies　than　in　any　other。　The　colony　law　which

imposes　upon　every　proprietor　the　obligation　of　improving　and

cultivating；　within　a　limited　time；　a　certain　proportion　of　his

lands；　and　which　in　case　of　failure；　declares　those　neglected

lands　grantable　to　any　other　person；　though　it　has　not；　perhaps；

been　very　strictly　executed；　has；　however；　had　some　effect。

　　　　　Secondly；　in　Pennsylvania　there　is　no　right　of

primogeniture；　and　lands；　like　movables；　are　divided　equally

among　all　the　children　of　the　family。　In　three　of　the　provinces

of　New　England　the　oldest　has　only　a　double　share；　as　in　the

Mosaical　law。　Though　in　those　provinces；　therefore；　too　great　a

quantity　of　land　should　sometimes　be　engrossed　by　a　particular

individual；　it　is　likely；　in　the　course　of　a　generation　or　two；

to　be　sufficiently　divided　again。　In　the　other　English　colonies；

indeed；　the　right　of　primogeniture　takes　place；　as　in　the　law　of

England。　But　in　all　the　English　colonies　the　tenure　of　the　lands；

which　are　all　held　by　free　socage；　facilitates　alienation；　and

the　grantee　of　any　extensive　tract　of　land　generally　finds　it　for

his　interest　to　alienate；　as　fast　as　he　can；　the　greater　part　of

it；　reserving　only　a　small　quit…rent。　In　the　Spanish　and

Portuguese　colonies；　what　is　called　the　right　of　Majorazzo　takes

place　in　the　succession　of　all　those　great　estates　to　which　any

title　of　honour　is　annexed。　Such　estates　go　all　to　one　person；

and　are　in　effect　entailed　and　unalienable。　The　French　colonies；

indeed；　are　subject　to　the　custom　of　Paris；　which；　in　the

inheritance　of　land；　is　much　more　favourable　to　the　younger

children　than　the　law　of　England。　But　in　the　French　colonies；　if

any　part　of　an　estate；　held　by　the　noble　tenure　of　chivalry　and

homage；　is　alienated；　it　is；　for　a　limited　time；　subject　to　the

right　of　redemption；　either　by　the　heir　of　the　superior　or　by　the

heir　of　the　family；　and　all　the　largest　estates　of　the　country

are　held　by　such　noble　tenures；　which　necessarily　embarrass

alienation。　But　in　a　new　colony　a　great　uncultivated　estate　is

likely　to　be　much　more　speedily　divided　by　alienation　than　by

succession。　The　plenty　and　cheapness　of　good　land；　it　has　already

been　observed；　are　the　principal