wealbk04-第47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！


secondly；　such　as　are　not　the　peculiar　produce　of　America；　but

which　are　and　may　be　produced　in　the　mother　country；　though　not

in　such　quantities　as　to　supply　the　greater　part　of　her　demand；

which　is　principally　supplied　from　foreign　countries。　Of　this

kind　are　all　naval　stores；　masts；　yards；　and　bowsprits；　tar；

pitch；　and　turpentine；　pig　and　bar　iron；　copper　ore；　hides　and

skins；　pot　and　pearl　ashes。　The　largest　importation　of

commodities　of　the　first　kind　could　not　discourage　the　growth　or

interfere　with　the　sale　of　any　part　of　the　produce　of　the　mother

country。　By　confining　them　to　the　home　market；　our　merchants；　it

was　expected；　would　not　only　be　enabled　to　buy　them　cheaper　in

the　plantations；　and　consequently　to　sell　them　with　a　better

profit　at　home；　but　to　establish　between　the　plantations　and

foreign　countries　an　advantageous　carrying　trade；　of　which　Great

Britain　was　necessarily　to　be　the　centre　or　emporium；　as　the

European　country　into　which　those　commodities　were　first　to　be

imported。　The　importation　of　commodities　of　the　second　kind　might

be　so　managed　too；　it　was　supposed；　as　to　interfere；　not　with　the

sale　of　those　of　the　same　kind　which　were　produced　at　home；　but

with　that　of　those　which　were　imported　from　foreign　countries；

because；　by　means　of　proper　duties；　they　might　be　rendered　always

somewhat　dearer　than　the　former；　and　yet　a　good　deal　cheaper　than

the　latter。　By　confining　such　commodities　to　the　home　market；

therefore；　it　was　proposed　to　discourage　the　produce；　not　of

Great　Britain；　but　of　some　foreign　countries　with　which　the

balance　of　trade　was　believed　to　be　unfavourable　to　Great

Britain。

　　　　　The　prohibition　of　exporting　from　the　colonies；　to　any　other

country　but　Great　Britain；　masts；　yards；　and　bowsprits；　tar；

pitch；　and　turpentine；　naturally　tended　to　lower　the　price　of

timber　in　the　colonies；　and　consequently　to　increase　the　expense

of　clearing　their　lands；　the　principal　obstacle　to　their

improvement。　But　about　the　beginning　of　the　present　century；　in

1703；　the　pitch　and　tar　company　of　Sweden　endeavoured　to　raise

the　price　of　their　commodities　to　Great　Britain；　by　prohibiting

their　exportation；　except　in　their　own　ships；　at　their　own　price；

and　in　such　quantities　as　they　thought　proper。　In　order　to

counteract　this　notable　piece　of　mercantile　policy；　and　to　render

herself　as　much　as　possible　independent；　not　only　of　Sweden；　but

of　all　the　other　northern　powers；　Great　Britain　gave　a　bounty

upon　the　importation　of　naval　stores　from　America；　and　the　effect

of　this　bounty　was　to　raise　the　price　of　timber　in　America　much

more　than　the　confinement　to　the　home　market　could　lower　it；　and

as　both　regulations　were　enacted　at　the　same　time；　their　joint

effect　was　rather　to　encourage　than　to　discourage　the　clearing　of

land　in　America。

　　　　　Though　pig　and　bar　iron　too　have　been　put　among　the

enumerated　commodities；　yet　as；　when　imported　from　America；　they

were　exempted　from　considerable　duties　to　which　they　are　subject

when　imported　from　any　other　country；　the　one　part　of　the

regulation　contributes　more　to　encourage　the　erection　of　furnaces

in　America　than　the　other　to　discourage　it。　There　is　no

manufacture　which　occasions　so　great　a　consumption　of　wood　as　a

furnace；　or　which　can　contribute　so　much　to　the　clearing　of　a

country　overgrown　with　it。

　　　　　The　tendency　of　some　of　these　regulations　to　raise　the　value

of　timber　in　America；　and　thereby　to　facilitate　the　clearing　of

the　land；　was　neither；　perhaps；　intended　nor　understood　by　the

legislature。　Though　their　beneficial　effects；　however；　have　been

in　this　respect　accidental；　they　have　not　upon　that　account　been

less　real。

　　　　　The　most　perfect　freedom　of　trade　is　permitted　between　the

British　colonies　of　America　and　the　West　Indies；　both　in　the

enumerated　and　in　the　non…enumerated　commodities。　Those　colonies

are　now　become　so　populous　and　thriving　that　each　of　them　finds

in　some　of　the　others　a　great　and　extensive　market　for　every　part

of　its　produce。　All　of　them　taken　together；　they　make　a　great

internal　market　for　the　produce　of　one　another。

　　　　　The　liberality　of　England；　however；　towards　the　trade　of　her

colonies　has　been　confined　chiefly　to　what　concerns　the　market

for　their　produce；　either　in　its　rude　state；　or　in　what　may　be

called　the　very　first　stage　of　manufacture。　The　more　advanced　or

more　refined　manufactures　even　of　the　colony　produce；　the

merchants　and　manufacturers　of　Great　Britain　choose　to　reserve　to

themselves；　and　have　prevailed　upon　the　legislature　to　prevent

their　establishment　in　the　colonies；　sometimes　by　high　duties；

and　sometimes　by　absolute　prohibitions。

　　　　　While；　for　example；　Muskovado　sugars　from　the　British

plantations　pay　upon　importation　only　6s。　4d。　the　hundredweight；

white　sugars　pay　L1　1s。　1d。；　and　refined；　either　double　or

single；　in　loaves　L4　2s。　5　8/20d。　When　those　high　duties　were

imposed；　Great　Britain　was　the　sole；　and　she　still　continues　to

be　the　principal　market　to　which　the　sugars　of　the　British

colonies　could　be　exported。　They　amounted；　therefore；　to　a

prohibition；　at　first　of　claying　or　refining　sugar　for　any

foreign　market；　and　at　present　of　claying　or　refining　it　for　the

market；　which　takes　off；　perhaps；　more　than　nine…tenths　of　the

whole　produce。　The　manufacture　of　claying　or　refining　sugar

accordingly；　though　it　has　flourished　in　all　the　sugar　colonies

of　France；　has　been　little　cultivated　in　any　of　those　of　England

except　for　the　market　of　the　colonies　themselves。　While　Grenada

was　in　the　hands　of　the　French　there　was　a　refinery　of　sugar；　by

claying　at　least；　upon　almost　every　plantation。　Since　it　fell

into　those　of　the　English；　almost　all　works　of　this　kind　have

been　given　tip；　and　there　are　at　present；　October　1773；　I　am

assured　not　above　two　or　three　remaining　in　the　island。　At

present；　however；　by　an　indulgence　of　the　custom…house；　clayed　or

refined　sugar；　if　reduced　from　loaves　into　powder；　is　commonly

imported　as　Muskovado。

　　　　　While　Great　Britain　encourages　in　America　the　manufactures

of　pig　and　bar　iron；　by　exempting　them　from　duties　to　which　the

like　commodities　are　subject　when　imported　from　any　other

country；　she　imposes　an　absolute　prohibition　upon　the　erection　of

steel　furnaces　and　slitmills　in　any　of　her　American　plantations。

She　will　not　suffer　her　colonists　to　work　in　those　more　refined

manufactures　even　for　their　own　consumption；　but　insists　upon

their　purchasing　of　her　merchants　and　manufacturers　all　goods　of

this　kind　which　they　have　occasion　for。

　　　　　She　prohibits　the　exportation　from　one　province　to　another

by　water；　and　even　the　carriage　by　land　upon　horseback　or　in　a

cart；　of　hats；　of　wools　and　woollen　goods；　of　the　produce　of

America；　a　regulation　which　effectually　prevents　the

establishment　of　any　manufacture　of　such　commodities　for　distant

sale；　and　confines　the　industry　of　her　colonists　in　this　way　to

such　coarse　and　household　manufactures　as　a　private　family

commonly　makes　for　its　own　use　or　for　that　of　some　of　its

neighbours　in　the　same　province。

　　　　　To　prohibit　a　great　people；　however；　from　making　all　that

they　can　of　every　part　of　their　own　produce；　or　from　employing

their　stock　and　industry　in　the　way　that　they　judge　most

advantageous　to　themselves；　is　a　manifest　violation　of　the　most

sacred　rights　of　mankind。　Unjust；　however；　as　such　prohibitions

may　be；　they　have　not　hitherto　been　very　hurtful　to　the　colonies。

Land　is　still　so　cheap；　and；　consequently；　labour　so　dear　among

them；　that　they　can　import　from　the　mother　country　almost　all　the

more　refined　or　more　advanced　manufactures　cheaper　than　they

could　make　for　themselves。　Though　they　had　not；　therefore；　been

prohibited　from　establishing　such　manufactures；　yet　in　their

present　state　of　improvement　a　regard　to　their　own　interest

would；　probably；　have　prevented　them　from　doing　so。　In　their

present　state　of　improvement　those　prohibitions；　perhaps；　without

cramping　their　industry；　or　restraining　it　from　any　employment　to

which　it　would　have　gone　of　its　own　accord；　are　only