wealbk04-第48章

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

badges　of　slavery　imposed　upon　them；　without　any　sufficient

reason；　by　the　groundless　jealousy　of　the　merchants　and

manufacturers　of　the　mother　country。　In　a　more　advanced　state

they　might　be　really　oppressive　and　insupportable。

　　　　　Great　Britain　too；　as　she　confines　to　her　own　market　some　of

the　most　important　productions　of　the　colonies；　so　in

compensation　she　gives　to　some　of　them　an　advantage　in　that

market；　sometimes　by　imposing　higher　duties　upon　the　like

productions　when　imported　from　other　countries；　and　sometimes　by

giving　bounties　upon　their　importation　from　the　colonies。　In　the

first　way　she　gives　an　advantage　in　the　home　market　to　the　sugar；

tobacco；　and　iron　of　her　own　colonies；　and　in　the　second　to　their

raw　silk；　to　their　hemp　and　flax；　to　their　indigo；　to　their　naval

stores；　and　to　their　building　timber。　This　second　way　of

encouraging　the　colony　produce　by　bounties　upon　importation；　is；

so　far　as　I　have　been　able　to　learn；　peculiar　to　Great　Britain。

The　first　is　not。　Portugal　does　not　content　herself　with　imposing

higher　duties　upon　the　importation　of　tobacco　from　any　other

country；　but　prohibits　it　under　the　severest　penalties。

　　　　　With　regard　to　the　importation　of　goods　from　Europe；　England

has　likewise　dealt　more　liberally　with　her　colonies　than　any

other　nation。

　　　　　Great　Britain　allows　a　part；　almost　always　the　half；

generally　a　larger　portion；　and　sometimes　the　whole　of　the　duty

which　is　paid　upon　the　importation　of　foreign　goods；　to　be　drawn

back　upon　their　exportation　to　any　foreign　country。　No

independent　foreign　country；　it　was　easy　to　foresee；　would

receive　them　if　they　came　to　it　loaded　with　the　heavy　duties　to

which　almost　all　foreign　goods　are　subjected　on　their　importation

into　Great　Britain。　Unless；　therefore；　some　part　of　those　duties

was　drawn　back　upon　exportation；　there　was　an　end　of　the　carrying

trade；　a　trade　so　much　favoured　by　the　mercantile　system。

　　　　　Our　colonies；　however；　are　by　no　means　independent　foreign

countries；　and　Great　Britain　having　assumed　to　herself　the

exclusive　right　of　supplying　them　with　all　goods　from　Europe；

might　have　forced　them　（in　the　same　manner　as　other　countries

have　done　their　colonies）　to　receive　such　goods；　loaded　with　all

the　same　duties　which　they　paid　in　the　mother　country。　But；　on

the　contrary；　till　1763；　the　same　drawbacks　were　paid　upon　the

exportation　of　the　greater　part　of　foreign　goods　to　our　colonies

as　to　any　independent　foreign　country。　In　1763；　indeed；　by　the

4th　of　George　III；　c。　15；　this　indulgence　was　a　good　deal　abated；

and　it　was　enacted；　〃That　no　part　of　the　duty　called　the　Old

Subsidy　should　be　drawn　back　for　any　goods　of　the　growth；

production；　or　manufacture　of　Europe　or　the　East　Indies；　which

should　be　exported　from　this　kingdom　to　any　British　colony　or

plantation　in　America；　wines；　white　calicoes　and　muslins

excepted。〃　Before　this　law；　many　different　sorts　of　foreign　goods

might　have　been　bought　cheaper　in　the　plantations　than　in　the

mother　country；　and　some　may　still。

　　　　　Of　the　greater　part　of　the　regulations　concerning　the　colony

trade；　the　merchants　who　carry　it　on；　it　must　be　observed；　have

been　the　principal　advisers。　We　must　not　wonder；　therefore；　if；

in　the　greater　part　of　them；　their　interest　has　been　more

considered　than　either　that　of　the　colonies　or　that　of　the　mother

country。　In　their　exclusive　privilege　of　supplying　the　colonies

with　all　the　goods　which　they　wanted　from　Europe；　and　of

purchasing　all　such　parts　of　their　surplus　produce　as　could　not

interfere　with　any　of　the　trades　which　they　themselves　carried　on

at　home；　the　interest　of　the　colonies　was　sacrificed　to　the

interest　of　those　merchants。　In　allowing　the　same　drawbacks　upon

the　re…exportation　of　the　greater　part　of　European　and　East　India

goods　to　the　colonies　as　upon　their　re…exportation　to　any

independent　country；　the　interest　of　the　mother　country　was

sacrificed　to　it；　even　according　to　the　mercantile　ideas　of　that

interest。　It　was　for　the　interest　of　the　merchants　to　pay　as

little　as　possible　for　the　foreign　which　they　sent　to　the

colonies；　and；　consequently；　to　get　back　as　much　as　possible　of

the　duties　which　they　advanced　upon　their　importation　into　Great

Britain。　They　might　thereby　be　enabled　to　sell　in　the　colonies

either　the　same　quantity　of　goods　with　a　greater　profit；　or　a

greater　quantity　with　the　same　profit；　and；　consequently；　to　gain

something　either　in　the　one　way　or　the　other。　It　was　likewise　for

the　interest　of　the　colonies　to　get　all　such　goods　as　cheap　and

in　as　great　abundance　as　possible。　But　this　might　not　always　be

for　the　interest　of　the　mother　country。　She　might　frequently

suffer　both　in　her　revenue；　by　giving　back　a　great　part　of　the

duties　which　had　been　paid　upon　the　importation　of　such　goods；

and　in　her　manufactures；　by　being　undersold　in　the　colony　market；

in　consequence　of　the　easy　terms　upon　which　foreign　manufactures

could　be　carried　thither　by　means　of　those　drawbacks。　The

progress　of　the　linen　manufacture　of　Great　Britain；　it　is

commonly　said；　has　been　a　good　deal　retarded　by　the　drawbacks

upon　the　re…exportation　of　German　linen　to　the　American　colonies。

　　　　　But　though　the　policy　of　Great　Britain　with　regard　to　the

trade　of　her　colonies　has　been　dictated　by　the　same　mercantile

spirit　as　that　of　other　nations；　it　has；　however；　upon　the　whole；

been　less　illiberal　and　oppressive　than　that　of　any　of　them。

　　　　　In　everything；　except　their　foreign　trade；　the　liberty　of

the　English　colonists　to　manage　their　own　affairs　their　own　way

is　complete。　It　is　in　every　respect　equal　to　that　of　their

fellow…citizens　at　home；　and　is　secured　in　the　same　manner；　by　an

assembly　of　the　representatives　of　the　people；　who　claim　the　sole

right　of　imposing　taxes　for　the　support　of　the　colony　government。

The　authority　of　this　assembly　overawes　the　executive　power；　and

neither　the　meanest　nor　the　most　obnoxious　colonist；　as　long　as

he　obeys　the　law；　has　anything　to　fear　from　the　resentment；

either　of　the　governor　or　of　any　other　civil　or　military　officer

in　the　province。　The　colony　assemblies　though；　like　the　House　of

Commons　in　England；　are　not　always　a　very　equal　representation　of

the　people；　yet　they　approach　more　nearly　to　that　character；　and

as　the　executive　power　either　has　not　the　means　to　corrupt　them；

or；　on　account　of　the　support　which　it　receives　from　the　mother

country；　is　not　under　the　necessity　of　doing　so；　they　are　perhaps

in　general　more　influenced　by　the　inclinations　of　their

constituents。　The　councils　which；　in　the　colony　legislatures；

correspond　to　the　House　of　Lords　in　Great　Britain；　are　not

composed　of　an　hereditary　nobility。　In　some　of　the　colonies；　as

in　three　of　the　governments　of　New　England；　those　councils　are

not　appointed　by　the　king；　but　chosen　by　the　representatives　of

the　people。　In　none　of　the　English　colonies　is　there　any

hereditary　nobility。　In　all　of　them；　indeed；　as　in　all　other　free

countries；　the　descendant　of　an　old　colony　family　is　more

respected　than　an　upstart　of　equal　merit　and　fortune；　but　he　is

only　more　respected；　and　he　has　no　privileges　by　which　he　can　be

troublesome　to　his　neighbours。　Before　the　commencement　of　the

present　disturbances；　the　colony　assemblies　had　not　only　the

legislative　but　a　part　of　the　executive　power。　In　Connecticut　and

Rhode　Island；　they　elected　the　governor。　In　the　other　colonies

they　appointed　the　revenue　officers　who　collected　the　taxes

imposed　by　those　respective　assemblies；　to　whom　those　officers

were　immediately　responsible。　There　is　more　equality；　therefore；

among　the　English　colonists　than　among　the　inhabitants　of　the

mother　country。　Their　manners　are　more　republican；　and　their

governments；　those　of　three　of　the　provinces　of　New　England　in

particular；　have　hitherto　been　more　republican　too。

　　　　　The　absolute　governments　of　Spain；　Portugal；　and　France；　on

the　contrary；　take　place　in　their　colonies；　and　the　discretionary

powers　which　such　governments　commonly　d