wealbk04-第53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！


Britain　than　what　would　have　gone　to　it　of　its　own　accord；　so　by

the　expulsion　of　all　foreign　capitals　it　necessarily　reduced　the

whole　quantity　of　capital　employed　in　that　trade　below　what　it

naturally　would　have　been　in　the　case　of　a　free　trade。　But；　by

lessening　the　competition　of　capitals　in　that　branch　of　trade；　it

necessarily　raised　the　rate　of　profit　in　that　branch。　By

lessening；　too；　the　competition　of　British　capitals　in　all　other

branches　of　trade；　it　necessarily　raised　the　rate　of　British

profit　in　all　those　other　branches。　Whatever　may　have　been；　at

any　particular　period；　since　the　establishment　of　the　Act　of

Navigation；　the　state　or　extent　of　the　mercantile　capital　of

Great　Britain；　the　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade　must；　during　the

continuance　of　that　state；　have　raised　the　ordinary　rate　of

British　profit　higher　than　it　otherwise　would　have　been　both　in

that　and　in　all　the　other　branches　of　British　trade。　If；　since

the　establishment　of　the　Act　of　Navigation；　the　ordinary　rate　of

British　profit　has　fallen　considerably；　as　it　certainly　has；　it

must　have　fallen　still　lower；　had　not　the　monopoly　established　by

that　act　contributed　to　keep　it　up。

　　　　　But　whatever　raises　in　any　country　the　ordinary　rate　of

profit　higher　than　it　otherwise　would　be；　necessarily　subjects

that　country　both　to　an　absolute　and　to　a　relative　disadvantage

in　every　branch　of　trade　of　which　she　has　not　the　monopoly。

　　　　　It　subjects　her　to　an　absolute　disadvantage；　because　in　such

branches　of　trade　her　merchants　cannot　get　this　greater　profit

without　selling　dearer　than　they　otherwise　would　do　both　the

goods　of　foreign　countries　which　they　import　into　their　own；　and

the　goods　of　their　own　country　which　they　export　to　foreign

countries。　Their　own　country　must　both　buy　dearer　and　sell

dearer；　must　both　buy　less　and　sell　less；　must　both　enjoy　less

and　produce　less；　than　she　otherwise　would　do。

　　　　　It　subjects　her　to　a　relative　disadvantage；　because　in　such

branches　of　trade　it　sets　other　countries　which　are　not　subject

to　the　same　absolute　disadvantage　either　more　above　her　or　less

below　her　than　they　otherwise　would　be。　It　enables　them　both　to

enjoy　more　and　to　produce　more　in　proportion　to　what　she　enjoys

and　produces。　It　renders　their　superiority　greater　or　their

inferiority　less　than　it　otherwise　would　be。　By　raising　the　price

of　her　produce　above　what　it　otherwise　would　be；　it　enables　the

merchants　of　other　countries　to　undersell　her　in　foreign　markets；

and　thereby　to　jostle　her　out　of　almost　all　those　branches　of

trade；　of　which　she　has　not　the　monopoly。

　　　　　Our　merchants　frequently　complain　of　the　high　wages　of

British　labour　as　the　cause　of　their　manufactures　being　undersold

in　foreign　markets；　but　they　are　silent　about　the　high　profits　of

stock。　They　complain　of　the　extravagant　gain　of　other　people；　but

they　say　nothing　of　their　own。　The　high　profits　of　British　stock；

however；　may　contribute　towards　raising　the　price　of　British

manufactures　in　many　cases　as　much；　and　in　some　perhaps　more；

than　the　high　wages　of　British　labour。

　　　　　It　is　in　this　manner　that　the　capital　of　Great　Britain；　one

may　justly　say；　has　partly　been　drawn　and　partly　been　driven　from

the　greater　part　of　the　different　branches　of　trade　of　which　she

has　not　the　monopoly；　from　the　trade　of　Europe　in　particular；　and

from　that　of　the　countries　which　lie　round　the　Mediterranean　Sea。

　　　　　It　has　partly　been　drawn　from　those　branches　of　trade　by　the

attraction　of　superior　profit　in　the　colony　trade　in　consequence

of　the　continual　increase　of　that　trade；　and　of　the　continual

insufficiency　of　the　capital　which　had　carried　it　on　one　year　to

carry　it　on　the　next。

　　　　　It　has　partly　been　driven　from　them　by　the　advantage　which

the　high　rate　of　profit；　established　in　Great　Britain；　gives　to

other　countries　in　all　the　different　branches　of　trade　of　which

Great　Britain　has　not　the　monopoly。

　　　　　As　the　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade　has　drawn　from　those

other　branches　a　part　of　the　British　capital　which　would

otherwise　have　been　employed　in　them；　so　it　has　forced　into　them

many　foreign　capitals　which　would　never　have　gone　to　them　had

they　not　been　expelled　from　the　colony　trade。　In　those　other

branches　of　trade　it　has　diminished　the　competition　of　British

capital；　and　thereby　raised　the　rate　of　British　profit　higher

than　it　otherwise　would　have　been。　On　the　contrary；　it　has

increased　the　competition　of　foreign　capitals；　and　thereby　sunk

the　rate　of　foreign　profit　lower　than　it　otherwise　would　have

been。　Both　in　the　one　way　and　in　the　other　it　must　evidently　have

subjected　Great　Britain　to　a　relative　disadvantage　in　all　those

other　branches　of　trade。

　　　　　The　colony　trade；　however；　it　may　perhaps　be　said；　is　more

advantageous　to　Great　Britain　than　any　other；　and　the　monopoly；

by　forcing　into　that　trade　a　greater　proportion　of　the　capital　of

Great　Britain　than　what　would　otherwise　have　gone　to　it；　has

turned　that　capital　into　an　employment　more　advantageous　to　the

country　than　any　other　which　it　could　have　found。

　　　　　The　most　advantageous　employment　of　any　capital　to　the

country　to　which　it　belongs　is　that　which　maintains　there　the

greatest　quantity　of　productive　labour；　and　increases　the　most

the　annual　produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　that　country。　But

the　quantity　of　productive　labour　which　any　capital　employed　in

the　foreign　trade　of　consumption　can　maintain　is　exactly　in

proportion；　it　has　been　shown　in　the　second　book；　to　the

frequency　of　its　returns。　A　capital　of　a　thousand　pounds；　for

example；　employed　in　a　foreign　trade　of　consumption；　of　which　the

returns　are　made　regularly　once　in　the　year；　can　keep　in　constant

employment；　in　the　country　to　which　it　belongs；　a　quantity　of

productive　labour　equal　to　what　a　thousand　pounds　can　maintain

there　for　a　year。　If　the　returns　are　made　twice　or　thrice　in　the

year；　it　can　keep　in　constant　employment　a　quantity　of　productive

labour　equal　to　what　two　or　three　thousand　pounds　can　maintain

there　for　a　year。　A　foreign　trade　of　consumption　carried　on　with

a　neighbouring　country　is；　upon　this　account；　in　general　more

advantageous　than　one　carried　on　with　a　distant　country；　and　for

the　same　reason　a　direct　foreign　trade　of　consumption；　as　it　has

likewise　been　shown　in　the　second　book；　is　in　general　more

advantageous　than　a　round…about　one。

　　　　　But　the　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade；　so　far　as　it　has

operated　upon　the　employment　of　the　capital　of　Great　Britain；　has

in　all　cases　forced　some　part　of　it　from　a　foreign　trade　of

consumption　carried　on　with　a　neighbouring；　to　one　carried　on

with　a　more　distant　country；　and　in　many　cases　from　a　direct

foreign　trade　of　consumption　to　a　round…about　one。

　　　　　First；　the　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade　has　in　all　cases

forced　some　part　of　the　capital　of　Great　Britain　from　a　foreign

trade　of　consumption　carried　on　with　a　neighbouring　to　one

carried　on　with　a　more　distant　country。

　　　　　It　has；　in　all　cases；　forced　some　part　of　that　capital　from

the　trade　with　Europe；　and　with　the　countries　which　lie　round　the

Mediterranean　Sea；　to　that　with　the　more　distant　regions　of

America　and　the　West　Indies；　from　which　the　returns　are

necessarily　less　frequent；　not　only　on　account　of　the　greater

distance；　but　on　account　of　the　peculiar　circumstances　of　those

countries。　New　colonies；　it　has　already　been　observed；　are　always

understocked。　Their　capital　is　always　much　less　than　what　they

could　employ　with　great　profit　and　advantage　in　the　improvement

and　cultivation　of　their　land。　They　have　a　constant　demand；

therefore；　for　more　capital　than　they　have　of　their　own；　and；　in

order　to　supply　the　deficiency　of　their　own；　they　endeavour　to

borrow　as　much　as　they　can　of　the　mother　country；　to　whom　they

are；　therefore；　always　in　debt。　The　most　common　way　in　which　the

colonists　contract　this　debt　is　not　by　borrowing　upon　bond　of　the

rich　people　of　the　mother　country；　though　they　sometimes　do　this

too；　but　by　running　as　much　in　arrear　to　their　correspondents；

who　supply　them　with　good