wealbk04-第57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　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade；　therefore；　like　all　the

other　mean　and　malignant　expedients　of　the　mercantile　system；

depresses　the　industry　of　all　other　countries；　but　chiefly　that

of　the　colonies；　without　in　the　least　increasing；　but　on　the

contrary　diminishing　that　of　the　country　in　whose　favour　it　is

established。

　　　　　The　monopoly　hinders　the　capital　of　that　country；　whatever

may　at　any　particular　time　be　the　extent　of　that　capital；　from

maintaining　so　great　a　quantity　of　productive　labour　as　it　would

otherwise　maintain；　and　from　affording　so　great　a　revenue　to　the

industrious　inhabitants　as　it　would　otherwise　afford。　But　as

capital　can　be　increased　only　by　savings　from　revenue；　the

monopoly；　by　hindering　it　from　affording　so　great　a　revenue　as　it

would　otherwise　afford；　necessarily　hinders　it　from　increasing　so

fast　as　it　would　otherwise　increase；　and　consequently　from

maintaining　a　still　greater　quantity　of　productive　labour；　and

affording　a　still　greater　revenue　to　the　industrious　inhabitants

of　that　country。　One　great　original　source　of　revenue；　therefore；

the　wages　of　labour；　the　monopoly　must　necessarily　have　rendered

at　all　times　less　abundant　than　it　otherwise　would　have　been。

　　　　　By　raising　the　rate　of　mercantile　profit；　the　monopoly

discourages　the　improvement　of　land。　The　profit　of　improvement

depends　upon　the　difference　between　what　the　land　actually

produces；　and　what；　by　the　application　of　a　certain　capital；　it

can　be　made　to　produce。　If　this　difference　affords　a　greater

profit　than　what　can　be　drawn　from　an　equal　capital　in　any

mercantile　employment；　the　improvement　of　land　will　draw　capital

from　all　mercantile　employments。　If　the　profit　is　less；

mercantile　employments　will　draw　capital　from　the　improvement　of

land。　Whatever；　therefore；　raises　the　rate　of　mercantile　profit；

either　lessens　the　superiority　or　increases　the　inferiority　of

the　profit　of　improvement；　and　in　the　one　case　hinders　capital

from　going　to　improvement；　and　in　the　other　draws　capital　from

it。　But　by　discouraging　improvement；　the　monopoly　necessarily

retards　the　natural　increase　of　another　great　original　source　of

revenue；　the　rent　of　land。　By　raising　the　rate　of　profit；　too；

the　monopoly　necessarily　keeps　up　the　market　rate　of　interest

higher　than　it　otherwise　would　be。　But　the　price　of　land　in

proportion　to　the　rent　which　it　affords；　the　number　of　years

purchase　which　is　commonly　paid　for　it；　necessarily　falls　as　the

rate　of　interest　rises；　and　rises　as　the　rate　of　interest　falls。

The　monopoly；　therefore；　hurts　the　interest　of　the　landlord　two

different　ways；　by　retarding　the　natural　increase；　first；　of　his

rent；　and　secondly；　of　the　price　which　he　would　get　for　his　land

in　proportion　to　the　rent　which　it　affords。

　　　　　The　monopoly　indeed　raises　the　rate　of　mercantile　profit；

and　thereby　augments　somewhat　the　gain　of　our　merchants。　But　as

it　obstructs　the　natural　increase　of　capital；　it　tends　rather　to

diminish　than　to　increase　the　sum　total　of　the　revenue　which　the

inhabitants　of　the　country　derive　from　the　profits　of　stock；　a

small　profit　upon　a　great　capital　generally　affording　a　greater

revenue　than　a　great　profit　upon　a　small　one。　The　monopoly　raises

the　rate　of　profit；　but　it　hinders　the　sum　of　profit　from　rising

so　high　as　it　otherwise　would　do。

　　　　　All　the　original　sources　of　revenue；　the　wages　of　labour；

the　rent　of　land；　and　the　profits　of　stock；　the　monopoly　renders

much　less　abundant　than　they　otherwise　would　be。　To　promote　the

little　interest　of　one　little　order　of　men　in　one　country；　it

hurts　the　interest　of　all　other　orders　of　men　in　that　country；

and　of　all　men　in　all　other　countries。

　　　　　It　is　solely　by　raising　the　ordinary　rate　of　profit　that　the

monopoly　either　has　proved　or　could　prove　advantageous　to　any　one

particular　order　of　men。　But　besides　all　the　bad　effects　to　the

country　in　general；　which　have　already　been　mentioned　as

necessarily　resulting　from　a　high　rate　of　profit；　there　is　one

more　fatal；　perhaps；　than　all　these　put　together；　but　which；　if

we　may　judge　from　experience；　is　inseparably　connected　with　it。

The　high　rate　of　profit　seems　everywhere　to　destroy　that

parsimony　which　in　other　circumstances　is　natural　to　the

character　of　the　merchant。　When　profits　are　high　that　sober

virtue　seems　to　be　superfluous　and　expensive　luxury　to　suit

better　the　affluence　of　his　situation。　But　the　owners　of　the

great　mercantile　capitals　are　necessarily　the　leaders　and

conductors　of　the　whole　industry　of　every　nation；　and　their

example　has　a　much　greater　influence　upon　the　manners　of　the

whole　industrious　part　of　it　than　that　of　any　other　order　of　men。

If　his　employer　is　attentive　and　parsimonious；　the　workman　is

very　likely　to　be　so　too；　but　if　the　master　is　dissolute　and

disorderly；　the　servant　who　shapes　his　work　according　to　the

pattern　which　his　master　prescribes　to　him　will　shape　his　life

too　according　to　the　example　which　he　sets　him。　Accumulation　is

thus　prevented　in　the　hands　of　all　those　who　are　naturally　the

most　disposed　to　accumulate；　and　the　funds　destined　for　the

maintenance　of　productive　labour　receive　no　augmentation　from　the

revenue　of　those　who　ought　naturally　to　augment　them　the　most。

The　capital　of　the　country；　instead　of　increasing；　gradually

dwindles　away；　and　the　quantity　of　productive　labour　maintained

in　it　grows　every　day　less　and　less。　Have　the　exorbitant　profits

of　the　merchants　of　Cadiz　and　Lisbon　augmented　the　capital　of

Spain　and　Portugal？　Have　they　alleviated　the　poverty；　have　they

promoted　the　industry　of　those　two　beggarly　countries？　Such　has

been　the　tone　of　mercantile　expense　in　those　two　trading　cities

that　those　exorbitant　profits；　far　from　augmenting　the　general

capital　of　the　country；　seem　scarce　to　have　been　sufficient　to

keep　up　the　capitals　upon　which　they　were　made。　Foreign　capitals

are　every　day　intruding　themselves；　if　I　may　say　so；　more　and

more　into　the　trade　of　Cadiz　and　Lisbon。　It　is　to　expel　those

foreign　capitals　from　a　trade　which　their　own　grows　every　day

more　and　more　insufficient　for　carrying　on　that　the　Spaniards　and

Portuguese　endeavour　every　day　to　straighten　more　and　more　the

galling　bands　of　their　absurd　monopoly。　Compare　the　mercantile

manners　of　Cadiz　and　Lisbon　with　those　of　Amsterdam；　and　you　will

be　sensible　how　differently　the　conduct　and　character　of

merchants　are　affected　by　the　high　and　by　the　low　profits　of

stock。　The　merchants　of　London；　indeed；　have　not　yet　generally

become　such　magnificent　lords　as　those　of　Cadiz　and　Lisbon；　but

neither　are　they　in　general　such　attentive　and　parsimonious

burghers　as　those　of　Amsterdam。　They　are　supposed；　however；　many

of　them；　to　be　a　good　deal　richer　than　the　greater　part　of　the

former；　and　not　quite　so　rich　as　many　of　the　latter。　But　the　rate

of　their　profit　is　commonly　much　lower　than　that　of　the　former；

and　a　good　deal　higher　than　that　of　the　latter。　Light　come；　light

go；　says　the　proverb；　and　the　ordinary　tone　of　expense　seems

everywhere　to　be　regulated；　not　so　much　according　to　the　real

ability　of　spending；　as　to　the　supposed　facility　of　getting　money

to　spend。

　　　　　It　is　thus　that　the　single　advantage　which　the　monopoly

procures　to　a　single　order　of　men　is　in　many　different　ways

hurtful　to　the　general　interest　of　the　country。

　　　　　To　found　a　great　empire　for　the　sole　purpose　of　raising　up　a

people　of　customers　may　at　first　sight　appear　a　project　fit　only

for　a　nation　of　shopkeepers。　It　is；　however；　a　project　altogether

unfit　for　a　nation　of　shopkeepers；　but　extremely　fit　for　a　nation

whose　government　is　influenced　by　shopkeepers。　Such　statesmen；

and　such　statesmen　only；　are　capable　of　fancying　that　they　will

find　some　advantage　in　employing　the　blood　and　treasure　of　their

fellow…citizens　to　found　and　maintain　such　an　empire。　Say　to　a

shopkeeper；　〃Buy　me　a　good　estate；　and　I　shall　always　buy　my

clothes　at　your　shop；　even　though　I　should　pay　somewhat　dearer

than　what　I　can　have　them　for　at　other　shops〃；　and　you　will　not

find　him　very　forward　to　embrace　you