wealbk04-第67章

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of　the　greater　part　of　dyeing　drugs；　of　the　greater　part　of

undressed　hides　from　Ireland　or　the　British　colonies；　of

sealskins　from　the　British　Greenland　fishery；　of　pig　and　bar　iron

from　the　British　colonies；　as　well　as　of　several　other　materials

of　manufacture；　has　been　encouraged　by　an　exemption　from　all

duties；　if　properly　entered　at　the　custom　house。　The　private

interest　of　our　merchants　and　manufacturers　may；　perhaps；　have

extorted　from　the　legislature　these　exemptions　as　well　as　the

greater　part　of　our　other　commercial　regulations。　They　are；

however；　perfectly　just　and　reasonable；　and　if；　consistently　with

the　necessities　of　the　state；　they　could　be　extended　to　all　the

other　materials　of　manufacture；　the　public　would　certainly　be　a

gainer。

　　　　　The　avidity　of　our　great　manufacturers；　however；　has　in　some

cases　extended　these　exemptions　a　good　deal　beyond　what　can

justly　be　considered　as　the　rude　materials　of　their　work。　By　the

24th　George　III；　c。　46；　a　small　duty　of　only　one　penny　the　pound

was　imposed　upon　the　importation　of　foreign　brown　linen　yam；

instead　of　much　higher　duties　to　which　it　had　been　subjected

before；　viz。　of　sixpence　the　pound　upon　sail　yarn；　of　one

shilling　the　pound　upon　all　French　and　Dutch　yarn；　and　of　two

pounds　thirteen　shillings　and　fourpence　upon　the　hundredweight　of

all　spruce　or　Muscovia　yarn。　But　our　manufacturers　were　not　long

satisfied　with　this　reduction。　By　the　29th　of　the　same　king；　c。

15；　the　same　law　which　gave　a　bounty　upon　the　exportation　of

British　and　Irish　linen　of　which　the　price　did　not　exceed

eighteenpence　the　yard；　even　this　small　duty　upon　the　importation

of　brown　linen　yarn　was　taken　away。　In　the　different　operations；

however；　which　are　necessary　for　the　preparation　of　linen　yarn；　a

good　deal　more　industry　is　employed　than　in　the　subsequent

operation　of　preparing　linen　cloth　from　linen　yarn。　To　say

nothing　of　the　industry　of　the　flax…growers　and　flax…dressers；

three　or　four　spinners；　at　least；　are　necessary　in　order　to　keep

one　weaver　in　constant　employment；　and　more　than　four…fifths　of

the　whole　quantity　of　labour　necessary　for　the　preparation　of

linen　cloth　is　employed　in　that　of　linen　yarn；　but　our　spinners

are　poor　people；　women　commonly　scattered　about　in　all　different

parts　of　the　country；　without　support　or　protection。　It　is　not　by

the　sale　of　their　work；　but　by　that　of　the　complete　work　of　the

weavers；　that　our　great　master　manufacturers　make　their　profits。

As　it　is　their　interest　to　sell　the　complete　manufacture　as　dear；

so　is　it　to　buy　the　materials　as　cheap　as　possible。　By　extorting

from　the　legislature　bounties　upon　the　exportation　of　their　own

linen；　high　duties　upon　the　importation　of　all　foreign　linen；　and

a　total　prohibition　of　the　home　consumption　of　some　sorts　of

French　linen；　they　endeavour　to　sell　their　own　goods　as　dear　as

possible。　By　encouraging　the　importation　of　foreign　linen　yarn；

and　thereby　bringing　it　into　competition　with　that　which　is　made

by　our　own　people；　they　endeavour　to　buy　the　work　of　the　poor

spinners　as　cheap　as　possible。　They　are　as　intent　to　keep　down

the　wages　of　their　own　weavers　as　the　earnings　of　the　poor

spinners；　and　it　is　by　no　means　for　the　benefit　of　the　workman

that　they　endeavour　either　to　raise　the　price　of　the　complete

work　or　to　lower　that　of　the　rude　materials。　It　is　the　industry

which　is　carried　on　for　the　benefit　of　the　rich　and　the　powerful

that　is　principally　encouraged　by　our　mercantile　system。　That

which　is　carried　on　for　the　benefit　of　the　poor　and　the　indigent

is　too　often　either　neglected　or　oppressed。

　　　　　Both　the　bounty　upon　the　exportation　of　linen；　and　the

exemption　from　duty　upon　the　importation　of　foreign　yarn；　which

were　granted　only　for　fifteen　years；　but　continued　by　two

different　prolongations；　expire　with　the　end　of　the　session　of

Parliament　which　shall　immediately　follow　the　24th　of　June　1786。

　　　　　The　encouragement　given　to　the　importation　of　the　materials

of　manufacture　by　bounties　has　been　principally　confined　to　such

as　were　imported　from　our　American　plantations。

　　　　　The　first　bounties　of　this　kind　were　those　granted　about　the

beginning　of　the　present　century　upon　the　importation　of　naval

stores　from　America。　Under　this　denomination　were　comprehended

timber　fit　for　masts；　yards；　and　bowsprits；　hemp；　tar；　pitch；　and

turpentine。　The　bounty；　however；　of　one　pound　the　ton　upon

masting…timber；　and　that　of　six　pounds　the　ton　upon　hemp；　were

extended　to　such　as　should　be　imported　into　England　from

Scotland。　Both　these　bounties　continued　without　any　variation；　at

the　same　rate；　till　they　were　severally　allowed　to　expire；　that

upon　hemp　on　the　1st　of　January　1741；　and　that　upon

masting…timber　at　the　end　of　the　session　of　Parliament

immediately　following　the　24th　June　1781。

　　　　　The　bounties　upon　the　importation　of　tar；　pitch；　and

turpentine　underwent；　during　their　continuance；　several

alterations。　Originally　that　upon　tar　was　four　pounds　the　ton；

that　upon　pitch　the　same；　and　that　upon　turpentine；　three　pounds

the　ton。　The　bounty　of　four　pounds　the　ton　upon　tar　was

afterwards　confined　to　such　as　had　been　prepared　in　a　particular

manner；　that　upon　other　good；　clean；　and　merchantable　tar　was

reduced　to　two　pounds　four　shillings　the　ton。　The　bounty　upon

pitch　was　likewise　reduced　to　one　pound；　and　that　upon　turpentine

to　one　pound　ten　shillings　the　ton。

　　　　　The　second　bounty　upon　the　importation　of　any　of　the

materials　of　manufacture；　according　to　the　order　of　time；　was

that　granted　by　the　21st　George　II；　c。　30；　upon　the　importation

of　indigo　from　the　British　plantations。　When　the　plantation

indigo　was　worth　three…fourths　of　the　price　of　the　best　French

indigo；　it　was　by　this　act　entitled　to　a　bounty　of　sixpence　the

pound。　This　bounty；　which；　like　most　others；　was　granted　only　for

a　limited　time；　was　continued　by　several　prolongations；　but　was

reduced　to　fourpence　the　pound。　It　was　allowed　to　expire　with　the

end　of　the　session　of　Parliament　which　followed　the　25th　March

1781。

　　　　　The　third　bounty　of　this　kind　was　that　granted　（much　about

the　time　that　we　were　beginning　sometimes　to　court　and　sometimes

to　quarrel　with　our　American　colonies）　by　the　4th　George　III；　c。

26；　upon　the　importation　of　hemp；　or　undressed　flax；　from　the

British　plantations。　This　bounty　was　granted　for　twenty…one

years；　from　the　24th　June　1764　to　the　24th　June　1785。　For　the

first　seven　years　it　was　to　be　at　the　rate　of　eight　pounds　the

ton；　for　the　second　at　six　pounds；　and　for　the　third　at　four

pounds。　It　was　not　extended　to　Scotland；　of　which　the　climate

（although　hemp　is　sometimes　raised　there　in　small　quantities　and

of　an　inferior　quality）　is　not　very　fit　for　that　produce。　Such　a

bounty　upon　the　importation　of　Scotch　flax　into　England　would

have　been　too　great　a　discouragement　to　the　native　produce　of　the

southern　part　of　the　United　Kingdom。

　　　　　The　fourth　bounty　of　this　kind　was　that　granted　by　the　5th

George　III；　c。　45；　upon　the　importation　of　wood　from　America。　It

was　granted　for　nine　years；　from　the　1st　January　1766　to　the　1st

January　1775。　During　the　first　three　years；　it　was　to　be　for

every　hundred　and　twenty　good　deals；　at　the　rate　of　one　pound；

and　for　every　load　containing　fifty　cubic　feet　of　other　squared

timber　at　the　rate　of　twelve　shillings。　For　the　second　three

years；　it　was　for　deals　to　be　at。　the　rate　of　fifteen　shillings；

and　for　other　squared　timber　at　the　rate　of　eight　shillings；　and

for　the　third　three　years；　it　was　for　deals　to　be　at　the　rate　of

ten　shillings；　and　for　other　squared　timber　at　the　rate　of　five

shillings。

　　　　　The　fifth　bounty　of　this　kind　was　that　granted　by　the　9th

George　III；　c。　38；　upon　the　importation　of　raw　silk　from　the

British　plantations。　It　was　granted　for　twenty…one　years；　from

the　1st　January　1770　to　the　1st　January　1791。　For　the　first　seven

years　it　was　to　be　at　the　rate　of　twenty…five　pounds　for　every

hundred　pounds　value；　for　the　second　at　twenty　pounds；　and　for

the　third　at　fifteen　pounds。　The　management　of　the　silk　worm；　an