free trade-第7节

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！


persons　to　use　the　benefit　of　the　Law　in　some　point　or　other。

　　　　For　dispensing　with　the　Lawes；　it　is　without　question；　that

the　King　hath　power　to　dispence　with　a　Penall　Law；　when　it

prohibiteth　that　which　is　not　Malum　in　se。　For　the　Parliament

having　made　a　Statute　with　intent　of　the　Publique　good：　yet　the

same　by　reason　of　something　not　foreseen　at　the　making　of　the

Law；　may　prove　very　prejudiciall　in　the　Execution。　And　then　the

Malum　prohibitum；　as　the　Lawyers　speake；　may　be　dispenced　with　by

the　King。　Thus　the　Parliament　having　prohibited　the　exportation

of　white　Clothes　undre'st　above　the　price　of　four　pound　the

Cloth：　the　observation　of　that　Statute　was　found　by　experience　to

be　very　prejudiciall　to　the　Trade；　and　free　vent　of　the　Cloth　in

forreine　parts。　Whereupon　Q。　Elizabeth；　granted　a　Speciall

Licence　to　the　Fellowship　of　the　Merchant　Adventurers；　to

transport　all　sorts　of　white　Clothes　undre'st；　with　a　Non

obstante　to　that　Statute。　And　although　all　other　men　stood　lyable

to　the　Statute　stil；　and　were　restrained；　yet　the　Utility　that

hereby　arose　to　the　Common…wealth；　did　farre　exceed　the　restraint

of　the　Publique　Liberty。　For　within　few　yeares　after　the　granting

of　this　Licence；　the　vent　of　Cloth　in　forreine　parts　increased　to

twice　as　much；　as　formerly　it　was　during　the　strict　observation

of　the　Statute。　Other　like　dispensations　of　Statutes；　I　might

instance：　as　that　of　the　28　H。8。　concerning　the　retailing　of

Gasgoigne　Wines　at　two　pence　a　quart：　which　is　dispenced　with；　by

a　licence　to　the　Company　of　the　Vintners：　but　these　may　suffice

for　every　mans　understanding　of　this　kinde　of　restraint。

　　　　For　Prohibition　by　Act　of　Parliament：　such　is　the　Act　whereby

all　the　subjects　of　this　Realme；　excepting　such　as　are　of　the

Corporation　of　the　Muscovy　Company；　are　forbidden　to　trade　into

any　part　of　Russia。　Also　that　of　3　Jacob　concerning　Artizan

Skinnes；　whereby　all　but　the　Company；　are　forbidden　to　buy　and

retail　some　sorts　of　Skinnes。　In　these　and　the　like；　the

Parliament　maketh　restraint　of　the　Common　liberty　of　Commerce；

and　the　same　restraint　is　againe　released；　not　unto　all；　but　to

some　persons　or　Corporations　by　Speciall　exception　and　proviso　of

the　Act　of　Parliament。

　　　　The　latter　kind　of　restraint　by　Publique　Authority；　is　when

that　which　seemeth　by　the　Lawe　to　be　free　to　all　is　by　some

Patent　or　Proclamation　of　the　Prince；　prohibited　to　all；　saving

some　certaine　Corporations；　or　persons　specially　excepted　and

authorized　in　the　same　Patent　or　Proclamation。　Of　this　kind　are

generally　reputed　all　Corporations　of　Merchants；　which　are　not

confirmed　by　Act　of　Parliament。　Which　are　generally　reputed　to

carry　with　them　a　restraint　to　others；　of　that　liberty；　which　the

Law　doth　seeme　to　offer　to　all　in　point　of　Commerce。　Whence　it　is

that　so　many　pleade　the　Freedome　of　subjects；　and　presse；　or

rather　oppresse　that　plea　of　equity；　hat　it　is　equall　that　all

subjects　should　bee　a　like　free　to　be　Merchants　in　all　Trades。　To

whom　I　answere；　that　first　there　is　no　good　Equality　in　it；

because　it　is　against　the　Publique　Utility　that　all　should　bee

Merchants　at　their　pleasure。　For　that's　not　equall；　that　may

seeme　profitable　to　one；　and　bee　hurtful　to　many。　Atque　ipso

utilitas　iusti　prop　matter　&　aequi；　as　Horace　speaketh。　And　yet

what　point　of　equity　is　broken；　when　the　freedome　of　Societies　is

so　carried；　that　it　is　open　to　all　men　upon　equall　termes；　that

is　to　say；　either　by　service　or　purchase？　Otherwise　it　were　very

unequall；　that　one　man　should　serve　for　his　freedome；　or　buy　the

same：　and　another　man　should　have　it　for　nothing。　If　this　point

were　well　thought　upon；　I　prosume　the　Gracious　Grants　and

priviledges　of　His　Majestie；　conferred　upon　Societies；　would　not

seeme　so　much　a　restraint　of　the　Common　liberty；　as　a　prudent

ordering　and　accommodating　thereof　unto　the　Publique　Utility。　For

it　hath　ever　beene　a　Policy　of　this　State；　to　reduce　the　Trades

of　Merchants　of　this　Kingdome　into　Corporations　and　Societies；

for　the　advancement　of　Trade；　by　the　benefit　of　order　and

government：　well　foreseeing　that　there　cannot　be　any　greater　Bane

to　a　Well…governed　Common…wealth；　then　Ill…governed　and

disorderly　Trade。　Whereof　I　shall　have　fitter　occasion　to　speake

in　the　next　Chapter；　when　I　come　to　treat　of　the　Incoveniences　of

the　want　of　government　in　Trade。　So　that　in　this　case　the

generall　rule　must　be　this；　that　such　a　restraint　of　the　Publique

Liberty；　as　is　before　mentioned；　is　alwayes　to　be　allowed；　when

the　same　is　recompenced　with　a　Publique　Utility。　According　to

that　of　Tacitus；　Omne　magnum　exemplum　habet　is　se　aliquid　iniqui；

quod　utilitate　publica　contra　singulos　compensatur。　Also　the

liberty　that　the　Law　seemeth　to　give　the　subjects　in　Trade；　is　to

be　understood；　of　imployment　Within　the　Kingdome；　not　Without　the

Kingdome。　For　what　liberty　can　a　Nationall　Law；　give　to　a　Forrein

Trade　under　a　Forreine　Jurisdiction；　when　the　liberty　or

restraint　thereof　dependeth　upon　those　Forreine　Princes　and

States　where　that　Trade　is　tollerated？　Therfore　the　Law　may　give

the　subject　Liberty　Within　the　Land；　but　it　is　the　King　that　must

enable　men　to　trade　Without　the　Land。　For　all　the　Trade　of　the

Merchants　of　this　Kingdome　into　Forreine　Countries；　is　grounded

upon　the　Amity　of　the　King；　and　the　Treaties　of　Peace　contracted

by　the　King；　with　the　Kings　and　Rulers　of　those　forreine　parts；

at　his　owne　charge；　and　by　His　owne　Authoritie；　without　the

assistance　of　His　Parliament。　And　therefore　it　holdeth　good

conguity；　that　the　King　by　His　like　Authority；　may　have　the

disposing　and　ordering　of　such　His　contracts　at　his　owne

pleasure。

　　　　The　second　part　of　Monopoly　remaineth；　of　the　setting　of　the

price　at　the　pleasure　of　the　Monopolist；　to　his　private　gaine；

and　the　publique　losse。　This　Gothofredus　calleth　the　forme　of　a

Monopoly。　And　in　truth　it　is　the　very　Soule　and　Accomplishment

thereof。　And　he　or　they　that　have　this　power　over　the　price　of

the　thing　they　negotiate；　may　well　be　said　according　to　the

notation　of　Monopoly；　from　｛Greek　word　omitted｝　and　｛Greek　word

omitted｝；　to　converse　alone。　For　in　so　doing；　they　so　live；　as

none　can　live　by　them；　in　respect　of　their　singular　gaine　in　this

kinde：　Contrary　to　that　honest　Poverbiall　rule　of　the　Dutch；　that

men　must　Leuen　ende　laeten　Leuen：　So　live　as　other　men　may　Live

by　them。　But　here　I　cannot　but　discharge　all　those　Corporations

of　this　Kingdome；　of　this　part　of　Monopoly；　which　afford　to　every

particular　trader　thereof；　the　managing　of　his　owne　stocke；　in

buying　and　selling　as　hee　can；　without　any　combination　with

others。　In　which　it　is　an　impossible　as　unusual；　for　any　to　have

command　of　the　rice　of　their　Commodities：　because　there　is　such　a

multitude　of　Traders　of　them；　and　every　man　is　at　liberty　to　buy

or　sell；　without　any　rule　by　any　generall　order；　or　meanes　to

hold　one　price。　But　the　greatest　suspition　of　Monopoly　in

Corporations；　is　in　such　as　Trade；　in　Joint　Stockes。　Whereof　if

there　be　any　that　tradeth　in　a　Joint　Stocke；　and　hath　the　Sole

buying　or　selling　of　any　Commodity；　and　buy　and　sell　the　same

Jointly；　as　by　one　person　or　common　factor；　such　is　guilty　of

Monopoly。

　　　　For　particular　men；　they　may　also　commit　Monopolizing：　either

by　procuring　Patents　by　misinformation　of　the　State；　for　the　Sole

Importing　or　Exporting；　buying　or　selling　at　their　owne　prises；

to　the　restraint　of　the　Common　Liberty；　and　the　Publique　Utility

of　the　Kingdome：　or　else　when　some　one　or　few；　without　any

Authority；　doe　joine　together　to　engrosse　and　buy　in　a　Commodity；

and　sell　it　out　againe　at　their　owne　price。　Of　the　former　kinde；

are　those　Catalogue　of　crying　Monopolies；　which　his　Majestie　in

His　high　Wisdome　and　Grace　damned　in　His　Princely　Proclamation　of

the　tenth　of　July　last；　in　the　XIX　year　of　His　Majesties　most

happy　Reigne　over　this　Kingdome：　Many　of　which　were　abused　in　the

Practice；　from　which　they　appeared　to　be　in　the　Institution。　And

here　a　pretty　question　occurreth。　When　a　Patent　is　granted　to　a

certaine　person　or　persons；　so　as　hee　or　they　have　power　to

licence　others　to　exercise　some　kinde　of　Commerce　solely；　and

consequently　with　command　of　the　price：　that　question　is；　who　is

then　the　Monopolian；　whether　the　Patentees；　or　their　Assignes？　In

this　case　I　suppose；　that　both　the　one　and　the　other　commit

Monopoly。　For　first；　the　Patentees　make　their　price　at　their

pleasure　upon　their　Assignes；　and　they　againe　upon　the　Subjects。

So　that　here　is　Mnnopoly　upon　Monopoly：　like　your　Salt　upon　Salt；

Interest　upon　Interest；　or　the　Decompositum　in　Grammer。

　　　　In　the　latter；　some　sorts　of　Trades…men　in　London；　are　said

to　offend。　Which　being　matters　of　Generall　note；　and　willing　to

avoid　offence；　I　will　passe　by　such　particulars。　And　this　shall

suffice　for　the　Definition　and　Distribution　of　Monopoly。



Cap。　IIII。



Of　want　of　Government　in　Trade。



　　　　Such　is　the　Forme　of　Trade　considered　in　the　Strict　Use　or

Abuse　of　Government；　by　way　of　Monopoly。　It　now　remaineth　briefly

to　shew　the　Too　Loose　Use　thereo