太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > wealbk02 >

第26节

wealbk02-第26节

小说: wealbk02 字数: 每页4000字

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!



     It is thus that the same capital will in any country put

into motion a greater or smaller quantity of productive labour;

and add a greater or smaller value to the annual produce of its

land and labour; according to the different proportions in which

it is employed in agriculture; manufactures; and wholesale trade。

The difference; too; is very great; according to the different

sorts of wholesale trade in which any part of it is employed。

     All wholesale trade; all buying in order to sell again by

wholesale; may be reduced to three different sorts。 The home

trade; the foreign trade of consumption; and the carrying trade。

The home trade is employed in purchasing in one part of the same

country; and selling in another; the produce of the industry of

that country。 It comprehends both the inland and the coasting

trade。 The foreign trade of consumption is employed in purchasing

foreign goods for home consumption。 The carrying trade is

employed in transacting the commerce of foreign countries; or in

carrying the surplus produce of one to another。

     The capital which is employed in purchasing in one part of

the country in order to sell in another the produce of the

industry of that country; generally replaces by every such

operation two distinct capitals that had both been employed in

the agriculture or manufactures of that country; and thereby

enables them to continue that employment。 When it sends out from

the residence of the merchant a certain value of commodities; it

generally brings back in return at least an equal value of other

commodities。 When both are the produce of domestic industry; it

necessarily replaces by every such operation two distinct

capitals which had both been employed in supporting productive

labour; and thereby enables them to continue that support。 The

capital which sends Scotch manufactures to London; and brings

back English corn and manufactures to Edinburgh; necessarily

replaces by every such operation; two British capitals which had

both been employed in the agriculture or manufactures of Great

Britain。

     The capital employed in purchasing foreign goods for home

consumption; when this purchase is made with the produce of

domestic industry; replaces too; by every such operation; two

distinct capitals; but one of them only is employed in supporting

domestic industry。 The capital which sends British goods to

Portugal; and brings back Portuguese goods to Great Britain;

replaces by every such operation only one British capital。 The

other is a Portuguese one。 Though the returns; therefore; of the

foreign trade of consumption should be as quick as those of the

home trade; the capital employed in it will give but one half the

encouragement to the industry or productive labour of the

country。

     But the returns of the foreign trade of consumption are very

seldom so quick as those of the home trade。 The returns of the

home trade generally come in before the end of the year; and

sometimes three or four times in the year。 The returns of the

foreign trade of consumption seldom come in before the end of the

year; and sometimes not till after two or three years。 A capital;

therefore; employed in the home trade will sometimes make twelve

operations; or be sent out and returned twelve times; before a

capital employed in the foreign trade of consumption has made

one。 If the capitals are equal; therefore; the one will give

four…and…twenty times more encouragement and support to the

industry of the country than the other。

     The foreign goods for home consumption may sometimes be

purchased; not with the produce of domestic industry; but with

some other foreign goods。 These last; however; must have been

purchased either immediately with the produce of domestic

industry; or with something else that had been purchased with it;

for; the case of war and conquest excepted; foreign goods can

ever be acquired but in exchange for something that had been

produced at home; either immediately; or after two or more

different exchanges。 The effects; therefore; of a capital

employed in such a roundabout foreign trade of consumption; are;

in every respect; the same as those of one employed in the most

direct trade of the same kind; except that the final returns are

likely to be still more distant; as they must depend upon the

returns of two or three distinct foreign trades。 If the flax and

hemp of Riga are purchased with the tobacco of Virginia; which

had been purchased with British manufactures; the merchant must

wait for the returns of two distinct foreign trades before he can

employ the same capital in re…purchasing a like quantity of

British manufactures。 If the tobacco of Virginia had been

purchased; not with British manufactures; but with the sugar and

rum of Jamaica which had been purchased with those manufactures;

he must wait for the returns of three。 If those two or three

distinct foreign trades should happen to be carried on by two or

three distinct merchants; of whom the second buys the goods

imported by the first; and the third buys those imported by the

second; in order to export them again; each merchant indeed will

in this case receive the returns of his own capital more quickly;

but the final returns of the whole capital employed in the trade

will be just as slow as ever。 Whether the whole capital employed

in such a round…about trade belong to one merchant or to three

can make no difference with regard to the country; though it may

with regard to the particular merchants。 Three times a greater

capital must in both cases be employed in order to exchange a

certain value of British manufactures for a certain quantity of

flax and hemp than would have been necessary had the manufactures

and the flax and hemp been directly exchanged for one another。

The whole capital employed; therefore; in such a round…about

foreign trade of consumption will generally give less

encouragement and support to the productive labour of the country

than an equal capital employed in a more direct trade of the same

kind。

     Whatever be the foreign commodity with which the foreign

goods for home consumption are purchased; it can occasion no

essential difference either in the nature of the trade; or in the

encouragement and support which it can give to the productive

labour of the country from which it is carried on。 If they are

purchased with the gold of Brazil; for example; or with the

silver of Peru; this gold and silver; like the tobacco of

Virginia; must have been purchased with something that either was

the produce of the industry of the country; or that had been

purchased with something else that was so。 So far; therefore; as

the productive labour of the country is concerned; the foreign

trade of consumption which is carried on by means of gold and

silver has all the advantages and all the inconveniences of any

other equally round…about foreign trade of consumption; and will

replace just as fast or just as slow the capital which is

immediately employed in supporting that productive labour。 It

seems even to have one advantage over any other equally

roundabout foreign trade。 The transportation of those metals from

one place to another; on account of their small bulk and great

value; is less expensive than that of almost any other foreign

goods of equal value。 Their freight is much less; and their

insurance not greater; and no goods; besides; are less liable to

suffer by the carriage。 An equal quantity of foreign goods;

therefore; may frequently be purchased with a smaller quantity of

the produce of domestic industry; by the intervention of gold and

silver; than by that of any other foreign goods。 The demand of

the country may frequently; in this manner; be supplied more

completely and at a smaller expense than in any other。 Whether;

by the continual exportation of those metals; a trade of this

kind is likely to impoverish the country from which it is carried

on; in any other way; I shall have occasion to examine at great

length hereafter。

     That part of the capital of any country which is employed in

the carrying trade is altogether withdrawn from supporting the

productive labour of that particular country; to support that of

some foreign countries。 Though it may replace by every operation

two distinct capitals; yet neither of them belongs to that

particular country。 The capital of the Dutch merchant; which

carries the corn of Poland to Portugal; and brings back the

fruits and wines of Portugal to Poland; replaces by every such

operation two capitals; neither of which had been employed in

supporting the productive labour of Holland; but one of them in

supporting that of Poland; and the other that of Portugal。 The

profits only return regularly to Holland; and constitute the

whole addition which this trade necessarily makes to the annual

produce of the land and labour of that country。 When; indeed; the

carrying trade of any particular country is carried on with the

ships and sailors of that country; that part of the capital

employed in it which pays the

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的