太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > wealbk04 >

第29节

wealbk04-第29节

小说: wealbk04 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!



capitals; constantly employed in cultivation。 In case of any of

those accidents; to which no trade is more liable than theirs;

they would find in their ordinary customer; the wealthy corn

merchant; a person who had both an interest to support them; and

the ability to do it; and they would not; as at present; be

entirely dependent upon the forbearance of their landlord; or the

mercy of his steward。 Were it possible; as perhaps it is not; to

establish this intercourse universally; and all at once; were it

possible to turn all at once the whole farming stock of the

kingdom to its proper business; the cultivation of land;

withdrawing it from every other employment into which any part of

it may be at present diverted; and were it possible; in order to

support and assist upon occasion the operations of this great

stock; to provide all at once another stock almost equally great;

it is not perhaps very easy to imagine how great; how extensive;

and how sudden would be the improvement which this change of

circumstances would alone produce upon the whole face of the

country。

     The statute of Edward VI; therefore; by prohibiting as much

as possible any middle man from coming between the grower and the

consumer; endeavoured to annihilate a trade; of which the free

exercise is not only the best palliative of the inconveniences of

a dearth but the best preventative of that calamity: after the

trade of the farmer; no trade contributing so much to the growing

of corn as that of the corn merchant。

     The rigour of this law was afterwards softened by several

subsequent statutes; which successively permitted the engrossing

of corn when the price of wheat should not exceed twenty;

twenty…four; thirty…two; and forty shillings the quarter。 At

last; by the 15th of Charles II; c。 7; the engrossing or buying

of corn in order to sell it again; as long as the price of wheat

did not exceed forty…eight shillings the quarter; and that of

other grain in proportion; was declared lawful to all persons not

being forestallers; that is; not selling again in the same market

within three months。 All the freedom which the trade of the

inland corn dealer has ever yet enjoyed was bestowed upon it by

this statute。 The statute of the 12th of the present king; which

repeals almost all the other ancient laws against engrossers and

forestallers; does not repeal the restrictions of this particular

statute; which therefore still continue in force。

     This statute; however; authorizes in some measure two very

absurd popular prejudices。

     First; it supposes that when the price of wheat has risen so

high as forty…eight shillings the quarter; and that of other

grains in proportion; corn is likely to be so engrossed as to

hurt the people。 But from what has been already said; it seems

evident enough that corn can at no price be so engrossed by the

inland dealers as to hurt the people: and forty…eight shillings

the quarter; besides; though it may be considered as a very high

price; yet in years of scarcity it is a price which frequently

takes place immediately after harvest; when scarce any part of

the new crop can be sold off; and when it is impossible even for

ignorance to suppose that any part of it can be so engrossed as

to hurt the people。

     Secondly; it supposes that there is a certain price at which

corn is likely to be forestalled; that is; bought up in order to

be sold again soon after in the same market; so as to hurt the

people。 But if a merchant ever buys up corn; either going to a

particular market or in a particular market; in order to sell it

again soon after in the same market; it must be because he judges

that the market cannot be so liberally supplied through the whole

season as upon that particular occasion; and that the price;

therefore; must soon rise。 If he judges wrong in this; and if the

price does not rise; he not only loses the whole profit of the

stock which he employs in this manner; but a part of the stock

itself; by the expense and loss which necessarily attend the

storing and keeping of corn。 He hurts himself; therefore; much

more essentially than he can hurt even the particular people whom

he may hinder from supplying themselves upon that particular

market day; because they may afterwards supply themselves just as

cheap upon any other market day。 If he judges right; instead of

hurting the great body of the people; he renders them a most

important service。 By making them feel the inconveniencies of a

dearth somewhat earlier than they otherwise might do; he prevents

their feeling them afterwards so severely as they certainly would

do; if the cheapness of price encouraged them to consume faster

than suited the real scarcity of the season。 When the scarcity is

real; the best thing that can be done for the people is to divide

the inconveniencies of it as equally as possible through all the

different months; and weeks; and days of the year。 The interest

of the corn merchant makes him study to do this as exactly as he

can: and as no other person can have either the same interest; or

the same knowledge; or the same abilities to do it so exactly as

he; this most important operation of commerce ought to be trusted

entirely to him; or; in other words; the corn trade; so far at

least as concerns the supply of the home market; ought to be left

perfectly free。

     The popular fear of engrossing and forestalling may be

compared to the popular terrors and suspicions of witchcraft。 The

unfortunate wretches accused of this latter crime were not more

innocent of the misfortunes imputed to them than those who have

been accused of the former。 The law which put an end to all

prosecutions against witchcraft; which put it out of any man's

power to gratify his own malice by accusing his neighbour of that

imaginary crime; seems effectually to have put an end to those

fears and suspicions by taking away the great cause which

encouraged and supported them。 The law which should restore

entire freedom to the inland trade of corn would probably prove

as effectual to put an end to the popular fears of engrossing and

forestalling。

     The 15th of Charles II; c。 7; however; with all its

imperfections; has perhaps contributed more both to the plentiful

supply of the home market; and to the increase of tillage; than

any other law in the statute book。 It is from this law that the

inland corn trade has derived all the liberty and protection

which it has ever yet enjoyed; and both the supply of the home

market; and the interest of tillage; are much more effectually

promoted by the inland than either by the importation or

exportation trade。

     The proportion of the average quantity of all sorts of grain

imported into Great Britain to that of all sorts of grain

consumed; it has been computed by the author of the tracts upon

the corn trade; does not exceed that of one to five hundred and

seventy。 For supplying the home market; therefore; the importance

of the inland trade must be to that of the importation trade as

five hundred and seventy to one。

     The average quantity of all sorts of grain exported from

Great Britain does not; according to the same author; exceed the

one…and…thirtieth part of the annual produce。 For the

encouragement of tillage; therefore; by providing a market for

the home produce; the importance of the inland trade must be to

that of the exportation。

     I have no great faith in political arithmetic; computations。

I mention them only in order to show of how much less

consequence; in the opinion of the most judicious and experienced

persons; the foreign trade of corn is than the home trade。 The

great cheapness of corn in the years immediately preceding the

establishment of the bounty may perhaps; with reason; be ascribed

in some measure to the operation of this statute of Charles II;

which had been enacted about five…and…twenty years before; and

which had therefore full time to produce its effect。

     A very few words will sufficiently explain all that I have

to say concerning the other three branches of the corn trade。

     II。 The trade of the merchant importer of foreign corn for

home consumption evidently contributes to the immediate supply of

the home market; and must so far be immediately beneficial to the

great body of the people。 It tends; indeed; to lower somewhat the

average money price of corn; but not to diminish its real value;

or the quantity of labour which it is capable of maintaining。 If

importation was at all times free; our farmers and country

gentlemen would; probably; one year with another; get less money

for their corn than they do at present; when importation is at

most times in effect prohibited; but the money which they got

would be of more value; would buy more goods of all other kinds;

and would employ more labour。 Their real wealth; their real

revenue; therefore; would be the same as at present; though it

might be expressed by a smaller quantity of silver; and they

would neither be disabled nor discouraged from cultivating corn

as much as they 

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的