wealbk04-第30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！


would　neither　be　disabled　nor　discouraged　from　cultivating　corn

as　much　as　they　do　at　present。　On　the　contrary；　as　the　rise　in

the　real　value　of　silver；　in　consequence　of　lowering　the　money

price　of　corn；　lowers　somewhat　the　money　price　of　all　other

commodities；　it　gives　the　industry　of　the　country；　where　it　takes

place；　some　advantage　in　all　foreign　markets；　and　thereby　tends

to　encourage　and　increase　that　industry。　But　the　extent　of　the

home　market　for　corn　must　be　in　proportion　to　the　general

industry　of　the　country　where　it　grows；　or　to　the　number　of　those

who　produce　something　else；　and　therefore　have　something　else；　or

what　comes　to　the　same　thing；　the　price　of　something　else；　to

give　in　exchange　for　corn。　But　in　every　country　the　home　market；

as　it　is　the　nearest　and　most　convenient；　so　is　it　likewise　the

greatest　and　most　important　market　for　corn。　That　rise　in　the

real　value　of　silver；　therefore；　which　is　the　effect　of　lowering

the　average　money　price　of　corn；　tends　to　enlarge　the　greatest

and　most　important　market　for　corn；　and　thereby　to　encourage；

instead　of　discouraging；　its　growth。

　　　　　By　the　22nd　of　Charles　II；　c。　13；　the　importation　of　wheat；

whenever　the　price　in　the　home　market　did　not　exceed　fifty…three

shillings　and　fourpence　the　quarter；　was　subjected　to　a　duty　of

sixteen　shillings　the　quarter；　and　to　a　duty　of　eight　shillings

whenever　the　price　did　not　exceed　four　pounds。　The　former　of

these　two　prices　has；　for　more　than　a　century　past；　taken　place

only　in　times　of　very　great　scarcity；　and　the　latter　has；　so　far

as　I　know；　not　taken　place　at　all。　Yet；　till　wheat　had　risen

above　this　latter　price；　it　was　by　this　statute　subjected　to　a

very　high　duty；　and；　tin　it　had　risen　above　the　former；　to　a　duty

which　amounted　to　a　prohibition。　The　importation　of　other　sorts

of　grain　was　restrained　at　rates；　and　by　duties；　in　proportion　to

the　value　of　the　grain；　almost　equally　high。*　Subsequent　laws

still　further　increased　those　duties。　　　　



*　Before　the　13th　of　the　present　king；　the　following　were　the　duties　

payable　upon　the　importation　of　the　different　sorts　of　grain：…　

　　　　Grain　　　　　　　　　　　　Duties　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Duties　　　　Duties

Beans　to　28s。　per　qr。　19s。　10d。　after　till　40s。　　16s。　　8d。　　then　12d。　　　

Barley　to　28s。　　　　　　　　19s。　10d。　　　　　　　　　　　　32s。　　16s。　　　　　　　　　　　12d。

　　　　　Malt　is　prohibited　by　the　annual　Malt…tax　Bill。　　　

Oats　to　　16s。　　　　　　　　　　　5s。　10d。　after　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　9　1/2d。　　

Pease　to　40s。　　　　　　　　　　16s。　10d。　after　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　9　3/4d。　　　

Rye　to　36s。　　　　　　　　　　　19s。　10d。　till　　　　　　　40s。　　16s。　8d。　　then　12d。　　　

Wheat　to　44s。　　　　　　　　　21s。　10d。　till　　　53s。　4d。　　17s。　　　　　　then　　8s。

　　　　　till　4　l。　and　after　that　about　1s。　4d。

Buckwheat　to　32s。　per　qr。　to　pay　16s。



　　　　These　different　duties　were　imposed；　partly　by　the　92nd　of　Charles　

II；　in　place　of　the　Old　Subsidy；　partly　by　the　New　Subsidy；　by　the　One…third

and　Two…thirds　Subsidy；　and　by　the　Subsidy；　1747。　





　　　　　The　distress　which；　in　years　of　scarcity；　the　strict

execution　of　those　laws　might　have　brought　upon　the　people；　would

probably　have　been　very　great。　But；　upon　such　occasions；　its

execution　was　generally　suspended　by　temporary　statutes；　which

permitted；　for　a　limited　time；　the　importation　of　foreign　corn。

The　necessity　of　these　temporary　statutes　sufficiently

demonstrates　the　impropriety　of　this　general　one。

　　　　　These　restraints　upon　importation；　though　prior　to　the

establishment　of　the　bounty；　were　dictated　by　the　same　spirit；　by

the　same　principles；　which　afterwards　enacted　that　regulation。

How　hurtful　soever　in　themselves；　these　or　some　other　restraints

upon　importation　became　necessary　in　consequence　of　that

regulation。　If；　when　wheat　was　either　below　forty…eight　shillings

the　quarter；　or　not　much　above　it；　foreign　corn　could　have　been

imported　either　duty　free；　or　upon　paying　only　a　small　duty；　it

might　have　been　exported　again；　with　the　benefit　of　the　bounty；

to　the　great　loss　of　the　public　revenue；　and　to　the　entire

perversion　of　the　institution；　of　which　the　object　was　to　extend

the　market　for　the　home　growth；　not　that　for　the　growth　of

foreign　countries。

　　　　　III。　The　trade　of　the　merchant　exporter　of　corn　for　foreign

consumption　certainly　does　not　contribute　directly　to　the

plentiful　supply　of　the　home　market。　It　does　so；　however；

indirectly。　From　whatever　source　this　supply　may　be　usually

drawn；　whether　from　home　growth　or　from　foreign　importation；

unless　more　corn　is　either　usually　grown；　or　usually　imported

into　the　country；　than　what　is　usually　consumed　in　it；　the　supply

of　the　home　market　can　never　be　very　plentiful。　But　unless　the

surplus　can　in　all　ordinary　cases　be　exported；　the　growers　will

be　careful　never　to　grow　more；　and　the　importers　never　to　import

more；　than　what　the　bare　consumption　of　the　home　market　requires。

That　market　will　very　seldom　be　overstocked；　but　it　will

generally　be　understocked；　the　people　whose　business　it　is　to

supply　it　being　generally　afraid　lest　their　goods　should　be　left

upon　their　hands。　The　prohibition　of　exportation　limits　the

improvement　and　cultivation　of　the　country　to　what　the　supply　of

its　own　inhabitants　requires。　The　freedom　of　exportation　enables

it　to　extend　cultivation　for　the　supply　of　foreign　nations。

　　　　　By　the　12th　of　Charles　II；　c。　4；　the　exportation　of　corn　was

permitted　whenever　the　price　of　wheat　did　not　exceed　forty

shillings　the　quarter；　and　that　of　other　grain　in　proportion。　By

the　15th　of　the　same　prince；　this　liberty　was　extended　till　the

price　of　wheat　exceeded　forty…eight　shillings　the　quarter；　and　by

the　22nd；　to　all　higher　prices。　A　poundage；　indeed；　was　to　be

paid　to　the　king　upon　such　exportation。　But　all　grain　was　rated

so　low　in　the　book　of　rates　that　this　poundage　amounted　only　upon

wheat　to　a　shilling；　upon　oats　to　fourpence；　and　upon　all　other

grain　to　sixpence　the　quarter。　By　the　1st　of　William　and　Mary；

the　act　which　established　the　bounty；　this　small　duty　was

virtually　taken　off　whenever　the　price　of　wheat　did　not　exceed；

forty…eight　shillings　the　quarter；　and　by　the　11th　and　l2th　of

William　III；　c。　20；　it　was　expressly　taken　off　at　all　higher

prices。

　　　　　The　trade　of　the　merchant　exporter　was；　in　this　manner；　not

only　encouraged　by　a　bounty；　but　rendered　much　more　free　than

that　of　the　inland　dealer。　By　the　last　of　these　statutes；　corn

could　be　engrossed　at　any　price　for　exportation；　but　it　could　not

be　engrossed　for　inland　sale　except　when　the　price　did　not　exceed

forty…eight　shillings　the　quarter。　The　interest　of　the　inland

dealer；　however；　it　has　already　been　shown；　can　never　be　opposite

to　that　of　the　great　body　of　the　people。　That　of　the　merchant

exporter　may；　and　in　fact　sometimes　is。　If；　while　his　own　country

labours　under　a　dearth；　a　neighbouring　country　should　be

afflicted　with　a　famine；　it　might　be　his　interest　to　carry　corn

to　the　latter　country　in　such　quantities　as　might　very　much

aggravate　the　calamities　of　the　dearth。　The　plentiful　supply　of

the　home　market　was　not　the　direct　object　of　those　statutes；　but；

under　the　pretence　of　encouraging　agriculture；　to　raise　the　money

price　of　corn　as　high　as　possible；　and　thereby　to　occasion；　as

much　as　possible；　a　constant　dearth　in　the　home　market。　By　the

discouragement　of　importation；　the　supply　of　that　market；　even　in

times　of　great　scarcity；　was　confined　to　the　home　growth；　and　by

the　encouragement　of　exportation；　when　the　price　was　so　high　as

forty…eight　shillings　the　quarter；　that　market　was　not；　even　in

times　of　considerable　scarcity；　allowed　to　enjoy　the　whole　of

that　growth。　The　temporary　laws；　prohibiting　for　a　limited　time

the　exportation　of　corn；　and　taking　off　for　a　limited　time　the

duties　upon　its　importation；　expedients　to　which　Great　Britain

has　been　obliged　so　frequently　to　have　recourse；　sufficiently

demonstrate　the　impropriety　of　her　general　system。　Had　that

system　been　good；　she　would　not　so　frequently　have　been　reduced

to　the　necessity　of　departing　from　it。

　　　　　Were　all　nations　to　follow　the　liberal　system　of　free

exportation　and　free　importation；　the　different　states　into　which

a　great　continent　was　divided　would　so　far　resemble　the　different

provinces　of　a　great　empire。　As　among　the　different　provinces　of

a　great　empire　the　freedom　of　the　inland　trade　appears；　both　from

reason　and　experience；　not　only　the　best　palliative　of　a　dearth；

but　the　most　effectual　preventative　of　a　famine；　so　would　the

freedom　of　the　exportation　and　importation　trade　be　among　the

different　states　into　which　a　great　continent　was　divided。　The

larger　the　continent；　the　easier　the　communication　through　all

the　different　parts　of　it；　both　by　land　and　by　water；　the　less

would　any　one　particular　part　of　it　ever　be　exposed　to　either　of

these　calamities；　the　scarcity　of　any　one　country　being　more

likely　to　be　relieved　by　the　plenty　of　some　other。　But　very　few

countries　have　entirely　adopted　this　liberal　system。　The　freedom

of　the　corn　trade　is　almost　everywhere　more　or　less　restrained；

and；　in　many　countries；　is