太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > wealbk04 >

第35节

wealbk04-第35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!



only company which sends any considerable quantity of bullion to

the mint; and the burden of the annual coinage falls entirely; or

almost entirely; upon it。 If this annual coinage had nothing to

do but to repair the unavoidable losses and necessary wear and

tear of the coin; it could seldom exceed fifty thousand or at

most a hundred thousand pounds。 But when the coin is degraded

below its standard weight; the annual coinage must; besides this;

fill up the large vacuities which exportation and the melting pot

are continually making in the current coin。 It was upon this

account that during the ten or twelve years immediately preceding

the late reformation of the gold coin; the annual coinage

amounted at an average to more than eight hundred and fifty

thousand pounds。 But if there had been a seignorage of four or

five per cent upon the gold coin; it would probably; even in the

state in which things then were; have put an effectual stop to

the business both of exportation and of the melting pot。 The

bank; instead of losing every year about two and a half per cent

upon the bullion which was to be coined into more than eight

hundred and fifty thousand pounds; or incurring an annual loss of

more than twenty…one thousand two hundred and fifty pounds; would

not probably have incurred the tenth part of that loss。

     The revenue allotted by Parliament for defraying the expense

of the coinage is but fourteen thousand pounds a year; and the

real expense which it costs the government; or the fees of the

officers of the mint; do not upon ordinary occasions; I am

assured; exceed the half of that sum。 The saving of so very small

a sum; or even the gaining of another which could not well be

much larger; are objects too inconsiderable; it may be thought;

to deserve the serious attention of government。 But the saving of

eighteen or twenty thousand pounds a year in case of an event

which is not improbable; which has frequently happened before;

and which is very likely to happen again; is surely an object

which well deserves the serious attention even of so great a

company as the Bank of England。

     Some of the foregoing reasonings and observations might

perhaps have been more properly placed in those chapters of the

first book which treat of the origin and use of money; and of the

difference between the real and the nominal price of commodities。

But as the law for the encouragement of coinage derives its

origin from those vulgar prejudices which have been introduced by

the mercantile system; I judged it more proper to reserve them

for this chapter。 Nothing could be more agreeable to the spirit

of that system than a sort of bounty upon the production of

money; the very thing which; it supposes; constitutes the wealth

of every nation。 It is one of its many admirable expedients for

enriching the country。



                         CHAPTER VII



                         Of Colonies 



                            PART 1

         Of the Motives for establishing new Colonies 



     THE interest which occasioned the first settlement of the

different European colonies in America and the West Indies was

not altogether so plain and distinct as that which directed the

establishment of those of ancient Greece and Rome。

     All the different states of ancient Greece possessed; each

of them; but a very small territory; and when the people in any

one of them multiplied beyond what that territory could easily

maintain; a part of them were sent in quest of a new habitation

in some remote and distant part of the world; the warlike

neighbours who surrounded them on all sides; rendering it

difficult for any of them to enlarge very much its territory at

home。 The colonies of the Dorians resorted chiefly to Italy and

Sicily; which; in the times preceding the foundation of Rome;

were inhabited by barbarous and uncivilised nations: those of the

Ionians and Aeolians; the two other great tribes of the Greeks;

to Asia Minor and the islands of the Aegean Sea; of which the

inhabitants seem at that time to have been pretty much in the

same state as those of Sicily and Italy。 The mother city; though

she considered the colony as a child; at all times entitled to

great favour and assistance; and owing in return much gratitude

and respect; yet considered it as an emancipated child over whom

she pretended to claim no direct authority or jurisdiction。 The

colony settled its own form of government; enacted its own laws;

elected its own magistrates; and made peace or war with its

neighbours as an independent state; which had no occasion to wait

for the approbation or consent of the mother city。 Nothing can be

more plain and distinct than the interest which directed every

such establishment。

     Rome; like most of the other ancient republics; was

originally founded upon an Agrarian law which divided the public

territory in a certain proportion among the different citizens

who composed the state。 The course of human affairs by marriage;

by succession; and by alienation; necessarily deranged this

original division; and frequently threw the lands; which had been

allotted for the maintenance of many different families; into the

possession of a single person。 To remedy this disorder; for such

it was supposed to be; a law was made restricting the quantity of

land which any citizen could possess to five hundred jugera;

about three hundred and fifty English acres。 This law; however;

though we read of its having been executed upon one or two

occasions; was either neglected or evaded; and the inequality of

fortunes went on continually increasing。 The greater part of the

citizens had no land; and without it the manners and customs of

those times rendered it difficult for a freeman to maintain his

independency。 In the present time; though a poor man has no land

of his own; if he has a little stock he may either farm the lands

of another; or he may carry on some little retail trade; and if

he has no stock; he may find employment either as a country

labourer or as an artificer。 But among the ancient Romans the

lands of the rich were all cultivated by slaves; who wrought

under an overseer who was likewise a slave; so that a poor

freeman had little chance of being employed either as a farmer or

as a labourer。 All trades and manufactures too; even the retail

trade; were carried on by the slaves of the rich for the benefit

of their masters; whose wealth; authority; and protection made it

difficult for a poor freeman to maintain the competition against

them。 The citizens; therefore; who had no land; had scarce any

other means of subsistence but the bounties of the candidates at

the annual elections。 The tribunes; when they had a mind to

animate the people against the rich and the great; put them in

mind of the ancient division of lands; and represented that law

which restricted this sort of private property as the fundamental

law of the republic。 The people became clamorous to get land; and

the rich and the great; we may believe; were perfectly determined

not to give them any part of theirs。 To satisfy them in some

measure therefore; they frequently proposed to send out a new

colony。 But conquering Rome was; even upon such occasions; under

no necessity of turning out her citizens to seek their fortune;

if one may say so; through the wide world; without knowing where

they were to settle。 She assigned them lands generally in the

conquered provinces of Italy; where; being within the dominions

of the republic; they could never form an independent state; but

were at best but a sort of corporation; which; though it had the

power of enacting bye…laws for its own government; was at all

times subject to the correction; jurisdiction; and legislative

authority of the mother city。 The sending out a colony of this

kind not only gave some satisfaction to the people; but often

established a sort of garrison; too; in a newly conquered

province; of which the obedience might otherwise have been

doubtful。 A Roman colony therefore; whether we consider the

nature of the establishment itself or the motives for making it;

was altogether different from a Greek one。 The words accordingly;

which in the original languages denote those different

establishments; have very different meanings。 The Latin word

(Colonia) signifies simply a plantation。 The Greek word apoikia;

on the contrary; signifies a separation of dwelling; a departure

from home; a going out of the house。 But; though the Roman

colonies were in many respects different from the Greek ones; the

interest which prompted to establish them was equally plain and

distinct。 Both institutions derived their origin either from

irresistible necessity; or from clear and evident utility。

     The establishment of the European colonies in America and

the West Indies arose from no necessity: and though the utility

which has resulted from them has been very great; it is not

altogether so clear and evident。 It was not understood at their

first establishment; and was not the motive either of that

establi

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的