wealbk04-第4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！


number　of　workmen　whose　business　it　was　to　make　them。　It　should

as　readily　occur　that　the　quantity　of　gold　and　silver　is　in　every

country　limited　by　the　use　which　there　is　for　those　metals；　that

their　use　consists　in　circulating　commodities　as　coin；　and　in

affording　a　species　of　household　furniture　as　plate；　that　the

quantity　of　coin　in　every　country　is　regulated　by　the　value　of

the　commodities　which　are　to　be　circulated　by　it：　increase　that

value；　and　immediately　a　part　of　it　will　be　sent　abroad　to

purchase；　wherever　it　is　to　be　had；　the　additional　quantity　of

coin　requisite　for　circulating　them：　that　the　quantity　of　plate

is　regulated　by　the　number　and　wealth　of　those　private　families

who　choose　to　indulge　themselves　in　that　sort　of　magnificence：

increase　the　number　and　wealth　of　such　families；　and　a　part　of

this　increased　wealth　will　most　probably　be　employed　in

purchasing；　wherever　it　is　to　be　found；　an　additional　quantity　of

plate：　that　to　attempt　to　increase　the　wealth　of　any　country；

either　by　introducing　or　by　detaining　in　it　an　unnecessary

quantity　of　gold　and　silver；　is　as　absurd　as　it　would　be　to

attempt　to　increase　the　good　cheer　of　private　families　by

obliging　them　to　keep　an　unnecessary　number　of　kitchen　utensils。

As　the　expense　of　purchasing　those　unnecessary　utensils　would

diminish　instead　of　increasing　either　the　quantity　of　goodness　of

the　family　provisions；　so　the　expense　of　purchasing　an

unnecessary　quantity　of　gold　and　silver　must；　in　every　country；

as　necessarily　diminish　the　wealth　which　feeds；　clothes；　and

lodges；　which　maintains　and　employs　the　people。　Gold　and　silver；

whether　in　the　shape　of　coin　or　of　plate；　are　utensils；　it　must

be　remembered；　as　much　as　the　furniture　of　the　kitchen。　Increase

the　use　for　them；　increase　the　consumable　commodities　which　are

to　be　circulated；　managed；　and　prepared　by　means　of　them；　and　you

will　infallibly　increase　the　quantity；　but　if　you　attempt；　by

extraordinary　means；　to　increase　the　quantity；　you　will　as

infallibly　diminish　the　use　and　even　the　quantity　too；　which　in

those　metals　can　never　be　greater　than　what　the　use　requires。

Were　they　ever　to　be　accumulated　beyond　this　quantity；　their

transportation　is　so　easy；　and　the　loss　which　attends　their　lying

idle　and　unemployed　so　great；　that　no　law　could　prevent　their

being　immediately　sent　out　of　the　country。

　　　　　It　is　not　always　necessary　to　accumulate　gold　and　silver　in

order　to　enable　a　country　to　carry　on　foreign　wars；　and　to

maintain　fleets　and　armies　in　distant　countries。　Fleets　and

armies　are　maintained；　not　with　gold　and　silver；　but　with

consumable　goods。　The　nation　which；　from　the　annual　produce　of

its　domestic　industry；　from　the　annual　revenue　arising　out　of　its

lands；　labour；　and　consumable　stock；　has　wherewithal　to　purchase

those　consumable　goods　in　distant　countries；　can　maintain　foreign

wars　there。

　　　　　A　nation　may　purchase　the　pay　and　provisions　of　an　army　in　a

distant　country　three　different　ways：　by　sending　abroad　either；

first；　some　part　of　its　accumulated　gold　and　silver；　or；

secondly；　some　part　of　the　annual　produce　of　its　manufactures；

or；　last　of　all；　some　part　of　its　annual　rude　produce。

　　　　　The　gold　and　silver　which　can　properly　be　considered　as

accumulated　or　stored　up　in　any　country　may　be　distinguished　into

three　parts：　first；　the　circulating　money；　secondly；　the　plate　of

private　families；　and；　last　of　all；　the　money　which　may　have　been

collected　by　many　years'　parsimony；　and　laid　up　in　the　treasury

of　the　prince。

　　　　　It　can　seldom　happen　that　much　can　be　spared　from　the

circulating　money　of　the　country；　because　in　that　there　can

seldom　be　much　redundancy。　The　value　of　goods　annually　bought　and

sold　in　any　country　requires　a　certain　quantity　of　money　to

circulate　and　distribute　them　to　their　proper　consumers；　and　can

give　employment　to　no　more。　The　channel　of　circulation

necessarily　draws　to　itself　a　sum　sufficient　to　fill　it；　and

never　admits　any　more。　Something；　however；　is　generally　withdrawn

from　this　channel　in　the　case　of　foreign　war。　By　the　great　number

of　people　who　are　maintained　abroad；　fewer　are　maintained　at

home。　Fewer　goods　are　circulated　there；　and　less　money　becomes

necessary　to　circulate　them。　An　extraordinary　quantity　of　paper

money；　of　some　sort　or　other；　such　as　exchequer　notes；　navy

bills；　and　bank　bills　in　England；　is　generally　issued　upon　such

occasions；　and　by　supplying　the　place　of　circulating　gold　and

silver；　gives　an　opportunity　of　sending　a　greater　quantity　of　it

abroad。　All　this；　however；　could　afford　but　a　poor　resource　for

maintaining　a　foreign　war　of　great　expense　and　several　years

duration。

　　　　　The　melting　down　the　plate　of　private　families　has　upon

every　occasion　been　found　a　still　more　insignificant　one。　The

French；　in　the　beginning　of　the　last　war；　did　not　derive　so　much

advantage　from　this　expedient　as　to　compensate　the　loss　of　the

fashion。

　　　　　The　accumulated　treasures　of　the　prince　have；　in　former

times；　afforded　a　much　greater　and　more　lasting　resource。　In　the

present　times；　if　you　except　the　king　of　Prussia；　to　accumulate

treasure　seems　to　be　no　part　of　the　policy　of　European　princes。

　　　　　The　funds　which　maintained　the　foreign　wars　of　the　present

century；　the　most　expensive　perhaps　which　history　records；　seem

to　have　had　little　dependency　upon　the　exportation　either　of　the

circulating　money；　or　of　the　plate　of　private　families；　or　of　the

treasure　of　the　prince。　The　last　French　war　cost　Great　Britain

upwards　of　ninety　millions；　including　not　only　the　seventy…five

millions　of　new　debt　that　was　contracted；　but　the　additional　two

shillings　in　the　pound　land…tax；　and　what　was　annually　borrowed

of　the　sinking　fund。　More　than　two…thirds　of　this　expense　were

laid　out　in　distant　countries；　in　Germany；　Portugal；　America；　in

the　ports　of　the　Mediterranean；　in　the　East　and　West　Indies。　The

kings　of　England　had　no　accumulated　treasure。　We　never　heard　of

any　extraordinary　quantity　of　plate　being　melted　down。　The

circulating　gold　and　silver　of　the　country　had　not　been　supposed

to　exceed　eighteen　millions。　Since　the　late　recoinage　of　the

gold；　however；　it　is　believed　to　have　been　a　good　deal

under…rated。　Let　us　suppose；　therefore；　according　to　the　most

exaggerated　computation　which　I　remember　to　have　either　seen　or

heard　of；　that；　gold　and　silver　together；　it　amounted　to　thirty

millions。　Had　the　war　been　carried　on　by　means　of　our　money；　the

whole　of　it　must；　even　according　to　this　computation；　have　been

sent　out　and　returned　again　at　least　twice　in　a　period　of　between

six　and　seven　years。　Should　this　be　supposed；　it　would　afford　the

most　decisive　argument　to　demonstrate　how　unnecessary　it　is　for

government　to　watch　over　the　preservation　of　money；　since　upon

this　supposition　the　whole　money　of　the　country　must　have　gone

from　it　and　returned　to　it　again；　two　different　times　in　so　short

a　period；　without　anybody's　knowing　anything　of　the　matter。　The

channel　of　circulation；　however；　never　appeared　more　empty　than

usual　during　any　part　of　this　period。　Few　people　wanted　money　who

had　wherewithal　to　pay　for　it。　The　profits　of　foreign　trade；

indeed；　were　greater　than　usual　during　the　whole　war；　but

especially　towards　the　end　of　it。　This　occasioned；　what　it　always

occasions；　a　general　overtrading　in　all　the　parts　of　Great

Britain；　and　this　again　occasioned　the　usual　complaint　of　the

scarcity　of　money；　which　always　follows　overtrading。　Many　people

wanted　it；　who　had　neither　wherewithal　to　buy　it；　nor　credit　to

borrow　it；　and　because　the　debtors　found　it　difficult　to　borrow；

the　creditors　found　it　difficult　to　get　payment。　Gold　and　silver；

however；　were　generally　to　be　had　for　their　value；　by　those　who

had　that　value　to　give　for　them。

　　　　　The　enormous　expense　of　the　late　war；　therefore；　must　have

been　chiefly　defrayed；　not　by　the　exportation　of　gold　and　silver；

but　by　that　of　British　commodities　of　some　kind　or　other。　When

the　government；　or　those　who　acted　under　them；　contracted　with　a

merchant　for　a　remittance　to　some　foreign　country；　he　would

naturally　endeavour　to　pay　his　foreign　correspondent；　upon　whom

he　had　granted　a　bill；　by　sending　abroad　rather　commodities　than

gold　and　silver。　If　the　commodities　of　Great　Britain　were　not　in

demand　in　that　country；　he　would　endeavour　to　send　them　to　some

other　country；　in　which　he　could　purchase　a　bill　upon　that

country。　The　transportation　of　commodities；　when　properly　suited

to　the　market；　is　always　attended　with　a　considerable　profit；

whereas　that　of　gold　and　silver　is　scarce　ever　attended　with　any。

When　those　metals　are　sent　abroad　in　order　to　purchase　foreign

commodities；　the　merchant's　profit　arises；　not　from　the　purchase；

but　from　the　sale　of　the　returns。　But　when　they　are　sent　abroad

merely　to　pay　a　debt；　he　gets　no　returns；　and　consequently　no

profit。　He　naturally；　therefore；　exerts　his　invention　to　find　out

a　way　of　paying　his　foreign　debts　rather　by　the　exportation　of

commodities　than　by　that　of　gold　and　silver。　The　great　quantity

of　Briti