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Whether the advantages which one country has over another be

natural or acquired is in this respect of no consequence。 As long

as the one country has those advantages; and the other wants

them; it will always be more advantageous for the latter rather

to buy of the former than to make。 It is an acquired advantage

only; which one artificer has over his neighbour; who exercises

another trade; and yet they both find it more advantageous to buy

of one another than to make what does not belong to their

particular trades。

     Merchants and manufacturers are the people who derive the

greatest advantage from this monopoly of the home market。 The

prohibition of the importation of foreign cattle; and of salt

provisions; together with the high duties upon foreign corn;

which in times of moderate plenty amount to a prohibition; are

not near so advantageous to the graziers and farmers of Great

Britain as other regulations of the same kind are to its

merchants and manufacturers。 Manufactures; those of the finer

kind especially; are more easily transported from one country to

another than corn or cattle。 It is in the fetching and carrying

manufactures; accordingly; that foreign trade is chiefly

employed。 In manufactures; a very small advantage will enable

foreigners to undersell our own workmen; even in the home market。

It will require a very great one to enable them to do so in the

rude produce of the soil。 If the free importation of foreign

manufactures were permitted; several of the home manufactures

would probably suffer; and some of them; perhaps; go to ruin

altogether; and a considerable part of the stock and industry at

present employed in them would be forced to find out some other

employment。 But the freest importation of the rude produce of the

soil could have no such effect upon the agriculture of the

country。

     If the importation of foreign cattle; for example; were made

ever so free; so few could be imported that the grazing trade of

Great Britain could be little affected by it。 Live cattle are;

perhaps; the only commodity of which the transportation is more

expensive by sea than by land。 By land they carry themselves to

market。 By sea; not only the cattle; but their food and their

water too; must be carried at no small expense and inconveniency。

The short sea between Ireland and Great Britain; indeed; renders

the importation of Irish cattle more easy。 But though the free

importation of them; which was lately permitted only for a

limited time; were rendered perpetual; it could have no

considerable effect upon the interest of the graziers of Great

Britain。 Those parts of Great Britain which border upon the Irish

Sea are all grazing countries。 Irish cattle could never be

imported for their use; but must be driven through those very

extensive countries; at no small expense and inconveniency;

before they could arrive at their proper market。 Fat cattle could

not be driven so far。 Lean cattle; therefore; only could be

imported; and such importation could interfere; not with the

interest of the feeding or fattening countries; to which; by

reducing the price of lean cattle; it would rather be

advantageous; but with that of the breeding countries only。 The

small number of Irish cattle imported since their importation was

permitted; together with the good price at which lean cattle

still continue to sell; seem to demonstrate that even the

breeding countries of Great Britain are never likely to be much

affected by the free importation of Irish cattle。 The common

people of Ireland; indeed; are said to have sometimes opposed

with violence the exportation of their cattle。 But if the

exporters had found any great advantage in continuing the trade;

they could easily; when the law was on their side; have conquered

this mobbish opposition。

     Feeding and fattening countries; besides; must always be

highly improved; whereas breeding countries are generally

uncultivated。 The high price of lean cattle; by augmenting the

value of uncultivated land; is like a bounty against improvement。

To any country which was highly improved throughout; it would be

more advantageous to import its lean cattle than to breed them。

The province of Holland; accordingly; is said to follow this

maxim at present。 The mountains of Scotland; Wales; and

Northumberland; indeed; are countries not capable of much

improvement; and seem destined by nature to be the breeding

countries of Great Britain。 The freest importation of foreign

cattle could have no other effect than to hinder those breeding

countries from taking advantage of the increasing population and

improvement of the rest of the kingdom; from raising their price

to an exorbitant height; and from laying a real tax upon all the

more improved and cultivated parts of the country。

     The freest importation of salt provisions; in the same

manner; could have as little effect upon the interest of the

graziers of Great Britain as that of live cattle。 Salt provisions

are not only a very bulky commodity; but when compared with fresh

meat; they are a commodity both of worse quality; and as they

cost more labour and expense; of higher price。 They could never;

therefore; come into competition with the fresh meat; though they

might with the salt provisions of the country。 They might be used

for victualling ships for distant voyages and such like uses; but

could never make any considerable part of the food of the people。

The small quantity of salt provisions imported from Ireland since

their importation was rendered free is an experimental proof that

our graziers have nothing to apprehend from it。 It does not

appear that the price of butcher's meat has ever been sensibly

affected by it。

     Even the free importation of foreign corn could very little

affect the interest of the farmers of Great Britain。 Corn is a

much more bulky commodity than butcher's meat。 A pound of wheat

at a penny is as dear as a pound of butcher's meat at fourpence。

The small quantity of foreign corn imported even in times of the

greatest scarcity may satisfy our farmers that they can have

nothing to fear from the freest importation。 The average quantity

imported; one year with another; amounts only; according to the

very well informed author of the tracts upon the corn trade; to

twenty…three thousand seven hundred and twenty…eight quarters of

all sorts of grain; and does not exceed the five hundred and

seventy…first part of the annual consumption。 But as the bounty

upon corn occasions a greater exportation in years of plenty; so

it must of consequence occasion a greater importation in years of

scarcity than in the actual state of tillage would otherwise take

place。 By means of it the plenty of one year does not compensate

the scarcity of another; and as the average quantity exported is

necessarily augmented by it; so must likewise; in the actual

state of tillage; the average quantity imported。 If there were no

bounty; as less corn would be exported; so it is probable that;

one year with another; less would be imported than at present。

The corn…merchants; the fetchers and carriers of corn between

Great Britain and foreign countries would have much less

employment; and might suffer considerably; but the country

gentlemen and farmers could suffer very little。 It is in the corn

merchants accordingly; rather than in the country gentlemen and

farmers; that I have observed the greatest anxiety for the

renewal and continuation of the bounty。

     Country gentlemen and farmers are; to their great honour; of

all people; the least subject to the wretched spirit of monopoly。

The undertaker of a great manufactory is sometimes alarmed if

another work of the same kind is established within twenty miles

of him。 The Dutch undertaker of the woollen manufacture at

Abbeville stipulated that no work of the same kind should be

established within thirty leagues of that city。 Farmers and

country gentlemen; on the contrary; are generally disposed rather

to promote than to obstruct the cultivation and improvement of

their neighbours' farms and estates。 They have no secrets such as

those of the greater part of manufacturers; but are generally

rather fond of communicating to their neighbours and of extending

as far as possible any new practice which they have found to be

advantageous。 Pius Questus; says old Cato; stabilissimusque;

minimeque invidiosus; minimeque male cogitantes sunt; qui in eo

studio occupati sunt。 Country gentlemen and farmers; dispersed in

different parts of the country; cannot so easily combine as

merchants and manufacturers; who; being collected into towns; and

accustomed to that exclusive corporation spirit which prevails in

them; naturally endeavour to obtain against all their countrymen

the same exclusive privilege which they generally possess against

the inhabitants of their respective towns。 They accordingly seem

to have been the original inventors of those restraints upon the

importation of foreign goods which secure to them the monopoly of

the home market。 It was probably in imi

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