list4-第2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！





manufactured　products　against　agricultural　products　and　raw



materials。　This　maxim　was　then；　and　has　remained　since；　an　English



State　secret；　it　was　never　again　openly　professed；　but　was　all　the



more　persistently　followed。　If；　however；　England　since　William



Pitt's　time　had　really　cast　away　the　protective　system　as　a　useless



crutch；　she　would　now　occupy　a　much　higher　position　than　she　does；



and　she　would　have　got　much　nearer　to　her　object；　which　is　to



monopolise　the　manufacturing　power　of　the　whole　world。　The



favourable　moment　for　attaining　this　object　was　clearly　just　after



the　restoration　of　the　general　peace。　Hatred　of　Napoleon's



Continental　system　had　secured　a　reception　among　all　nations　of　the



Continent　of　the　doctrines　of　the　cosmopolitical　theory。　Russia；



the　entire　North　of　Europe；　Germany；　the　Spanish　peninsula；　and　the



United　States　of　North　America　would　have　considered　themselves



fortunate　in　exchanging　their　agricultural　produce　and　raw



materials　for　English　manufactured　goods。　France　herself　would



perhaps　have　found　it　possible；　in　consideration　of　some　decided



concessions　in　respect　of　her　wine　and　silk　manufactures；　to　depart



from　her　prohibitive　system。



　　　　Then　also　the　time　had　arrived　when；　as　Priestley　said　of　the



English　navigation　laws；　it　would　be　just　as　wise　to　repeal　the



English　protective　system　as　it　had　formerly　been　to　introduce　it。



　　　　The　result　of　such　a　policy　would　have　been　that　all　the



surplus　raw　materials　and　agricultural　produce　from　the　two



hemispheres　would　have　flowed　over　to　England；　and　all　the　world



would　have　clothed　themselves　with　English　fabrics。　All　would　have



tended　to　increase　the　wealth　and　the　power　of　England。　Under　such



circumstances　the　Americans　or　the　Russians　would　hardly　have　taken



it　into　their　heads　in　the　course　of　the　present　century　to



introduce　a　protective　system；　or　the　Germans　to　establish　a



customs　union。　People　would　have　come　to　the　determination　with



difficulty　to　sacrifice　the　advantages　of　the　present　moment　to　the



hopes　of　a　distant　future。



　　　　But　Providence　has　taken　care　that　trees　should　not　grow　quite



up　to　the　sky。　Lord　Castlereagh　gave　over　the　commercial　policy　of



England　into　the　hands　of　the　landed　aristocracy；　and　these　killed



the　hen　which　had　laid　the　golden　eggs。　Had　they　permitted　the



English　manufactures　to　monopolise　the　markets　of　all　nations；



Great　Britain　would　have　occupied　the　position　in　respect　to　the



world　which　a　manufacturing　town　does　in　respect　to　the　open



country；　the　whole　territory　of　the　island　of　England　would　have



been　covered　with　houses　and　manufactories；　or　devoted　to　pleasure



gardens；　vegetable　gardens；　and　orchards；　to　the　production　of　milk



and　of　meat；　or　of　the　cultivation　of　market　produce；　and　generally



to　such　cultivation　as　only　can　be　carried　on　in　the　neighbourhood



of　great　cities。　The　production　of　these　things　would　have　become



much　more　lucrative　for　English　agriculture　than　the　production　of



corn；　and　consequently　after　a　time　the　English　landed　aristocracy



would　have　obtained　much　higher　rents　than　by　the　exclusion　of



foreign　grain　from　the　home　market。　Only；　the　landed　aristocracy



having　only　their　present　interests　in　view；　preferred　by　means　of



the　corn　laws　to　maintain　their　rents　at　the　high　rate　to　which



they　had　been　raised　by　the　involuntary　exclusion　of　foreign　raw



materials　and　grain　from　the　English　market　which　had　been



occasioned　by　the　war；　and　thus　they　compelled　the　nations　of　the



Continent　to　seek　to　promote　their　own　welfare　by　another　method



than　by　the　free　exchange　of　agricultural　produce　for　English



manufactures；　viz。　By　the　method　of　establishing　a　manufacturing



power　of　their　own。　The　English　restrictive　laws　thus　operated



quite　in　the　same　way　as　Napoleon's　Continental　system　had　done；



only　their　operation　was　somewhat　slower。



　　　　When　Canning　and　Huskisson　came　into　office；　the　landed



aristocracy　had　already　tasted　too　much　of　the　forbidden　fruit　for



it　to　be　possible　to　induce　them　by　reasons　of　common　sense　to



renounce　what　they　had　enjoyed。　These　statesmen　found　themselves　in



the　difficult　position　of　solving　an　impossible　problem　　a



position　in　which　the　English　ministry　still　finds　itself。　They　had



at　one　and　the　same　time　to　convince　the　Continental　nations　of　the



advantages　of　free　trade；　and　also　maintain　the　restrictions　on　the



import　of　foreign　agricultural　produce　for　the　benefit　of　the



English　landed　aristocracy。　Hence　it　was　impossible　that　their



system　could　be　developed　in　such　a　manner　that　justice　could　be



done　to　the　hopes　of　the　advocates　of　free　trade　on　both



continents。　With　all　their　liberality　with　philanthropical　and



cosmopolitical　phrases　which　they　uttered　in　general　discussions



respecting　the　commercial　systems　of　England　and　other　countries；



they　nevertheless　did　not　think　it　inconsistent；　whenever　the



question　arose　of　the　alteration　of　any　particular　English　duties；



to　base　their　arguments　on　the　principle　of　protection。



　　　　Huskisson　certainly　reduced　the　duties　on　several　articles；　but



he　never　omitted　to　take　care　that　at　that　lower　scale　of　duty　the



home　manufactories　were　still　sufficiently　protected。　He　thus



followed　pretty　much　the　rules　of　the　Dutch　water　administration。



Wherever　the　water　on　the　outside　rises　high；　these　wise



authorities　erect　high　dykes；　wherever　it　rises　less；　they　only



build　lower　dykes。　After　such　a　fashion　the　reform　of　the　English



commercial　policy　which　was　announced　with　so　much　pomp　reduced



itself　to　a　piece　of　mere　politico…economical　jugglery。　Some



persons　have　adduced　the　lowering　of　the　English　duty　on　silk　goods



as　a　piece　of　English　liberality；　without　duly　considering　that



England　by　that　means　only　sought　to　discourage　contraband　trade　in



these　articles　to　the　benefit　of　her　finances　and　without　injury　to



her　own　silk　manufactories；　which　object　it　has　also　by　that　means



perfectly　attained。　But　if　a　protective　duty　of　50　to　70　per　cent



（which　at　this　day　foreign　silk　manufacturers　have　to　pay　in



England；　including　the　extra　duty（3*））　is　to　be　accepted　as　a　proof



of　liberality　most　nations　may　claim　that　they　have　rather　preceded



the　English　in　that　respect　than　followed　them。



　　　　As　the　demonstrations　of　Canning　and　Huskisson　were　specially



intended　to　produce　an　effect　in　France　and　North　America；　it　will



not　be　uninteresting　to　call　to　mind　in　what　way　it　was　that　they



suffered　shipwreck　in　both　countries。　Just　as　formerly　in　the　year



1786；　so　also　on　this　occasion；　the　English　received　great　support



from　the　theorists；　and　the　liberal　party　in　France；　carried　away



by　the　grand　idea　of　universal　freedom　of　trade　and　by　Say's



superficial　arguments；　and　from　feelings　of　opposition　towards　a



detested　Government　and　supported　by　the　maritime　towns；　the　wine



growers；　and　the　silk　manufacturers；　the　liberal　party　clamorously



demanded；　as　they　had　done　in　the　year　1786；　extension　of　the　trade



with　England　as　the　one　true　method　of　promoting　the　national



welfare。



　　　　For　whatever　faults　people　may　lay　to　the　charge　of　the



Restoration；　it　rendered　an　undeniable　service　to　France；　a　service



which　posterity　will　not　dispute；　it　did　not　allow　itself　to　be



misled　into　a　false　step　as　respects　commercial　policy　either　by



the　stratagems　of　the　English　or　by　the　outcry　of　the　liberals。　Mr



Canning　laid　this　business　so　much　to　heart　that　he　himself　made　a



journey　to　Paris　in　order　to　convince　Monsieur　Vill鑜e　of　the



excellence　of　his　measures；　and　to　induce　him　to　imitate　them。　M。



Vill鑜e　was；　however；　much　too　practical　not　to　see　completely



through　this　stratagem；　he　is　said　to　have　replied　to　Mr　Canning；



'If　England　in　the　far　advanced　position　of　her　industry　permits



greater　foreign　competition　than　formerly；　that　policy　corresponds



to　England's　own　well…understood　interests。　But　at　this　time　it　is



to　the　well…understood　interests　of　France　that　she　should　secure



to　her　manufactories　which　have　not　as　yet　attained　perfect



development；　that　protection　which　is　at　present　indispensable　to



them　for　that　object。　But　whenever　the　moment　shall　have　arrived



when　French　manufacturing　industry　can　be　better　promoted　by



permitting　foreign　competition　than　by　restricting　it；　then　he　（M。



Vill鑜e）　would　not　delay　to　derive　advantage　from　following　the



example　of　Mr　Canning。'



　　　　Annoyed　by　this　conclusive　answer；　Canning　bo