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wealbk04-第16章

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one…fourth per cent must be paid for the keeping; which would be

mere loss to the holder of the receipt。 If the agio of the bank;

however; should at any time fall to three per cent such receipts

might bring some price in the market; and might sell for one and

three…fourths per cent。 But the agio of the bank being now

generally about five per cent such receipts are frequently

allowed to expire; or as they express it; to fall to the bank。

The receipts which are given for deposits of gold ducats fall to

it yet more frequently; because a higher warehouse…rent; or

one…half per cent must be paid for the keeping of them before

they can be taken out again。 The five per cent which the bank

gains; when deposits either of coin or bullion are allowed to

fall to it; may be considered as the warehouse…rent for the

perpetual keeping of such deposits。

     The sum of bank money for which the receipts are expired

must be very considerable。 It must comprehend the whole original

capital of the bank; which; it is generally supposed; has been

allowed to remain there from the time it was first deposited;

nobody caring either to renew his receipt or to take out his

deposit; as; for the reasons already assigned; neither the one

nor the other could be done without loss。 But whatever may be the

amount of this sum; the proportion which it bears to the whole

mass of bank money is supposed to be very small。 The Bank of

Amsterdam has for these many years past been the great warehouse

of Europe for bullion; for which the receipts are very seldom

allowed to expire; or; as they express it; to fall to the bank。

far greater part of the bank money; or of the credits upon the

books of the bank; is supposed to have been created; for these

many years past; by such deposits which the dealers in bullion

are continually both making and withdrawing。

     No demand can be made upon the bank but by means of a recipe

or receipt。 The smaller mass of bank money; for which the

receipts are expired; is mixed and confounded with the much

greater mass for which they are still in force; so that; though

there may be a considerable sum of bank money for which there are

no receipts; there is no specific sum or portion of it which may

not at any time be demanded by one。 The bank cannot be debtor to

two persons for the same thing; and the owner of bank money who

has no receipt cannot demand payment of the bank till he buys

one。 In ordinary and quiet times; he can find no difficulty in

getting one to buy at the market price; which generally

corresponds with the price at which he can sell the coin or

bullion it entities him to take out of the bank。

     It might be otherwise during a public calamity; an invasion;

for example; such as that of the French in 1672。 The owners of

bank money being then all eager to draw it out of the bank; in

order to have it their own keeping; the demand for receipts might

raise their price to an exorbitant height。 The holders of them

might form expectations; and; instead of two or three per cent;

demand half the bank money for which credit had been given upon

the deposits that the receipts had respectively been granted for。

The enemy; informed of the constitution of the bank; might even

buy them up; in order to prevent the carrying away of the

treasure。 In such emergencies; the bank; it is supposed; would

break through its ordinary rule of making payment only to the

holders of receipts。 The holders of receipts; who had no bank

money; must have received within two or three per cent of the

value of the deposit for which their respective receipts had been

granted。 The bank; therefore; it is said; would in this case make

no scruple of paying; either with money or bullion; the full

value of what the owners of bank money who could get no receipts

were credited for in its books; paying at the same time two or

three per cent to such holders of receipts as had no bank money;

that being the whole value which in this state of things could

justly be supposed due to them。

     Even in ordinary and quiet times it is the interest of the

holders of receipts to depress the agio; in order either to buy

bank money (and consequently the bullion; which their receipts

would then enable them to take out of the bank) so much cheaper;

or to sell their receipts to those who have bank money; and who

want to take out bullion; so much dearer; the price of a receipt

being generally equal to the difference between the market price

of bank money; and that of the coin or bullion for which the

receipt had been granted。 It is the interest of the owners of

bank money; on the contrary; to raise the agio; in order either

to sell their bank money so much dearer; or to buy a receipt so

much cheaper。 To prevent the stock…jobbing tricks which those

opposite interests might sometimes occasion; the bank has of late

years come to the resolution to sell at all times bank money for

currency; at five per cent agio; and to buy it in again at four

per cent agio。 In consequence of this resolution; the agio can

never either rise above five or sink below four per cent; and the

proportion between the market price of bank and that of current

money is kept at all times very near to the proportion between

their intrinsic values。 Before this resolution was taken; the

market price of bank money used sometimes to rise so high as nine

per cent agio; and sometimes to sink so low as par; according as

opposite interests happened to influence the market。

     The Bank of Amsterdam professes to lend out no part of what

is deposited with it; but; for every guilder for which it gives

credit in its books; to keep in its repositories the value of a

guilder either in money or bullion。 That it keeps in its

repositories all the money or bullion for which there are

receipts in force; for which it is at all times liable to be

called upon; and which; in reality; is continually going from it

and returning to it again; cannot well be doubted。 But whether it

does so likewise with regard to that part of its capital; for

which the receipts are long ago expired; for which in ordinary

and quiet times it cannot be called upon; and which in reality is

very likely to remain with it for ever; or as long as the States

of the United Provinces subsist; may perhaps appear more

uncertain。 At Amsterdam; however; no point of faith is better

established than that for every guilder; circulated as bank

money; there is a correspondent guilder in gold or silver to be

found in the treasure of the bank。 The city is guarantee that it

should be so。 The bank is under the direction of the four

reigning burgomasters who are changed every year。 Each new set of

burgomasters visits the treasure; compares it with the books;

receives it upon oath; and delivers it over; with the same awful

solemnity; to the set which succeeds; and in that sober and

religious country oaths are not yet disregarded。 A rotation of

this kind seems alone a sufficient security against any practices

which cannot be avowed。 Amidst all the revolutions which faction

has ever occasioned in the government of Amsterdam; the

prevailing party has at no time accused their predecessors of

infidelity in the administration of the bank。 No accusation could

have affected more deeply the reputation and fortune of the

disgraced party; and if such an accusation could have been

supported; we may be assured that it would have been brought。 In

1672; when the French king was at Utrecht; the Bank of Amsterdam

paid so readily as left no doubt of the fidelity with which it

had observed its engagements。 Some of the pieces which were then

brought from its repositories appeared to have been scorched with

the fire which happened in the town…house soon after the bank was

established。 Those pieces; therefore; must have lain there from

that time。

     What may be the amount of the treasure in the bank is a

question which has long employed speculations of the curious。

Nothing but conjecture can be offered concerning it。 It is

generally reckoned that there are about two thousand people who

keep accounts with the bank; and allowing them to have; one with

another; the value of fifteen hundred pounds sterling lying upon

their respective accounts (a very large allowance); the whole

quantity of bank money; and consequently of treasure in the bank;

will amount to about three millions sterling; or; at eleven

guilders the pound sterling; thirty…three millions of guilders… a

great sum; and sufficient to carry on a very extensive

circulation; but vastly below the extravagant ideas which some

people have formed of this treasure。

     The city of Amsterdam derives a considerable revenue from

the bank。 Besides what may be called the warehouse…rent above

mentioned; each person; upon first opening an account with the

bank; pays a fee of ten guilders; and for every new account three

guilders three stivers; for every transfer two stivers; and if

the transfer is for less than three hundred guilders; six

stivers; in order to discourage the multiplicity of small

trans
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