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wealbk04-第3章

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purchase them; broke through all the barriers which the laws of

Lycurgus opposed to their entrance into Lacedemon。 All the

sanguinary laws of the customs are not able to prevent the

importation of the teas of the Dutch and Gottenburgh East India

Companies; because somewhat cheaper than those of the British

company。 A pound of tea; however; is about a hundred times the

bulk of one of the highest prices; sixteen shillings; that is

commonly paid for it in silver; and more than two thousand times

the bulk of the same price in gold; and consequently just so many

times more difficult to smuggle。

     It is partly owing to the easy transportation of gold and

silver from the places where they abound to those where they are

wanted that the price of those metals does not fluctuate

continually like that of the greater part of other commodities;

which are hindered by their bulk from shifting their situation

when the market happens to be either over or under…stocked with

them。 The。 price of those metals; indeed; is not altogether

exempted from variation; but the changes to which it is liable

are generally slow; gradual and uniform。 In Europe; for example;

it is supposed; without much foundation; perhaps; that during the

course of the present and preceding century they have been

constantly; but gradually; sinking in their value; on account of

the continual importations from the Spanish West Indies。 But to

make any sudden change in the price of gold and silver; so as to

raise or lower at once; sensibly and remarkably; the money price

of all other commodities; requires such a revolution in commerce

as that occasioned by the discovery of America。

     If; notwithstanding all this; gold and silver should at any

time fall short in a country which has wherewithal to purchase

them; there are more expedients for supplying their place than

that of almost any other commodity。 If the materials of

manufacture are wanted; industry must stop。 If provisions are

wanted; the people must starve。 But if money is wanted; barter

will supply its place; though with a good deal of inconveniency。

Buying and selling upon credit; and the different dealers

compensating their credits with one another; once a month or once

a year; will supply it with less inconveniency。 A well…regulated

paper money will supply it; not only without any inconveniency;

but; in some cases; with some advantages。 Upon every account;

therefore; the attention of government never was so unnecessarily

employed as when directed to watch over the preservation or

increase of the quantity of money in any country。

     No complaint; however; is more common than that of a

scarcity of money。 Money; like wine; must always be scarce with

those who have neither wherewithal to buy it nor credit to borrow

it。 Those who have either will seldom be in want either of the

money or of the wine which they have occasion for。 This

complaint; however; of the scarcity of money is not always

confined to improvident spendthrifts。 It is sometimes general

through a whole mercantile town and the country in its

neighbourhood。 Overtrading is the common cause of it。 Sober men;

whose projects have been disproportioned to their capitals; are

as likely to have neither wherewithal to buy money nor credit to

borrow it; as prodigals whose expense has been disproportioned to

their revenue。 Before their projects can be brought to bear;

their stock is gone; and their credit with it。 They run about

everywhere to borrow money; and everybody tells them that they

have none to lend。 Even such general complaints of the scarcity

of money do not always prove that the usual number of gold and

silver pieces are not circulating in the country; but that many

people want those pieces who have nothing to give for them。 When

the profits of trade happen to be greater than ordinary;

overtrading becomes a general error both among great and small

dealers。 They do not always send more money abroad than usual;

but they buy upon credit; both at home and abroad; an unusual

quantity of goods; which they send to some distant market in

hopes that the returns will come in before the demand for

payment。 The demand comes before the returns; and they have

nothing at hand with which they can either purchase money; or

give solid security for borrowing。 It is not any scarcity of gold

and silver; but the difficulty which such people find in

borrowing; and which their creditors find in getting payment;

that occasions the general complaint of the scarcity of money。

     It would be too ridiculous to go about seriously to prove

that wealth does not consist in money; or in gold and silver; but

in what money purchases; and is valuable only for purchasing。

Money; no doubt; makes always a part of the national capital; but

it has already been shown that it generally makes but a small

part; and always the most unprofitable part of it。

     It is not because wealth consists more essentially in money

than in goods that the merchant find it generally more easy to

buy goods with money than to buy money with goods; but because

money is the known and established instrument of commerce; for

which everything is readily given in exchange; but which is not

always with equal readiness to be got in exchange for everything。

The greater part of goods; besides; are more perishable than

money; and he may frequently sustain a much greater loss by

keeping them。 When his goods are upon hand; too; he is more

liable to such demands for money as he may not be able to answer

than when he has got their price in his coffers。 Over and above

all this; his profit arises more directly from selling than from

buying; and he is upon all these accounts generally much more

anxious to exchange his goods for money than his money for goods。

But though a particular merchant; with abundance of goods in his

warehouse; may sometimes be ruined by not being able to sell them

in time; a nation or country is not liable to the same accident。

The whole capital of a merchant frequently consists in perish;

able goods destined for purchasing money。 But it is but a very

small part of the annual produce of the land and labour of a

country which can ever be destined for purchasing gold and silver

from their neighbours。 The far greater part is circulated and

consumed among themselves; and even of the surplus which is sent

abroad; the greater part is generally destined for the purchase

of other foreign goods。 Though gold and silver; therefore; could

not be had in exchange for the goods destined to purchase them;

the nation would not be ruined。 It might; indeed; suffer some

loss and inconveniency; and be forced upon some of those

expedients which are necessary for supplying the place of money。

The annual produce of its land and labour; however; would be the

same; or very nearly the same; as usual; because the same; or

very nearly the same; consumable capital would be employed in

maintaining it。 And though goods do not always draw money so

readily as money draws goods; in the long run they draw it more

necessarily than even it draws them。 Goods can serve many other

purposes besides purchasing money; but money can serve no other

purpose besides purchasing goods。 Money; therefore; necessarily

runs after goods; but goods do not always or necessarily run

after money。 The man who buys does not always mean to sell again;

but frequently to use or to consume; whereas he who sells always

means to buy again。 The one may frequently have done the whole;

but the other can never have done more than the one…half of his

business。 It is not for its own sake that men desire money; but

for the sake of what they can purchase with it。

     Consumable commodities; it is said; are soon destroyed;

whereas gold and silver are of a more durable nature; and; were

it not for this continual exportation; might be accumulated for

ages together; to the incredible augmentation of the real wealth

of the country。 Nothing; therefore; it is pretended; can be more

disadvantageous to any country than the trade which consists in

the exchange of such lasting for such perishable commodities。 We

do not; however; reckon that trade disadvantageous which consists

in the exchange of the hardware of England for the wines of

France; and yet hardware is a very durable commodity; and were it

not for this continual exportation might; too; be accumulated for

ages together; to the incredible augmentation of the pots and

pans of the country。 But it readily occurs that the number of

such utensils is in every country necessarily limited by the use

which there is for them; that it would be absurd to have more

pots and pans than were necessary for cooking the victuals

usually consumed there; and that if the quantity of victuals were

to increase; the number of pots and pans would readily increase

along with it; a part of the increased quantity of victuals being

employed in purchasing them; or in maintaining an additional

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

as readily occur that the quantity of 
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