友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

wealbk04-第5章

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!



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

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

of British goods exported during the course of the late war;

without bringing back any returns; is accordingly remarked by the

author of The Present State of the Nation。

     Besides the three sorts of gold and silver above mentioned;

there is in all great commercial countries a good deal of bullion

alternately imported and exported for the purposes of foreign

trade。 This bullion; as it circulates among different commercial

countries in the same manner as the national coin circulates in

every particular country; may be considered as the money of the

great mercantile republic。 The national coin receives its

movement and direction from the commodities circulated within the

precincts of each particular country: the money of the mercantile

republic; from those circulated between different countries。 Both

are employed in facilitating exchanges; the one between different

individuals of the same; the other between those of different

nations。 Part of this money of the great mercantile republic may

have been; and probably was; employed in carrying on the late

war。 In time of a general war; it is natural to suppose that a

movement and direction should be impressed upon it; different

from what it usually follows in profound peace; that it should

circulate more about the seat of the war; and be more employed in

purchasing there; and in the neighbouring countries; the pay and

provisions of the different armies。 But whatever part of this

money of the mercantile republic Great Britain may have annually

employed in this manner; it must have been annually purchased;

either with British commodities; or with something else that had

been purchased with them; which still brings us back to

commodities; to the annual produce of the land and labour of the

country; as the ultimate resources which enabled us to carry on

the war。 It is natural indeed to suppose that so great an annual

expense must have been defrayed from a great annual produce。 The

expense of 1761; for example; amounted to more than nineteen

millions。 No accumulation could have supported so great an annual

profusion。 There is no annual produce even of gold and silver

which could have supported it。 The whole gold and silver annually

imported into both Spain and Portugal; according to the best

accounts; does not commonly much exceed six millions sterling;

which; in some years; would scarce have paid four month's expense

of the late war。

     The commodities most proper for being transported to distant

countries; in order to purchase there either the pay and

provisions of an army; or some part of the money of the

mercantile republic to be employed in purchasing them; seem to be

the finer and more improved manufactures; such as contain a great

value in a small bulk; and can; therefore; be exported to a great

distance at little expense。 A country whose industry produces a

great annual surplus of such manufactures; which are usually

exported to foreign countries; may carry on for many years a very

expensive foreign war without either exporting any considerable

quantity of gold and silver; or even having any such quantity to

export。 A considerable part of the annual surplus of its

manufactures must; indeed; in this case be exported without

bringing back any returns to the country; though it does to the

merchant; the government purchasing of the merchant his bills

upon foreign countries; in order to purchase there the pay and

provisions of an army。 Some part of this surplus; however; may

still continue to bring back a return。 The manufacturers; during

the war; will have a double demand upon them; and be called upon;

first; to work up goods to be sent abroad; for paying the bills

drawn upon foreign countries for the pay and provisions of the

army; and; secondly; to work up such as are necessary for

purchasing the common returns that had usually been consumed in

the country。 In the midst of the most destructive foreign war;

therefore; the greater part of manufactures may frequently

flourish greatly; and; on the contrary; they may decline on the

return of the peace。 They may flourish amidst the ruin of their

country; and begin to decay upon the return of its prosperity。

The different state of many different branches of the British

manufactures during the late war; and for some time after the

peace; may serve as an illustration of what has been just now

said。

     No foreign war of great expense or duration could

conveniently be carried on by the exportation of the rude produce

of the soil。 The expense of sending such a quantity of it to a

foreign country as might purchase the pay and provisions of an

army would be too great。 Few countries produce much more rude

produce than what is sufficient for the subsistence of their own

inhabitants。 To send abroad any great quantity of it; therefore;

would be to send abroad a part of the necessary subsistence of

the people。 It is otherwise with the exportation of manufactures。

The maintenance of the people employed in them is kept at home;

and only the surplus part of their work is exported。 Mr。 Hume

frequently takes notice of the inability of the ancient kings of

England to carry on; without interruption; any foreign war of

long duration。 The English; in those days; had nothing

wherewithal to purchase the pay and provisions of their armies in

foreign countries; but either the rude produce of the soil; of

which no considerable part could be spared from the home

consumption; or a few manufactures of the coarsest kind; of

which; as well as of the rude produce; the transportation was too

expensive。 This inability did not arise from the want of money;

but of the finer and more improved manufactures。 Buying and

selling was transacted by means of money in England then as well

as now。 The quantity of circulating money must have borne the

same proportion to the number and value of purchases and sales

usually transacted at that time; which it does to those

transacted at present; or rather it must have borne a greater

proportion; because there was then no paper; which now occupies a

great part of the employment of gold and silver。 Among nations to

whom commerce and manufactures are little known; the sovereign;

upon extraordinary occasions; can seldom draw any considerable

aid from his subjects; for reasons which shall be explained

hereafter。 It is in such countries; therefore; that he generally

endeavours to accumulate a treasure; as the only resource against

such emergencies。 Independent of this necessity; he is in such a

situation naturally disposed to the parsimony requisite for

accumulation。 In that simple state; the expense even of a

sovereign is not directed by the vanity which delights in the

gaudy finery of a court; but is employed in bounty to his

tenants; and hospitality to his retainers。 But bounty and

hospitality very seldom lead to extravagance; though vanity

almost always does。 Every Tartar chief; accordingly; has a

treasure。 The treasures of Mazepa; chief of the Cossacs in the

Ukraine; the famous ally of Charles the XII; are said to have

been very great。 The French kings of the Merovingian race all had

treasures。 When they divided their kingdom among their different

children; they divided their treasure too。 The Saxon princes; and

the first kings after the Conquest; seem likewise to have

accumulated treasures。 The first exploit of every new reign was

commonly to seize the treasure of the preceding king; as the most

essential measure for securing the succession。 The sovereigns of

improved and commercial countries are not under the same

necessity of accumulating treasures; because they can generally

draw from their subjects extraordinary aids upon extraordinary

occasions。 They are likewise less disposed to do so。 They

naturally; perhaps necessarily; follow the mode of the times; and

their expense comes to be regulated by the same extravagant

vanity which directs that of all the other great proprietors in

their dominions。 The insignificant pageantry of their court

becomes every day more brilliant; and the expense of it not only

prevents accumulation; but frequently encroaches upon the funds

destined for more necessary expenses。 What Dercyllidas said of

the court of Persia may be applied to that of several European

princes; that he saw there much splendour but little strength;

and many servants but few soldiers。

     The importation of gold and silver is not the principal;

much less the sole benefit which a nation derives from its

foreign trade。 Between whatever places foreign trade is carried

on; they all of them derive two distinct benefits from it。 It

carries out that surplus part of the produce of their land and

labour for which there is no demand among them; and brings back

in return for it something else for which there is a demand。 It

gives a value to their superfluities; by exchanging them for

something else; which may satisfy a part of their wants; and
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!