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pit； or even at the shipping port for exportation。
The exportation； however； of the instruments of trade；
properly so called； is commonly restrained； not by high duties；
but by absolute prohibitions。 Thus by the 7th and 8th of William
III； c。 20； sect。 8； the exportation of frames or engines for
knitting gloves or stockings is prohibited under the penalty； not
only of the forfeiture of such frames or engines so exported； or
attempted to be exported； but of forty pounds； one half to the
king； the other to the person who shall inform or sue for the
same。 In the same manner； by the 14th George III； c。 71； the
exportation to foreign parts of any utensils made use of in the
cotton； linen； woollen； and silk manufactures is prohibited under
the penalty； not only of the forfeiture of such utensils； but of
two hundred pounds； to be paid by the person who shall offend in
this manner； and likewise of two hundred pounds to be paid by the
master of the ship who shall knowingly suffer such utensils to be
loaded on board his ship。
When such heavy penalties were imposed upon the exportation
of the dead instruments of trade； it could not well be expected
that the living instrument； the artificer； should be allowed to
go free。 Accordingly； by the 5th George I； c。 27； the person who
shall be convicted of enticing any artificer of； or in any of the
manufactures of Great Britain； to go into any foreign parts in
order to practise or teach his trade； is liable for the first
offence to be fined in any sum not exceeding one hundred pounds；
and to three months' imprisonment； and until the fine shall be
paid； and for the second offence； to be fined in any sum at the
discretion of the court； and to imprisonment for twelve months；
and until the fine shall be paid。 By the 23rd George II； c。 13；
this penalty is increased for the first offence to five hundred
pounds for every artificer so enticed； and to twelve months'
imprisonment； and until the fine shall be paid； and for the
second offence； to one thousand pounds； and to two years'
imprisonment； and until the fine shall be paid。
By the former of those two statutes； upon proof that any
person has been enticing any artificer； or that any artificer has
promised or contracted to go into foreign parts for the purposes
aforesaid； such artificer may be obliged to give security at the
discretion of the court that he shall not go beyond the seas； and
may be committed to prison until he give such security。
If any artificer has gone beyond the seas； and is exercising
or teaching his trade in any foreign country； upon warning being
given to him by any of his Majesty's ministers or consuls abroad；
or by one of his Majesty's Secretaries of State for the time
being； if he does not； within six months after such warning；
return into this realm； and from thenceforth abide and inhabit
continually within the same； he is from thenceforth declared
incapable of taking any legacy devised to him within this
kingdom； or of being executor or administrator to any person； or
of taking any lands within this kingdom by descent； device； or
purchase。 He likewise forfeits to the king all his lands； goods；
and chattels； is declared an alien in every respect； and is put
out of the king's protection。
It is unnecessary； I imagine； to observe how contrary such
regulations are to the boasted liberty of the subject； of which
we affect to be so very jealous； but which； in this case； is so
plainly sacrificed to the futile interests of our merchants and
manufacturers。
The laudable motive of all these regulations is to extend
our own manufactures； not by their own improvement； but by the
depression of those of all our neighbours； and by putting an end；
as much as possible； to the troublesome competition of such
odious and disagreeable rivals。 Our master manufacturers think it
reasonable that they themselves should have the monopoly of the
ingenuity of all their countrymen。 Though by restraining； in some
trades； the number of apprentices which can be employed at one
time； and by imposing the necessity of a long apprenticeship in
all trades； they endeavour； all of them； to confine the knowledge
of their respective employments to as small a number as possible；
they are unwilling； however； that any part of this small number
should go abroad to instruct foreigners。
Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production；
and the interest of the producer ought to be attended to only so
far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer。
The maxim is so perfectly self evident that it would be absurd to
attempt to prove it。 But in the mercantile system the interest of
the consumer is almost constantly sacrificed to that of the
producer； and it seems to consider production； and not
consumption； as the ultimate end and object of all industry and
commerce。
In the restraints upon the importation of all foreign
commodities which can come into competition with those of our own
growth or manufacture； the interest of the home consumer is
evidently sacrificed to that of the producer。 It is altogether
for the benefit of the latter that the former is obliged to pay
that enhancement of price which this monopoly almost always
occasions。
It is altogether for the benefit of the producer that
bounties are granted upon the exportation of some of his
productions。 The home consumer is obliged to pay； first； the tax
which is necessary for paying the bounty； and secondly； the still
greater tax which necessarily arises from the enhancement of the
price of the commodity in the home market。
By the famous treaty of commerce with Portugal； the consumer
is prevented by high duties from purchasing of a neighbouring
country a commodity which our own climate does not produce； but
is obliged to purchase it of a distant country； though it is
acknowledged that the commodity of the distant country is of a
worse quality than that of the near one。 The home consumer is
obliged to submit to this inconveniency in order that the
producer may import into the distant country some of his
productions upon more advantageous terms than he would otherwise
have been allowed to do。 The consumer； too； is obliged to pay
whatever enhancement in the price if those very productions this
forced exportation may occasion in the home market。
But in the system of laws which has been established for the
management of our American and West Indian colonies； the interest
of the home consumer has been sacrificed to that of the producer
with a more extravagant profusion than in all our other
commercial regulations。 A great empire has been established for
the sole purpose of raising up a nation of customers who should
be obliged to buy from the shops of our different producers all
the goods with which these could supply them。 For the sake of
that little enhancement of price which this monopoly might afford
our producers； the home consumers have been burdened with the
whole expense of maintaining and defending that empire。 For this
purpose； and for this purpose only； in the two last wars； more
than two hundred millions have been spent； and a new debt of more
than a hundred and seventy millions has been contracted over and
above all that had been expended for the same purpose in former
wars。 The interest of this debt alone is not only greater than
the whole extraordinary profit which it ever could be pretended
was made by the monopoly of the colony trade； but than the whole
value of that trade； or than the whole value of the goods which
at an average have been annually exported to the colonies。
It cannot be very difficult to determine who have been the
contrivers of this whole mercantile system； not the consumers； we
may believe； whose interest has been entirely neglected； but the
producers； whose interest has been so carefully attended to； and
among this latter class our merchants and manufacturers have been
by far the principal architects。 In the mercantile regulations；
which have been taken notice of in this chapter； the interest of
our manufacturers has been most peculiarly attended to； and the
interest； not so much of the consumers； as that of some other
sets of producers； has been sacrificed to it。
CHAPTER IX
Of the Agricultural Systems； or of those Systems of Political
Economy which represent the Produce of Land as either the sole or
the principal Source of the Revenue and Wealth every Country
THE agricultural systems of political economy will not
require so long an explanation as that which I have thought it
necessary to bestow upon the mercantile or commercial system。
That system which represents the produce of land as the sole
source of the revenue and wealth of every country has； so far as
I know； never been adopted by any nation； and it at present
exists only in the speculations of a few men of great learning
and ingenuity in France。 It would not； surely； be worth while to
examine at great length the errors of a sy