wealbk04-第42部分

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！


　　　　　This　double　effect　of　drawing　capital　from　all　other　trades；

and　of　raising　the　rate　of　profit　somewhat　higher　than　it

otherwise　would　have　been　in　all　trades；　was　not　only　produced　by

this　monopoly　upon　its　first　establishment；　but　has　continued　to

be　produced　by　it　ever　since。

　　　　　First；　this　monopoly　has　been　continually　drawing　capital

from　all　other　trades　to　be　employed　in　that　of　the　colonies。

　　　　　Though　the　wealth　of　Great　Britain　has　increased　very　much

since　the　establishment　of　the　Act　of　Navigation；　it　certainly

has　not　increased　in　the　same　proportion　as　that　of　the　colonies。

But　the　foreign　trade　of　every　country　naturally　increases　in

proportion　to　its　wealth；　its　surplus　produce　in　proportion　to

its　whole　produce；　and　Great　Britain　having　engrossed　to　herself

almost　the　whole　of　what　may　be　called　the　foreign　trade　of　the

colonies；　and　her　capital　not　having　increased　in　the　same

proportion　as　the　extent　of　that　trade；　she　could　not　carry　it　on

without　continually　withdrawing　from　other　branches　of　trade　some

part　of　the　capital　which　had　before　been　employed　in　them　as

well　as　withholding　from　them　a　great　deal　more　which　would

otherwise　have　gone　to　them。　Since　the　establishment　of　the　Act

of　Navigation；　accordingly；　the　colony　trade　has　been　continually

increasing；　while　many　other　branches　of　foreign　trade；

particularly　of　that　to　other　parts　of　Europe；　have　been

continually　decaying。　Our　manufactures　for　foreign　sale；　instead

of　being　suited；　as　before　the　Act　of　Navigation；　to　the

neighbouring　market　of　Europe；　or　to　the　more　distant　one　of　the

countries　which　lie　round　the　Mediterranean　Sea；　have；　the

greater　part　of　them；　been　accommodated　to　the　still　more　distant

one　of　the　colonies；　to　the　market　in　which　they　have　the

monopoly　rather　than　to　that　in　which　they　have　many　competitors。

The　causes　of　decay　in　other　branches　of　foreign　trade；　which；　by

Sir　Matthew　Decker　and　other　writers；　have　been　sought　for　in　the

excess　and　improper　mode　of　taxation；　in　the　high　price　of

labour；　in　the　increase　of　luxury；　etc。；　may　all　be　found　in　the

overgrowth　of　the　colony　trade。　The　mercantile　capital　of　Great

Britain；　though　very　great；　yet　not　being　infinite；　and　though

greatly　increased　since　the　Act　of　Navigation；　yet　not　being

increased　in　the　same　proportion　as　the　colony　trade；　that　trade

could　not　possibly　be　carried　on　without　withdrawing　some　part　of

that　capital　from　other　branches　of　trade；　nor　consequently

without　some　decay　of　those　other　branches。

　　　　　England；　it　must　be　observed；　was　a　great　trading　country；

her　mercantile　capital　was　very　great　and　likely　to　become　still

greater　and　greater　every　day；　not　only　before　the　Act　of

Navigation　had　established　the　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade；　but

before　that　trade　was　very　considerable。　In　the　Dutch　war；　during

the　government　of　Cromwell；　her　navy　was　superior　to　that　of

Holland；　and　in　that　which　broke　out　in　the　beginning　of　the

reign　of　Charles　II；　it　was　at　last　equal；　perhaps　superior；　to

the　united　navies　of　France　and　Holland。　Its　superiority；

perhaps；　would　scarce　appear　greater　in　the　present　times；　at

least　if　the　Dutch　navy　was　to　bear　the　same　proportion　to　the

Dutch　commerce　now　which　it　did　then。　But　this　great　naval　power

could　not；　in　either　of　those　wars；　be　owing　to　the　Act　of

Navigation。　During　the　first　of　them　the　plan　of　that　act　had

been　but　just　formed；　and　though　before　the　breaking　out　of　the

second　it　had　been　fully　enacted　by　legal　authority；　yet　no　part

of　it　could　have　had　time　to　produce　any　considerable　effect；　and

least　of　all　that　part　which　established　the　exclusive　trade　to

the　colonies。　Both　the　colonies　and　their　trade　were

inconsiderable　then　in　comparison　of　what　they　are　now。　The

island　of　Jamaica　was　an　unwholesome　desert；　little　inhabited；

and　less　cultivated。　New　York　and　New　Jersey　were　in　the

possession　of　the　Dutch：　the　half　of　St。　Christopher's　in　that　of

the　French。　The　island　of　Antigua；　the　two　Carolinas；

Pennsylvania；　Georgia；　and　Nova　Scotia　were　not　planted。

Virginia；　Maryland；　and　New　England　were　planted；　and　though　they

were　very　thriving　colonies；　yet　there　was　not；　perhaps；　at　that

time；　either　in　Europe　or　America；　a　single　person　who　foresaw　or

even　suspected　the　rapid　progress　which　they　have　since　made　in

wealth；　population；　and　improvement。　The　island　of　Barbadoes；　in

short；　was　the　only　British　colony　of　any　consequence　of　which

the　condition　at　that　time　bore　any　resemblance　to　what　it　is　at

present。　The　trade　of　the　colonies；　of　which　England；　even　for

some　time　after　the　Act　of　Navigation；　enjoyed　but　a　part　（for

the　Act　of　Navigation　was　not　very　strictly　executed　till　several

years　after　it　was　enacted）；　could　not　at　that　time　be　the　cause

of　the　great　trade　of　England；　nor　of　the　great　naval　power　which

was　supported　by　that　trade。　The　trade　which　at　that　time

supported　that　great　naval　power　was　the　trade　of　Europe；　and　of

the　countries　which　lie　round　the　Mediterranean　Sea。　But　the

share　which　Great　Britain　at　present　enjoys　of　that　trade　could

not　support　any　such　great　naval　power。　Had　the　growing　trade　of

the　colonies　been　left　free　to　all　nations；　whatever　share　of　it

might　have　fallen　to　Great　Britain；　and　a　very　considerable　share

would　probably　have　fallen　to　her；　must　have　been　all　an　addition

to　this　great　trade　of　which　she　was　before　in　possession。　In

consequence　of　the　monopoly；　the　increase　of　the　colony　trade　has

not　so　much　occasioned　an　addition　to　the　trade　which　Great

Britain　had　before　as　a　total　change　in　its　direction。

　　　　　Secondly；　this　monopoly　has　necessarily　contributed　to　keep

up　the　rate　of　profit　in　all　the　different　branches　of　British

trade　higher　than　it　naturally　would　have　been　had　all　nations

been　allowed　a　free　trade　to　the　British　colonies。

　　　　　The　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade；　as　it　necessarily　drew

towards　that　trade　a　greater　proportion　of　the　capital　of　Great

Britain　than　what　would　have　gone　to　it　of　its　own　accord；　so　by

the　expulsion　of　all　foreign　capitals　it　necessarily　reduced　the

whole　quantity　of　capital　employed　in　that　trade　below　what　it

naturally　would　have　been　in　the　case　of　a　free　trade。　But；　by

lessening　the　competition　of　capitals　in　that　branch　of　trade；　it

necessarily　raised　the　rate　of　profit　in　that　branch。　By

lessening；　too；　the　competition　of　British　capitals　in　all　other

branches　of　trade；　it　necessarily　raised　the　rate　of　British

profit　in　all　those　other　branches。　Whatever　may　have　been；　at

any　particular　period；　since　the　establishment　of　the　Act　of

Navigation；　the　state　or　extent　of　the　mercantile　capital　of

Great　Britain；　the　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade　must；　during　the

continuance　of　that　state；　have　raised　the　ordinary　rate　of

British　profit　higher　than　it　otherwise　would　have　been　both　in

that　and　in　all　the　other　branches　of　British　trade。　If；　since

the　establishment　of　the　Act　of　Navigation；　the　ordinary　rate　of

British　profit　has　fallen　considerably；　as　it　certainly　has；　it

must　have　fallen　still　lower；　had　not　the　monopoly　established　by

that　act　contributed　to　keep　it　up。

　　　　　But　whatever　raises　in　any　country　the　ordinary　rate　of

profit　higher　than　it　otherwise　would　be；　necessarily　subjects

that　country　both　to　an　absolute　and　to　a　relative　disadvantage

in　every　branch　of　trade　of　which　she　has　not　the　monopoly。

　　　　　It　subjects　her　to　an　absolute　disadvantage；　because　in　such

branches　of　trade　her　merchants　cannot　get　this　greater　profit

without　selling　dearer　than　they　otherwise　would　do　both　the

goods　of　foreign　countries　which　they　import　into　their　own；　and

the　goods　of　their　own　country　which　they　export　to　foreign

countries。　Their　own　country　must　both　buy　dearer　and　sell

dearer；　must　both　buy　less　and　sell　less；　must　both　enjoy　less

and　produce　less；　than　she　otherwise　would　do。

　　　　　It　subjects　her　to　a　relative　disadvantage；　because　in　such

branches　of　trade　it　sets　other　countries　which　are　not　subject

to　the　same　absolute　disadvantage　either　more　above　her　or　less

below　her　than　they　otherwise　would　be。　It　enables　them　both　to

enjoy　more　and　to　produce　more　in　proportion　to　what　she　enjoys

and　produces。　It　renders　their　superiority　greater　or　their

inferiority　less　than　it　otherwise　would　be。　By　raising　the　price

of　her　produce　above　what　it　otherwise　would　be；　it　enables　the

merchants　of　other　countries　to　undersell　her　in　foreign　markets；

and　thereby　to　jostle　her　out　of　almost　all　those　branches　of

trade；　of　which　she　has　not　the　monopoly。

　　　　　Our　merchants　frequently　complain　of　the　high　wages　of

British　labour　as　the　cause　of　their　manufactures　being　undersold

in　foreign　markets；　but　they　are　silent　about　the　high　profits　of

stock。　They　complain　of　the　extravagant　gain　of　other　people；　but

they　say　nothing　of　their　own。　The　high　profits　of　British　stock；

however；　may　contribute　towards　raising　the　price　of　British

manufactures　in　many　cases　as　much；　and　in　some　perhaps　more；

than　the　high　wages　of　British　labour。

　　　　　It　is　in　this　manner　that　the　capital　of　Great　Britain；　one

may　justly　say；　has　partly　been　drawn　and　partly　been　driven　from

the　greater　part　of　the　different　branches　of　trade　of　which　she

has　not　the　monopoly；　from　the　trade　of　Europe　in　particular；　and

from　that　of　the　countries　which　lie　round　the　Mediterranean　Sea。

　　　　　It　has　partly　been　drawn　from　those　branches　of　trade　by　the

attraction　of　superior　profit　in　the　colony　trade　in　consequence

of　the　continual　increase　of　that　trade；　and　of　the　continual

insufficiency　of　the　capital　which　had　carried　it　on　one　year　to

carry　it　on　the　next。

　　　　　It　has　partly　been　driven　from　them　by　the　advantage　which

the　high　rate　of　profit；　established　in　Great　Britain；　gives　to

other　countries　in　all　the　different　branches　of　trade　of　which

Great　Britain　has　not　the　monopoly。

　　　　　As　the　monopoly　of　the　colony　trade　has　drawn　from　those

other　branches　a　part　of　the　British　capital　which　would

otherwise　have　been　e