第 8 节
作者:
无边的寒冷 更新:2021-02-21 11:55 字数:9322
ore; if there were no such Prohibitions。 And though this will; I think; chiefly affect the Nations who prohibit the Exportation of their own Commodities; because other Nations will either raise those Things themselves; or substitute something else of their own; if they can't get the same Things from other Nations; which I believe one way or other they almost always may; yet hence 'tis evident; such Prohibitions lessen the Number of Merchants and Ships; with all their Appendages; so far as such Prohibitions can affect them; which undoubtedly must cut off a Livelihood from abundance of People; who therefore must be obliged to seek their Livelihood in domestick Affairs; which being not sufficient to subsist so many People; upon the same Territory; without proportionable maritime Trade; must bring great Inconvenience on such a Nation; for want of so much of this Branch of Employment for the People。 And as other Nations; for want of looking thoroughly into the foundation of the Trade of the World; will certainly make Reprisals by Prohibitions;(9*) as we know they actually do; the Calamity of every Nation; that is no wiser; will increase; since they cut off so much Trade and Employment from Mankind; as these mutual Prohibitions can affect。 But no Inconvenience can arise by an unrestrained Trade; but very great Advantage; since if the Cash of the Nation be decreased by it; which Prohibitions are designed to prevent; those Nations that get the Cash will certainly find every thing advance in Price; as the Cash increases amongst them。 And if we; who part with the Money; make our Plenty great enough to make Labour sufficiently cheap; which is always constituted of the Price of Victuals and Drink; our Manufactures; and everything else; will soon become so moderate as to turn the Balance of Trade in our Favour; and thereby fetch the Money back again。 Thus Money; on which Trade floats; like a Tide; by ebbing and flowing; will bring vast Business to our People; and furnish them with Employment and Happiness。 But all this doth absolutely depend on cultivating such large Tracts of Land; as will make the Plenty great enough to reduce the Price of Labour; and all other Things in consequence thereof; so as to enable us to trade on Terms as reasonable as any other Nation; without which we must shut ourselves in a great Measure out of the foreign Trade of the World; as Merchants very well know; and every body will easily believe; since they that can work cheapest; must and will have the Trade。 But those who prohibit the Exportation of the rough Principles of their Manufactures; are willing to have them exported when wrought up; and fully manufactured。 Now beside that they must expect Reprisals to be made by other Nations; who will shift as much as they can without such Goods; for the sake; as they all seem to imagine; of employing their own People; not considering how much such shrinking and contracting their Trade within themselves; cuts off the more valuable maritime Trade and Employment; which all should strive to promote and enlarge; not only for the Reason I gave before; but because such Nations will always be the richest and most powerful (in respect to the Bigness of their Territory) who have the most maritime Trade; whether the Quantity of Cash amongst the People be as great as any other Nation or not; beside all this; I say; it may not be amiss to consider; what a vast Value must be risqued at Sea; when things are fully manufactured; to what would be risqued in their rough Principles; and what a Tendency the vast Value of Goods; fully manufactured; hath to make the Balance of Trade fluctuate; so as to hazard very great Quantities of Gold and Silver; much oftener at Sea; to make the Balance; than there otherwise would be Occasion for: And after all; how difficult is it; sufficiently to prevent the Exportation or Importation of any thing; which those who want it will be at the Charge to get; and what a Damage do a great many honest People sustain; by the unavoidable Inconveniences attending Prohibitions and high Duties; besides the Iniquity they too often occasion! But let us a little consider; whether a free and unrestrained Trade hath any Inconveniencies; we ought to guard against。(10*) I will not contend for it; with respect to France; though I can't see it could do us any Harm; even in that Case; if we were prudent enough to prevent the Inconvenience; by imploying more Land as our Cash decreases; thereby to employ the People; and lower the Price of things still so much; that whatever Cash remains amongst us; it may however be so plentiful as to circulate Trade to the utmost; and so make the People in general happy; notwithstanding its Decrease。 For I am sensible that as France can work vastly cheaper; because they can live for a great deal less than we can do; so they can make most of the Manufactures we make; as well as we can; and therefore if we were to open Trade with them; they would bring us all sorts of Goods so cheap; that our Manufactures would be at an End; till the Money they would by this Means get of us rais'd the Prices of their things so much; and our Want of Money should fall ours to such a Degree; that we could go on with our Manufactures as cheap as they; and when Trade would stand between that Nation and us; as it doth between us and other Nations who mutually take Goods of each other; and I think this would enlarge the maritime Trade of both Nations; together with all the Trades relating thereto (i。e。 would furnish still further Means of employing abundance of People of both Nations this Way); and at last; this will terminate in the particular Advantages each Nation naturally hath in the Produce of their respective Countries: And if any Nation is blest in this respect more than another; the Difference this will make; will be only that of having more Money amongst them; than such other Nations have in proportion to the Number of their People; and the Prices of Things in each Nation will be dearer and cheaper respectively; yet if they should go to make any other Advantage of this; to restrain; and so increase the Money amongst them; this would soon prove to their Hurt; because as their Goods will certainly rise as their Cash increases; so this will make the Opportunity greater for other nations; who will from hence be able to outdo them in Cheapness; to drive them out of their Trade at other foreign Markets; and probably; notwithstanding all they can do to prevent it; such cheap Commodities will find the Way to them likewise。 But we must consider our Trade; with respect to all other Nations; as well as France。 Suppose; therefore; that such an unrestrained Trade with France; or any other nation; should diminish our Cash so very considerably; that we could not give above half the Price for Things in general as we at present do: if we take care to keep our Trade alive; by employing the People in cultivating more Lands; that our Produce and Manufactures may be cheap enough to carry on Trade with such Nations; it must needs enlarge our Trade mightily with those nations; whose Cash keeps their Prices of things near to; or above the Rates ours are now at; insomuch that I think we must needs have the Balance on all such Nations; so much as to prevent any considerable Mischief arising to us; whilst our Trade is taking such a turn as an open Trade with those Nations; who can work so much cheaper; might occasion。 But lest any should think my laying such Stress on cultivating so much Land is any way extravagant; I would desire them to consider; that this also will find its natural bounds; for the cultivating Land will stop of itself; when the Plenty becomes too great to answer and turn to Account; which can only arise from too high Rents; or employing too many of the People this Way; of which last I apprehend there never can be any Danger; as I will shew hereafter。 But if this could be; since the People make a Shift to live now; there is an evident Necessity to cultivate a great deal more Land to employ them; and thereby to make Money plentiful; and Trade to flourish。 How profitable and advantageous would all other Trades; etc。 become; by being thus in fewer Hands than they would require;(11*) to which the great Plenty and Cheapness of Necessaries; which is ultimately what all work for; would so mightily contribute; that the People would naturally fall into them; and so hold that Proportion in all Trades; Manufactures; and Professions; as well as Cultivation of Land; that the Nature of Things themselves would plainly and sufficiently point out! And the Rise of Rents of late Years; which like all other Things could only rise from the extraordinary Demand for Lands; is a Demonstration that all Things would certainly thus work of themselves; just as they should do; and as the Author of Nature designed; if the People could have had more Land; instead of raising the Rents; as they wanted it; for this is really that Course of Providence; which is established in the Nature of Things; for the Provision and Happiness of Mankind。 I shall now proceed to shew that the prohibiting the current Coin to be exported is certain Loss to the Nation。 For we can have no Occasion to send Money; or Bullion; or foreign Coin to any Nation; unles