第 16 节
作者:江暖      更新:2021-02-27 02:42      字数:9322
  country; but upon the richness or poverty of the mines; which
  happen at any particular time to supply the great market of the
  commercial world with those metals。 It depends upon the
  proportion between the quantity of labour which is necessary in
  order to bring a certain quantity of gold and silver to market;
  and that which is necessary in order to bring thither a certain
  quantity of any other sort of goods。
  If bankers are restrained from issuing any circulating bank
  notes; or notes payable to the bearer; for less than a certain
  sum; and if they are subjected to the obligation of an immediate
  and unconditional payment of such bank notes as soon as
  presented; their trade may; with safety to the public; be
  rendered in all other respects perfectly free。 The late
  multiplication of banking companies in both parts of the United
  Kingdom; an event by which many people have been much alarmed;
  instead of diminishing; increases the security of the public。 It
  obliges all of them to be more circumspect in their conduct; and;
  by not extending their currency beyond its due proportion to
  their cash; to guard themselves against those malicious runs
  which the rivalship of so many competitors is always ready to
  bring upon them。 It restrains the circulation of each particular
  company within a narrower circle; and reduces their circulating
  notes to a smaller number。 By dividing the whole circulation into
  a greater number of parts; the failure of any one company; an
  accident which; in the course of things; must sometimes happen;
  becomes of less consequence to the public。 This free competition;
  too; obliges all bankers to be more liberal in their dealings
  with their customers; lest their rivals should carry them away。
  In general; if any branch of trade; or any division of labour; be
  advantageous to the public; the freer and more general the
  competition; it will always be the more so。
  CHAPTER III
  Of the Accumulation of Capital; or of Productive and Unproductive
  Labour
  THERE is one sort of labour which adds to the value of the
  subject upon which it is bestowed: there is another which has no
  such effect。 The former; as it produces a value; may be called
  productive; the latter; unproductive labour。 Thus the labour of a
  manufacturer adds; generally; to the value of the materials which
  he works upon; that of his own maintenance; and of his master's
  profit。 The labour of a menial servant; on the contrary; adds to
  the value of nothing。 Though the manufacturer has his wages
  advanced to him by his master; he; in reality; costs him no
  expense; the value of those wages being generally restored;
  together with a profit; in the improved value of the subject upon
  which his labour is bestowed。 But the maintenance of a menial
  servant never is restored。 A man grows rich by employing a
  multitude of manufacturers: he grows poor by maintaining a
  multitude of menial servants。 The labour of the latter; however;
  has its value; and deserves its reward as well as that of the
  former。 But the labour of the manufacturer fixes and realizes
  itself in some particular subject or vendible commodity; which
  lasts for some time at least after that labour is past。 It is; as
  it were; a certain quantity of labour stocked and stored up to be
  employed; if necessary; upon some other occasion。 That subject;
  or what is the same thing; the price of that subject; can
  afterwards; if necessary; put into motion a quantity of labour
  equal to that which had originally produced it。 The labour of the
  menial servant; on the contrary; does not fix or realize itself
  in any particular subject or vendible commodity。 His services
  generally perish in the very instant of their performance; and
  seldom leave any trace or value behind them for which an equal
  quantity of service could afterwards be procured。
  The labour of some of the most respectable orders in the
  society is; like that of menial servants; unproductive of any
  value; and does not fix or realize itself in any permanent
  subject; or vendible commodity; which endures after that labour
  is past; and for which an equal quantity of labour could
  afterwards be procured。 The sovereign; for example; with all the
  officers both of justice and war who serve under him; the whole
  army and navy; are unproductive labourers。 They are the servants
  of the public; and are maintained by a part of the annual produce
  of the industry of other people。 Their service; how honourable;
  how useful; or how necessary soever; produces nothing for which
  an equal quantity of service can afterwards be procured。 The
  protection; security; and defence of the commonwealth; the effect
  of their labour this year will not purchase its protection;
  security; and defence for the year to come。 In the same class
  must be ranked; some both of the gravest and most important; and
  some of the most frivolous professions: churchmen; lawyers;
  physicians; men of letters of all kinds; players; buffoons;
  musicians; opera…singers; opera…dancers; etc。 The labour of the
  meanest of these has a certain value; regulated by the very same
  principles which regulate that of every other sort of labour; and
  that of the n oblest and most useful; 50 produces nothing which
  could afterwards purchase or procure an equal quantity of labour。
  Like the declamation of the actor; the harangue of the orator; or
  the tune of the musician; the work of all of them perishes in the
  very instant of its production。
  Both productive and unproductive labourers; and those who do
  not labour at all; are all equally maintained by the annual
  produce of the land and labour of the country。 This produce; how
  great soever; can never be infinite; but must have certain
  limits。 According; therefore; as a smaller or greater proportion
  of it is in any one year employed in maintaining unproductive
  hands; the more in the one case and the less in the other will
  remain for the productive; and the next year's produce will be
  greater or smaller accordingly; the whole annual produce; if we
  except the spontaneous productions of the earth; being the effect
  of productive labour。
  Though the whole annual produce of the land and labour of
  every country is; no doubt; ultimately destined for supplying the
  consumption of its inhabitants; and for procuring a revenue to
  them; yet when it first comes either from the ground; or from the
  hands of the productive labourers; it naturally divides itself
  into two parts。 One of them; and frequently the largest; is; in
  the first place; destined for replacing a capital; or for
  renewing the provisions; materials; and finished work; which had
  been withdrawn from a capital; the other for constituting a
  revenue either to the owner of this capital; as the profit of his
  stock; or to some other person; as the rent of his land。 Thus; of
  the produce of land; one part replaces the capital of the farmer;
  the other pays his profit and the rent of the landlord; and thus
  constitutes a revenue both to the owner of this capital; as the
  profits of his stock; and to some other person; as the rent of
  his land。 Of the produce of a great manufactory; in the same
  manner; one part; and that always the largest; replaces the
  capital of the undertaker of the work; the other pays his profit;
  and thus constitutes a revenue to the owner of this capital。
  That part of the annual produce of the land and labour of
  any country which replaces a capital never is immediately
  employed to maintain any but productive hands。 It pays the wages
  of productive labour only。 That which is immediately destined for
  constituting a revenue; either as profit or as rent; may maintain
  indifferently either productive or unproductive hands。
  Whatever part of his stock a man employs as a capital; he
  always expects is to be replaced to him with a profit。 He employs
  it; therefore; in maintaining productive bands only; and after
  having served in the function of a capital to him; it constitutes
  a revenue to them。 Whenever he employs any part of it in
  maintaining unproductive hands of any kind; that part is; from
  that moment; withdrawn from his capital; and placed in his stock
  reserved for immediate consumption。
  Unproductive labourers; and those who do not labour at all;
  are all maintained by revenue; either; first; by that part of the
  annual produce which is originally destined for constituting a
  revenue to some particular persons; either as the rent of land or
  as the profits of stock; or; secondly; by that part which; though
  originally destined for replacing a capital and for maintaining
  productive labourers only; yet when it comes into their hands
  whatever part of it is over and above their necessary subsistence
  may be employed in maintaining indifferently either productive or
  unproductive hands。 Thus; not only the great landlord or the rich
  merchant; but even the common workman; if his wages are
  considerable; may maintain a menial servant; or he may sometimes
  go to a play or a puppetshow; and so contribute his share towards
  maintaining one set