wealbk05-第52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！



　　　　　When　this　resource　is　exhausted；　and　it　becomes　necessary；

in　order　to　raise　money；　to　assign　or　mortgage　some　particular

branch　of　the　public　revenue　for　the　payment　of　the　debt；

government　has　upon　different　occasions　done　this　in　two

different　ways。　Sometimes　it　has　made　this　assignment　or　mortgage

for　a　short　period　of　time　only；　a　year；　or　a　few　years；　for

example；　and　sometimes　for　perpetuity。　In　the　one　case　the　fund

was　supposed　sufficient　to　pay；　within　the　limited　time；　both

principal　and　interest　of　the　money　borrowed。　In　the　other　it　was

supposed　sufficient　to　pay　the　interest　only；　or　a　perpetual

annuity　equivalent　to　the　interest；　government　being　at　liberty

to　redeem　at　any　time　this　annuity　upon　paying　back　the　principal

sum　borrowed。　When　money　was　raised　in　the　one　way；　it　was　said

to　be　raised　by　anticipation；　when　in　the　other；　by　perpetual

funding；　or；　more　shortly；　by　funding。

　　　　　In　Great　Britain　the　land　and　malt　taxes　are　regularly

anticipated　every　year；　by　virtue　of　a　borrowing　clause

constantly　inserted　into　the　acts　which　impose　them。　The　Bank　of

England　generally　advances　at　an　interest；　which　since　the

Revolution　has　varied　from　eight　to　three　per　cent；　the　sums　for

which　those　taxes　are　granted；　and　receives　payment　as　their

produce　gradually　comes　in。　If　there　is　a　deficiency；　which　there

always　is；　it　is　provided　for　in　the　supplies　of　the　ensuing

year。　The　only　considerable　branch　of　the　public　revenue　which

yet　remains　unmortgaged　is　thus　regularly　spent　before　it　comes

in。　Like　an　improvident　spendthrift；　whose　pressing　occasions

will　not　allow　him　to　wait　for　the　regular　payment　of　his

revenue；　the　state　is　in　the　constant　practice　of　borrowing　of

its　own　factors　and　agents；　and　of　paying　interest　for　the　use　of

its　own　money。

　　　　　In　the　reign　of　King　William；　and　during　a　great　part　of

that　of　Queen　Anne；　before　we　had　become　so　familiar　as　we　are

now　with　the　practice　of　perpetual　funding；　the　greater　part　of

the　new　taxes　were　imposed　but　for　a　short　period　of　time　（for

four；　five；　six；　or　seven　years　only）；　and　a　great　part　of　the

grants　of　every　year　consisted　in　loans　upon　anticipations　of　the

produce　of　those　taxes。　The　produce　being　frequently　insufficient

for　paying　within　the　limited　term　the　principal　and　interest　of

the　money　borrowed；　deficiencies　arose；　to　make　good　which　it

became　necessary　to　prolong　the　term。

　　　　　In　1697；　by　the　8th　of　William　III；　c。　20；　the　deficiencies

of　several　taxes　were　charged　upon　what　was　then　called　the　first

general　mortgage　or　fund；　consisting　of　a　prolongation　to　the

first　of　August　1706　of　several　different　taxes　which　would　have

expired　within　a　shorter　term；　and　of　which　the　produce　was

accumulated　into　one　general　fund。　The　deficiencies　charged　upon

this　prolonged　term　amounted　to　L5；160；459　14s。　9　1/4d。

　　　　　In　1701；　those　duties；　with　some　others；　were　still　further

prolonged　for　the　like　purposes　till　the　first　of　August　1710；

and　were　called　the　second　general　mortgage　or　fund。　The

deficiencies　charged　upon　it　amounted　to　L2；055；999　7s。　11　1/2d。

　　　　　In　1707；　those　duties　were　still　further　prolonged；　as　a

fund　for　new　loans；　to　the　first　of　August　1712；　and　were　called

the　third　general　mortgage　or　fund。　The　sum　borrowed　upon　it　was

L983；254　11s。　9　1/4d。

　　　　　In　1708；　those　duties　were　all　（except　the　Old　Subsidy　of

Tonnage　and　Poundage；　of　which　one　moiety　only　was　made　a　part　of

this　fund；　and　a　duty　upon　the　importation　of　Scotch　linen；　which

had　been　taken　off　by　the　Articles　of　Union）　still　further

continued；　as　a　fund　for　new　loans；　to　the　first　of　August　1714；

and　were　called　the　fourth　general　mortgage　or　fund。　The　sum

borrowed　upon　it　was　L925；176　9s。　2　1/4d。

　　　　　In　1709；　those　cities　were　all　（except　the　Old　Subsidy　of

Tonnage　and　Poundage；　which　was　now　left　out　of　this　fund

altogether）　still　further　continued　for　the　same　purpose　to　the

first　of　August　1716；　and　were　called　the　fifth　general　mortgage

or　fund。　The　sum　borrowed　upon　it　was　L922；029　6s。

　　　　　In　1710；　those　duties　were　again　prolonged　to　the　first　of

August　1720；　and　were　called　the　sixth　general　mortgage　or　fund。

The　sum　borrowed　upon　it　was　L1；296；552　9s。　11　3/4d。

　　　　　In　1711；　the　same　duties　（which　at　this　time　were　thus

subject　to　four　different　anticipations）　together　with　several

others　were　continued　for　ever；　and　made　a　fund　for　paying　the

interest　of　the　capital　of　the　South　Sea　Company；　which　had　that

year　advanced　to　government；　for　paying　debts　and　making　good

deficiencies；　the　sum　of　L9；177；967　15s。　4d。；　the　greatest　loan

which　at　that　time　had　ever　been　made。

　　　　　Before　this　period；　the　principal；　so　far　as　I　have　been

able　to　observe；　the　only　taxes　which　in　order　to　pay　the

interest　of　a　debt　had　been　imposed　for　perpetuity；　were　those

for　paying　the　interest　of　the　money　which　had　been　advanced　to

government　by　the　Bank　and　the　East　India　Company；　and　of　what　it

was　expected　would　be　advanced；　but　which　was　never　advanced；　by

a　projected　land　bank。　The　bank　fund　at　this　time　amounted　to

L3；375；027　17s。　10　1/2d。；　for　which　was　paid　an　annuity　or

interest　of　L206；501　13s。　5d。　The　East　India　fund　amounted　to

L3；200；000；　for　which　was　paid　an　annuity　or　interest　of

L160；000…　the　bank　fund　being　at　six　per　cent；　the　East　India

fund　at　five　per　cent　interest。

　　　　　In　1715；　by　the　1st　of　George　I；　c。　12；　the　different　taxes

which　had　been　mortgaged　for　paying　the　bank　annuity；　together

with　several　others　which　by　this　act　were　likewise　rendered

perpetual；　were　accumulated　into　one　common　fund　called　The

Aggregate　Fund；　which　was　charged　not　only　with　the　payments　of

the　bank　annuity；　but　with　several　other　annuities　and　burdens　of

different　kinds。　This　fund　was　afterwards　augmented　by　the　3rd　of

George　I；　c。　8；　and　by　the　5th　of　George　I；　c。　3；　and　the

different　duties　which　were　then　added　to　it　were　likewise

rendered　perpetual。

　　　　　In　1717；　by　the　3rd　of　George　I；　c。　7；　several　other　taxes

were　rendered　perpetual；　and　accumulated　into　another　common

fund；　called　The　General　Fund；　for　the　payment　of　certain

annuities；　amounting　in　the　whole　to　L724；849　6s。　10　1/2d。

　　　　　In　consequence　of　those　different　acts；　the　greater　part　of

the　taxes　which　before　had　been　anticipated　only　for　a　short　term

of　years　were　rendered　perpetual　as　a　fund　for　paying；　not　the

capital；　but　the　interest　only；　of　the　money　which　had　been

borrowed　upon　them　by　different　successive　anticipations。

　　　　　Had　money　never　been　raised　but　by　anticipation；　the　course

of　a　few　years　would　have　liberated　the　public　revenue　without

any　other　attention　of　government　besides　that　of　not　overloading

the　fund　by　charging　it　with　more　debt　than　it　could　pay　within

the　limited　term；　and　of　not　anticipating　a　second　time　before

the　expiration　of　the　first　anticipation。　But　the　greater　part　of

European　governments　have　been　incapable　of　those　attentions。

They　have　frequently　overloaded　the　fund　even　upon　the　first

anticipation；　and　when　this　happened　not　to　be　the　case；　they

have　generally　taken　care　to　overload　it　by　anticipating　a　second

and　a　third　time　before　the　expiration　of　the　first　anticipation。

The　fund　becoming　in　this　manner　altogether　insufficient　for

paying　both　principal　and　interest　of　the　money　borrowed　upon　it；

it　became　necessary　to　charge　it　with　the　interest　only；　or　a

perpetual　annuity　equal　to　the　interest；　and　such　unprovident

anticipations　necessarily　gave　birth　to　the　more　ruinous　practice

of　perpetual　funding。　But　though　this　practice　necessarily　puts

off　the　liberation　of　the　public　revenue　from　a　fixed　period　to

one　so　indefinite　that　it　is　not　very　likely　ever　to　arrive；　yet

as　a　greater　sum　can　in　all　cases　be　raised　by　this　new　practice

than　by　the　old　one　of　anticipations；　the　former；　when　men　have

once　become　familiar　with　it；　has　in　the　great　exigencies　of　the

state　been　universally　preferred　to　the　latter。　To　relieve　the

present　exigency　is　always　the　object　which　principally　interests

those　immediately　concerned　in　the　administration　of　public

affairs。　The　future　liberation　of　the　public　revenue　they　leave

to　the　care　of　posterity。

　　　　　During　the　reign　of　Queen　Anne；　the　market　rate　of　interest

had　fallen　from　six　to　five　per　cent；　and　in　the　twelfth　year　of

her　reign　five　per　cent　was　declared　to　be　the　highest　rate　which

could　lawfully　be　taken　for　money　borrowed　upon　private　security。

Soon　after　the　greater　part　of　the　temporary　taxes　of　Great

Britain　had　been　rendered　perpetual；　and　distributed　into　the

Aggregate；　South　Sea；　and　General　Funds；　the　creditors　of　the

public；　like　those　of　private　persons；　were　induced　to　accept　of

five　per　cent　for　the　interest　of　their　money；　which　occasioned　a

saving　of　one　per　cent　upon　the　capital　of　the　greater　part　of

the　debts　which　had　been　thus　funded　for　perpetuity；　or　of

one…sixth　of　the　greater　part　of　the　annuities　which　were　paid

out　of　the　three　great　funds　above　mentioned。　This　saving　left　a

considerable　surplus　in　the　produce　of　the　different　taxes　which

had　been　accumulated　into　those　funds　over　and　above　what　was

necessary　for　paying　the　annuities　which　were　now　charged　upon

them；　and　laid　the　foundation　of　what　has　since　been　called　the

Sinking　Fund。　In　1717；　it　amounted　to　L323；434　7s。　7　1/2d。　In

1727；　the　interest　of　the　greater　part　of　the　public　debts　was

still　further　reduced　to　four　per　cent；　and　in　1753　and　1757；　to

three　and　a　half　and　three　per　cent；　which　reductions　still

further　augmented　the　sinking　fund。

　　　　　A　sinking　fund；　though　instituted　for　the　payment　of　old；

facilitates　very　much　the　contracting　of　new　debts。　It　is　a

subsidiary　fund　always　at　hand　to　be　mortgaged　in　aid　of　any

other　doubtful　fund　upon　which　money　is　proposed　to　be　raised　in

an　exigency　of　the　state。　Whether　the　sinking　fund　of　Great

Britain　has　been　more　frequently　applied　to　the　one　or　to　the

other　of　those　two　purposes　will　sufficiently　appear　by　and　by。

　　　　　Besides　those　two　methods　of　borrowing；　by　anticipations　and

by　perpetual　funding；　there　are　two　other　methods　which　hold　a

sort　of　middle　place　between　them。　These　are；　that　of　borrowing

upon　annuities　for　terms　of　years；　and　that　of　borrowing　upon

annuities　for　lives。

　　　　　During　the　reigns　of　King　William　and　Queen　Anne；　large　sums

were　frequently　borrowed　upon　annuities　for　terms　of　years；　which

were　sometimes　longer　and　sometimes　shorter。　In　1693；　an　act　was

passed　for　borrowing　one　million　upon　an　annuity　of　fourteen　per

cent；　or　of　L140；000　a　year　for　sixteen　years。　In　1691；　an　act

was　passed　for　borrowing　a　million　upon　annuities　for　lives；　upon

terms　which　in　the　present　times　would　appear　very　advantageous。

But　the　subscription　was　not　filled　up。　In　the　following　year　the

deficiency　was　made　good　by　borrowing　upon　annuities　for　li