wealbk05-第58章

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accounts　laid　before　the　congress；　the　twelve　associated

provinces　of　America　contain　more　than　three。　Those　accounts；

however；　may　have　been　exaggerated；　in　order；　perhaps；　either　to

encourage　their　own　people；　or　to　intimidate　those　of　this

country；　and　we　shall　suppose；　therefore；　that　our　North　American

and　West　Indian　colonies　taken　together　contain　no　more　than

three　millions；　or　that　the　whole　British　empire；　in　Europe　and

America；　contains　no　more　than　thirteen　millions　of　inhabitants。

If　upon　less　than　eight　millions　of　inhabitants　this　system　of

taxation　raises　a　revenue　of　more　than　ten　millions　sterling；　it

ought　upon　thirteen　millions　of　inhabitants　to　raise　a　revenue　of

more　than　sixteen　millions　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　pounds

sterling。　From　this　revenue；　supposing　that　this　system　could

produce　it；　must　be　deducted　the　revenue　usually　raised　in

Ireland　and　the　plantations　for　defraying　the　expense　of　their

respective　civil　governments。　The　expense　of　the　civil　and

military　establishment　of　Ireland；　together　with　the　interest　of

the　public　debt；　amounts；　at　a　medium　of　the　two　years　which

ended　March　1775；　to　something　less　than　seven　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　pounds　a　year。　By　a　very　exact　account　of　the　revenue　of

the　principal　colonies　of　America　and　the　West　Indies；　it

amounted；　before　the　commencement　of　the　present　disturbances；　to

a　hundred　and　forty…one　thousand　eight　hundred　pounds。　In　this

account；　however；　the　revenue　of　Maryland；　of　North　Carolina；　and

of　all　our　late　acquisitions　both　upon　the　continent　and　in　the

islands　is　omitted；　which　may　perhaps　make　a　difference　of　thirty

or　forty　thousand　pounds。　For　the　sake　of　even　numbers；

therefore；　let　us　suppose　that　the　revenue　necessary　for

supporting　the　civil　government　of　Ireland　and　the　plantations

may　amount　to　a　million。　There　would　remain　consequently　a

revenue　of　fifteen　millions　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　pounds

to　be　applied　towards　defraying　the　general　expense　of　the

empire；　and　towards　paying　the　public　debt。　But　if　from　the

present　revenue　of　Great　Britain　a　million　could　in　peaceable

times　be　spared　towards　the　payment　of　that　debt；　six　millions

two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　pounds　could　very　well　be　spared

from　this　improved　revenue。　This　great　sinking　fund；　too；　might

be　augmented　every　year　by　the　interest　of　the　debt　which　had

been　discharged　the　year　before；　and　might　in　this　manner

increase　so　very　rapidly　as　to　be　sufficient　in　a　few　years　to

discharge　the　whole　debt；　and　thus　to　restore　completely　the　at

present　debilitated　and　languishing　vigour　of　the　empire。　In　the

meantime　the　people　might　be　relieved　from　some　of　the　most

burdensome　taxes；　from　those　which　are　imposed　either　upon　the

necessaries　of　life；　or　upon　the　materials　of　manufacture。　The

labouring　poor　would　thus　be　enabled　to　live　better；　to　work

cheaper；　and　to　send　their　goods　cheaper　to　market。　The　cheapness

of　their　goods　would　increase　the　demand　for　them；　and

consequently　for　the　labour　of　those　who　produced　them。　This

increase　in　the　demand　for　labour　would　both　increase　the　numbers

and　improve　the　circumstances　of　the　labouring　poor。　Their

consumption　would　increase；　and　together　with　it　the　revenue

arising　from　all　those　articles　of　their　consumption　upon　which

the　taxes　might　be　allowed　to　remain。

　　　　　The　revenue　arising　from　this　system　of　taxation；　however；

might　not　immediately　increase　in　proportion　to　the　number　of

people　who　were　subjected　to　it。　Great　indulgence　would　for　some

time　be　due　to　those　provinces　of　the　empire　which　were　thus

subjected　to　burdens　to　which　they　had　not　before　been

accustomed；　and　even　when　the　same　taxes　came　to　be　levied

everywhere　as　exactly　as　possible；　they　would　not　everywhere

produce　a　revenue　proportioned　to　the　numbers　of　the　people。　In　a

poor　country　the　consumption　of　the　principal　commodities　subject

to　the　duties　of　customs　and　excise　is　very　small；　and　in　a

thinly　inhabited　country　the　opportunities　of　smuggling　are　very

great。　The　consumption　of　malt　liquors　among　the　inferior　ranks

of　people　in　Scotland　is　very　small；　and　the　excise　upon　malt；

beer；　and　ale　produces　less　there　than　in　England　in　proportion

to　the　numbers　of　the　people　and　the　rate　of　the　duties；　which

upon　malt　is　different　on　account　of　a　supposed　difference　of

quality。　In　these　particular　branches　of　the　excise　there　is　not；

I　apprehend；　much　more　smuggling　in　the　one　country　than　in　the

other。　The　duties　upon　the　distillery；　and　the　greater　part　of

the　duties　of　customs；　in　proportion　to　the　numbers　of　people　in

the　respective　countries；　produce　less　in　Scotland　than　in

England；　not　only　on　account　of　the　smaller　consumption　of　the

taxed　commodities；　but　of　the　much　greater　facility　of　smuggling。

In　Ireland　the　inferior　ranks　of　people　are　still　poorer　than　in

Scotland；　and　many　parts　of　the　country　are　almost　as　thinly

inhabited。　In　Ireland；　therefore；　the　consumption　of　the　taxed

commodities　might；　in　proportion　to　the　number　of　the　people；　be

still　less　than　Scotland；　and　the　facility　of　smuggling　nearly

the　same。　In　America　and　the　West　Indies　the　white　people　even　of

the　lowest　rank　are　in　much　better　circumstances　than　those　of

the　same　rank　in　England；　and　their　consumption　of　all　the

luxuries　in　which　they　usually　indulge　themselves　is　probably

much　greater。　The　blacks；　indeed；　who　make　the　greater　part　of

the　inhabitants　both　of　the　southern　colonies　upon　the　continent

and　of　the　West　India　islands；　as　they　are　in　a　state　of　slavery；

are；　no　doubt；　in　a　worse　condition　than　the　poorest　people

either　in　Scotland　or　Ireland。　We　must　not；　however；　upon　that

account；　imagine　that　they　are　worse　fed；　or　that　their

consumption　of　articles　which　might　be　subjected　to　moderate

duties　is　less　than　that　even　of　the　lower　ranks　of　people　in

England。　In　order　that　they　may　work　well；　it　is　the　interest　of

their　master　that　they　should　be　fed　well　and　kept　in　good　heart

in　the　same　manner　as　it　is　his　interest　that　his　working　cattle

should　be　so。　The　blacks　accordingly　have　almost　everywhere　their

allowance　of　rum　and　molasses　or　spruce　beer　in　the　same　manner

as　the　white　servants；　and　this　allowance　would　not　probably　be

withdrawn　though　those　articles　should　be　subjected　to　moderate

duties。　The　consumption　of　the　taxed　commodities；　therefore；　in

proportion　to　the　number　of　inhabitants；　would　probably　be　as

great　in　America　and　the　West　Indies　as　in　any　part　of　the

British　empire。　The　opportunities　of　smuggling；　indeed；　would　be

much　greater；　America；　in　proportion　to　the　extent　of　the

country；　being　much　more　thinly　inhabited　than　either　Scotland　or

Ireland。　If　the　revenue；　however；　which　is　at　present　raised　by

the　different　duties　upon　malt　and　malt　liquors　were　to　be　levied

by　a　single　duty　upon　malt；　the　opportunity　of　smuggling　in　the

most　important　branch　of　the　excise　would　be　almost　entirely

taken　away：　and　if　the　duties　of　customs；　instead　of　being

imposed　upon　almost　all　the　different　articles　of　importation；

were　confined　to　a　few　of　the　most　general　use　and　consumption；

and　if　the　levying　of　those　duties　were　subjected　to　the　excise

laws；　the　opportunity　of　smuggling；　though　not　so　entirely　taken

away；　would　be　very　much　diminished。　In　consequence　of　those　two；

apparently；　very　simple　and　easy　alterations；　the　duties　of

customs　and　excise　might　probably　produce　a　revenue　as　great　in

proportion　to　the　consumption　of　the　most　thinly　inhabited

province　as　they　do　at　present　in　proportion　to　that　of　the　most

populous。

　　　　　The　Americans；　it　has　been　said；　indeed；　have　no　gold　or

silver　money；　the　interior　commerce　of　the　country　being　carried

on　by　a　paper　currency；　and　the　gold　and　silver　which

occasionally　come　among　them　being　all　sent　to　Great　Britain　in

return　for　the　commodities　which　they　receive　from　us。　But

without　gold　and　silver；　it　is　added；　there　is　no　possibility　of

paying　taxes。　We　already　get　all　the　gold　and　silver　which　they

have。　How　is　it　possible　to　draw　from　them　what　they　have　not？

　　　　　The　present　scarcity　of　gold　and　silver　money　in　America　is

not　the　effect　of　the　poverty　of　that　country；　or　of　the

inability　of　the　people　there　to　purchase　those　metals。　In　a

country　where　the　wages　of　labour　are　so　much　higher；　and　the

price　of　provisions　so　much　lower　than　in　England；　the　greater

part　of　the　people　must　surely　have　wherewithal　to　purchase　a

greater　quantity　if　it　were　either　necessary　or　convenient　for

them　to　do　so。　The　scarcity　of　those　metals；　therefore；　must　be

the　effect　of　choice；　and　not　of　necessity。

　　　　　It　is　for　transacting　either　domestic　or　foreign　business

that　gold　and　silver　money　is　either　necessary　or　convenient。

　　　　　The　domestic　business　of　every　country；　it　has　been　shown　in

the　second　book　of　this　Inquiry；　may；　at　least　in　peaceable

times；　be　transacted　by　means　of　a　paper　currency　with　nearly　the

same　degree　of　conveniency　as　by　gold　and　silver　money。　It　is

convenient　for　the　Americans；　who　could　always　employ　with　profit

in　the　improvement　of　their　lands　a　greater　stock　than　they　can

easily　get；　to　save　as　much　as　possible　the　expense　of　so　costly

an　instrument　of　commerce　as　gold　and　silver；　and　rather　to

employ　that　part　of　their　surplus　produce　which　would　be

necessary　for　purchasing　those　metals　in　purchasing　the

instruments　of　trade；　the　materials　of　clothing；　several　parts　of

household　furniture；　and　the　ironwork　necessary　for　building　and

extending　their　settlements　and　plantations；　in　purchasing；　not

dead　stock；　but　active　and　productive　stock。　The　colony

governments　find　it　for　their　interest　to　supply　the　people　with

such　a　quantity　of　papermoney　as　is　fully　sufficient　and

generally　more　than　sufficient　for　transacting　their　domestic

business。　Some　of　those　governments；　that　of　Pennsylvania

particularly；　derive　a　revenue　from　lending　this　paper…money　to

their　subjects　at　an　interest　of　so　much　per　cent。　Others；　like

that　of　Massachusetts　Bay；　advance　upon　extraordinary　emergencies

a　paper…money　of　this　kind　for　defraying　the　public　expense；　and

afterwards；　when　it　suits　the　conveniency　of　the　colony；　redeem

it　at　the　depreciated　value　to　which　it　gradually　falls。　In　1747；

that　colony　paid；　in　this　manner；　the　greater　part　of　its　public

debts　with　the　tenth　part　of　the　money　for　which　its　bills　had

been　granted。　It　suits　the　conveniency　of　the　planters　to　save

the　expense　of　employing　gold　and　silver　money　in　their　domestic

transactions；　and　it　suits　the　conveniency　of　the　colony

governments　to　supply　them　with　a　medium　which；　though　attended

with　some　very　considerable　disadvantages；　enables　them　to　save

that　expense。　The　redundancy　of　paper…money　necessarily　banishes

gold　and　silver　from　the　domestic　transactions　of　the　colonies；

for　the　same　reason　that　it　has