wealbk04-第60部分

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by　our　own　people；　they　endeavour　to　buy　the　work　of　the　poor

spinners　as　cheap　as　possible。　They　are　as　intent　to　keep　down

the　wages　of　their　own　weavers　as　the　earnings　of　the　poor

spinners；　and　it　is　by　no　means　for　the　benefit　of　the　workman

that　they　endeavour　either　to　raise　the　price　of　the　complete

work　or　to　lower　that　of　the　rude　materials。　It　is　the　industry

which　is　carried　on　for　the　benefit　of　the　rich　and　the　powerful

that　is　principally　encouraged　by　our　mercantile　system。　That

which　is　carried　on　for　the　benefit　of　the　poor　and　the　indigent

is　too　often　either　neglected　or　oppressed。

　　　　　Both　the　bounty　upon　the　exportation　of　linen；　and　the

exemption　from　duty　upon　the　importation　of　foreign　yarn；　which

were　granted　only　for　fifteen　years；　but　continued　by　two

different　prolongations；　expire　with　the　end　of　the　session　of

Parliament　which　shall　immediately　follow　the　24th　of　June　1786。

　　　　　The　encouragement　given　to　the　importation　of　the　materials

of　manufacture　by　bounties　has　been　principally　confined　to　such

as　were　imported　from　our　American　plantations。

　　　　　The　first　bounties　of　this　kind　were　those　granted　about　the

beginning　of　the　present　century　upon　the　importation　of　naval

stores　from　America。　Under　this　denomination　were　comprehended

timber　fit　for　masts；　yards；　and　bowsprits；　hemp；　tar；　pitch；　and

turpentine。　The　bounty；　however；　of　one　pound　the　ton　upon

masting…timber；　and　that　of　six　pounds　the　ton　upon　hemp；　were

extended　to　such　as　should　be　imported　into　England　from

Scotland。　Both　these　bounties　continued　without　any　variation；　at

the　same　rate；　till　they　were　severally　allowed　to　expire；　that

upon　hemp　on　the　1st　of　January　1741；　and　that　upon

masting…timber　at　the　end　of　the　session　of　Parliament

immediately　following　the　24th　June　1781。

　　　　　The　bounties　upon　the　importation　of　tar；　pitch；　and

turpentine　underwent；　during　their　continuance；　several

alterations。　Originally　that　upon　tar　was　four　pounds　the　ton；

that　upon　pitch　the　same；　and　that　upon　turpentine；　three　pounds

the　ton。　The　bounty　of　four　pounds　the　ton　upon　tar　was

afterwards　confined　to　such　as　had　been　prepared　in　a　particular

manner；　that　upon　other　good；　clean；　and　merchantable　tar　was

reduced　to　two　pounds　four　shillings　the　ton。　The　bounty　upon

pitch　was　likewise　reduced　to　one　pound；　and　that　upon　turpentine

to　one　pound　ten　shillings　the　ton。

　　　　　The　second　bounty　upon　the　importation　of　any　of　the

materials　of　manufacture；　according　to　the　order　of　time；　was

that　granted　by　the　21st　George　II；　c。　30；　upon　the　importation

of　indigo　from　the　British　plantations。　When　the　plantation

indigo　was　worth　three…fourths　of　the　price　of　the　best　French

indigo；　it　was　by　this　act　entitled　to　a　bounty　of　sixpence　the

pound。　This　bounty；　which；　like　most　others；　was　granted　only　for

a　limited　time；　was　continued　by　several　prolongations；　but　was

reduced　to　fourpence　the　pound。　It　was　allowed　to　expire　with　the

end　of　the　session　of　Parliament　which　followed　the　25th　March

1781。

　　　　　The　third　bounty　of　this　kind　was　that　granted　（much　about

the　time　that　we　were　beginning　sometimes　to　court　and　sometimes

to　quarrel　with　our　American　colonies）　by　the　4th　George　III；　c。

26；　upon　the　importation　of　hemp；　or　undressed　flax；　from　the

British　plantations。　This　bounty　was　granted　for　twenty…one

years；　from　the　24th　June　1764　to　the　24th　June　1785。　For　the

first　seven　years　it　was　to　be　at　the　rate　of　eight　pounds　the

ton；　for　the　second　at　six　pounds；　and　for　the　third　at　four

pounds。　It　was　not　extended　to　Scotland；　of　which　the　climate

（although　hemp　is　sometimes　raised　there　in　small　quantities　and

of　an　inferior　quality）　is　not　very　fit　for　that　produce。　Such　a

bounty　upon　the　importation　of　Scotch　flax　into　England　would

have　been　too　great　a　discouragement　to　the　native　produce　of　the

southern　part　of　the　United　Kingdom。

　　　　　The　fourth　bounty　of　this　kind　was　that　granted　by　the　5th

George　III；　c。　45；　upon　the　importation　of　wood　from　America。　It

was　granted　for　nine　years；　from　the　1st　January　1766　to　the　1st

January　1775。　During　the　first　three　years；　it　was　to　be　for

every　hundred　and　twenty　good　deals；　at　the　rate　of　one　pound；

and　for　every　load　containing　fifty　cubic　feet　of　other　squared

timber　at　the　rate　of　twelve　shillings。　For　the　second　three

years；　it　was　for　deals　to　be　at。　the　rate　of　fifteen　shillings；

and　for　other　squared　timber　at　the　rate　of　eight　shillings；　and

for　the　third　three　years；　it　was　for　deals　to　be　at　the　rate　of

ten　shillings；　and　for　other　squared　timber　at　the　rate　of　five

shillings。

　　　　　The　fifth　bounty　of　this　kind　was　that　granted　by　the　9th

George　III；　c。　38；　upon　the　importation　of　raw　silk　from　the

British　plantations。　It　was　granted　for　twenty…one　years；　from

the　1st　January　1770　to　the　1st　January　1791。　For　the　first　seven

years　it　was　to　be　at　the　rate　of　twenty…five　pounds　for　every

hundred　pounds　value；　for　the　second　at　twenty　pounds；　and　for

the　third　at　fifteen　pounds。　The　management　of　the　silk　worm；　and

the　preparation　of　silk；　requires　so　much　hand　labour；　and　labour

is　so　very　dear　in　America　that　even　this　great　bounty；　I　have

been　informed；　was　not　likely　to　produce　any　considerable　effect。

　　　　　The　sixth　bounty　of　this　kind　was　that　granted　by　2nd　George

III；　c。　50；　for　the　importation　of　pipe；　hogshead；　and　barrel

staves　and　heading　from　the　British　plantations。　It　was　granted

for　nine　years；　from　1st　January　1772　to　the　1st　January　1781。

For　the　first　three　years　it　was　for　a　certain　quantity　of　each

to　be　at　the　rate　of　six　pounds；　for　the　second　three　years　at

four　pounds；　and　for　the　third　three　years　at　two　pounds。

　　　　　The　seventh　and　last　bounty　of　this　kind　was　that　granted　by

the　19th　George　III；　c。　37；　upon　the　importation　of　hemp　from

Ireland。　It　was　granted　in　the　same　manner　as　that　for　the

importation　of　hemp　and　undressed　flax　from　America；　for

twenty…one　years；　from　the　24th　June　1779　to　the　24th　June　1800。

This　term　is　divided；　likewise；　into　three　periods　of　seven　years

each；　and　in　each　of　those　periods　the　rate　of　the　Irish　bounty

is　the　same　with　that　of　the　American。　It　does　not；　however；　like

the　American　bounty；　extend　to　the　importation　of　undressed　flax。

It　would　have　been　too　great　a　discouragement　to　the　cultivation

of　that　plant　in　Great　Britain。　When　this　last　bounty　was

granted；　the　British　and　Irish　legislatures　were　not　in　much

better　humour　with　one　another　than　the　British　and　American　had

been　before。　But　this　boon　to　Ireland；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　has

been　granted　under　more　fortunate　auspices　than　all　those　to

America。

　　　　　The　same　commodities　upon　which　we　thus　gave　bounties　when

imported　from　America　were　subjected　to　considerable　duties　when

imported　from　any　other　country。　The　interest　of　our　American

colonies　was　regarded　as　the　same　with　that　of　the　mother

country。　Their　wealth　was　considered　as　our　wealth。　Whatever

money　was　sent　out　to　them；　it　was　said；　came　all　back　to　us　by

the　balance　of　trade；　and　we　could　never　become　a　farthing　the

poorer　by　any　expense　which　we　could　lay　out　upon　them。　They　were

our　own　in　every　respect；　and　it　was　an　expense　laid　out　upon　the

improvement　of　our　own　property　and　for　the　profitable　employment

of　our　own　people。　It　is　unnecessary；　I　apprehend；　at　present　to

say　anything　further　in　order　to　expose　the　folly　of　a　system

which　fatal　experience　has　now　sufficiently　exposed。　Had　our

American　colonies　really　been　a　part　of　Great　Britain；　those

bounties　might　have　been　considered　as　bounties　upon　production；

and　would　still　have　been　liable　to　all　the　objections　to　which

such　bounties　are　liable；　but　to　no　other。

　　　　　The　exportation　of　the　materials　of　manufacture　is　sometimes

discouraged　by　absolute　prohibitions；　and　sometimes　by　high

duties。

　　　　　Our　woollen　manufacturers　have　been　more　successful　than　any

other　class　of　workmen　in　persuading　the　legislature　that　the

prosperity　of　the　nation　depended　upon　the　success　and　extension

of　their　particular　business。　They　have　not　only　obtained　a

monopoly　against　the　consumers　by　an　absolute　prohibition　of

importing　woollen　cloths　from　any　foreign　country；　but　they　have

likewise　obtained　another　monopoly　against　the　sheep　farmers　and

growers　of　wool　by　a　similar　prohibition　of　the　exportation　of

live　sheep　and　wool。　The　severity　of　many　of　the　laws　which　have

been　enacted　for　the　security　of　the　revenue　is　very　justly

complained　of；　as　imposing　heavy　penalties　upon　actions　which；

antecedent　to　the　statutes　that　declared　them　to　be　crimes；　had

always　been　understood　to　be　innocent。　But　the　cruellest　of　our

revenue　laws；　I　will　venture　to　affirm；　are　mild　and　gentle　in

comparison　of　some　of　those　which　the　clamour　of　our　merchants

and　manufacturers　has　extorted　from　the　legislature　for　the

support　of　their　own　absurd　and　oppressive　monopolies。　Like　the

laws　of　Draco；　these　laws　may　be　said　to　be　all　written　in　blood。

　　　　　By　the　8th　of　Elizabeth；　c。　3；　the　exporter