登陆注册
4712300000055

第55章

In France the cost of minting is deducted, usually 1?per cent, i.e. the price for coin is always higher than for uncoined metal. To know whether France loses in the general valance of her trade, it will suffice to know whether the bankers send French coins abroad. If they do so it is a proof that they do not find bullion to buy for export, since the bullion though at a lower price than coined money in France, is of greater value than these coins in foreign countries by at least 1?per cent.

Though the exchanges rarely vary apart from the balance of trade between one country and others, and though this balance is naturally the mere difference in value of the goods and merchandise which the state sends to other countries and receives from them, yet there are often circumstances and accidental causes which cause considerable sums to be conveyed from one state to another without any question of merchandise or trade, and these causes affect the exchanges just as the balance of trade would do.

Such are the sums of money which one state sends into another for its secret services and political aims, for subsidies to allies, for the upkeep of troops, Ambassadors, noblemen who travel, etc., capital which the inhabitants of one state send to another to invest in public or private funds, the interest which these inhabitants receive annually from such investments, etc.

The exchanges vary with all these accidental causes and follow the rule of the transport of silver required. In considering the balance of trade matters of this kind are not separated, and indeed it would be very difficult to separate them. They have very certainly an influence on the increase and decrease of circulating money in a state and on its comparative strength and power.

My subject does not allow me to enlarge on the effects of these accidental causes: I confine myself always to the simple views of commerce lest I should complicate my subject, which is too much encumbered by the multiplicity of the facts which relate to it.

Exchanges rise more or less above par in proportion to the great or small costs and risks of the transport of money and this being granted they naturally rise much more above par in the cities or states where it is forbidden to export money than in those where its export is free.

Suppose that Portugal consumes regularly every year considerable quantities of woollen and other manufactures of England, as well for its own people as for those of Brazil, that it pays for them partly in wine, oils, etc., but for the surplus payment there is a regular balance of trade remitted from Lisbon to London. If the King of Portugal rigorously prohibits under penalty not only of confiscation but of life the transport of any gold or silver metal out of his States, the terror of this prohibition will in the first place stop the Bankers from meddling about sending the balance. The price of the English manufactures will be kept in hand at Lisbon. The English merchants unable to receive their funds from Lisbon will send no more cloth thither. The result will be that cloth will become extraordinarily dear. Though their price has not gone up in England they cease to be sent to Lisbon because their value cannot be recovered. To have these cloths the Portuguese nobility and others who cannot do without them will offer twice the usual price, but as they cannot get enough of them without sending money out of Portugal, the increased price of cloth will become the profit of any one who in spite of the prohibition will export gold or silver. This will encourage various Jews and others to take gold and silver to English vessels in the port of Lisbon, even at the risk of their lives. They will gain at first 100 or 50 per cent in this traffic and this profit is paid by the Portuguese in the high price they give for the cloth. They will gradually familiarise themselves with this manoeuvre after having often practised it successfully, and at length money will be seen to be put on board English ships for a payment of 2 or 1 per cent.

The King of Portugal lays down the law or prohibition. His subjects, even his courtiers, pay the cost of the risk run to circumvent and elude it. No advantage then is gained by such a law, on the contrary it causes a real loss to Portugal since it causes more money of the state to go abroad than if there were no such law.

For those who gain by this manoeuvre, whether Jews or others, send their profits abroad, and when they have enough of them or when they take fright they often themselves follow their money.

If some of these lawbreakers were taken in the act, their goods confiscated and their lives forfeited, this circumstance and execution instead of stopping the export of money would only increase it, because those who formerly were satisfied with 1 or 2 per cent for exporting money will ask 20 or 50 per cent, and so the export must always go on to pay the balance.

I do not know whether I have succeeded in making these reasons clear to those who have no idea of trade. I know that for those who have practical knowledge of it nothing is easier to understand, and that they are rightly astonished that those who govern states and administer the finances of great kingdoms have so little knowledge of the nature of exchanges as to forbid the export of bullion and specie of gold and silver.

The only way to keep them in a state is so to conduct foreign trade that the balance is not adverse to the state.

同类推荐
  • 泄泻门

    泄泻门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 黄檗山寺志

    黄檗山寺志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 防海纪略

    防海纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Black Tulip

    The Black Tulip

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鉴诫录

    鉴诫录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 穿越之远古生存记事

    穿越之远古生存记事

    PS:兮兮新文【穿书后我成了傲娇王爷的心尖宠】已经上传希望亲们能继续支持兮兮 陶夭夭死后魂穿到了远古,可她看到的远古与曾经所了解得一点也不一样。见过一个普通人单手就能将五六十斤的大石头扔出去还屁事没有的到处闲逛吗?见过普通人一跃就是十几米高,从二十多米的树上跳下来还能稳稳站住吗?反正上辈子她没有见过,这辈子每天都能见到。最让她接受无能的是这里的兽动不动就会喷火、喷水、喷冰雹,树木任性到一不高兴就撒欢到处跑,这真的是远古?怎么看都不科学,这是不是那里有些不对?陶夭夭看着围绕着她撒欢争着抢着要与她做朋友的果树,叹了一口气,连她自己也变得不正常了起来,她竟然能听懂树语了,算了,还是先填饱肚子吧!书友交流群:677342385,大家快到碗里来吧
  • 原来婚姻那么疼

    原来婚姻那么疼

    父亲才下葬,竟被我发现丈夫和小妈苟且。这场为了拆迁款而结合的婚姻,我以为可以彼此扶携,却不想一开始就是他们不怀好意的阴谋。面对婆家的贪得无厌,丈夫的纠缠不休和小妈肆意挑衅,无依无靠的我只能奋起反抗,守护自己最终的幸福。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 步步惊仙

    步步惊仙

    世界有开端吗?如果有,在此之前发生过什么?一条气势磅礴的荒脉万年死寂,究竟蛰伏着何等惊天秘辛?一个个道尊大帝前赴后继,只为追逐那星空中亘古长存的杀狱,难道是窥探到了什么不世天机?凡人白漠为族人所害、误入死地,却从此踏上一条铺满陷阱、仙人算计的逆天之途!
  • 庶女成凰

    庶女成凰

    传闻她克父、克母、克六亲。传闻说他杀伐太多,戾气太重,两门亲事新娘都暴毙于新婚之夜,是个克妻狂魔。而转眼间。克父女变成家门福星。克妻狂魔变成宠妻狂魔。
  • 天道为凰

    天道为凰

    (正文已完结,放心阅读)21世纪的死神特工,一朝穿越成了凤家那被人殴打致死的废材二小姐...灵魂回归,三生莲合二为一,开启灵魂空间...禁忌神兽护航,妖孽魔王溺宠入骨....!片段一:“凤千羽,是谁给你的胆子可以殴打本宫?”林贵妃指着她怒骂。“本座给的,有意见?”一袭红袍的国师缓步而来,停在她身边。片段二:“凤千羽,你弑姐杀母不怕天打雷劈吗?”气急败坏的凤丞相指着凤千羽问道。帝夜轩挑眉:“凤丞相,这就不劳你操心了,天打雷劈,本座给羽儿受了便是。”切看废材如何惊才艳艳,携手妖孽魔王傲世天下....(此文一对一宠文,女强男更强=强强联手)欢迎看文
  • 胡雪岩商道

    胡雪岩商道

    《胡雪岩商道》从心性、借势、用人、协作、冒险、胆识、处世等多角度,对胡雪岩成事之道的智慧做了详尽的总结和剖析。他的为人处世,他的奋斗,他对做事业的独特见解,可以成为我们的一盏指路明灯。
  • 六界怪闻

    六界怪闻

    远古时创世大帝和万魔大帝一场大战创世大帝和五大神兽五大神器封印了万魔大帝但也因此漂流,与后世一个人族孩子尚本成长的过程
  • 中国科技史

    中国科技史

    科学技术是人类文明的重要组成部分,是支撑文明大厦的主要基干,是推动文明发展的重要动力,古今中外莫不如此。如果说中国古代文明是一棵根深叶茂的参天大树,中国古代的科学技术便是缀满枝头的奇花异果,为中国古代文明增添斑斓的色彩和浓郁的芳香,又为世界科学技术园地增添了盎然生机。这是自上世纪末、本世纪初以来,中外许多学者用现代科学方法进行认真的研究之后,为我们描绘的一幅真切可信的景象。
  • 浴火重生:战凰才女四小姐

    浴火重生:战凰才女四小姐

    (新书已开坑,搜索沉夜惜或者《神偷狂后:夫君,请入瓮》即可享用!!)一朝背叛,她死于队友枪下,犹记得那金色子弹划破长空,直抵她来;犹记得那眉心之处的痛远不及胸口的伤痛。二十一世纪杀手榜上有名的杀手女王竟然穿越到闲云国护国大将军之女的身上,究竟是天意还是劫祸,奈何这倾城小女子竟然是个没有灵力的废物。手拿菜刀砍电线,一路火花带闪电。战场上她净出风采,私底下她一手揽定智勇双全之人,一手斩遍无数败类执跨。看她上见天皇下闹阎王,披荆斩棘一路风风火火,在她的世界里只有她能称王。
  • 亡后长歌

    亡后长歌

    突如其来的灭顶之灾,让圣宠一时的苏家瞬间倾亡,她跪在金銮殿上死死哀求他手下留情,却被无情的打入大牢。牢狱中,奄奄一息的她,竟然有了身孕。本以为可以借此来求他回头,不料得到的却是一纸休书。***“苏嫦曦,你这个贱人,不要再幻想了,皇上已经说了,让我赏赐你一杯毒酒,送你和你肚子里的孽种最后一程……”牢门前,同父异母的妹妹嚣张的狂笑。那一刻,她苏嫦曦发誓,若能重来,她必定要让她和他不得好死。殊不知,这一幕,早已经被他洞悉于心。“是不是很恨,是不是想要报仇,这些我都可以满足你,不过你得答应……”他紧紧的拥她入怀,嘴角的笑意却是那么的邪恶和激荡。她看着他如如诗如画的精致面庞,狠狠咬唇应承道,“没想到我一个亡妃竟然能够让殿下你如此上心,看来是嫦曦多福了……”***辗转异国深宫,机关算尽,只为爬上权位的巅峰,这一路,她活的小心翼翼,却依旧伤痕累累,但她却从未放弃。后宫佳丽如云,他却看到了她的风华卓绝,轻轻吻着她的额头,柔声道,“曦儿,你不必活的这么辛苦,其实我也可以帮你复仇,只要你愿意……”那一刻,她终于明白,原来他什么都知道,他是心甘情愿的被她利用。温文尔雅,俊逸非凡的他宠她爱她帮她,可是这份情谊她该拿什么来还呢?***五年后,她大权在握,重遇绝情汉,却听闻他惊骇的瞪眼道,“嫦曦,是你么,你不是已经……”她却笑得妖娆魅惑,“凌绍辉,没错,苏嫦曦已经死在你手中,此刻在你面前的是傅国的皇后娘娘……”“不,你不是傅国的皇后,你就是我日思夜想的嫦曦,我不会认错……”