An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (ebook reader with highlighter txt) 📖

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. Geo. III. chap.

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 �8 the ton; for

the second at �6; and for the third at �4. 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 in 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 Geo.

III. chap. 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 �1, and for

every load containing fifty cubic feet of other square timber, at

the rate of 12s. For the second three years, it was for deals, to

be at the rate of 15s., and for other squared timber at the rate

of 8s.; and for the third three years, it was for deals, to be at

the rate of 10s.; and for every other squared timber at the rate

of 5s.

 

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

III. chap. 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 �25 for every hundred pounds value ;

for the second, at �20; and for the third, at �15. 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 11th Geo. III.

chap. 50, for the importation of pipe, hogshead, and barrelstaves

and leading 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 �6; for the second three years at �4; and for the

third three years at �2.

 

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

19th Geo. III chap. 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.

The 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 to some of those which the clamour of our merchants

and manufacturers has extorted from the legisiature, 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, chap. 3, the exporter of sheep, lambs,

or rams, was for the first offence, to forfeit all his goods for

ever, to suffer a year’s imprisonment, and then to have his left

hand cut off in a market town, upon a market day, to be there

nailed up; and for the second offence, to be adjudged a felon,

and to suffer death accordingly. To prevent the breed of our

sheep from being propagated in foreign countries, seems to have

been the object of this law. By the 13th and 14th of Charles II.

chap. 18, the exportation of wool was made felony, and the

exporter subjected to the same penalties and forfeitures as a

felon.

 

For the honour of the national humanity, it is to be hoped that

neither of these statutes was ever executed. The first of them,

however, so far as I know, has never been directly repealed, and

serjeant Hawkins seems to consider it as still in force. It may,

however, perhaps be considered as virtually repealed by the 12th

of Charles II. chap. 32, sect. 3, which, without expressly taking

away the penalties imposed by former statutes, imposes a new

penalty, viz. that of 20s. for every sheep exported, or attempted

to be exported, together with the forfeiture of the sheep, and of

the owner’s share of the sheep. The second of them was expressly

repealed by the 7th and 8th of William III. chap. 28, sect. 4, by

which it is declared that ” Whereas the statute of the 13th and

14th of king Charles II. made against the exportation of wool,

among other things in the said act mentioned, doth enact the same

to be deemed felony, by the severity of which penalty the

prosecution of offenders hath not been so effectually put in

execution ; be it therefore enacted, by the authority aforesaid,

that so much of the said act, which relates to the making the

said offence felony, be repealed and made void.”

 

The penalties, however, which are either imposed by this milder

statute, or which, though imposed by former statutes, are not

repealed by this one, are still sufficiently severe. Besides the

forfeiture of the goods, the exporter incurs the penalty of 3s.

for every pound weight of wool, either exported or attempted to

be exported, that is, about four or five times the value. Any

merchant, or other person convicted of this offence, is disabled

from requiring any debt or account belonging to him from any

factor or other person. Let his fortune be what it will,

whether he is or is not able to pay those heavy penalties, the

law means to ruin him completely. But, as the morals of the great

body of the people are not yet so corrupt as those of the

contrivers of this statute, I have not heard that any advantage

has ever been taken of this clause. If the person convicted of

this offence is not able to pay the penalties within three months

after judgment, he is to be transported for seven years; and if

he returns before the expiration of that term, he is liable to

the pains of felony, without benefit of clergy. The owner of the

ship, knowing this offence, forfeits all his interest in the ship

and furniture. The master and mariners, knowing this offence,

forfeit all their goods and chattels, and suffer three months

imprisonment. By a subsequent statute, the master suffers six

months imprisonment.

 

In order to prevent exportation, the whole inland commerce of

wool is laid under very burdensome and oppressive restrictions.

It cannot be packed in any box, barrel, cask, case, chest, or any

other package, but only in packs of leather or pack-cloth, on

which must be marked on the outside the words WOOL or YARN, in

large letters, not less than three inches long, on pain of

forfeiting the same and the package, and 8s. for every pound

weight, to be paid by the owner or packer. It cannot be loaden on

any horse or cart, or carried by land within five miles of the

coast, but between sun-rising, and sun-setting, on pain of

forfeiting the same, the horses and carriages. The hundred next

adjoining to the sea coast, out of, or through which the wool is

carried or exported, forfeits �20, if the wool is under the value

of �10; and if of greater value, then treble that value, together

with treble costs, to be sued for within the year. The execution

to be against any two of the inhabitants, whom the sessions must

reimburse, by an assessment on the other inhabitants, as in the

cases of robbery. And if any person compounds with the hundred

for less than this penalty, he is to be imprisoned for five

years; and any other person may prosecute. These regulations take

place through the whole kingdom.

 

But in the particular counties of Kent and Sussex, the

restrictions are still more troublesome. Every owner of wool

within ten miles of the sea coast must give an account in

writing, three days after shearing, to the next officer of the

customs, of the number of his fleeces, and of the places where

they are lodged. And before he removes any part of them, he must

give the like notice of the number and weight of the fleeces, and

of the name and abode of the person to whom they are sold, and of

the place to which it is intended they should be carried. No

person within fifteen miles of the sea, in the said counties, can

buy any