第9章
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  ellesperiraientsiellesnereussissaientpasaysatisfie。

  \"Voici,ausurplus,surcepointdesdetailsdontl’exactitudenosparaitpleinementattesteeparl’excellencedutravailounouslesavonspuises。Cesdetails,contenusdanslastatistiquedelacommunedeVensat(PuydeDome),publieerecementparM。ledocteurJusseraud,mairedelacommune,sontd’autantplusprecieux,qu’ilsmettentdanstoutleurlanaturedeschangementsqueledeveloppementdelapetiteculturea,danslepaysdontils’agit,apportesaunombreetal’especedesanimauxdontleproduitenengraissoutientetacroitlafertilitedesterres。DanslacommunedeVensat,quicomprend1612hectaresdivisesen4600parcellesappartenanta591

  proprietaires,leterritoireexploitesecomposede1466

  hectares。Or,en1790,17fermesenoccupaientlesdeuxtierset20autrestoutlereste。Depuislors,lesculturessesontmorcelees,etmaintenantleurpetitesseestextreme。Quelleaetel’influenceduchangementsurlaquantitedesanimaux?Uneaugmentationconsiderable。En1790,lacommunenepossedaitqu’environ676despremieres,et533seulementdessecondes。

  Ainsipourremplacer1300moutonselleaacquis376boeufsetvaches,ettoutcompense,lasommedesengraiss’estaccruedanslaproportionde490a729,oudeplusde48pourcent。Etencoreest—ilaremarquerque,plusfortsetmieuxnourrisapresent,lesanimauxcontribuentbiendavantageaentretenirlafertilitedesterres。

  \"Voilacequelesfaitsnousapprennentsurcepoint:iln’estdoncpasvraiquelapetiteculturenenourrissepasautantd’animauxquelesautres;loindela,aconditionlocalespareilles,c’estellequienpossedeleplus,etilnedevaitpasetredifficiledelapresumer;car,dumomentouc’estellequidemandeleplusauxterres,ilfautbienqu’elleleurdonnedessoinsd’autantplusreparateursqu’elleenexigedavantage。Quel’onprenneunaunlesautresreproches;qu’onlesexaminealaclartedefaitsbienapprecies,ons’appercevrabientotqu’ilsnesauraientetremieuxfondes,etqu’ilsn’onteteformulesqueparcequ’onacomparel’etatdesculturesdansdescontreesoulescausesdelaprosperiteagricolen’agissaientpasaveclamemeenergie。\"(pp。116—120)

  6。Seepp。352and353ofaFrenchtranslationpublishedatBrusselsin1839,byM。FreddeKemmeter,ofGhent。

  7。\"DansledepartmentduNord,\"saysM。Passy,\"unefermede20

  hectaresrecueilleenveaus,laitage,oeufs,etvolailles,parfoispourunmillierdefrancsdansl’annee;et,lesfraisdefalques,c’estl’equivalentd’uneadditionauroduitnetde15

  a20francsparhectare。\"DesSystemesdeCulture,p。114。

  8。Duringtheintervalbetweenthecensusof1851andthatof1856,theincreaseofthepopulationofParisalone,exceededtheaggregateincreaseofallFrance;whilenearlyalltheotherlargetownslikewiseshowedanincrease。

  9。EconomieRuraledelaFrancedepuis1789。ParM。LeoncedeLavergne。Membredel’InstitutetdelaSocieteCentraled’AgriculturedeFrance。2meed。p。59。

  ThePrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy

  byJohnStuartMill

  Book1,Chapter10

  OftheLawoftheIncreaseofLabour

  1。Wehavenowsuccessivelyconsideredeachoftheagentsor

  conditionsofproduction,andofthemeansbywhichtheefficacy

  ofthesevariousagentsispromoted。Inordertocometoanend

  ofthequestionswhichrelateexclusivelytoproduction,one

  more,ofprimaryimportance,remains。

  Productionisnotafixed,butanincreasingthing。Whennot

  keptbackbybadinstitutions,oralowstateoftheartsof

  life,theproduceofindustryhasusuallytendedtoincrease;

  stimulatednotonlybythedesireoftheproducerstoaugment

  theirmeansofconsumption,butbytheincreasingnumberofthe

  consumers。Nothinginpoliticaleconomycanbeofmoreimportance

  thantoascertainthelawofthisincreaseofproduction;the

  conditionstowhichitissubject:whetherithaspracticallyany

  limits,andwhattheseare。Thereisalsonosubjectinpolitical

  economywhichispopularlylessunderstood,oronwhichthe

  errorscommittedareofacharactertoproduce,anddoproduce,

  greatermischief。

  Wehaveseenthattheessentialrequisitesofproductionare

  three——labour,capital,andnaturalagents;thetermcapital

  includingallexternalandphysicalrequisiteswhichareproducts

  oflabour,thetermnaturalagentsallthosewhicharenot。But

  amongnaturalagentsweneednottakeintoaccountthosewhich,

  existinginunlimitedquantity,beingincapableofappropriation,

  andneveralteringintheirqualities,arealwaysreadytolend

  anequaldegreeofassistancetoproduction,whatevermaybeits

  extent;asair,andthelightofthesun。Beingnowaboutto

  considertheimpedimentstoproduction,notthefacilitiesfor

  it,weneedadverttonoothernaturalagentsthanthosewhich

  areliabletobedeficienteitherinquantityorinproductive

  power。Thesemaybeallrepresentedbythetermland。Land,in

  thenarrowestacceptation,asthesourceofagriculturalproduce,

  isthechiefofthem;andifweextendthetermtominesand

  fisheries——towhatisfoundintheearthitself,orinthe

  waterswhichpartlycoverit,aswellastowhatisgrownorfed

  onitssurface,itembraceseverythingwithwhichweneedat

  presentconcernourselves。

  Wemaysay,then,withoutagreaterstretchoflanguagethan

  underthenecessaryexplanationispermissible,thatthe

  requisitesofproductionareLabour,Capital,andLand。The

  increaseofproduction,therefore,dependsonthepropertiesof

  theseelements。Itisaresultoftheincreaseeitherofthe

  elementsthemselves,oroftheirproductiveness。Thelawofthe

  increaseofproductionmustbeaconsequenceofthelawsofthese

  elements;thelimitstotheincreaseofproductionmustbethe

  limits,whatevertheyare,setbythoselaws。Weproceedto

  considerthethreeelementssuccessively,withreferencetothis

  effect;orinotherwords,thelawoftheincreaseofproduction,

  viewedinrespectofitsdependence,firstonLabour,secondlyon

  Capital,andlastlyonLand。

  2。Theincreaseoflabouristheincreaseofmankind;of

  population。OnthissubjectthediscussionsexcitedbytheEssay

  ofMr。Malthushavemadethetruth,thoughbynomeans

  universallyadmitted,yetsofullyknown,thatabriefer

  examinationofthequestionthanwouldotherwisehavebeen

  necessarywillprobablyonthepresentoccasionsuffice。

  Thepowerofmultiplicationinherentinallorganiclifemay

  beregardedasinfinite。Thereisnoonespeciesofvegetableor

  animal,which,iftheearthwereentirelyabandonedtoit,andto

  thethingsonwhichitfeeds,wouldnotinasmallnumberof

  yearsoverspreadeveryregionoftheglobe,ofwhichtheclimate

  wascompatiblewithitsexistence。Thedegreeofpossible

  rapidityisdifferentindifferentordersofbeings;butinall

  itissufficient,fortheearthtobeveryspeedilyfilledup。

  Therearemanyspeciesofvegetablesofwhichasingleplantwill

  produceinoneyearthegermsofathousand;ifonlytwocometo

  maturity,infourteenyearsthetwowillhavemultipliedto

  sixteenthousandandmore。Itisbutamoderatecaseoffecundity

  inanimalstobecapableofquadruplingtheirnumbersinasingle

  year;iftheyonlydoasmuchinhalfacentury,tenthousand

  willhaveswelledwithintwocenturiestoupwardsoftwomillions

  andahalf。Thecapacityofincreaseisnecessarilyina

  geometricalprogression:thenumericalratioaloneisdifferent。

  Tothispropertyoforganizedbeings,thehumanspeciesforms

  noexception。Itspowerofincreaseisindefinite,andtheactual

  multiplicationwouldheextraordinarilyrapid,ifthepowerwere

  exercisedtotheutmost。

  Itneverisexercisedtotheutmost,andyet,inthemost

  favourablecircumstancesknowntoexist,whicharethoseofa

  fertileregioncolonizedfromanindustriousandcivilized

  community,populationhascontinued,forseveralgenerations,

  independentlyoffreshimmication,todoubleitselfinnotmuch

  morethantwentyyears。(1*)Thatthecapacityofmultiplication

  inthehumanspeciesexceedseventhis,isevidentifweconsider

  howgreatistheordinarynumberofchildrentoafamily,where

  theclimateisgoodandearlymarriagesusual;andhowsmalla

  proportionofthemdiebeforetheageofmaturity,inthepresent

  stateofhygienicknowledge,wherethelocalityishealthy,and

  thefamilyadequatelyprovidedwiththemeansofliving。Itisa

  verylowestimateofthecapacityofincrease,ifweonlyassume,

  thatinagoodsanitaryconditionofthepeople,eachgeneration

  maybedoublethenumberofthegenerationwhichprecededit。

  Twentyorthirtyyearsago,thesepropositionsmightstill

  haverequiredconsiderableenforcementandillustration;butthe

  evidenceofthemissoampleandincontestable,thattheyhave

  madetheirwayagainstallkindsofopposition,andmaynowbe

  regardedasaxiomatic:thoughtheextremereluctancefeltto

  admittingthem,everynowandthengivesbirthtosomeephemeral

  theory,speedilyforgotten,ofadifferentlawofincreasein

  differentcircumstances,throughaprovidentialadaptationofthe

  fecundityofthehumanspeciestotheexigenciesofsociety。(2*)

  Theobstacletoajustunderstandingofthesubjectdoesnot

  arisefromthesetheories,butfromtooconfusedanotionofthe

  causeswhich,atmosttimesandplaces,keeptheactualincrease

  ofmankindsofarbehindthecapacity。

  3。Thosecauses,nevertheless,areinnowaymysterious。What

  preventsthepopulationofharesandrabbitsfromoverstocking

  theearth?Notwantoffecundity,butcausesverydifferent:many

  enemies,andinsufficientsubsistence;notenoughtoeat,and

  liabilitytobeeaten。Inthehumanrace,whichisnotgenerally

  subjecttothelatterinconvenience,theequivalentsforitare

  waranddisease。Ifthemultiplicationofmankindproceededonly,

  likethatoftheotheranimals,fromablindinstinct,itwould

  belimitedinthesamemannerwiththeirs;thebirthswouldbeas

  numerousasthephysicalconstitutionofthespeciesadmittedof,

  andthepopulationwouldbekeptdownbydeaths。(3*)Butthe

  conductofhumancreaturesismoreorlessinfluencedby

  foresightofconsequences,andbyimpulsessuperiortomere

  animalinstincts:andtheydonot,therefore,propagatelike

  swine,butarecapable,thoughinveryunequaldegrees,ofbeing

  withheldbyprudence,orbythesocialaffections,fromgiving

  existencetobeingsbornonlytomiseryandprematuredeath。In

  proportionasmankindriseabovetheconditionofthebeasts,

  populationisrestrainedbythefearofwantratherthanbywant

  itself。Evenwherethereisnoquestionofstarvation,manyare

  similarlyacteduponbytheapprehensionoflosingwhathavecome

  toberegardedasthedecenciesoftheirsituationinlife。

  Hithertonoothermotivesthanthesetwohavebeenfoundstrong

  enough,inthegeneralityofmankind,tocounteractthetendency

  toincrease。Ithasbeenthepracticeofagreatmajorityofthe

  middleandthepoorerclasses,wheneverfreefromexternal

  control,tomarryasearly,andinmostcountriestohaveasmany

  children,withmaintainingthemselvesintheconditionofwere

  bornto,orwereaccustomedtoconsiderastheirs。Amongthe

  middleclasses,inmanyindividualinstances,thereisan

  additionalrestraintexercisedfromthedesireofdoingmorethan

  maintainingtheircircumstances——ofimprovingthem;butsucha

  desireisrarelyfound,orrarelyhasthateffect,inthe

  labouringclasses。Iftheycanbringupafamilyastheywere

  themselvesbroughtup,eventheprudentamongthemareusually

  satisfied。Toooftentheydonotthinkevenofthat,butrelyon

  fortune,orontheresourcestobefoundinlegalorvoluntary

  charity。

  Inaverybackwardstateofsociety,likethatofEuropein

  theMiddleAges,andmanypartsofAsiaatpresent,populationis

  keptdownbyactualstarvation。Thestarvationdoesnottake

  placeinordinaryyears,butinseasonsofscarcity,whichin

  thosestatesofsocietyaremuchmorefrequentandmoreextreme

  thanEuropeisnowaccustomedto。Intheseseasonsactualwant,

  orthemaladiesconsequentonit,carryoffnumbersofthe

  population,whichinasuccessionoffavourableyearsagain

  expands,tobeagaincruellydecimated。Inamoreimprovedstate,

  few,evenamongthepoorestofthepeople,arelimitedtoactual

  necessaries,andtoabaresufficiencyofthose:andtheincrease

  iskeptwithinbounds,notbyexcessofdeaths,butbylimitation

  ofbirths。Thelimitationisbroughtaboutinvariousways。In

  somecountries,itistheresultofprudentorconscientious

  self—restraint。Thereisaconditiontowhichthelabouring

  peoplearehabituated;theyperceivethatbyhavingtoonumerous

  families,theymustsinkbelowthatcondition,orfailto

  transmitittotheirchildren;andthistheydonotchooseto

  submitto。Thecountriesinwhich,sofarasisknown,agreat

  degreeofvoluntaryprudencehasbeenlongestpractisedonthis

  subject,areNorwayandpartsofSwitzerland。Concerningboth,

  therehappenstobeunusuallyauthenticinformation;manyfacts

  werecarefullybroughttogetherbyMr。Malthus,andmuch

  additionalevidencehasbeenobtainedsincehistime。Inboth

  thesecountriestheincreaseofpopulationisveryslow;andwhat

  checksitisnotmultitudeofdeaths,butfewnessofbirths。Both

  thebirthsandthedeathsareremarkablyfewinproportiontothe

  population;theaveragedurationoflifeisthelongestin

  Europe;thepopulationcontainsfewerchildren,andagreater

  proportionalnumberofpersonsinthevigouroflife,thanis

  knowntobethecaseinanyotherpartoftheworld。Thepaucity

  ofbirthstendsdirectlytoprolonglife,bykeepingthepeople

  incomfortablecircumstances;andthesameprudenceisdoubtless

  exercisedinavoidingcausesofdisease,asinkeepingclearof

  theprincipalcauseofpoverty。Itisworthyofremarkthatthe

  twocountiesthushonourablydistinguished,arecountriesof

  smalllandedproprietors。

  Thereareothercasesinwhichtheprudenceandforethought,

  whichperhapsmightnotbeexercisedbythepeoplethemselves,

  areexercisedbythestatefortheirbenefit;marriagenotbeing

  permitteduntilthecontractingpartiescanshowthattheyhave

  theprospectofacomfortablesupport。Undertheselaws,ofwhich

  Ishallspeakmorefullyhereafter,theconditionofthepeople

  isreportedtobegood,andtheillegitimatebirthsnotso

  numerousasmightbeexpected。Thereareplaces,again,inwhich

  therestrainingcauseseemstobenotsomuchindividual

  prudence,assomegeneralandperhapsevenaccidentalhabitof

  thecountry。IntheruraldistrictsofEngland,duringthelast

  century,thegrowthofpopulationwasveryeffectuallyrepressed

  bythedifficultyofobtainingacottagetolivein。Itwasthe

  customforunmarriedlabourerstolodgeandboardwiththeir

  employers;itwasthecustomformarriedlabourerstohavea

  cottage:andtheruleoftheEnglishpoorlawsbywhichaparish

  waschargedwiththesupportofitsunemployedpoor,rendered

  landownersaversetopromotemarriage。Abouttheendofthe

  century,thegreatdemandformeninwarandmanufactures,made

  itbethoughtapatrioticthingtoencouragepopulation:and

  aboutthesametimethegrowinginclinationoffarmerstolive

  likerichpeople,favouredasitwasbyalongperiodofhigh

  prices,madethemdesirousofkeepinginferiorsatagreater

  distance,and,pecuniarymotivesarisingfromabusesofthepoor

  lawsbeingsuperadded,theygraduallydrovetheirlabourersinto

  cottages,whichthelandlordsnownolongerrefusedpermissionto

  build。Insomecountriesanoldstandingcustomthatagirl

  shouldnotmarryuntilshehadspunandwovenforherselfan

  ampletrousseau(destinedforthesupplyofherwholesubsequent

  life,)issaidtohaveactedasasubstantialcheckto

  population。InEngland,atpresent,theinfluenceofprudencein

  keepingdownmultiplicationisseenbythediminishednumberof

  marriagesinthemanufacturingdistrictsinyearswhentradeis

  bad。

  Butwhateverbethecausesbywhichpopulationisanywhere

  limitedtoacomparativelyslowrateofincrease,anacceleration

  oftherateveryspeedilyfollowsanydiminutionofthemotives

  torestraint。Itisbutrarelythatimprovementsinthecondition

  ofthelabouringclassesdoanythingmorethangiveatemporary

  margin,speedyfilledupbyanincreaseoftheirnumbers。Theuse

  theycommonlychoosetomakeofanyadvantageouschangeintheir

  circumstances,istotakeitoutintheformwhich,byaugmenting

  thepopulation,deprivesthesucceedinggenerationofthe

  benefit。Unless,eitherbytheirgeneralimprovementin

  intellectualandmoralculture,oratleastbyraisingtheir

  habitualstandardofcomfortableliving,theycanbetaughtto

  makeabetteruseoffavourablecircumstances,nothingpermanent

  canbedoneforthem;themostpromisingschemesendonlyin

  havingamorenumerous,butnotahappierpeople。Bytheir

  habitualstandard,Imeanthat(whenanysuchthereis)downto

  whichtheywillmultiply,butnotlower。Everyadvancetheymake

  ineducation,civilization,andsocialimprovement,tendsto

  raisethisstandard;andthereisnodoubtthatitisgradually,

  thoughslowly,risinginthemoreadvancedcountriesofWestern

  Europe。SubsistenceandemploymentinEnglandhavenever

  increasedmorerapidlythaninthelastfortyyears,butevery

  censussince1821showedasmallerproportionalincreaseof

  populationthanthatoftheperiodpreceding;andtheproduceof

  Frenchagricultureandindustryisincreasinginaprogressive

  ratio,whilethepopulationexhibitsineveryquinquennial

  census,asmallerproportionofbirthstothepopulation。

  Thesubject,however,ofpopulation,initsconnexionwith

  theconditionofthelabouringclasses,willbeconsideredin

  anotherplace;inthepresentwehavetodowithitsolelyasone

  oftheelementsofProduction;andinthatcharacterwecouldnot

  dispensewithpointingouttheunlimitedextentofitsnatural

  powersofincrease,andthecausesowingtowhichsosmalla

  portionofthatunlimitedpowerisforthemostpartactually

  exercised。Afterthisbriefindication,weshallproceedtothe

  otherelements。

  NOTES:

  1。Thishasbeendisputed;butthehighestestimateIhaveseen

  ofthetermwhichpopulationrequiresfordoublingitselfinthe

  UnitedStates,independentlyofimmigrantsandoftheirprogeny

  ——thatofMr。Carey——doesnotexceedthirtyyears。

  2。Oneofthesetheories,thatofMr。Doubleday,maybethought

  torequireapassingnotice,becauseithasoflateobtainedsome

  followers,andbecauseitderivesasemblanceofsupportfromthe

  generalanalogiesoforganiclife。thistheorymaintainsthatthe

  fecundityofthehumananimal,andofallotherlivingbeings,is

  ininverseproportiontothequantityofnutriment;thatan

  underfedpopulationsmultipliesrapidly,butthatallclassesin

  comfortablecircumstancesare,byaphysiologicallaw,so

  unprolific,asseldomtokeepuptheirnumberswithoutbeing

  recruitedfromapoorerclass。Thereisnodoubtthatapositive

  excessofnutriment,inanimalsaswellasinfruittrees,is

  unfavourabletoreproduction;anditisquitepossible,thoughby

  nomeansproved,thatthephysiologicalconditionsoffecundity

  mayexistinthegreatestdegreewhenthesupplyoffoodis

  somewhatstinted。Butanyonewhomightbeinclinedtodrawfrom

  this,evenifadmitted,conclusionsatvariancewiththe

  principlesofMrMalthus,needsonlybeinvitedtolookthrougha

  volumeofthePeerage,andobservetheenormousfamilies,almost

  universalinthatclass;orcalltomindthelargefamiliesof

  theEnglishclergy,andgenerallyofthemiddleclassesof

  England。

  Itis,besides,wellremarkedbyMrCarey,that,tobe

  consistentwithMrDoubleday’stheory,theincreaseofthe

  populationoftheUnitedStates,apartfromimmigrants,oughtto

  beoneoftheslowestonrecord。

  MrCareyhasatheoryofhisown,alsogroundedona

  physiologicaltruth,thatthetotalsumofnutrimentreceivedby

  anorganizedbodydirectsitselfinlargestproportiontothe

  partsofthesystemwhicharemostused;fromwhichhe

  anticipatesadiminutioninthefecundityofhumanbeings,not

  throughmoreabundantfeeding,butthroughthegreateruseof

  theirbrainsincidienttoanadvancedcivilization。Thereis

  considerableplausibilityinthisspeculation,andexperiencemay

  hereafterconfirmit。Butthechangeinthehumanconstitution

  whichitsupposes,ifeverrealized,willconducetotheexpected

  effectratherbyrenderingphysicalself—restrainteasier,than

  bydispensingwithitsnecessity;sincethemostrapidknowrate

  ofmultiplicatonisquitecompatiblewithaverysparing

  employmentofthemultiplyingpower。

  3。MrCareyexpatiatesontheabsurdityofsupposingthatmatter

  tendstoassumethehighestformoforganization,thehuman,ata

  morerapidratethanitassumesthelowerforms,whichcompose

  humanfood;thathumanbeingsmultiplyfasterthanturnipsand

  cabbages。Butthelimittotheincreaseofmankind,accordingto

  thedoctrineofMrMalthus,doesnotdependeonthepowerof

  increaseofturnipsandcabbages,butonthelimitedquantityof

  thelandonwhichtheycanbegrown。Solongasthequantityof

  landispracticallyunlimited,whichitisintheUnitedStates,

  andfood,consequently,canbeincreasedatthehighestrate

  whichisnaturaltoit,mankindalsomay,withoutaugmented

  difficultyinobtainingsubsistence,increaseattheirhighest

  rate。WhenMrCareycanshow,notthatturnipsandcabbages,but

  thatthesoilitself,orthenutritiveelementscontaininginit,

  tendnaturallytomultiply,andthattooatarateexceedingthe

  mostrapidpossibleincreaseofmankind,hewillhavesaid

  somethingtothepurpose。Tillthen,thispartatleastofhis

  argumentmaybeconsideredasnon—existent。

  ThePrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy

  byJohnStuartMill

  Book1,Chapter11

  OftheLawoftheIncreaseofCapital

  1。Therequisitesofproductionbeinglabour,capital,and

  land,ithasbeenseenfromtheprecedingchapterthatthe

  impedimentstotheincreaseofproductiondonotarisefromthe

  firstoftheseelements。Onthesideoflabourthereisno

  obstacletoanincreaseofproduction,indefiniteinextentand

  ofunslackeningrapidity。Populationhasthepowerofincreasing

  inanuniformandrapidgeometricalratio。Iftheonlyessential

  conditionofproductionwerelabour,theproducemight,and

  naturallywould,increaseinthesameratio;andtherewouldbe

  nolimit,untilthenumbersofmankindwerebroughttoastand

  fromactualwantofspace。

  Butproductionhasotherrequisites,andofthese,theone

  whichweshallnextconsiderisCapital。Therecannotbemore

  peopleinanycountry,orintheworld,thancanbesupported

  fromtheproduceofpastlabouruntilthatofpresentlabour

  comesin。Therewillbenogreaternumberofproductivelabourers

  inanycountry,orintheworld,thancanbesupportedfromthat

  portionoftheproduceofpastlabour,whichissparedfromthe

  enjoymentsofitspossessorforpurposesofreproduction,andis

  termedCapital。Wehavenext,therefore,toinquireintothe

  conditionsoftheincreaseofcapital:thecausesbywhichthe

  rapidityofitsincreaseisdetermined,andthenecessary

  limitationsofthatincrease。

  Sinceallcapitalistheproductofsaving,thatis,of

  abstinencefrompresentconsumptionforthesakeofafuture

  good,theincreaseofcapitalmustdependupontwothings——the

  amountofthefundfromwhichsavingcanbemade,andthe

  strengthofthedispositionswhichprompttoit。

  Thefundfromwhichsavingcanbemade,isthesurplusofthe

  produceoflabour,aftersupplyingthenecessariesoflifetoall

  concernedintheproduction:(includingthoseemployeein

  replacingthematerials,andkeepingthefixedcapitalin

  repair。)Morethanthissurpluscannotbesavedunderany

  circumstances。Asmuchasthis,thoughitneverissaved,always

  mightbe。Thissurplusisthefundfromwhichtheenjoyments,as

  distinguishedfromthenecessaries,oftheproducersare

  provided;itisthefundfromwhichallaresubsisted,whoare

  notthemselvesengagedinproduction;andfromwhichall

  additionsaremadetocapital。Itistherealnetproduceofthe

  country。Thephrase,netproduce,isoftentakeninamore

  limitedsense,todenoteonlytheprofitsofthecapitalistand

  therentofthelandlord,undertheideathatnothingcanbe

  includedinthenetproduceofcapital,butwhatisreturnedto

  theownerofthecapitalafterreplacinghisexpenses。Butthis

  istoonarrowanacceptationoftheterm。Thecapitalofthe

  employerformstherevenueofthelabourers,andifthisexceeds

  thenecessariesoflife,itgivesthemasurpluswhichtheymay

  eitherexpendinenjoyments,orsave。Foreverypurposeforwhich

  therecanbeoccasiontospeakofthenetproduceofindustry,

  thissurplusoughttobeincludedinit。Whenthisisincluded,

  andnototherwise,thenetproduceofthecountryisthemeasure

  ofitseffectivepower;ofwhatitcanspareforanypurposesof

  publicutility,orprivateindulgence;theportionofitsproduce

  ofwhichitcandisposeatpleasure;whichcanbedrawnuponto

  attainanyends,orgratifyanywishes,eitherofthegovernment

  orofindividuals;whichitcaneitherspendforits

  satisfaction,orsaveforfutureadvantage。

  Theamountofthisfund,thisnetproduce,thisexcessof

  productionabovethephysicalnecessariesoftheproducers,is

  oneoftheelementsthatdeterminetheamountofsaving。The

  greatertheproduceoflabouraftersupportingthelabourers,the

  morethereiswhichcanbesaved。Thesamethingalsopartly

  contributestodeterminehowmuchwillbesaved。Apartofthe

  motivetosavingconsistsintheprospectofderivinganincome

  fromsavings;inthefactthatcapital,employedinproduction,

  iscapableofnotonlyreproducingitselfbutyieldingan

  increase。Thegreatertheprofitthatcanbemadefromcapital,

  thestrongeristhetoitsaccumulation。Thatindeedwhichforms

  theinducementtosave,isnotthewholeofthefundwhich

  suppliesthemeansofsaving,notthewholenetproduceofthe

  land,capital,andlabourofthecountry,butonlyapartofit,

  thepartwhichformstheremunerationofthecapitalist,andis

  calledprofitofstock。Itwillhoweverbereadilyenough

  understood,evenpreviouslytotheexplanationswhichwillbe

  givenhereafter,thatwhenthegeneralproductivenessoflabour

  andcapitalisgreat,thereturnstothecapitalistarelikelyto

  belarge,andthatsomeproportion,thoughnotanuniformone,

  willcommonlyobtainbetweenthetwo。

  2。Butthedispositiontosavedoesnotwhollydependonthe

  externalinducementtoit;ontheamountofprofittobemade

  fromsavings。Withthesamepecuniaryinducement,theinclination

  isverydifferent,indifferentpersons,andindifferent

  communities。Theeffectivedesireofaccumulationisofunequal

  strength,notonlyaccordingtothe。varietiesofindividual

  character,buttothegeneralstateofsocietyandcivilization。

  Likeallothermoralattributes,itisoneinwhichthehuman

  raceexhibitsgreatdifferences,conformablytothediversityof

  itscircumstancesandthestageofitsprogress。

  Ontopicswhichiftheyweretobefullyinvestigatedwould

  exceedtheboundsthatcanbeallottedtotheminthistreatise,

  itissatisfactorytobeabletorefertootherworksinwhich

  thenecessarydevelopmentshavebeenpresentedmoreatlength。On

  thesubjectofPopulationthisvaluableservicehasbeenrendered

  bythecelebratedEssayofMr。Malthus;andonthepointwhich

  nowoccupiesusIcanreferwithequalconfidencetoanother,

  thoughalessknownwork,\"NewPrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy,\"

  byDr。Rae。(1*)Innootherbookknowntomeissomuchlight

  thrown,bothfromprincipleandhistory,onthecauseswhich

  determinetheaccumulationofcapital。

  Allaccumulationinvolvesthesacrificeofapresent,forthe

  sakeofafuturegood。Buttheexpediencyofsuchasacrifice

  variesverymuchindifferentstatesofcircumstances;andthe

  willingnesstomakeit,variesstillmore。

  Inweighingthefutureagainstthepresent,theuncertainty

  ofallthingsfutureisaleadingelement;andthatuncertainty

  isofverydifferentdegrees。\"Allcircumstances\"therefore,

  \"increasingtheprobabilityoftheprovisionwemakeforfuturity

  beingenjoyedbyourselvesorothers,tend\"justlyandreasonably

  \"togivestrengthtotheeffectivedesireofaccumulation。Thusa

  healthyclimateoroccupation,byincreasingtheprobabilityof

  life,hasatendencytoaddtothisdesire。Whenengagedinsafe

  occupations,andlivinginhealthycountries,menaremuchmore

  apttobefrugal,thaninunhealthyorhazardousoccupations,and

  inclimatespernicioustohumanlife。Sailorsandsoldiersare

  prodigals。IntheWestIndies,NewOrleans,theEastIndies,the

  expenditureoftheinhabitantsisprofuse。Thesamepeople,

  comingtoresideinthehealthypartsofEurope,andnotgetting

  intothevortexofextravagantfashion,liveeconomically。War

  andpestilencehavealwayswasteandluxuryamongtheotherevils

  thatfollowintheirtrain。Forsimilarreasons,whatevergives

  securitytotheaffairsofthecommunityisfavourabletothe

  strengthofthisprinciple。Inthisrespectthegeneral

  prevalenceoflawandorder,andtheprospectofthecontinuance

  ofpeaceandtranquillity,haveconsiderableinfluence。\"*The

  moreperfectthesecurity,thegreaterwillbetheeffective

  strengthofthedesireofaccumulation。Wherepropertyisless

  safe,orthevicissitudesruinoustofortunesaremorefrequent

  andsevere,fewerpersonswillsaveatall,andofthosewhodo,

  manywillrequiretheinducementofahigherrateofprofiton

  capital,tomakethempreferadoubtfulfuturetothetemptation

  ofpresentenjoyment。

  Theseareconsiderationswhichaffecttheexpediency,inthe

  eyeofreason,ofconsultingfutureinterestsattheexpenseof

  present。Buttheinclinationtomakethesacrificedoesnot

  solelydependuponitsexpediency。Thedispositiontosaveis

  oftenfarshortofwhatreasonwoulddictate:andatothertimes

  isliabletobeinexcessofit。

  Deficientstrengthofthedesireofaccumulationmayarise

  fromimprovidence,orfromwantofinterestinother。

  Improvidencemaybeconnectedwithintellectualaswellasmoral

  causes。individualsandcommunitiesofaverylowstateof

  intelligencearealwaysimprovident。Acertainmeasureof

  intellectualdevelopmentseemsnecessarytoenableabsentthings,

  andespeciallythingsfuture,toactwithanyforceonthe

  imaginationandwill。Theeffectofwantofinterestinothersin

  diminishingaccumulationwillbeadmitted,ifweconsideredhow

  muchsavingatpresenttakesplace,whichhasforitsobjectthe

  interestofothersratherthanofourselves;theeducationof

  children,theiradvancementinlife,thefutureinterestsof

  otherpersonalconnexions,thepowerofpromoting,bythe

  bestowalofmoneyortime,objectsofpublicorprivate

  usefulness。Ifmankindweregenerallyinthestateofmindto

  whichsomeapproachwasseeninthedecliningperiodoftheRoman

  Empire——caringnothingfortheirheirs,aswellasnothingfor

  friends,thepublic,oranyobjectwhichsurvivedthem——they

  wouldseldomdenythemselvesanyindulgenceforthesakeof

  saving,beyondwhatwasnecessaryfortheirownfutureyears;

  whichtheywouldplaceinlifeannuities,orinsomeotherform

  whichwouldmakeitsexistenceandtheirlivesterminate

  together。

  3。Fromthesevariouscauses,intellectualandmoral,there

  is,indifferentportionsofthehumanrace,agreaterdiversity

  thanisusuallyadvertedto,inthestrengthoftheeffective

  desireofaccumulation。Abackwardstateofgeneralcivilization

  isoftenmoretheeffectofdeficiencyinthisparticular,than

  inmanyotherswhichattractmoreattention。Inthe

  circumstances,forexample,ofahuntingtribe,\"manmaybesaid

  tobenecessarilyimprovident,andregardlessoffuturity,

  because,inthisstate,thefuturepresentsnothingwhichcanbe

  withcertaintyeitherforeseenorgoverned……Besidesawant

  ofthemotivesexcitingtoprovidefortheneedsoffuturity

  throughmeansoftheabilitiesofthepresent,thereisawantof

  thehabitsofperceptionandaction,leadingtoaconstant

  connexioninthemindofthosedistantpoints,andoftheseries

  ofeventsservingtounitethem。Even,therefore,ifmotivesbe

  awakenedcapableofproducingtheexertionnecessarytoeffect

  thisconnexion,thereremainsthetaskoftrainingthemindto

  thinkandactsoastoestablishit。\"

  Forinstance:\"UponthebanksoftheSt。Lawrencethereare

  severallittleIndianvillages。Theyaresurrounded,ingeneral,

  byagooddealofland,fromwhichthewoodseemstohavebeen

  longextirpated,andhave,besides,attachedtothem,extensive

  tractsofforest。Theclearedlandisrarely,Imayalmostsay

  never,cultivated,norareanyinroadsmadeintheforestfor

  suchapurpose。Thesoilis,nevertheless,fertile,andwereit

  not,manureliesinheapsbytheirhouses。Wereeveryfamilyto

  inclosehalfanacreofground,tillit,andplantitinpotatoes

  andmaize,itwouldyieldasufficiencytosupportthemonehalf

  theyear。Theysuffer,too,everynowandthen,extremewant,

  insomuchthat,joinedtooccasionalintemperance,itisrapidly

  reducingtheirnumbers。This,tous,sostrangeapathyproceeds

  not,inanygreatdegree,fromrepugnancetolabour;onthe

  contrary,theyapplyverydiligentlytoitwhenitsrewardis

  immediate。Thus,besidestheirpeculiaroccupationsofhunting

  andfishing,inwhichtheyareeverreadytoengage,theyare

  muchemployedinthenavigationoftheSt。Lawrence,andmaybe

  seenlabouringattheoar,orsettingwiththepole,inthelarge

  boatsusedforthepurpose,andalwaysfurnishthegreaterpart

  oftheadditionalhandsnecessarytoconductraftsthroughsome

  oftherapids。Noristheobstacleaversiontoagricultural

  labour。Thisisnodoubtaprejudiceoftheirs;butmere

  prejudicesalwaysyield,principlesofactioncannotbecreated。

  Whenthereturnsfromagriculturallabourarespeedyandgreat,

  theyarealsoagriculturists。Thus,someofthelittleislandson

  LakeSt。Francis,neartheIndianvillageofSt。Regis,are

  favourabletothegrowthofmaize,aplantyieldingareturnofa

  hundredfold,andforming,evenwhenhalfripe,apleasantand

  substantialrepast。Patchesofthebestlandontheseislandsare

  thereforeeveryyearcultivatedbythemforthispurpose。As

  theirsituationrenderstheminaccessibletocattle,nofenceis

  required;werethisadditionaloutlaynecessary,Isuspectthey

  wouldbeneglected,likethecommonsadjoiningtheirvillage。

  Thesehadapparently,atonetime,beenundercrop。Thecattleof

  theneighbouringsettlerswouldnow,however,destroyanycrop

  notsecurelyfenced,andthisadditionalnecessaryoutlay

  consequentlybarstheirculture。Itremovesthemtoanorderof

  instrumentsofslowerreturnthanthatwhichcorrespondstothe

  strengthoftheeffectivedesireofaccumulationinthislittle

  society。

  \"Itisheredeservingofnotice,thatwhatinstrumentsof

  thiskindtheydoform,arecompletelyformed。Thesmallspotsof

  corntheycultivatearethoroughlyweededandhoed。Alittle

  neglectinthispartwouldindeedreducethecropverymuch;of

  thisexperiencehasmadethemperfectlyaware,andtheyact

  accordingly。Itisevidentlynotthenecessarylabourthatisthe

  obstacletomoreextendedculture,butthedistantreturnfrom

  thatlabour。Iamassured,indeed,thatamongsomeofthemore

  remotetribes,thelabourthusexpendedmuchexceedsthatgiven

  bythewhites。Thesameportionsofgroundbeingcroppedwithout

  remission,andmanurenotbeingused,theywouldscarcelyyield

  anyreturn,werenotthesoilmostcarefullybrokenand

  pulverized,bothwiththehoeandthehand。Insuchasituationa

  whitemanwouldclearafreshpieceofground。Itwouldperhaps

  scarcerepayhislabourthefirstyear,andhewouldhavetolook

  forhisrewardinsucceedingyears。OntheIndian,succeeding

  yearsaretoodistanttomakesufficientimpression;though,to

  obtainwhatlabourmaybringaboutinthecourseofafewmonths,

  hetoilsevenmoreassiduouslythanthewhiteman。\"*

  Thisviewofthingsisconfirmedbytheexperienceofthe

  Jesuits,intheirinterestingeffortstocivilizetheIndiansof

  Paraguay。Theygainedtheconfidenceofthesesavagesinamost

  extraordinarydegree。Theyacquiredinfluenceoverthem

  sufficienttomakethemchangetheirwholemanneroflife。They

  obtainedtheirabsolutesubmissionandobedience。They

  establishedpeace。Theytaughtthemalltheoperationsof

  Europeanagriculture,andmanyofthemoredifficultarts。There

  wereeverywheretobeseen,accordingtoCharlevoix,\"workshops

  ofgilders,painters,sculptors,goldsmiths,watchmakers,

  carpenters,joiners,dyers,\"*&c。Theseoccupationswerenot

  practisedforthepersonalgainoftheartificers:theproduce

  wasattheabsolutedisposalofthemissionaries,whoruledthe

  peoplebyavoluntarydespotism。Theobstaclesarisingfrom

  aversiontolabourwerethereforeverycompletelyovercome。The

  realdifficultywastheimprovidenceofthepeople;their

  inabilitytothinkforthefuture:andthenecessityaccordingly

  ofthemostunremittingandminutesuperintendenceonthepartof

  theirinstructors。\"Thusatfirst,ifthesegaveuptothemthe

  careoftheoxenwithwhichtheyploughed,theirindolent

  thoughtlessnesswouldprobablyleavethemateveningstillyoked

  totheimplement。Worsethanthis,instancesoccurredwherethey

  cutthemupforsupper,thinking,whenreprehended,thatthey

  sufficientlyexcusedthemselvesbysayingtheywerehungry……

  Thesefathers,saysUlloa,havetovisitthehouses,toexamine

  whatisreallywanted:forwithoutthiscare,theIndianswould

  neverlookafteranything。Theymustbepresent,too,when

  animalsareslaughtered,notonlythatthemeatmaybeequally

  divided,butthatnothingmaybelost。\"\"Butnotwithstandingall

  thiscareandsuperintendence,\"saysCharlevoix,\"andallthe

  precautionswhicharetakentopreventanywantofthe

  necessariesoflife,themissionariesaresometimesmuch

  embarrassed。Itoftenhappensthatthey\"(theIndians,)\"donot

  reservetothemselvesasufficiencyofgrain,evenforseed。As

  fortheirotherprovisions,weretheynotwelllookedafter,they

  wouldsoonbewithoutwherewithaltosupportlife。\"*

  Asanexampleintermediate,inthestrengthoftheeffective

  desireofaccumulation,betweenthestateofthingsthusdepicted

  andthatofmodernEurope,thecaseoftheChinesedeserves

  attention。Fromvariouscircumstancesintheirpersonalhabits

  andsocialcondition,itmightbeanticipatedthattheywould

  possessadegreeofprudenceandself—controlgreaterthanother

  Asiatics,butinferiortomostEuropeannations。andthe

  followingevidenceisadducedofthefact。

  \"Durabilityisoneofthechiefqualities,markingahigh

  degreeoftheeffectivedesireofaccumulation。Thetestimonyof

  travellersascribestotheinstrumentsformedbytheChinese,a

  veryinferiordurabilitytosimilarinstrumentsconstructedby

  Europeans。Thehouses,wearetold,unlessofthehigherranks,

  areingeneralofunburntbricks,ofclay,orofhurdles

  plasteredwithearth;theroofs,ofreedsfastenedtolaths。We

  canscarcelyconceivemoreunsubstantialortemporaryfabrics。

  Theirpartitionsareofpaper,requiringtoberenewedevery

  year。Asimilarobservationmaybemadeconcerningtheir

  implementsofhusbandry,andotherutensils。Theyarealmost

  entirelyofwood,themetalsenteringbutverysparinglyinto

  theirconstruction;consequentlytheysoonwearout,andrequire

  frequentrenewals。Agreaterdegreeofstrengthintheeffective

  desireofaccumulation,wouldcausethemtobeconstructedof

  materialsrequiringagreaterpresentexpenditurebutbeingfar

  moredurable。Fromthesamecause,muchland,thatinother

  countrieswouldbecultivated,lieswaste。Alltravellerstake

  noticeoflargetractsoflands,chieflyswamps,whichcontinue

  inastateofnature。Tobringaswampintotillageisgenerally

  aprocess,tocompletewhich,requiresseveralyears。Itmustbe

  previouslydrained,thesurfacelongexposedtothesun,andmany

  operationsperformed,beforeitcanbemadecapableofbearinga

  crop。Thoughyielding,probably,averyconsiderablereturnfor

  thelabourbestowedonit,thatreturnisnotmadeuntilalong

  timehaselapsed。Thecultivationofsuchlandimpliesagreater

  strengthoftheeffectivedesireofaccumulationthanexistsin

  theempire。

  \"Theproduceoftheharvestis,aswehaveremarked,always

  aninstrumentofsomeorderoranother;itisaprovisionfor

  futurewant,andregulatedbythesamelawsasthosetowhich

  othermeansofattainingasimilarendconform。Itisthere

  chieflyrice,ofwhichtherearetwoharvests,theoneinJune,

  theotherinOctober。Theperiodthenofeightmonthsbetween

  OctoberandJune,isthatforwhichprovisionismadeeachyear,

  andthedifferentestimatetheymakeofto—dayandthisdayeight

  monthswillappearintheself—denialtheypractisenow,inorder

  toguardagainstwantthen。Theamountofthisself—denialwould

  seemtobesmall。ThefatherParennin,indeed,(whoseemstohave

  beenoneofthemostintelligentoftheJesuits,andspentalong

  lifeamongtheChineseofallclasses,)asserts,thatitistheir

  greatdeficiencyinforethoughtandfrugalityinthisrespect,

  whichisthecauseofthescarcitiesandfaminesthatfrequently

  occur。\"

  Thatitisdefectofprovidence,notdefectofindustry,that

  limitsproductionamongtheChinese,isstillmoreobviousthan

  inthecaseofthesemi—agriculturizedIndians。\"Wherethe

  returnsarequick,wheretheinstrumentsformedrequirebut

  littletimetobringtheeventsforwhichtheywereformedtoan

  issue,\"itiswellknownthat\"thegreatprogresswhichhasbeen

  madeintheknowledgeoftheartssuitedtothenatureofthe

  countryandthewantsofitsinhabitants\"makesindustry

  energeticandeffective。\"Thewarmthoftheclimate,thenatural

  fertilityofthecountry,theknowledgewhichtheinhabitants

  haveacquiredoftheartsofagriculture,andthediscoveryand

  gradualadaptationtoeverysoilofthemostusefulvegetable

  productions,enablethemveryspeedilytodrawfromalmostany

  partofthesurface,whatisthereesteemedanequivalenttomuch

  morethanthelabourbestowedintillingandcroppingit。They

  havecommonlydouble,sometimestrebleharvests。These,whenthey

  consistofaCainsoproductiveasrice,theusualcrop,can

  scarcefailtoyieldtotheirskill,fromalmostanyportionof

  soilthatcanbeatoncebroughtintoculture,veryample

  returns。Accordinglythereisnospotthatlabourcanimmediately

  bringundercultivationthatisnotmadetoyieldtoit。Hills,

  evenmountains,areascendedandformedintoterraces;andwater,

  inthatcountrythegreatproductiveagent,isledtoeverypart

  bydrains,orcarrieduptoitbytheingeniousandsimple

  hydraulicmachineswhichhavebeeninusefromtimeimmemorial

  amongthissingularpeople。Theyeffectthisthemoreeasily,

  fromthesoil,eveninthesesituations,beingverydeepand

  coveredwithmuchvegetablemould。Butwhatyetmorethismarks

  thereadinesswithwhichlabourisforcedtoformthemost

  difficultmaterialsintoinstruments,wheretheseinstruments

  soonbringtoanissuetheeventsforwhichtheyareformed,is

  thefrequentoccurrenceonmanyoftheirlakesandrivers,of

  structuresresemblingthefloatinggardensofthePeruvians,

  raftscoveredwithvegetablesoilandcultivated。Labourinthis

  waydrawsfromthematerialsonwhichitactsveryspeedy

  returns。Nothingcanexceedtheluxurianceofvegetationwhenthe

  quickeningpowersofagenialsunareministeredtobyarich

  soilandabundantmoisture。Itisotherwise,aswehaveseen,in

  caseswherethereturn,thoughcopious,isdistant。European

  travellersaresurprisedatmeetingtheselittlefloatingfarms

  bythesideofswampswhichonlyrequiredrainingtorenderthem

  tillable。Itseemstothemstrangethatlabourshouldnotrather

  bebestowedonthesolidearth,whereitsfruitsmightendure,

  thanonstructuresthatmustdecayandperishinafewyears。The

  peopletheyareamongthinknotsomuchoffutureyearsasofthe

  presenttime。Theeffectivedesireofaccumulationisofvery

  differentstrengthintheone,fromwhatitisintheother。The

  viewsoftheEuropeanextendtoadistantfuturity,andheis

  surprisedattheChinese,condemnedthroughimprovidence,and

  wantofsufficientprospectivecare,toincessanttoil,andashe

  thinks,insufferablewretchedness。TheviewsoftheChineseare

  confinedtonarrowerbounds;heiscontenttolivefromdayto

  day,andhaslearnttoconceiveevenalifeoftoilablessing。\"*

  Whenacountryhascarriedproductionasfarasinthe

  existingstateofknowledgeitcanbecarriedwithanamountof

  returncorrespondingtotheaveragestrengthoftheeffective

  desireofaccumulationinthatcountry,ithasreachedwhatis

  calledthestationarystate;thestateinwhichnofurther

  additionwillbemadetocapital,unlesstheretakesplaceeither

  someimprovementintheartsofproduction,oranincreaseinthe

  strengthofthedesiretoaccumulate。Inthestationarystate,

  thoughcapitaldoesnotonthewholeincrease,somepersonsgrow

  richerandotherspoorer。Thosewhosedegreeofprovidenceis

  belowtheusualstandard,becomeimpoverished,theircapital

  perishes,andmakesroomforthesavingsofthosewhoseeffective

  desireofaccumulationexceedstheaverage。Thesebecometheof

  thelands,manufactories,andotherinstrumentsofproduction

  ownedbytheirlessprovidentcountrymen。

  Whatthecausesarewhichmakethereturntocapitalgreater

  inonecountrythaninanother,andwhich,incertain

  circumstances,makeitimpossibleforanyadditionalcapitalto

  findinvestmentunlessatdiminishedreturns,willappearclearly

  hereafter。InChina,ifthatcounthasreallyattained,asitis

  supposedtohavedone,thestationarystate,accumulationhas

  stoppedwhenthereturnstocapitalarestillashighasis

  indicatedbyarateofinterestlegallytwelvepercent,and

  practicallyvarying(itissaid)betweeneighteenandthirty—six。

  Itistobepresumedthereforethatnogreateramountofcapital

  thanthecountryalreadypossesses,canfindemploymentatthis

  highrateofprofit,andthatanylowerratedoesnotholdoutto

  aChinesesufficienttemptationtoinducehimtoabstainfrom

  presentenjoyment。WhatacontrastwithHolland,where,during

  themostflourishingperiodofitshistory,thegovernmentwas

  ablehabituallytoborrowattwopercent,andprivate

  individuals,ongoodsecurity,atthree。SinceChinaisnota

  countrylikeBurmaorthenativestatesofIndia,wherean

  enormousinterestisbutanindispensablecompensationforthe

  riskincurredfromthebadfaithorpovertyofthestate,andof

  almostallprivateborrowers;thefact,iffactitbe,thatthe

  increaseofcapitalhascometoastandwhilethereturnstoit

  arestillsolarge,denotesamuchlessdegreeoftheeffective

  desireofaccumulation,inotherwordsamuchlowerestimateof

  thefuturerelativelytothepresent,thanthatofmostEuropean

  nations。

  4。Wehavehithertospokenofcountriesinwhichtheaverage

  strengthofthedesiretoaccumulateisshortofthatwhich,in

  circumstancesofanytolerablesecurity,reasonandsober

  calculationwouldapprove。Wehavenowtospeakofothersin

  whichitdecidedlysurpassesthatstandard。Inthemore

  prosperouscountriesofEurope,therearetobefoundabundance

  ofprodigals;insomeofthem(andinnonemorethanEngland)the

  ordinarydegreeofeconomyandprovidenceamongthosewholiveby

  manuallabourcannotbeconsideredhigh:still,inavery

  numerousportionofthecommunity,theprofessional,

  manufacturing,andtradingclasses,beingthosewho,generally

  speaking,unitemoreofthemeanswithmoreofthemotivesfor

  savingthananyotherclass,thespiritofaccumulationisso

  strong,thatthesignsofrapidlyincreasingwealthmeetevery

  eye:andthegreatamountofcapitalseekinginvestmentexcites

  astonishment,wheneverpeculiarcircumstancesturningmuchofit

  intosomeonechannel,suchasrailwayconstructionorforeign

  speculativeadventure,bringthelargenessofthetotalamount

  intoevidence。

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