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  (3。iv。3)Theseareallobviouscauses。Thereisanothercause,whichrequiresrathermore

  explanation。Iftwocountriescanbothofthemproducetwocommodities,corn,forexample,and

  cloth,butnotbothcommodities,withthesamecomparativefacility,thetwocountrieswillfind

  theiradvantageinconfiningthemselves,eachtooneofthecommodities,barteringfortheother。

  Ifoneofthecountriescanproduceoneofthecommoditieswithpeculiaradvantages,andthe

  othertheotherwithpeculiaradvantages,themotiveisimmediatelyapparentwhichshould

  induceeachtoconfineitselftothecommoditywhichithaspeculiaradvantagesforproducing。

  Butthemotivemaynolessexist,whereoneofthetwocountrieshasfacilitiessuperiortothe

  otherinproducingbothcommodities。

  (3。iv。4)Bysuperiorfacilities,Imean,thepowerofproducingthesameeffectwithless

  labour。

  Theconclusion,too,willbethesame,whetherwesupposethelabourtobemoreorlesshighly

  paid。SupposethatPolandcanproducecornandclothwithlesslabourthanEngland,itwillnot

  followthatitmaynotbetheinterestofPolandtoimportoneofthecommoditiesfromEngland。

  Ifthedegree,inwhichitcanproducewithlesslabour,isthesameinbothcases;if,for

  example,thesamequantityofcornandclothwhichPolandcanproduce,eachwith100days’

  labour,requireseach150days’labourinEngland,Polandwillhavenomotivetoimporteither

  fromEngland。Butif,atthesametimethatthequantityofcloth,which,inPoland,isproduced

  with100days’labour,canbeproducedinEnglandwith150days’labour;thecorn,whichis

  producedinPolandwith100days’labour,requires200days’labourinEngland;inthatcase,it

  willbetheinterestofPolandtoimportherclothfromEngland。Theevidenceofthese

  propositionsmaythusbetraced。

  (3。iv。5)Iftheclothandthecorn,eachofwhichrequired100days’labourinPoland,required

  each150days’labourinEngland,itwouldfollow,thattheclothof150days’labourinEngland,

  ifsenttoPoland,wouldbeequaltotheclothof100days’labourinPoland:ifexchangedfor

  corn,therefore,itwouldexchangeforthecornofonly100days’labour。Butthecornof100

  days’labourinPolandwassupposedtobethesamequantitywiththatof150days’labourin

  England。With150days’labourincloth,therefore,Englandwouldonlygetasmuchcornin

  Polandasshecouldraisewith150days’labourathome;andshewould,onimportingit,have

  thecostofcarriagebesides。Inthesecircumstancesnoexchangewouldtakeplace。

  (3。iv。6)If,ontheotherhand,whiletheclothproducedwith100days’labourinPolandwas

  producedwith150days’labourinEngland,thecornwhichwasproducedinPolandwith100

  days’labourcouldnotbeproducedinEnglandwithlessthan200days’labour;anadequate

  motivetoexchangewouldimmediatelyarise。WithaquantityofclothwhichEnglandproduced

  with150days’labour,shewouldbeabletopurchaseasmuchcorninPolandaswasthere

  producedwith100days’labour;butthequantity,whichwasthereproducedwith100days’

  labour,wouldbeasgreatasthequantityproducedinEnglandwith200days’labour。Ifthe

  exchange,however,wasmadeinthismanner,thewholeoftheadvantagewouldbeonthepart

  ofEngland;andPolandwouldgainnothing,payingasmuchfortheclothshereceivedfrom

  England,asthecostofproducingitforherself。

  (3。iv。7)ButthepowerofPolandwouldbereciprocal。Withaquantityofcornwhichcosther

  100

  days’labour,equaltothequantityproducedinEnglandby200days’labour,shecouldinthe

  supposedcasepurchase,inEngland,theproduceof200days’labourincloth。Theproduceof

  150days’labourinEnglandinthearticleofclothwouldbeequaltotheproduceof100days’

  labourinPoland。If,withtheproduceof100days’labour,shecouldpurchase,nottheproduceof

  150,buttheproduceof200,shealsowouldobtainthewholeoftheadvantage,andEngland

  wouldpurchasecorn,whichshecouldproduceby200days’labour,withtheproductofasmany

  days’labourinothercommodities。Theresultofcompetitionwouldbetodividetheadvantage

  equallybetweenthem。

  (3。iv。8)Supposethefollowingcase:That10yardsofbroadclothpurchase15yardsoflinen

  in

  England;and20yardsinGermany。Inexchanging10yardsofEnglishbroadclothforthe

  equivalentofGermanlinen,asaving,totheamountof5yardsoflinen,istheresultofthe

  bargain;anditisevidentthattheadvantagewillbeshareduponthefollowingprinciples。In

  Englandlinenwillfall,inrelationtocloth。,fromtheknowledgethat10yardsofclothwill

  purchasemorethan15yardsoflineninGermany;andinGermanylinenwillriseascompared

  withcloth,fromaknowledgethat20yardsoflinen,ifsenttoEngland,willpurchasemorethan

  10yardsofcloth。Itistheinevitableeffectofsuchaninterchangetobringtherelativevalueof

  thetwocommoditiestoalevelinthetwocountries;thatis,tomakethepurchasingpowerof

  lineninrespecttocloth,andofclothinrespecttolinen,thesameinboth;batingthedifference

  inthecostofcarriage,eachcountrypayingthecostofthecarriageofthecommoditywhichit

  imports,andthevalueofthatarticlebeingsomuchhigherinthecountrywhichimportsthanin

  thatwhichexportsit。

  (3。iv。9)Toproduceexchange,therefore,theremustbetwocountries,andtwocommodities。

  (3。iv。10)Whenbothcountriescanproducebothcommodities,itisnotgreaterabsolute,but

  greaterrelative,facility,thatinducesoneofthemtoconfineitselftotheproductionofoneofthe

  commodities,andtoimporttheother。

  (3。iv。11)Whenacountrycaneitherimportacommodity,orproduceitathome,itcompares

  the

  costofproducingathomewiththecostofprocuringfromabroad;ifthelattercostislessthan

  thefirst,itimports。

  (3。iv。12)Thecostatwhichacountrycanimportfromabroaddepends,notuponthecostat

  whichtheforeigncountryproducesthecommodity,butuponwhatthecommoditycostswhichit

  sendsinexchange,comparedwiththecostwhichitmustbeattoproducethecommodityin

  question,ifitdidnotimportit。

  (3。iv。13)IfaquarterofcornisproducedinEnglandwith50days’labour,itmaybeequally

  her

  interesttoimportcornfromPoland,whetheritrequires,inPoland,50days’labour,or60,or40,

  oranyothernumber。Heronlyconsiderationis,whetherthecommoditywithwhichshecan

  importaquartercostsherlessthan50days’labour。

  (3。iv。14)Thus,iflabourinPolandproducecornandcloth,intheratioofeightyardstoone

  quarter;but,inEngland,intheratiooftenyardstoonequarter,exchangewilltakeplace。

  (3。iv。15)Thepracticalconclusionmaybecommodiouslyancorrectlystatedthus:

  (3。iv。16)Wheneverthepurchasingpowerofanycommoditywithrespecttoanotherisless,

  in

  oneoftwocountries,thanitisintheother,itistheinterestofthosecountriestoexchangethese

  commoditieswithoneanother。

  (3。iv。17)Unlessthedifferenceofpurchasingpower,whichrendersittheinterestofnations

  to

  bartercommoditieswithoneanother,besufficientlygreattocovertheexpenseofcarriage,and

  somethingmore,noadvantageisobtained。

  SectionV。TheCommoditiesImportedaretheCauseofthe

  BenefitsDerivedfromaForeignTrade(3。v。1)Fromwhatisstatedintheprecedingchapter,onegeneral,orratheruniversal,

  proposition

  maybededuced。Thebenefitwhichisderivedfromexchangingonecommodityforanother,

  arises,inallcases,fromthecommodityreceivednotfromthecommoditygiven。Whenone

  countryexchanges,inotherwords,whenonecountrytrafficswithanother,thewholeofits

  advantageconsistsinthecommoditiesimported。Itbenefitsbytheimportation,andbynothing

  else。

  (3。v。2)Thisseemstobesoverynearlyaself—evidentproposition,astobehardlycapableof

  beingrenderedmoreclearbyillustration;andyetitissolittleinharmonywithcurrentand

  vulgaropinions,thatitmaynotbeeasybyanyillustration,togainitadmissionintocertain

  minds。

  (3。v。3)Whenamanpossessesacertaincommodity,hecannotbenefithimselfbygivingit

  away。

  Itseemstobeimplied,therefore,intheveryfactofhispartingwithitforanothercommodity,

  thatheisbenefitedbywhathereceives。Hisowncommoditybemighthavekept,ifithadbeen

  valuedbyhimmorethanthatforwhichheexchangesit。Thefactofhischoosingtohavethe

  othercommodityratherthanhisown,isaproofthattheotheristohimmorevaluablethanhis

  own。

  (3。v。4)Thecorrespondingfactsareevidenceequallyconclusiveinthecaseofnations。When

  one

  nationexchangesapartofitscommoditiesforapartofthecommoditiesofanothernation,the

  nationcangainnothingbypartingwithitscommodities;allthegainmustconsistinwhatit

  receives。Ifitbesaidthatthegainconsistsinreceivingmoney,itwillpresentlyappear,fromthe

  doctrineofmoney,thatanationderivesnoadvantage,butthecontrary,frompossessingmore

  thanitsdueproportionofthepreciousmetals。

  (3。v。5)Inimportingcommoditieswhichthecountryitselfiscompetenttoproduce,asinthe

  case,supposedabove,oftradewithPoland,wesawthatEnglandwouldimporthercornfrom

  Poland,ifshethusobtained,withtheproduceofsomanydays’labourincloth,asmuchcornas

  itwouldhaverequiredagreaternumberordays’labourtoproduceinEngland。Ifithadso

  happened,thatshecouldprocureinPolandwiththecloth,onlyasmuchcornasshecould

  producewiththesamequantityoflabourathome,shewouldhavehadnoadvantageinthe

  transaction。Heradvantagewouldarise,notfromwhatsheshouldexport,butwhollyfromwhat

  sheshouldimport。

  (3。v。6)Thecaseinwhichacountryimportscommodities,whichsheherselfisincompetent

  to

  produce,isofstillmoresimpleinvestigation。Thatcountry,or,moreproperlyspeaking,the

  peopleofthatcountry,havecertaincommoditiesoftheirown,butthesetheyarewillingtogive

  forcertaincommoditiesofothercountries。Theypreferhavingthoseothercommodities。They

  arebenefited,therefore,notbywhattheygiveaway;thatitwouldbeabsurdtosay;butbywhat

  theyreceive。

  SectionVI。ConvenienceofaParticularCommodity,asa

  MediumofExchange(3。vi。1)Inexchangingcommoditiesforoneanotherdirectly,orinthewayofbarter,the

  wantsof

  individualscouldnotbeeasilysupplied。Ifamanhadonlysheeptodisposeof;andwanted

  bread,oracoat;hemightfindhimselfsubjecttoeitheroftwodifficulties:first,theman

  possessingthearticlewhichhewishedtoobtain,mightbeunwillingtoacceptofasheep;or,

  secondly,thesheepmightbeofmorevaluethanthearticlewhichhewishedtoobtain,andcould

  notbedivided。

  (3。vi。2)Toobviatethesedifficulties,itwouldbefortunateifacommoditycouldbefound,

  which

  everyman,whohadgoodstodisposeof,wouldbewillingtoreceive,andwhichcouldbe

  dividedintosuchquantities,aswouldadaptthemselvestothevalueofthearticleswhichhe

  wishedtoobtain。Inthiscase,themanwhobadthesheep,andwantedbreadoracoat,insteadof

  offeringhissheeptoobtainthem,wouldfirstexchangeitfortheequivalentquantityofthisother

  commodity,andwiththathewouldpurchasethebreadandotherthingsforwhichhehad

  occasion。

  (3。vi。3)This,then,isthetrueideaofamediumofexchange。Itissomeonecommodity,

  which,

  inordertoeffectanexchangebetweentwoothercommodities,isfirstreceivedinexchangefor

  theone,andthengiveninexchangefortheother。

  (3。vi。4)Certainmetals,gold,forexample,andsilver,werefoundtounite,inasuperior

  degree,

  allthequalitiesdesiredinamediumofexchange。Theywerecommoditieswhicheveryman,

  whohadgoodstodisposeof,waswillingtoreceiveinexchange。Theycouldbedividedinto

  suchportionsassuitedanyquantityofothercommoditieswhichthepurchaserdesiredtoobtain。

  Theypossessedthefurtherrecommendation,byincludingagreatvalueinasmallbulk,ofbeing

  veryportable。Theywerealsoveryindestructible;andlessthanalmostanyothercommodities

  liabletofluctuationsofvalue。Fromthesecauses,goldandsilverhaveformedtheprincipal

  mediumofexchangeinallpartsoftheglobe。

  (3。vi。5)Thepreciousmetalswereliabletobemixedwithbasermetalsinamannerwhichit

  was

  noteasytodetect;andthusalessvaluewasapttobereceivedthanthatwhichwasunderstood

  tobeso。Itwasalsofoundinconvenienttoperformtheactofweighingeverytimethata

  purchasewastobemade。Anobviousexpedientwascalculatedtoremedybothinconveniences。

  Metalmightbepreparedofadeterminedfineness;itmightbedividedintoportionsadoptedto

  allsortsofpurchases;andastampmightbeputuponit,denotingbothitsweightandits

  fineness。Itisobvious,thattheputtingofthisstampcouldonlybeentrustedtoanauthorityin

  whichthepeoplehadconfidence。Thebusinesshasgenerallybeenundertakenbygovernments,

  andkeptexclusivelyintheirownhands。Thebusinessofputtingthepreciousmetalsinthemost

  convenientshape,forservingasthemediumofexchange,hasbeendenominatedcoining;and

  thepiecesintowhichtheyaredividedhaveobtainedtheappellationofmoney。

  SectionVII。WhatRegulatestheValueofMoney(3。vii。1)Byvalueofmoney,isheretobeunderstoodtheproportioninwhichitexchanges

  for

  othercommodities,orthequantityofitwhichexchangesforacertainquantityofotherthings。

  (3。vii。2)Itisnotdifficulttoperceive,thatitisthetotalquantityofthemoneyinanycountry,

  whichdetermineswhatportionofthatquantityshallexchangeforacertainportionofthegoods

  orcommoditiesofthatcountry。

  (3。vii。3)Ifwesupposethatallthegoodsofthecountryareononeside,allthemoneyonthe

  other,andthattheyareexchangedatonceagainstoneanother,itisobviousthatone—tenth,or

  one—hundredth,oranyotherpartofthegoods,willexchangeagainstone—tenth,oranypartofthe

  wholeofthemoney;andthatthistenth,&c。willbeagreatquantityorsmall,exactlyin

  proportionasthewholequantityofthemoneyinthecountryisgreatorsmall。Ifthiswerethe

  stateofthefacts,therefore,itisevidentthatthevalueofmoneywoulddependwhollyuponthe

  quantityofit。

  (3。vii。4)Itwillappearthatthecaseispreciselythesameintheactualstateofthefacts。The

  wholeofthegoodsofacountryarenotexchangedatonceagainstthewholeofthemoney;the

  goodsareexchangedinportions,ofteninverysmallportions,andatdifferenttimes,duringthe

  courseofthewholeyear。Thesamepieceofmoneywhichispaidinoneexchangeto—day,may

  bepaidinanotherexchangeto—morrow。Someofthepieceswillbeemployedinagreatmany

  exchanges,someinveryfew,andsome,whichhappentobehoarded,innoneatall。Therewill,

  amidallthesevarieties,beacertainaveragenumberofexchanges,thesamewhich,ifallthe

  pieceshadperformedanequalnumber,wouldhavebeenperformedbyeach;thataveragewe

  maysupposetobeanynumberweplease;say,forexample,ten。Ifeachofthepiecesofthe

  moneyinthecountryperformtenpurchases,thatisexactlythesamethingasifallthepieces

  weremultipliedbyten,andperformedonlyonepurchaseeach。Aseachpieceofthemoneyis

  equalinvaluetothatwhichitexchangesfor,ifeachperformstendifferentexchangestoeffect

  oneexchangeofallthegoods,thevalueofallthegoodsinthecountryisequaltotentimesthe

  valueofallthemoney。

  (3。vii。5)Ifthequantityofmoney,insteadofperformingtenexchangestoexchangeallthe

  goods

  once,weretentimesasgreat,andperformedonlyoneexchange,itisevidentthatwhatever

  additionweremadetothewholequantity,wouldproduceaproportionaldiminutionofvalue,in

  eachoftheminorquantitiestakenseparately。Asthequantityofgoods,againstwhichthemoney

  isallexchangedatonce,issupposedtobethesame,thevalueofallthemoneyisnomore,after

  thequantityisaugmented,thanbeforeitwasaugmented。Ifitissupposedtobeaugmented

  one—tenth,thevalueofeverypart,thatofanounceforexample,mustbediminishedone—tenth。

  Supposethewholequantity1,000,000ounces,andaugmentedbyone—tenth;thelossofvalueto

  thewholemustbecommunicatedproportionallytoeverypart;butwhatone—tenthoramillionis

  toamillion,one—tenthofanounceistoanounce。

  (3。vii。6)Ifthewholeofthemoneyisonlyone—tenthoftheabovesupposedsum,and

  performs

  tenpurchasesit,exchangingallthegoodsonce,itofcourseexchangeseachtimeagainst

  one—tenthofthegoods。Butifthetenthwhichexchangesagainstatenthisincreasedinany

  proportion,itisthesamethingasifthewholewhichexchangesagainstthewholewere

  increasedinthatproportion。Inwhateverdegree,therefore,thequantityofmoneyisincreasedor

  diminished,otherthingsremainingthesame,inthatsameproportion,thevalueofthewhole,

  andofeverypart,isreciprocallydiminishedorincreased。This,itisevident,isaproposition

  universallytrue。Wheneverthevalueofmoneyhaseitherrisenorfallen,(thequantityofgoods,

  againstwhichitisexchanged,andtherapidityofcirculation,remainingthesame,)thechange

  mustbeowingtoacorrespondingdiminutionorincreaseofthequantity;andcanbeowingto

  nothingelse。Ifthequantityofgoodsdiminish,whilethequantityofmoneyremainsunaltered,it

  isthesamethingasifthequantityofmoneyhadbeenincreased;andifthequantityofgoodsbe

  increased,whilethequantityofmoneyremainsunaltered,itisthesamethingasifthequantity

  ofmoneyhadbeendiminished。

  (3。vii。7)Similarchangesareproducedbyanyalterationintherapidityofcirculation。By

  rapidity

  ofcirculationismeant,ofcourse,thenumberoftimesthemoneymustchangehandstoeffect

  onesaleofallthecommodities。

  (3。vii。8)Thewholeofthegoods,whichfalltobeexchangedinthecourseoftheyear,isthe

  amountcontemplatedintheabovepropositions。Ifthereisanyportionoftheannualproduce,

  whichisnotexchangedatall,aswhatisconsumedbytheproducer;orwhichisnotexchanged

  formoney;anysuchportionisnottakenintoaccount,becausewhatisnotexchangedformoney

  isinthesamestate,withrespecttothemoney,asifitdidnotexist。Ifthereisanypartofwhat

  fallstobeexchangedinthecourseoftheyear,whichisexchangedtwo,orthree,ormoretimes,

  thatalsoisnottakenintoaccount,becausetheeffectisthesame,withrespecttothemoney,asif

  thegoodshadbeenincreasedtotheamountofthesemultiplications,andexchangedonlyonce。

  SectionVIII。WhatRegulatestheQuantityofMoney(3。viii。1)Whenwehaveascertained,thatquantitydeterminesthevalueofmoney,westill

  have

  toinquirewhatitisthatregulatesquantity。

  (3。viii。2)Thequantityofmoneymayseem,atfirstsight,todependuponthewillofthe

  governments,whichassumetothemselvestheprivilegeofmakingit,andmayfabricateany

  quantitytheyplease。

  (3。viii。3)Moneyismadeundertwosetsofcircumstances;eitherwhengovernmentleaves

  the

  increaseordiminutionofitfree;orwhenitendeavourstocontrolthequantity,makingitgreat

  orsmallasitpleases。

  (3。viii。4)Whentheincreaseordiminutionofmoneyisleftfree,governmentopensthemint

  to

  thepublicatlarge,makingbullionintocoinsforasmanyasrequireit。

  (3。viii。5)Itisevidentthatindividuals,possessedofbullion,willdesiretoconvertitinto

  coins,

  onlywhenitistheirinteresttodoso;thatis,whentheirbullion,convertedintocoins,willbe

  morevaluabletothemthanintheshapeofbullion。

  (3。viii。6)Thiscanonlyhappenwhenthecoinsarepeculiarlyvaluable,andwhenthesame

  quantityofmetal,inthestateofcoin,willexchangeformorethaninthestateofbullion。

  (3。viii。7)Asthevalueofthecoinsdependsuponthequantityofthem,itisonlywhenthe

  quantityistoacertaindegreelimited,thattheyhavethisvalue。Itistheinterestofindividuals,

  whencoinsarethushighinvalue,tocarrybullion,tobecoined;butbyeveryadditiontothe

  numberofthecoins,thevalueofthemisdiminished;andatlastthevalueofthemetalinthe

  coins,abovethebullion,becomestoosmalltoaffordamotiveforcarryingbulliontobecoined。

  Ifthequantityofmoney,therefore,shouldatanytimebesosmallastoincreaseitsvalueabove

  thatofthemetalofwhichitismade,theinterestofindividualsoperatesimmediately,inastate

  offreedom,toaugmentthequantity。

  (3。viii。8)Itisalsopossibleforthequantityofmoneytobesolargeastoreducethevalueof

  the

  metalinthecoin,belowitsvalueinthestateofbullion;inthatcase,theinterestofindividuals

  operatesimmediatelytoreducethequantity。Ifamanhaspossessedhimselfofaquantityofthe

  coins,containing,weshallsay,anounceofthemetal,andifthesecoinsareoflessvaluethan

  themetalinbullion,hehasdirectmotivetomeltthecoins,andconvertthemintobullion:and

  thismotivecontinuestooperatetillbythereductionofthequantityofmoney,thevalueofthe

  metalinthatstateissonearlythesamewithitsvalueinbullion,asnottoaffordamotivefor

  melting。

  (3。viii。9)Wheneverthecoiningofmoney,therefore,isfree,itsquantityisregulatedbythe

  value

  ofthemetal,itbeingtheinterestofindividualstoincreaseordiminishthequantity,in

  proportionasthevalueofthemetalincoinsisgreaterorlessthanitsvalueinbullion。

  (3。viii。10)Butifthequantityofmoneyisdeterminedbythevalueofthemetal,itisstill

  necessarytoinquirewhatitiswhichdeterminesthevalueofthemetal。Thatisaquestion,

  however,whichmaybeconsideredasalreadysolved。Goldandsilverareinrealitycommodities。

  Theyarecommodities,fortheattainingofwhichlabourandcapitalmustbeemployed。Itiscost

  ofproduction,therefore,whichdeterminesthevalueofthese,asofotherordinaryproductions。

  (3。viii。11)Wehavenexttoexaminetheeffectswhichtakeplacebytheattemptsof

  government

  tocontroltheincreaseordiminutionofmoney,andtofixthequantityasitpleases。Whenit

  endeavourstokeepthequantityofmoneylessthanitwouldbe,ifthingswereleftinfreedom,it

  raisesthevalueofthemetalinthecoin,andrendersittheinterestofeverybody,whocan,to

  converthisbullionintomoney。Bysupposition,thegovernmentwillnotsoconvertit。Hemust,

  therefore,haverecoursetoprivatecoining。Thisthegovernmentmust,ifitperseveres,prevent

  bypunishment。Ontheotherhand,wereittheobjectofgovernmenttokeepthequantityof

  moneygreaterthanitwouldbe,ifleftinfreedom,itwouldreducethevalueofthemetalin

  money,belowitsvalueinbullion,andmakeittheinterestofeverybodytomeltthecoins。This,

  also,thegovernmentwouldhaveonlyoneexpedientforpreventing,namely,punishment。

  (3。viii。12)Buttheprospectofpunishmentwillprevailovertheprospectofprofit,onlyifthe

  profitissmall。Itiswellknown,that,wherethetemptationisconsiderable,privatecoinagegoes

  on,inspiteoftheendeavoursofgovernment。Asmeltingisamoreeasyprocessthancoining,

  andcanbeperformedmoresecretly,itwilltakeplacebyalesstemptationthancoinage。

  (3。viii。13)Itthusappears,thatthequantityofmoneyisnaturallyregulated,ineverycountry,

  by

  thevalue,inotherwords,bytheproductivecost,inthatcountry,ofthemetalsofwhichitis

  made;thatthegovernmentmay,byforciblemethods,reducetheactualquantityOfmoneytoa

  certain,butaninconsiderableextent,belowthatnaturalquantity;thatitcanalso,buttoastill

  lessextent,raiseitabovethatquantity。

  (3。viii。14)Whenitdiminishesthequantitybelowwhatitwouldbeinastateoffreedom,in

  other

  words,raisesthevalueofthemetalinthecoins,aboveitsvalueinbullion,itinrealityimposesa

  seignorage。Inpractice,aseignorageiscommonlyimposedbyissuingcoinswhichcontainrather

  lessofthemetalthantheyprofesstocontain,orlessthanthatquantitytowhichtheyare

  intendedtobeanequivalent。Bycoininguponthisprinciple,governmentmakesaprofitofthe

  differencebetweenthevalueofthemetalinthecoins,andthatinbullion。Supposethe

  differencetobefivepercent。,thegovernmentobtainsbullionatthemarketprice,andmakesit

  intocoinswhichareworthfivepercent。morethanthebullion。Coins,however,willretainthis

  value,only,if,aswehaveshownintheprecedingsection,theyarelimitedinamount。Tobeable

  tolimittheminamount,itisnecessarythatseignorageshouldnotbesohighastocompensate

  fortheriskofcounterfeiting;inshort,thatitshouldnotgreatlyexceedtheexpenseofcoining。

  SectionIX。TheEffectofEmployingTwoMetalsbothas

  StandardMoney,andofUsingSubsidiaryCoins,atlessthantheMetallicValue。

  (3。ix。1)Somenationshavemadeuseoftwometals,goldandsilver,both,asstandard

  money,or

  legaltendertoanyamount。

  (3。ix。2)Forthispurposeitwasnecessarytofixacertainrelativevaluebetweenthem。A

  certain

  weightoftheonewastakentobeequalinvaluetoacertainweightoftheother。

  (3。ix。3)Iftheproportionthusfixedforthecoinswereaccuratelytheproportionwhich

  obtained

  inthemarket,andcontinuedsoinvariably,therewouldbenoinconvenienceinthetwo

  standards。Thevalueofanysumwouldalwaysbethesameineithersetofcoins。

  (3。ix。4)Therelativevalue,however,ofthetwometalsthemarketisfluctuating。

  (3。ix。5)Supposethatthevaluefixedforthecoinsisthatof15to1;inotherwords,thatone

  pieceofgoldisequalto15piecesofsilverofthesameweight。Achangetakesplaceinthe

  market,andthisvaluebecomesas16to1。Whatfollows?

  (3。ix。6)Amanwhohadadebttopay,equal,letussay,to100ofthegoldpieces,or1500of

  the

  silver,findsithisinteresttopayhisdebtnotwithgold。Withhis100piecesofgoldbecango

  intothemarketandpurchaseasmuchsilverasmaybecoinedinto1600pieces,with1500of

  whichhemaypayhisdebt,andretain100tohimself。Inthismannersilvercoinswouldbe

  multiplied;andthequantityofthecurrencywouldbeincreased;itsvaluewould,therefore,be

  diminished;thegoldincoinswouldthusbecomeoflessvaluethaninbullion;hencethegold

  coinswouldbemeltedandwoulddisappear。

  (3。ix。7)Afterafluctuationinonedirection,itmaytakeplaceinanother。Silvermayrise,

  instead

  offalling,ascomparedwithgold。Therelativevaluemaybecomeas14to1。Inthiscaseit

  wouldbetheinterestofeverymantopayingold,ratherthansilver;andinthiscaseitwouldbe

  thesilvercoinswhichwoulddisappear。

  (3。ix。8)Twoinconveniencesarethereforeincurredbythedoublestandard。First,thevalueof

  the

  currency,insteadofbeingrenderedassteadyinvalueaspossible,issubjectedtoaparticular

  causeofvariation。And,secondly,thecountryisputtotheexpenceofanewcoinage,asoftenas

  achangetakesplaceintherelativevalueofthemetals。

  (3。ix。9)Thecasewouldbeexactlythesame,ifaseignorageexisted。Supposethat10per

  cent。

  wereimposedasseignorage;itwouldbeequallytrue,thatthe100piecesofgold;werethe

  proportionchanged,from15to1,to16to1;wouldpurchaseasmuchsilveraswouldbe

  exchangedatthemintfor1600piecesofsilver。Whilethemarketvalueorthetwometalswas

  thesameasthemintvalue,onepieceofgoldpurchasednotonlyasmuchsilveraswas

  containedin15piecesorsilver,butone—tenthmore;afterthechangewhichwehavejust

  supposed,itpurchasesintheproportionof16to15,thatis,asmuchaswiltbecontainedin16

  pieces,andatenthmore。

  (3。ix。10)Theuseofsilvercoins,forthepurposeofsmallpayments,orchange,asitiscalled,

  of

  themorevaluablecoins,iftheyarelegaltenderonlytoasmallamount,isnotliabletothe

  objectionswhichapplytoadoublestandard。

  (3。ix。11)Ithas,indeed,beenaffirmed,thatiftheyareissued,atahighervaluethanthatof

  the

  metalcontainedinthem,theywilloccasiontheexportationof’thegoldcoins。Butitiseasyto

  seethatthisisamistake。

  (3。ix。12)Supposethatoursilvercoinsinthiscountryare10percent。abovethevalueofthe

  metal,butlegaltenderonlytotheextentof40shillings;everyman,itisaffirmed,hashencean

  interestinsendinggoldtoParistobuysilver。

  (3。ix。13)TherelativevalueofgoldtosilverinParisandEnglandisnaturallyprettynearly

  the

  same;letitssayas15to1。Anounceofgold,therefore,willinParispurchase15oz。ofsilver。

  ButsoitwillinEngland。WherethenistheadvantageingoingtoFrancetopurchaseit?

  (3。ix。14)Youproposetocoinitbecauseitis10percentmorevaluableascoin。

  (3。ix。15)But10percent。ofitistakenfromyou,andhencetoyoutheadvantageofthehigh

  valueislost。

  (3。ix。16)Yoursilvercoinswith10percent。addedtothemwouldmakethecoinsoffull

  weight。

  (3。ix。17)Supposethepriceofsilvertohavesunkbelowthemintproportion,itwouldthen

  be

  yourinteresttopayinsilverifyoucould;butyoucanonlypaytotheextentof40shillings;itis

  thereforeworthnobody’swhiletosurchargethemarket。

  (3。ix。18)Besides,governmentreservestoitselftherightofrefusingtocoinsilver,whenit

  pleases;itcanthereforeretainitofahighvalue。

  (3。ix。19)Subsidiarycoinscannotsendthestandardcoinsoutofthecountry,unlessthe

  increased

  amountofthemsinkthevalueofthecurrency。Thestandardcoinswillnotgoinpreferenceto

  bullion,unlesstheycanbepurchasedcheaperthanbullion。

  SectionX。SubstitutesforMoney(3。x。1)Theonlysubstituteformoney,ofsufficientimportancetorequireexplanation,inthis

  epitomeofthescience,isthatspeciesofwrittenobligationtopayasumofmoney,whichhas

  obtainedtheappellationofpapermoney。

  (3。x。2)Theuseofthisspeciesofobligation,asasubstituteformoney,seemstohave

  originated

  intheinventionofbillsofexchange,ascribedtotheJews,inthefeudalandbarbarousages。

  (3。x。3)Whentwocountries,asEnglandandHolland,tradedwithoneanother;when

  England,

  forexample,importedDutchgoods,andHollandimportedEnglishgoods,thequestion

  immediatelyarose,howpaymentwastobemadeforthem。IfEnglandwasunderthenecessityof

  sendinggoldandsilverforthegoodswhichshehadbroughtfromHolland,theexpensewas

  considerable。IfHollandwasunderthenecessityofsendinggoldandsilvertoEngland,the

  expensewasalsoconsiderable。Itwasveryobvious,however,thatifthereweretwoindividuals,

  oneofwhomowedtotheother100l。,andtheothertohim100l。,insteadofthefirstman’s

  takingthetroubletocountdown100l。tothesecond,andthesecondman’stakingthesame

  troubletocountdown100l。tothefirst,alltheyhadtodowastoexchangetheirmutual

  obligations。ThecasewasthesamebetweenEnglandandHolland。IfEnglandhadtopaya

  millionofmoneytoHolland,andhadanequalsumtoreceivefromHolland,insteadofsending

  themoneyfromEnglandtoHolland,itwouldsaveexpenceandtroubletoconsigntoher

  creditors,inHolland,themoneyduetoherinHolland;andthosemerchantsinHolland,who

  owedmoneytoEngland,andmusthavebeenattheexpenseofsendingit,wouldbewellpleased

  tobesavedfromthatexpense,byobeyinganordertopay,inHolland,whattheyowedtoa

  merchantinEngland。Abillofexchangewas,literally,suchanorder。ThemerchantinEngland

  wrotetothemerchantinHolland,whoowedhimasumofmoney,\"Paytosuchandsucha

  person,suchandsuchasum;\"andthiswascalleddrawingabilluponthatperson。The

  merchantsinHollandactedinthesamemanner,withrespecttothepersonsinEngland,from

  whomtheyhadmoneytoreceive,andtowhomtheyhadmoneytopay。Whenitsohappened,

  thatthemoney,whichthetwocountriesowedtooneanother,wasequal,thepaymentsbalanced

  oneanother,andeachcountrypaidforthegoods,whichithadreceived,free,altogether,from

  theexpenseoftransmittingmoney。Evenwhenithappenedthatoneofthetwoowedmorethan

  ithadtoreceive,ithadonlythebalancetodischarge,andwasrelievedfromalltherestofthe

  expense。

  (3。x。4)Theadvantage,therefore,derivedfromtheinventionanduseofbillsofexchange,

  was

  veryconsiderable。Theuseofthemwasrecommendedbyastillstrongernecessity,attheperiod

  oftheinvention,becausethecoarsepolicyofthosetimesprohibitedtheexportationofthe

  preciousmetals,andpunishedwiththegreatestseverityanyinfringementofthatbarbarouslaw。

  (3。x。5)Billsofexchangenotonlyservedthepurposeofdischargingdebtsbetweencountry

  and

  country,butveryoftenactedasasubstituteformoney,inthecountrytowhichtheyweresent。

  Whenabillwasdrawn,payableafteracertaintime,themerchanttowhomitwassent,ifhebad

  adebttopay,orpurchasetomake,withouthavingmoneyreadyforthepurpose,paidwiththe

  bill,insteadofmoney。Oneofthesebillswouldoftenpassthroughseveralbands,andbethe

  mediumofpaymentinanumberoftransactions,beforeitwasfinallydischargedbytheperson

  onwhomitwasdrawn。Tothisextent,itperformedtheprecisefunctionsofpapermoney,and

  ledthewaytothefurtheruseofthatimportantsubstitute。

  (3。x。6)Assoonasitwasdiscovered,thattheobligationofamerchantofcredit,topayasum

  of

  money,was,fromtheassurancethatitwouldbepaidassoonasdemanded,consideredofequal

  valuewiththemoneyitself,andwaswithoutdifficultyreceivedinexchanges,asthemoney

  itselfwouldhavebeenreceived,therewasmotivesufficienttoextendtheuseofthesubstitute。

  Thosepersonswhohadbeenaccustomedtoperformthefunctionsofbankersinkeepingthe

  moneyofindividuals,andexchangingagainstoneanotherthecoinsofdifferentcountries,were

  thefirstwhoissuedpromisestopaycertainsumsofmoney,intheexpectationthattheywould

  operate,assubstitutesformoney,inthebusinessofpurchaseandsale。Assoonastheuseof

  suchasubstituteformoneyhasbegun,nothingiswantingbutfreedom,andtheconfidenceof

  thepublicinthewrittenpromises,toenablethepapertosupersedetheuseofthemetal,and

  operate,almostexclusively,asthemediumofexchange。

  (3。x。7)Itremainstoinquirewhataretheadvantagesderivedfromtheuseofthissubstitute;

  andwhataretheinconveniencestowhichitisliable。

  SectionXI。AdvantagesDerivedfromtheUseofPaper

  Money(3。xi。1)Thepreciousmetals,whicharenecessarytoperformthefunctionsofamediumof

  exchange,areboughtwiththecommoditiesofthecountry。Manufactures,andtheproduceofthe

  land,areexportedandinsteadofothercommodities,tobeturnedtouse,goldandsilver,tobe

  employedasthemediumofexchange,areimportedforthem。Thevalueofthegoldandsilver,

  whentheyaloneperformthebusinessofexchange,alwaysbearsaconsiderableproportion,—in

  countriesbutlittleadvancedintheartsofexchange,alargeproportion,tothewholeofthe

  annualproduceofthecountry。Ifeachpieceperformsahundredpurchasesinonceexchanging

  thegoodswhichfalltobeexchangedinayear,thevalueofthemoneyrequiredisequaltoa

  hundredthpartofthewholeofsuchgoods,which,thoughnotexactlycorrespondingwiththe

  annualproduce,correspondwithitsonearly,thatweneednotscrupletospeakofthemunder

  thatname。Incountriesinwhichmoneydoesnotpassrapidlyfromhandtohand,itmaybeequal

  toatenthofthewholeoftheannualproduce。

  (3。xi。2)Itisevidentthatwhatsoeverpartofthenationalpropertygoestoprovidethe

  mediumof

  exchange,iswhollyinoperativewithregardtoproduction。Nothingproduces,buttheimmediate

  instrumentsofproduction;thefoodofthelabourer,thetoolsormachinerywithwhichhe

  labours,andtherawmaterial,whichhefabricates。Ifthewhole,therefore,ofthenational

  property,whichgoesinthismannertoprovideamediumofexchange,equaltoone—tenth,or

  one—hundredthpartoftheannualproduce,couldbetakenfromthatemployment,andconverted

  intofood,tools,andthematerialsofproduction,theproductivepowersofthecountrywould

  receiveacorrespondingincrease。

  (3。xi。3)Ifitbeconsidered,thattheannualproduceisequal,notonlytothewholeofthenet

  revenueofthecountry,but,alongwiththis,tothewholeofthecapital,exceptingthepartwhich

  isfixedindurablemachinery,itmaybeeasilyunderstoodhowvastanaccessionismadetothe

  meansofproduction,byprovidingasubstituteforthepreciousmetals,asamediumof

  exchange。

  (3。xi。4)Paperisalsofarmoreconvenient,asamediumofexchange。Alargesuminthe

  shapeof

  goldorsilverisacumbrouscommodity。Inperformingexchangesofconsiderablevalue,the

  verycountingofgoldandsilverisatediousoperation。Bymeansofabanknote,thelargestsum

  ispaidasquicklyasthesmallest。

  SectionXII。InconveniencestowhichtheUseofPaperMoney

  isLiable(3。xii。1)Theinconveniencestowhichpapermoneyisliable,seemalltobecomprehended

  under

  threeheads。

  (3。xii。2)First,—Thefailureoftheparties,bywhomthenotesareissued,tofulfiltheir

  engagements。

  (3。xii。3)Secondly,—Forgery。

  (3。xii。4)Thirdly,—Thealterationofthevalueofthecurrency。

  (3。xii。5)1。Thefailureoftheparties,bywhomnotesareissued,isanevilagainstwhich,

  under

  goodinstitutions,themostpowerfulsecuritiesarespontaneouslyprovided。

  (3。xii。6)Ifcompetitionwereallowedtooperatefreely,andifnorestrictionwereimposedon

  the

  numberofthepartners,whomightbeengagedinabank,thebusinessofbanking,andofissuing

  notes,wouldnaturallyplaceitselfonafooting,whichwouldrenderpapercurrencyverysecure。

  (3。xii。7)Thenumberofbankswouldofcoursebemultiplied;andnoonebankwouldbe

  ableto

  fillwithitscirculationmorethanacertaindistrict。

  (3。xii。8)Aslittlerisk,wherethepartnerswerenumerous,wouldbeincurredbyeachof

  them,as

  theprofitswouldbeverysure,andtheimportanceofhavingagoodcurrencywouldbesensibly

  felt;therewouldbemotivesufficient,toalltheprincipalnoblemenandgentlemenofthecounty,

  orotherdistrict,toholdsharesinthelocalbank,andaddtothesecurityofthepublic。

  (3。xii。9)Incompetitionwithsuchanestablishment,anybank,ofdoubtfulcredit,would

  vainly

  endeavourtointroduceitsnotesintocirculation。Thesenseofinterestkeepstheattention

  sufficientlyawake,andwhereeducationandknowledgearetolerablyadvanced,andthepressis

  free,intellectisnotwantingtoguidethemostignoranttotheproperconclusions。Thepeople

  maybetrustedtorejectthenotesofasuspectedparty,whentheymayhavethoseofapartyin

  whomtheyconfide。

  (3。xii。10)Anothergreatadvantageisgained,bytheschemeofnumerousbanks,each

  supplying,

  underthesafeguardoffreedomandcompetition,alimiteddistrict;thatifoneofthemfails,the

  evilislimited,andproducesinconveniencetobutasmallportionofthecommunity。

  (3。xii。11)Theinterest,also,whichbanks,wherenumerous,haveinsupplantingoneanother,

  placesthemonthewatchtodiscoveranysymptomofdeficiencyonthepartofarival;andeach

  ofthem,knowingthatitisvigilantlywatched,iscarefultoavoidanyfault,whichcanleadtoa

  diminutionofitscredit。

  (3。xii。12)InScotland,wherebankingisnearlyplaceduponthisdesirablefooting,andwhere

  papermoneyspontaneouslyfilledthechannelsofcirculation,longbeforethesuspensionofcash

  paymentsattheBankofEngland,therehavebeenfewfailuresinthenumerousbankswhich

  issuedpaper,notwithstandingallthefluctuationsinthevalueof’money,producedbythat

  suspension,andalltheconvulsionsofcreditofwhichthosefluctuationswerethecause。

  (3。xii。13)Sucharethesecuritieswhichtheinterestandintelligenceofthepartieswould

  provide,

  withouttheinterventionofthelegislature。Ofthesecuritieswhichmightbeprovidedbythe

  legislature,thefollowingareamongthosewhichmostobviouslypresentthemselves。

  (3。xii。14)Itmightberenderedimperativeuponeverybanktotransmittosomeorganof

  governmenttwomonthlystatements,oneoftheamountofitsnotes,anotherofthesecurities

  withwhichitwasprovidedtomeetthedemandstowhichitwasliable;whileappropriate

  powersmightbegranted,fortakingthenecessarystepstoprotectthepublic,whereproper

  securitiesmightappeartobewanting。

  (3。xii。15)Asagreatprofitattendstheissuingofnotesinfavourablecircumstances,itis

  desirablethatthebenefit,ifunattendedwithpreponderantevil,shouldaccruetothepublic。The

  profit,itisobservable,arisingfromtheinterestuponthenotesastheyarelent,isaltogether

  distinctfromtheotherbenefit,arisingfromtheconversionofacostlymediumofexchangeinto

  instrumentsofproduction。

  (3。xii。16)Theissuingofnotesisoneofthatsmallnumberofbusinesses,whichitsuitsa

  governmenttoconductabusinesswhichmaybereducedtoastrictroutineandfallswithinthe

  compassofasmallnumberofclearanddefiniterules。Ifthepublicwereitsownbanker,asit

  couldnotfailinpaymentstoitself,theevils,liabletoarisefromthefailureofthepartieswho

  issuenotestofulfiltheirengagements,couldnotpossiblyhaveplace。Thepeople,inthiscase,

  wouldprovidethefundstofulfilltheengagements,andthepeoplewouldreceivethem。Political

  Economydoesnotcontemplatethemisapplicationofthefundsprovidedbythepeople。The

  casesofnationalbankruptcy,andofthenon—paymentofagovernmentpaper,bywhichthe

  peopleofvariouscountrieshavesuffered,haveallbeencasesinwhichthemanyhavebeen

  plunderedforthebenefitofthefew。Whenthepeople,asabody,aretoreceivethepayment,

  whichthepeople,asabody,providethefundstomake,itwouldbeabsurdtospeakoftheirloss

  byafailure。

  (3。xii。17)Thechanceofevil,then,fromafailureindischargingtheobligationscontracted

  by

  theissueofpapermoney,iscapableofbeingsomuchreduced,astoconstitutenovalid

  objectionagainstanexpedient,thebenefitsofwhicharegreatandindisputable。Thereare

  persons,however,whosay,thatifthebenefitsderivedfrompapermoneydidsurpassthechance

  ofevilinquietandorderlytimes,thecaseisverydifferentinthoseofcivilwarorforeign

  invasion。

  (3。xii。18)Civilwar,andforeigninvasion。arewordswhichraiseupvagueconceptionsof

  danger;andvagueconceptionsofdangeraretooapttoexertundueinfluenceonthe

  understanding。

  (3。xii。19)Inthefirstplace,thereis,inthepresentstateorthecivilisedworld,solittle

  chanceof

  Civilwar,orforeigninvasion,inanycountryhavingagoodgovernmentandaconsiderable

  populationthat,incontrivingthemeansofnationalfelicity,smallallowancecanberationally

  requiredforit。Toadoptacourseofaction,disadvantageousatallbuttimesofcivilwarand

  foreigninvasion,onlybecauseitweregoodonthoseoccasions,wouldbeasabsurd,asitwould

  be,inmedicine,toconfineallmencontinuallytothatspeciesorregimenwhichsuitsaviolent

  disease。Iftheadvantages,whicharisefromtheuseofpapermoney,areenjoyed,withoutany

  considerableabatement,atalltimes,exceptingthoseofcivilwarandforeigninvasion,theutility

  orpapermoneyissufficientlyprovcd。

  (3。xii。20)Tosaveourselvesfromthedelusionwhichvagueconceptionsofdangerareaptto

  create,itispropertoinquire,whatarethepreciseevilswhichmayarisefrompapermoney,

  duringthoserareandextraordinarytimes。

  (3。xii。21)Acivilwar,oraforeigninvasion,isattendedwithagreatderangementofthe

  circulatingmedium,whenitiscomposedofgoldandsilver。Atsuchaperiodthereisageneral

  dispositiontohoard:aconsiderableproportion,therefore,ofthemediumofexchangeis

  withdrawnfromcirculation,andtheevilsofascarcityofmoneyareimmediatelyfelt;theprices

  ofcommoditiesfall;thevalueofmoneyrises;thosewhohavegoodstosell,andthosewhohave

  debtstopay,aresubjecttolosses;andcalamityiswidelydiffused。

  (3。xii。22)Fromtheevilsofhoarding,thecommunitywouldbe,inagreatmeasure,secured,

  by

  theprevalenceofpapermoney。Andtherearemanyreasonswhichmaydrawustoconclude,that

  thosearisingfrontthediminutionofcreditwouldbeverylittletobefeared。

  (3。xii。23)Ifthepaperwereissuedbyagovernment,whichdeservedtheconfidenceofthe

  people,aforeigninvasion,whichwouldconcentratetheaffectionsofthepeopletowardsthe

  government,wouldnotdestroythecreditofitsnotes。

  (3。xii。24)Itwouldnotbetheinterestoftheinvaderstodestroytheircredit,eveninthatpart

  of

  thecountry,ofwhichtheymightbeinpossession;becauseitwouldnotbetheirinterestto

  impairitsproductivepowers。

  (3。xii。25)Nobodywouldlose,ultimately;because,evenifthecirculationofthenoteswere

  preventedinthedistrictspossessedbytheenemy,theywouldrecovertheirvaluethemomentthe

  enemywereexpelled。

  (3。xii。26)Theeffectswouldnotbeverydifferent,ifthecirculationwereprovidedbya

  well—conductedsystemofprivatebanking。Itwouldbetheinterestofallpartiestopreservethe

  circulatingmediumincredit。Itwouldbetheinterestoftheenemytopreserveitinthedistricts

  whichhepossessed。Atmost,hecouldonlypreventthecirculationforatime;for,afterhis

  expulsion,thenoteswouldberedeemed;eitherbytheresponsiblepartieswhohadissuedthem;

  or,iftheybadlosttheirpropertythroughtheoperationsoftheenemy,outofthecompensation

  moneywhichthegovernmentwouldallow。

  (3。xii。27)Itisnotprobable,that,eveninacivilwar,anyconsiderablediscreditshouldattend

  a

  wellestablishedpapercurrency。Thecountryis,ofcourse,dividedbetweenthehostileparties,in

  portionsmoreorlessnearlyequal。Itisevidentlynottheinterestofthegovernment,inthatpart

  ofthecountrywhichitcommands,todiscreditthepapercurrency,whetherithadbeenissuedby

  itself,orbyprivatebankers。Aslittleisittheinterestoftheoppositeparty,todoanythingwhich

  shalldisordertheregularityoftransactions,inthatpartofthecountry,whereitgoverns,and

  fromwhichallitsmeansofprevailingoveritsopponentsmustbedrawn。Ifthecirculating

  mediumconsistsofthenotesofprivatebankers,situatedwithinthatpartofthecountry,itisthe

  interest,onadoubleaccount,ofthepartytoprotectthem。Itisitsinteresttoprotectthem,even

  iftheyarepaperofthegovernment。Forwhomwoulditinjure,astheholdersofthem,butits

  ownpeople?Whosebusinesswoulditdisturbbythewantofacirculatingmedium,butthe

  peopleuponwhosemeansandaffectionsitwhollydepends?Byprotectingthepaperofthe

  government,itmakesit,inreality,itsown。

  (3。xii。28)Experienceisinfavourofalltheseconclusions;sinceithasbeenrepeatedly

  found,

  thatthepresenceofhostilearmies,andeveninternalcommotions,haveoccasionedlittle

  disturbancetoapapercurrency,thevalueofwhichwasbuttolerablysecured。

  (3。xii。29)2。Forgery,towhichbanknotesareexposed,isanevilofthesamesortas

  counterfeiting。This,thoughanevilofgreatmagnitude,undersoimperfectasystemofbanking

  asthat,whichiscreatedbytheexistenceofagreatmonopolizingestablishment,liketheBankof

  England,would,undersuchasystemofbanking,asthatwhichwehavebeenjustcontemplating,

  beinconsiderable。Whereonegreatbanksuppliesthecirculationofagreatpartofthecountry,

  thereisopportunityforthecirculationofagreatamountof’forgednotes,andmotivetoincur

  bothagreatriskandagreatexpense。Butifeverybanksuppliedonlyasmalldistrict,asmall

  amountoftheforgednotesof’suchabankcouldfindtheirwayintothecirculation。Banks,too,

  whicharesubjecttotheusefulprincipleofcompetition,areafraidtodiscredittheirownnotes

  andrenderthepeopleshyoftakingthem,byrefusingpaymentofsuchasareforged;theyrather

  choosetopaytheminsilence,todetectaswellastheycantheauthorsoftheforgery,and

  circumscribeitsamount。Inthismannerindividualsseverallyareexemptedfromloss;andifa

  lossiswillinglysustainedbythebanks,itisonlybecausetheyfindcompensation。

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