An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Oeconomy (Vol. 2 of 2): Being an essay on the science of domestic policy in free nations. In which are particularly considered population, agriculture, trade, industry, money, coin, interest, circulation, banks, exchange, public credit, and taxesSteuart, James, Sir
General
An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Oeconomy (Vol. 2 of 2): Being an essay on the science of domestic policy in free nations. In which are particularly considered population, agriculture, trade, industry, money, coin, interest, circulation, banks, exchange, public credit, and taxes
Steuart, James, Sir
Economics
What has been said is undoubtedly too much upon this subject for the
generality of readers. The number of those who can go through a chapter
like this with pleasure is very small. But if the idea I have been
endeavouring to communicate, be found just by one man of capacity, whose
opinion shall have weight in the deliberations of Great Britain, the
consequences may be great to this nation; and this consideration will, I
hope, plead my excuse.
I shall now set this question in another point of view, from which the
stress of my arguments will be felt, and all intricate combinations will
be laid aside.
Does not the price of exchange, or what is given above the par, proceed
from the expence of sending the metals from one place to the other, the
insurance of them, and the exchanger’s profit? If this be true, which I
believe no body will deny, must not what is paid for the bill, over and
above these three articles, be considered as the real par, relative to
exchange? Now does the price of the bullion which the exchanger pays in
his own market, or the price he gets for that bullion in the market to
which he sends it, at all enter into the account of the transportation,
risk, and profit, which the exchanger has on the operation? Certainly
not. May there not be a very great difference between the buying and
selling the very same bullion in different markets at one time and
another? Ought we not to charge that to some other accompt than to the
price of exchange, which is confined to the expence of transporting _the
balance only_, and when two objects totally different are included under
the same term, does it not tend to perplex our notions concerning them?
The great variation in the price of bullion in France, for example, and
the expence of procuring it, proceeds from three causes. The first is,
the coinage imposed in France, while none is imposed in England. What,
therefore, is paid upon this account, is profit to France, and loss to
England.
The second cause of variation, is the debasement of the value of the
pound sterling, when the heavy gold has been sent abroad. That loss
affects the nation, and every man in England, in the quality of creditor
for sums specified in pounds sterling, to the profit of all debtors.
The third cause of variation, is from the great expence exchangers are
put to, in procuring the metals from other countries, when they cannot
be got at home: the consequence of this shall be explained in a
succeeding chapter.
As all these causes are combined in the exchange upon bills when they
come to market, I think it is proper to analize them, before the
doctrine we are upon can be distinctly understood.
I shall therefore conclude my chapter with this proposition:
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