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
Besides, when the coin returns, although it has an advanced value, it
has no advanced denomination. It was exported according to its numerary
value, and it returns upon the same footing. Farther, when the coin
returns as the price of French merchandize, for the same value it bears
in the country, I cannot discover a principle which can make this appear
to be a loss to France. The loss therefore must be upon the exportation
of the coin, not upon the return of it. But we have said that if it be
exported at a higher value than that of the bullion it contains, this
must imply a profit to France. Consequently, the remainder of loss upon
exportation must be apparent, not real: It is a loss to Frenchmen, who,
in exporting the coin below the full value of it (coinage included) lose
a part of what they had paid the King for the coinage; that is to say,
they lose it so far as they do not draw it back _in full_ from the
foreigners to whom they owe; [Sidenote: It is no loss to France.] but it
is no loss to France: on the contrary, it is a gain, as far as any part
of the coinage is drawn back; and this is the case as oft as the coin is
exported above the price of bullion.
[Sidenote: Another view of this question.]
Or in another view. This going out and returning of the French coin, may
be considered as a loss to France in this respect, that when the balance
of her trade is against her, when her coin loses of its advanced value
in payments made to strangers for the price of foreign commodities,
those who consume such commodities in France, must consume them at an
advanced price to themselves, but at no additional profit to foreign
suppliers; because as to these last, the French coin, with which we
suppose the commodities to be paid, having lost of its value every
where, cannot then purchase so much as at another time, and consequently
is not worth so much to the foreign supplier who receives it. For the
better understanding of what has been here said, attention is to be had
to the difference there is between a _national_ loss, and the loss
sustained by the individuals in a nation. The balance of trade is the
national profit, or the national loss; but the gains or losses of
individuals, may be compatible with either a right or a wrong balance of
the trade of the nation to which they belong. This will be fully
explained when we come to treat of exchange.
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