defence of usury-第15部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


or　elsewhere。　After　this；　affidavits　once　a　year；　or　oftener；　during　the　subsistence　of　the　contract；　declaring　what　has　been　done　in　execution　of　it。　　　　　If　the　leading…string　is　not　yet　thought　tight　enough；　boards　of　controul　might　be　instituted　to　draw　it　tighter。　Then　opens　a　scene　of　vexation　and　intrigue：　waste　of　time　consumed　in　courting　the　favour　of　the　members　of　the　board：　waste　of　time；　in　opening　their　understandings；　clenched　perhaps　by　ignorance；　at　any　rate　by　disdain；　and　self…sufficiency；　and　vanity；　and　pride：　the　favour　（for　pride　will　make　it　a　favour）　granted　to　skill　in　the　arts　of　self…recommendation　and　cabal；　devoid　of　inventive　merit；　and　refused　to　naked　merit　unadorned　by　practice　in　those　arts：　waste　of　time　on　the　part　of　the　persons　themselves　engaged　in　this　impertinent　inquiry：　waste　of　somebody's　money　in　paying　them　for　this　waste　of　time。　All　these　may　be　necessary　evils；　where　the　money　to　be　bestowed　is　public　money：　how　idle　where　it　is　the　party's　own！　I　will　not　plague　you；　nor　myself；　with　enquiring　of　whom　shall　be　composed　this　board　of　nurses　to　grown　gentlemen：　were　it　only　to　cut　the　matter　short；　one　might　name　at　once　the　committees　of　the　Society　of　Arts。　There　you　have　a　body　of　men　ready　trained　in　the　conduct　of　enquiries；　which　resemble　that　in　question；　in　every　circumstance；　but　that　which　renders　it　ridiculous：　the　members　or　representatives　of　this　democratic　body　would　be　as　likely；　I　take　it；　to　discharge　such　a　trust　with　fidelity　and　skill；　as　any　aristocracy　that　could　be　substituted　in　their　room。

　Crichoff；　　in　White　Russia；　　March　1787。

To　Dr　Smith

　　　　A　little　tract　of　mine；　in　the　latter　part　of　which　I　took　the　liberty　of　making　use　of　your　name；　（the　Defence　of　Usury）；　having　been　some　time　out　of　print；　I　am　about　publishing　a　new　edition　of　it。　I　am　now　therefore　at　a　period　at　which；　if　I　have　done　you　or　any　body　any　injustice；　I　shall　have　the　opportunity；　and　assuredly　I　do　not　want　the　inclination；　to　repair　it：　or　if　in　any　other　respect　I　have　fallen　into　an　error；　I　could　give　myself　and　the　public　the　benefit　of　its　being　set　right。　I　have　been　Battered　with　the　intelligence　that；　upon　the　whole；　your　sentiments　with　respect　to　the　points　of　difference　are　at　present　the　same　as　mine：　but　as　the　intimation　did　not　come　directly　from　you；　nor　has　the　communication　of　it　received　the　sanction　of　your　authority；　I　shall　not　without　that　action　give　any　hint；　honourable　as　it　would　be　to　me；　and　great　as　the　service　is　which　it　could　not　but　render　to　my　cause。　　　　　I　have　been　favoured　with　the　communication　from　Dr　Reid　of　Glasgow　of　an　inedited　paper　of　his　on　the　same　subject；　written　a　good　many　years　ago。　He　declares　himself　now　fully　of　my　opinion　on　the　question　of　expediency；　and　had　gone　a　considerable　length　towards　it　at　that　time。　The　only　ground　on　which　he　differs　from　me；　is　that　of　the　origination　of　the　prejudice；　of　which　his　paper　gives；　as　might　be　expected；　an　account　more　ecclesiastical　than　mine。　Anxious　to　do　my　cause　as　much　service　as　it　is　capable　of　receiving；　I　write　to　him　now；　to　endeavour　to　persuade　him　to　give　his　paper　to　the　world；　or　if　he　looks　upon　so　much　of　it　as　concerns　the　question　of　utility　＇as＇　superseded　by　mine；　that　he　will　either　communicate　the　historical　part　　that　part　which　he　prefers　to　mine　　to　some　general　repository　for　short　publications；　or　allow　me　the　honour　of　forwarding　it　to　the　world　in　company　with　mine。　The　account　that　has　been　given　by　the　Marquis　de　Condorcet　of　the　sentiments　of　Turgot　on　the　same　subject；　is　already　every　body's　without　leave：　I　shall　accordingly　annex；　by　way　of　appendix　to　my　new　edition；　the　original　as　well　as　a　translation　of　that　short　passage。　I　am　the　more　anxious　to　collect　all　the　force　I　can　muster；　in　as　far　as　I　find　from　the　printed　debates；　as　well　as　from　private　intelligence；　that　the　project　of　reducing　the　rate　of　interest　in　Ireland　is　not　yet　given　up：　though　this　perseverance　is　hardly　reconciliable　with　the　account　I　receive　from　the　same　quarter；　of　the　impression　made　in　that　country　by　the　Defence　of　Usury。　Yet　the　subjecting　the　rate　of　interest　to　a　further　reduction　by　a　new　law；　is　a　much　more　mischievous　and　less　defensible　measure　than　the　continuing　of　the　restraint　upon　the　old　footing：　and　adds　to　the　mischief　of　the　old　established　regimen　others　of　a　new　and　much　more　serious　nature。　It　would　be　a　tax　upon　the　owners　of　money；　much　heavier　than　ever　was　levied　upon　the　proprietors　of　land：　with　this　circumstance　to　distinguish　it　from　all　other　taxes；　that；　instead　of　being　brought　into　the　treasury　for　the　public　service；　it　is　made　a　present　of　to　the　collectors；　in　expectation　of　the　good　they　are　to　do　the　nation　by　the　spending　of　it。　If　this　be　good　thrift；　in　the　name　of　consistency　and　equality　let　them　impose　a　land　Tax　to　the　same　amount；　and　dispose　of　the　produce　in　the　same　manner。　What　makes　my　anxiety　the　greater；　is　the　uncertainty　whether　this　project　of　plunder　without　profit　may　not　be　still　hovering　over　this　island。　Last　year　it　was　roundly　and　positively　asserted　in　the　Irish　House　of　Commons；　as　if　upon　personal　knowledge；　to　he　determined　upon　in　the　Cabinet　here：　and　the　Administration　being　appealed　to；　though　they　of　course　would　not　acknowledge；　would　no　contradict　it。　Its　suspension　hitherto　may　have　resulted　from　nothing　more　than　a　doubt　whether　the　nation　were　yet　ripe；　according　to　the　Irish　phrase；　for　this　mode　of　enrichment：　as　if　there　were　a　time　at　which　a　nation　were　riper　for　plunder　and　waste　than　at　another。　I　am　truly　sorry　I　can　not　find　time　to　make　one　effort　more　for　the　express　purpose　of　stemming　the　torrent　of　delusion　in　that　channel。　The　straw　I　have　planted　has　done　something：　what　might　not　be　hoped　for；　if　your　oak…stick　were　linked　with　it？　　　　　As　the　world　judges；　one　upon　examination　and　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine　upon　trust；　the　declaration　of　your　opinion　upon　any　point　of　legislation　would　be　worth；　I　won't　pretend　to　say　how　many　votes：　but　the　declaration　of　your　opinion　in　favour　of　a　side　to　which　conviction　and　candour　had　brought　you　over　from　the　opposite　one；　would　be　worth　at　least　twice　or　thrice　as　many：　under　such　circumstances；　the　authority　of　the　converter　would　tell　for　little　in　comparison　of　that　of　the　proselyte；　especially　such　a　proselyte。　We　should　have　the　Irish　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　abjuring　his　annual　motion　in　the　face　of　the　House；　and　Lord　Hawkesbury　who；　it　has　been　said；　is　Mr　Pitt's　tutor　in　this　wise　business；　quietly　and　silently　putting　his　papers　and　calculations　into　the　fire。　　　　　If；　then；　you　agree　with　me　in　looking　upon　this　as　a　most　pernicious　measure；　you　would；　like　me；　be　glad　to　see　it　put　an　end　to；　and　for　that　purpose　the　acknowledgement　of　your　opinion　on　a　subject　which　you　have　made　so　much　and　so　honourably　your　own；　is　an　expedient　to　the　use　of　which；　I　should　hope；　you　would　not　see　any　objection：　the　less　as　you　would　hardly；　I　suppose；　let　another　edition　of　your　great　work　go　abroad　with　opinions　in　it　that　were　yours　no　longer。　If；　then；　you　think　proper　to　honour　me　with　your　allowance　for　that　purpose；　then　and　not　otherwise　I　will　make　it　known　to　the　public；　in　such　words　as　you　give　me；　that　you　no　longer　look　upon　the　rate　of　interest　as　fit　subject　for　restraint：　and　then；　thanks　to　you　and　Turgot　and　Dr　Reid；　the　Defence　of　Usury　may　be　pronounced；　in　its　outworks　at　least；　a　strong…hold。

　PREFACE　TO　THE　SECOND　EDITION

　　　　When　the　first　edition　of　these　letters　was　published；　I　was　still　in　the　distant　country　from　which　they　were　written。　It　is　about　two　years；　since　that　impression　was　exhausted：　it　is　about　a　year　and　a　half　since　this　reimpression　was　compleated；　the　publication　having　been　retarded　till　now　by　causes　not　worth　mentioning。　The　alterations　made　in　this　second　edition　are　few；　and　those　merely　verbal　and　of　no　importance。　In　this　interval；　had　I　heard　of　any　objection；　total　or　partial；　I　would　have　either　admitted　the　force　of　it；　or　answered　it：　but　I　have　not　been　able　to　meet　with　any。　I　have　scarce　heard　of　a　reader　who　has　not　acknowledged　himself　convinced。　The　practical　conclusion　is　the　repealing　of　the　laws　against　usury；　together　with　those　others　that　are　here　pointed　out　as　depending　on　the　same　principle。　That　matters　are　at　all　the　nearer　to　such　a　measure　since　the　publication　of　this　work　than　they　were　before；　is　more　than　I　can　pretend　to　have　any　ground　for　supposing：　for　in　great　political　questions；　wide　indeed　is　the　distance　between　conviction　and　practice。　An　intelligent　Frenchman；　of　whom　I　have　not　been　able　to　learn　enough　to　distinguish　him　more　particularly；　published　a　few　months　since　a　translation　he　had　made　for　his　own　amusement；　a　considerable　time　before　the　commencement　of　the　Revolution；　he　says；　not　long　after　the　work　found　its　way　to　France。　He　kept　back　the　translation；　thinking　the　country　not　ripe　for　it。　The　general　slaughter　that　has　been　made　of　all　sorts　of　prejudices　in　that　country　may　now；　he　thinks；　have　opened　the　way　for　it。　But　if　its　turning　to　any　account　in　practice　depends　upon　the　overthrow　of　prejudice；　who　shall　calculate　the　period；　at　which　any　good　can　be　expected　from　it　here？　　　　　It　is　to　the　attempt　made　in　Ireland　to　effect　a　fresh　forced　reduction　of　the　legal　rate　of　interest　in　that　country；　that　the　reimpression　there　published　must　naturally　have　been　indebted　for　a　circulation　proportionably　more　extensive　than　here。　Between　that　measure　and　the　laws　condemned　by　this　investigation；　the　connection　is　close　and　evident。　Had　the　reduction　so　proposed　been　naturally　productive　of　the　advantage　expected　from　it；　and　at　the　same　time　not　attended　with　any　additional　hardship　or　other　inconvenience　superior　to　that　advantage；　such　a　reduction　would　then　have　had　no　other　objections　to　combat　than　the　objections；　decisive　as　they　are　represented　in　this　work；　which　apply　to　the　original　fixation。　According　to　my　conception　of　the　matter；　however；　that　advantage　is　altogether　illusory；　the　measure　is　attended　with　hardships　much　more　than　sufficient　to　outweigh　the　advantage；　were　it　real；　and　of　these