登陆注册
25635600000026

第26章

Merchandise such as cloth, linen, leather, etc. is persishable also and cannot be subdivided without in some sort changing their value for the service of man. Like raw produce they cost a good deal for carriage; they even cause expense for storage, and consequently are unsuitable for a common measure.

Diamonds and other precious stones, even if they had no instrinsic value and were esteemed only from fancy, would be suitable for a common measure if they were not susceptible of imitation and if they could be divided without loss. With these defects and that of being unserviceable in use they cannot serve as a common measure.

Iron, which is always useful and fairly durable would not serve badly in default of a better. It is consumed by fire, and is too bulky owing to its quantity. It was used from the time of Lycurgus till the Peloponnesian War; but as its value was necessarily based instrinsically, or in proportion to the land and labour which entered into its production, a great quantity of it was needed for small value. It is curious that its quality was spoiled by vinegar to make it useless for service and to keep it for exchange only. Thus it could serve the austere Spartans alone, and could not continue to do so even with them as soon as they extended their communication with other countries. To ruin the spartans it needed only to find rich iron mines, to make money like theirs, and to draw in exchange their products and merchandise whilst they could get nothing from abroad for their spoiled iron. At that time they did not concern themselves with any foreign trade, but only with war.

Lead and tin have the same disadvantage of bulk as iron and are consumable by fire, but in case of need they would not do badly for exchange if copper were not more suitable and durable.

Copper alone served as money to the Romans until 484 years after the founding of Rome, and in Sweden it is still used even in large payments: but it is too bulky for very considerable payments, and the Swedes themselves prefer payment in gold or silver rather than in copper.

In the American Colonies tobacco, sugar, and cocoa have been used as money: but these commodities are too bulky, perishable, and of unequal quality: they are therefore hardly suitable to serve as money or a common measure of value.

Gold and silver alone are of small volume, equal goodness, easily transported, divisible without loss, convenient to keep, beautiful and brilliant in the articles made of them and durable almost to eternity. All who have used other articles as money return to these as soon as they can get enough of them for exchange. It is only in the smallest purchases that gold and silver are unsuitable. Gold or even silver coins of the value of a liard or a denier would be too small to be handled easily. It is said that the Chinese, in small transactions, cut off little pieces with scissors from their plates of silver, and weighed the pieces. But since their trade with Europe they have begun to use copper for such occasions.

It is then not surprising that all countries have arrived at using gold and silver as money or a common measure of value and copper for small payments. Utility and need have decided them, and not fancy or consent. Silver requires much labour and dear labour for its production. Silver miners are highly paid because they rarely live more than five or six years at this work, which causes a high mortality: and so a little silver coin corresponds to as much land and labour as a large copper coin.

Money or the common measure of value must correspond in fact and reality in terms of land and labour to the articles exchanged for it. Otherwise it would have only an imaginary value. If for example a prince or a republic gave currency in the state to something which had not such a real and instrinsic value, not only would the other states refuse to accept it on that footing but the inhabitants themselves would reject it when they perceived its lack of real value. When towards the end of the first Punic War the Romans wished to give the copper as, weighing two ounces, the same value as the as of 1 pound or 12 ounces had before, it could not long be maintained in exchange. The history of all times shews that when princes have debased their money, keeping it at the same nominal value, all raw produce and manufacturers have gone up in price in proportion to the debasement of the coinage.

Mr Locke says that the consent of mankind has given its value to gold and silver. This cannot be doubted since absolute necessity had no share in it. It is the same consent which has given and does give every day a value to lace, line, fine cloths, copper, and other metals. Man could subsist without any of these things, but it must not be concluded that they have but an imaginary value. They have a value proportionable to the land and labour which enter into their production. Gold and silver, like other merchandise and raw produce, can only be produced at costs roughly proportionable to the value set upon them, and whatever man produces by labour, this labour must furnish his maintenance.

It is the great principle that one hears every day from the mouths of the humble classes who have no part in our speculations, and who live by their labour or their undertakings.

"Everybody must live."

End of the first part.

同类推荐
  • 南池宴饯辛子,赋得

    南池宴饯辛子,赋得

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 正一法文传都功威仪

    正一法文传都功威仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 范村菊谱

    范村菊谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 孟冬纪

    孟冬纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 物理小识

    物理小识

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 十二星座:天上繁星人间花

    十二星座:天上繁星人间花

    摩羯从来没想过自己的哥哥会如此记仇。只是因为竞选宫主时,自己打败了他,他就打算集结其他落选的宫主,给她个一击致命吗?且先不提丧失记忆,且先不谈心脏绞痛,且先不说将她的自尊死死踩在脚下。为何,我已如此,你还要将我的朋友,一个个从身边夺走?挚友亡,朋友散,牵冷笑。她最信赖的人,却在那一刻给了她真正的致命一击。他是唯一的,他是唯一那束她生命中的阳光。希望是他带来的,斗志是他带来的。温情是他带来的,手心的温暖更是他带来的。终究有一天,她会昂起头,踏着血,浴着火,笑望世界千百险恶。“你说,我在天上,是什么?”“在天上,繁星相随。在地上,连体花伴。”
  • 追女养成系统

    追女养成系统

    ”警告,警告,还有三分钟不能完成触摸校花的小手的任务,系统将会惩罚宿主精神失常一个月!“”任务二:一个星期内获得美女老师的初吻,任务奖励:100能量值。任务失败,宿主将会被重置属性!“什么,精神失常?属性重置?林峰惊恐的听着脑海中的提示声音,可是去摸校花小手,去偷袭美女老师的初吻,哥是那样的人吗,哥可是正人君子。看了眼身旁娇滴滴的校花,林峰隐蔽的伸出了狼狼之手……
  • 途 途

    途 途

    六男一女以及一条狗的荒诞路途
  • 八千界

    八千界

    宿世情缘,东西之间,是谁弹奏爱恋如果可以,还有选择,是谁止步不前千年回眸,万世等待,是谁挥别神坛
  • 穿越之有你爱我

    穿越之有你爱我

    一个从小受尽虐待和冷眼的少年在生死攸关的时刻穿越到了古代,遇到了一个愿意对他好宠着他百般好的人,然后就开始了种种田养养宠物做做美食的没羞没臊的美好生活。这是一个甜宠文!!
  • 仙途漫漫之我本妖孽

    仙途漫漫之我本妖孽

    在现代,骄阳是个能看见鬼的女孩。莫名奇妙的穿越到修仙世界,夫君?师娘?这是闹哪样?!好吧,这些都可以接受,但是灵根都毁了还修毛仙阿!!!
  • 异族战场

    异族战场

    这个世界,往往没有看上去那么真实,有很多未知的东西,就隐藏在我们身边。林楚风是个幸运的人,一次偶然让他能踏入这带着笑与泪的奇幻世界,去探寻那不为人知的秘密.......有搞笑有吐槽,有欢笑有泪水,有美女却没有后宫种马,奇幻而严谨的世界设定,欢迎观看~
  • 照镜解闷

    照镜解闷

    莆田素有“文献名邦”、“海滨邹鲁”之称,有着深厚的文化底蕴,莆田文人有强烈的著书立说的欲望,文学创作十分活跃。杂文作为文学艺术百花园中的一朵奇葩,在莆田这块沃土上,同样开得醒目。经过多年的努力,杂文创作持续繁荣,已拥有一支一定规模的杂文创作队伍。
  • 天战英雄

    天战英雄

    李白斗酒诗百篇,百篇原在醉梦中。醒来百篇全忘却,犹记仙侠显神通。本书叙述了仙界争霸和仙魔大战的故事,刻画了辰奉光、龙广遨、怒当平、蒙避尘、花凝瑞、嫦弄月、旷霜华、郦山红等许多生动的人物形象,情节跌宕起伏,感人至深。
  • 尼泊尔之的命运生死书

    尼泊尔之的命运生死书

    在尼泊尔王国的北部地区,有个小镇叫阿拉比斯。阿拉比斯镇上有个女神庙,女神庙里有个活女神,活女神年轻而美貌,每天坐在神龛上接受当地人的祈福与膜拜。然而不久前,活女神却并未给小镇带来宁和,一系列恐怖离奇的事件,让阿拉比斯镇上的居民人心惶惶,而这一切,皆因一封神秘的“命运生死书”而起……