第 19 节
作者:嘟嘟      更新:2021-04-30 16:07      字数:9322
  trade of insurance; therefore; may be carried on successfully by
  a joint stock company without any exclusive privilege。 Neither
  the London Assurance nor the Royal Exchange Assurance companies
  have any such privilege。
  When a navigable cut or canal has been once made; the
  management of it becomes quite simple and easy; and it is
  reducible to strict rule and method。 Even the making of it is so
  as it may be contracted for with undertakers at so much a mile;
  and so much a lock。 The same thing may be said of a canal; an
  aqueduct; or a great pipe for bringing water to supply a great
  city。 Such undertakings; therefore; may be; and accordingly
  frequently are; very successfully managed by joint stock
  companies without any exclusive privilege。
  To establish a joint stock company; however; for any
  undertaking; merely because such a company might be capable of
  managing it successfully; or to exempt a particular set of
  dealers from some of the general laws which take place with
  regard to all their neighbours; merely because they might be
  capable of thriving if they had such an exemption; would
  certainly not be reasonable。 To render such an establishment
  perfectly reasonable; with the circumstance of being reducible to
  strict rule and method; two other circumstances ought to concur。
  First; it ought to appear with the clearest evidence that the
  undertaking is of greater and more general utility than the
  greater part of common trades; and secondly; that it requires a
  greater capital than can easily be collected into a private
  copartnery。 If a moderate capital were sufficient; the great
  utility of the undertaking would not be a sufficient reason for
  establishing a joint stock company; because; in this case; the
  demand for what it was to produce would readily and easily be
  supplied by private adventures。 In the four trades above
  mentioned; both those circumstances concur。
  The great and general utility of the banking trade when
  prudently managed has been fully explained in the second; book of
  this Inquiry。 But a public bank which is to support public
  credit; and upon particular emergencies to advance to government
  the whole produce of a tax; to the amount; perhaps; of several
  millions; a year or two before it comes in; requires a greater
  capital than can easily be collected into any private copartnery。
  The trade of insurance gives great security to the fortunes
  of private people; and by dividing among a great many that loss
  which would ruin an individual; makes it fall light and easy upon
  the whole society。 In order to give this security; however; it is
  necessary that the insurers should have a very large capital。
  Before the establishment of the two joint stock companies for
  insurance in London; a list; it is said; was laid before the
  attorney…general of one hundred and fifty private insurers who
  had failed in the course of a few years。
  That navigable cuts and canals; and the works which are
  sometimes necessary for supplying a great city with water; are of
  great and general utility; while at the same time they frequently
  require a greater expense than suits the fortunes of private
  people; is sufficiently obvious。
  Except the four trades above mentioned; I have not been able
  to recollect any other in which all the three circumstances
  requisite for rendering reasonable the establishment of a joint
  stock company concur。 The English copper company of London; the
  lead smelting company; the glass grinding company; have not even
  the pretext of any great or singular utility in the object which
  they pursue; nor does the pursuit of that object seem to require
  any expense unsuitable to the fortunes of many private men。
  Whether the trade which those companies carry on is reducible to
  such strict rule and method as to render it fit for the
  management of a joint stock company; or whether they have any
  reason to boast of their extraordinary profits; I do not pretend
  to know。 The mine…adventurers' company has been long ago
  bankrupt。 A share in the stock of the British Linen Company of
  Edinburgh sells; at present; very much below par; though less so
  that it did some years ago。 The joint stock companies which are
  established for the public…spirited purpose of promoting some
  particular manufacture; over and above managing their own affairs
  ill; to the dimunition of the general stock of the society; can
  in other respects scarce ever fail to do more harm than good。
  Notwithstanding the most upright intentions; the unavoidable
  partiality of their directors to particular branches of the
  manufacture of which the undertakers mislead and impose upon them
  is a real discouragement to the rest; and necessarily breaks;
  more or less; that natural proportion which would otherwise
  establish itself between judicious industry and profit; and
  which; to the general industry of the country; is of all
  encouragements the greatest and the most effectual。
  ARTICLE II
  Of the Expense of the Institutions for the Education of
  Youth
  The institutions for the education of the youth may; in the
  same manner; furnish a revenue sufficient for defraying their own
  expense。 The fee or honorary which the scholar pays to the master
  naturally constitutes a revenue of this kind。
  Even where the reward of the master does not arise
  altogether from this natural revenue; it still is not necessary
  that it should be derived from that general revenue of the
  society; of which the collection and application is; in most
  countries; assigned to the executive power。 Through the greater
  part of Europe; accordingly; the endowment of schools and
  colleges makes either no charge upon that general revenue; or but
  a very small one。 It everywhere arises chiefly from some local or
  provincial revenue; from the rent of some landed estate; or from
  the interest of some sum of money allotted and put under the
  management of trustees for this particular purpose; sometimes by
  the sovereign himself; and sometimes by some private donor。
  Have those public endowments contributed in general to
  promote the end of their institution? Have they contributed to
  encourage the diligence and to improve the abilities of the
  teachers? Have they directed the course of education towards
  objects more useful; both to the individual and to the public;
  than those to which it would naturally have gone of its own
  accord? It should not seem very difficult to give at least a
  probable answer to each of those questions。
  In every profession; the exertion of the greater part of
  those who exercise it is always in proportion to the necessity
  they are under of making that exertion。 This necessity is
  greatest with those to whom the emoluments of their profession
  are the only source from which they expect their fortune; or even
  their ordinary revenue and subsistence。 In order to acquire this
  fortune; or even to get this subsistence; they must; in the
  course of a year; execute a certain quantity of work of a known
  value; and; where the competition is free; the rivalship of
  competitors; who are all endeavouring to justle one another out
  of employment; obliges every man to endeavour to execute his work
  with a certain degree of exactness。 The greatness of the objects
  which are to be acquired by success in some particular
  professions may; no doubt; sometimes animate the exertion of a
  few men of extraordinary spirit and ambition。 Great objects;
  however; are evidently not necessary in order to occasion the
  greatest exertions。 Rivalship and emulation render excellency;
  even in mean professions; an object of ambition; and frequently
  occasion the very greatest exertions。 Great objects; on the
  contrary; alone and unsupported by the necessity of application;
  have seldom been sufficient to occasion any considerable
  exertion。 In England; success in the profession of the law leads
  to some very great objects of ambition; and yet how few men; born
  to easy fortunes; have ever in this country been eminent in that
  profession!
  The endowments of schools and colleges have necessarily
  diminished more or less the necessity of application in the
  teachers。 Their subsistence; so far as it arises from their
  salaries; is evidently derived from a fund altogether independent
  of their success and reputation in their particular professions。
  In some universities the salary makes but a part; and
  frequently but a small part; of the emoluments of the teacher; of
  which the greater part arises from the honoraries or fees of his
  pupils。 The necessity of application; though always more or less
  diminished; is not in this case entirely taken away。 Reputation
  in his profession is still of some importance to him; and he
  still has some dependency upon the affection; gratitude; and
  favourable report of those who have attended upon his
  instructions; and these favourable sentiments he is likely to
  gain i