第 63 节
作者:嘟嘟      更新:2021-04-30 16:07      字数:9321
  of the justice of government; from a fear that if it was known
  that they had a hoard; and where that hoard was to be found; they
  would quickly be plundered。 In such a state of things few people
  would be able; and nobody would be willing; to lend their money
  to government on extraordinary exigencies。 The sovereign feels
  that he must provide for such exigencies by saving because he
  foresees the absolute impossibility of borrowing。 This foresight
  increases still further his natural disposition to save。
  The progress of the enormous debts which at present oppress;
  and will in the long…run probably ruin; all the great nations of
  Europe has been pretty uniform。 Nations; like private men; have
  generally begun to borrow upon what may be called personal
  credit; without assigning or mortgaging any particular fund for
  the payment of the debt; and when this resource has failed them;
  they have gone on to borrow upon assignments or mortgages of
  particular funds。
  What is called the unfunded debt of Great Britain is
  contracted in the former of those two ways。 It consists partly in
  a debt which bears; or is supposed to bear; no interest; and
  which resembles the debts that a private man contracts upon
  account; and partly in a debt which bears interest; and which
  resembles what a private man contracts upon his bill or
  promissory note。 The debts which are due either for extraordinary
  services; or for services either not provided for; or not paid at
  the time when they are performed; part of the extrordinaries of
  the army; navy; and ordnance; the arrears of subsidies to foreign
  princes; those of seamen's wages; etc。; usually constitute a debt
  of the first kind; sometimes in payment of a part of such Navy
  and exchequer bills; which are issued sometimes in payment of a
  part of such debts and sometimes for other purposes; constitute a
  debt of the second kind… exchequer bills bearing interest from
  the day on which they are issued; and navy bills six months after
  they are issued。 The Bank of England; either by voluntarily
  discounting those bills at their current value; or by agreeing
  with government for certain considerations to circulate exchequer
  bills; that is; to receive them at par; paying the interest which
  happens to be due upon them; keeps up their value and facilitates
  their circulation; and thereby frequently enables government to
  contract a very large debt of this kind。 In France; where there
  is no bank; the state bills (billets d'etat) have sometimes sold
  at sixty and seventy per cent discount。 During the great
  recoinage in King William's time; when the Bank of England
  thought proper to put a stop to its usual transactions; exchequer
  bills and tallies are said to have sold from twenty…five to sixty
  per cent discount; owing partly; no doubt; to the supposed
  instability of the new government established by the Revolution;
  but partly; too; to the want of the support of the Bank of
  England。
  When this resource is exhausted; and it becomes necessary;
  in order to raise money; to assign or mortgage some particular
  branch of the public revenue for the payment of the debt;
  government has upon different occasions done this in two
  different ways。 Sometimes it has made this assignment or mortgage
  for a short period of time only; a year; or a few years; for
  example; and sometimes for perpetuity。 In the one case the fund
  was supposed sufficient to pay; within the limited time; both
  principal and interest of the money borrowed。 In the other it was
  supposed sufficient to pay the interest only; or a perpetual
  annuity equivalent to the interest; government being at liberty
  to redeem at any time this annuity upon paying back the principal
  sum borrowed。 When money was raised in the one way; it was said
  to be raised by anticipation; when in the other; by perpetual
  funding; or; more shortly; by funding。
  In Great Britain the land and malt taxes are regularly
  anticipated every year; by virtue of a borrowing clause
  constantly inserted into the acts which impose them。 The Bank of
  England generally advances at an interest; which since the
  Revolution has varied from eight to three per cent; the sums for
  which those taxes are granted; and receives payment as their
  produce gradually comes in。 If there is a deficiency; which there
  always is; it is provided for in the supplies of the ensuing
  year。 The only considerable branch of the public revenue which
  yet remains unmortgaged is thus regularly spent before it comes
  in。 Like an improvident spendthrift; whose pressing occasions
  will not allow him to wait for the regular payment of his
  revenue; the state is in the constant practice of borrowing of
  its own factors and agents; and of paying interest for the use of
  its own money。
  In the reign of King William; and during a great part of
  that of Queen Anne; before we had become so familiar as we are
  now with the practice of perpetual funding; the greater part of
  the new taxes were imposed but for a short period of time (for
  four; five; six; or seven years only); and a great part of the
  grants of every year consisted in loans upon anticipations of the
  produce of those taxes。 The produce being frequently insufficient
  for paying within the limited term the principal and interest of
  the money borrowed; deficiencies arose; to make good which it
  became necessary to prolong the term。
  In 1697; by the 8th of William III; c。 20; the deficiencies
  of several taxes were charged upon what was then called the first
  general mortgage or fund; consisting of a prolongation to the
  first of August 1706 of several different taxes which would have
  expired within a shorter term; and of which the produce was
  accumulated into one general fund。 The deficiencies charged upon
  this prolonged term amounted to L5;160;459 14s。 9 1/4d。
  In 1701; those duties; with some others; were still further
  prolonged for the like purposes till the first of August 1710;
  and were called the second general mortgage or fund。 The
  deficiencies charged upon it amounted to L2;055;999 7s。 11 1/2d。
  In 1707; those duties were still further prolonged; as a
  fund for new loans; to the first of August 1712; and were called
  the third general mortgage or fund。 The sum borrowed upon it was
  L983;254 11s。 9 1/4d。
  In 1708; those duties were all (except the Old Subsidy of
  Tonnage and Poundage; of which one moiety only was made a part of
  this fund; and a duty upon the importation of Scotch linen; which
  had been taken off by the Articles of Union) still further
  continued; as a fund for new loans; to the first of August 1714;
  and were called the fourth general mortgage or fund。 The sum
  borrowed upon it was L925;176 9s。 2 1/4d。
  In 1709; those cities were all (except the Old Subsidy of
  Tonnage and Poundage; which was now left out of this fund
  altogether) still further continued for the same purpose to the
  first of August 1716; and were called the fifth general mortgage
  or fund。 The sum borrowed upon it was L922;029 6s。
  In 1710; those duties were again prolonged to the first of
  August 1720; and were called the sixth general mortgage or fund。
  The sum borrowed upon it was L1;296;552 9s。 11 3/4d。
  In 1711; the same duties (which at this time were thus
  subject to four different anticipations) together with several
  others were continued for ever; and made a fund for paying the
  interest of the capital of the South Sea Company; which had that
  year advanced to government; for paying debts and making good
  deficiencies; the sum of L9;177;967 15s。 4d。; the greatest loan
  which at that time had ever been made。
  Before this period; the principal; so far as I have been
  able to observe; the only taxes which in order to pay the
  interest of a debt had been imposed for perpetuity; were those
  for paying the interest of the money which had been advanced to
  government by the Bank and the East India Company; and of what it
  was expected would be advanced; but which was never advanced; by
  a projected land bank。 The bank fund at this time amounted to
  L3;375;027 17s。 10 1/2d。; for which was paid an annuity or
  interest of L206;501 13s。 5d。 The East India fund amounted to
  L3;200;000; for which was paid an annuity or interest of
  L160;000… the bank fund being at six per cent; the East India
  fund at five per cent interest。
  In 1715; by the 1st of George I; c。 12; the different taxes
  which had been mortgaged for paying the bank annuity; together
  with several others which by this act were likewise rendered
  perpetual; were accumulated into one common fund called The
  Aggregate Fund; which was charged not only with the payments of
  the bank annuity; but with several other annuities and burdens of
  different kinds。 This fund was afterwards augmented by the 3rd of
  George I; c。 8; and by the 5th of George I; c。 3; and the
  different duties which were then added to it were likewise
  rendered perpetual。
  In