political economy-第13章

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to　buy；　except　for　his　own　domestic　purposes。　The　term；　at　which　the　farmer　has　to　pay　his　taxes　or　his　rent；　does　not　press　the　metayer；　or　constrain　him　to　sell　before　the　season；　at　a　low　price；　the　crop　which　rewards　his　industry。　He　needs　but　little　capital；　because　he　is　not　a　dealer　in　produce；　the　fundamental　advances　have　been　made　once　for　all　by　his　master；　and　as　to　the　daily　labour；　he　performs　it　himself　with　his　family；　for　cultivation　upon　this　principle　brings　constantly　along　with　it　a　great　division　of　the　land；　or　what　is　called　cultivation　on　the　small　scale。　　　　　Under　this　system；　the　peasant　has　an　interest　in　the　property；　as　if　it　were　his　own；　without　the　anxieties　of　wealth；　he　finds　in　his　farm　every　enjoyment；　with　which　nature's　liberality　rewards　the　labour　of　man。　His　industry；　his　economy；　the　development　of　his　understanding；　regularly　increase　his　little　stock。　In　good　years；　he　enjoys　a　kind　of　opulence；　he　is　not　entirely　excluded　from　the　feast　of　nature　which　he　prepares；　his　labour　is　directed　according　to　the　dictates　of　his　own　prudence；　and　the　plants　that　his　children　may　gather　the　fruit。　The　high　state　of　culture　to　be　found　in　the　finest　parts　of　Italy；　above　all　of　Tuscany；　where　the　lands　are　generally　managed　in　this　way。　the　accumulation　of　an　immense　capital　upon　the　soil：　the　invention　of　many　judicious　rotations；　and　industrious　processes；　which　an　intelligent；　observing　spirit　alone　could　have　deduced　from　the　operations　of　nature；　the　collection　of　a　numerous　population；　upon　a　space　very　limited　and　naturally　barren；　shows　plainly　enough　that　this　mode　of　cultivation　is　as　profitable　to　the　land　itself　as　to　the　peasant；　and　that；　if　it　imparts　most　happiness　to　the　lower　class　who　live　by　the　labour　of　their　hands；　it　also　draws　from　the　ground　the　most　abundant　produce；　and　scatters　it　with　most　profusion　among　men。　　　　　But　whenever　a　country　arrives　at　complete　civilization；　whenever　the　property　and　safety　of　individuals　are　sufficiently　protected；　the　usual　population　increases　beyond　what　husbandry　can　employ；　the　extent　of　land　is　limited；　the　population　is　not　so。　A　great　number　of　families　are　brought　up　on　one　farm；　and　sent　away　by　some　accidental　cause；　penury　compels　them　to　offer　their　services　to　some　proprietor；　for　a　recompence　smaller　than　what　is　given　to　such　as　are　actually　employed。　Labourers　outbid　each　other；　and　at　length　go　so　far　as　to　content　themselves　with　the　most　niggardly　subsistence；　with　a　portion　barely　sufficient　in　good　years；　and　which　in　bad　years　leaves　them　a　prey　to　famine。　This　foolish　species　of　competition　has　reduced　the　peasantry　on　the　coast　of　Genoa；　in　the　republic　of　Lucca；　in　several　provinces　of　the　kingdom　of　Naples；　to　content　themselves　with　a　third　of　the　crop；　in　place　of　a　half。　In　a　magnificent　country；　which　nature　has　enriched　with　all　her　gifts；　which　art　has　adorned　with　all　its　luxury；　which　annually　gives　forth　a　most　abundant　harvest　…　the　numerous　class　that　produce　the　fruits　of　the　ground　never　taste　the　corn　which　is　reaped　or　the　wine　which　is　pressed；　by　their　labour；　and　struggle　continually　with　famine。　The　same　misfortune　would　probably　have　happened　to　the　people　of　Tuscany；　if　public　opinion　had　not　guarded　the　farmer；　but　there　no　proprietor　dares　to　impose　terms　unusual　in　the　country；　and　when　he　changes　one　metayer　for　another；　he　changes　no　article　of　the　primitive　contact。　So　soon；　however；　as　public　opinion　becomes　necessary　for　the　maintenance　of　public　prosperity；　it　ought；　in　strict　propriety；　to　be　sanctioned　by　law。　Whenever　vacant　lands　are　no　longer　to　be　found；　proprietors　of　the　soil　come　to　exercise　a　kind　of　monopoly　against　the　rest　of　the　nation；　and　wherever　monopoly　exists；　the　legislature　ought　to　interpose；　lest　they　who　enjoy　may　also　abuse　it。　　　　　Cultivation　by　corvees　was　very　far　from　being　as　happy　an　invention。　No　doubt　it　gave　to　the　peasantry　a　kind　of　property；　an　interest　in　life；　but　it　reduced　them　to　see　their　domestic　economy　disturbed　every　moment；　by　the　vexatious　demands　of　a　landlord　or　his　stewards。　The　peasant　could　not　perform　the　operations　of　his　husbandry　at　the　day　fixed　upon；　the　landlord's　work　must　always　be　done　before　his　own；　the　rainy　days　constantly　fell　to　the　share　of　the　weaker　party。　Under　this　system；　the　labourer　performs　every　service　for　his　master　with　repugnance；　without　care　for　its　success；　without　affection；　and　without　reward。　In　the　landlord's　fields；　he　works　as　badly　as　he　can　without　incurring　punishment。　The　steward；　on　the　other　hand；　declares　it　absolutely　necessary　that　corporal　penalties　be　employed；　and　the　infliction　of　them　is　abandoned　to　his　own　discretion。　Servitude　of　the　soil　has　nominally　been　abolished　in　several　countries；　which　have　adopted　the　system　of　cultivation　by　corvees；　but　so　long　as　this　general　system　of　agriculture　is　in　force；　there　cannot　be　any　liberty　for　the　peasant。　And　although　the　abolition　of　servitude　has　given　vassals　a　property　and　right；　which　the　landlord　did　not　formerly　acknowledge；　it　has　hardly　at　all　bettered　their　conditions。　They　are　as　constantly　thwarted　and　disturbed　in　their　own　operations　as　before；　they　work　quite　as　ill　during　the　landlord's　day's；　they　are　quite　as　miserable　within　their　huts；　and　the　master；　who　had　been　flattered　with　hopes　that　the　abolition　of　slavery　would　increase　his　revenue；　has　derived　no　advantage　from　it。　On　the　contrary；　he　is　ever　an　object　of　hatred　and　distrust　to　his　vassals；　and　social　order；　threatened　so　incessantly；　cannot　be　maintained　except　by　violent　means。　　　　　The　ground　of　the　metayer's　contract　is　every　way　the　same；　as　that　of　a　contract　with　the　cultivator　by　corvees。　The　landlord　in　Hungary；　as　in　Italy。　has　given　up　his　land　to　the　peasant；　on　condition　of　receiving　half　its　fruits　in　return。　In　both　countries；　the　other　half　has　been　reckoned　sufficient　for　supporting　the　cultivator；　and　repaying　his　advances。　A　single　error　in　political　economy　has　rendered　what　is　highly　advantageous　for　one　of　these　countries　disastrous　for　the　other。　The　Hungarian　has　not　inspired　the　labourer　with　any　interest　in　his　own　industry。　by　sharing　the　land　and　the　days　of　the　week；　he　has　made　an　enemy　of　the　man；　who　should　have　been　his　coadjutor。　The　labour　is　performed　without　zeal　or　intelligence；　the　master's　share；　inferior　to　what　it　would　have　been　according　to　the　other　system；　is　collected　with　fear；　the　peasant's　share　is　so　reduced；　that　he　lives　in　constant　penury；　and　some　of　the　most　fertile　counties　in　the　world　have　already　been　for　ages　doomed　to　this　state　of　wretchedness　and　oppression。　　　　　But　the　legislator's　interference；　which　we　claimed　for　the　metayer；　has；　in　some　of　the　countries　cultivated　by　corvees；　actually　taken　place　in　favour　of　the　vassal；　peasant；　or　serf。　In　the　German　provinces　of　the　Austrian　monarchy；　contracts　between　the　landlord　and　peasant　are；　by　law；　made　irrevocable；　and　most　of　the　corvees　have　been　changed　into　a　fixed　and　perpetual　rent　of　money；　or　of　fruits　in　a　raw　state。　By　this　means；　the　peasant　has　acquired　a　true　property　in　his　house　and　land：　only；　it　continues　to　be　charged