WEALTH OF NATIONS. 167 



imported, is essential both to the interests of the pro- 

 ducer and the consumer, because, unless it is certain that 

 the quantity grown, if superabundant, can be easily 

 taken off, the growth will be pared down to so low an 

 amount as must prevent cheapness, and, unless it is 

 certain that any surplus imported can be re-exported, 

 there will be the same slowness to lower prices by importa- 

 tion. As for the arguments against importing or export- 

 ing for fear foreign States should shut their ports and we 

 should thus lose our needful supplies, the experience even 

 of Dr. Smith's age showed how little ground there was 

 for such alarms; but in our day, who have seen one 

 vast system of continental despotism established upon a 

 monstrous military power, wielded by a single man, and 

 wielded in direct hostility to our commerce, yet fail to 

 prevent a much greater importation than usual of all 

 kinds of grain, anything more chimerical than such fears 

 cannot well be imagined. 



4. The carrying trade is not perhaps of so much 

 importance to the home market as the three other 

 branches of the corn trade : yet it does contribute to its 

 supply ; for the carrier will always be ready to keep part 

 of his capital under his eye and controul, and thus to sell 

 at home, just as Holland became a great emporium of all 

 articles, while she was the carrier of the world. 



The general soundness of Dr. Smith's views upon this 

 important subject has never been questioned by persons 

 of good authority, unless upon the questions connected 

 with the bounty. Some writers, who are in general the 

 advocates of free trade, have considered the benefits con- 

 ferred by the bounty upon agriculture, and through 

 agriculture upon the whole industry of the community, 



