B A L 



ano- 

 parlia- 



is not chjsckecl by fome antagonlJl jiower, rcfiJiiig in a 

 t-ier part. Tims tlie power of the two hoisfcs of par 

 iiiciit to frame laws is checked by the king's negative ; 

 fin the other hand the arbitrary application of this nega- 

 tive is checked by the privilege tint parliament ponelTts 

 of refufing fiip])lies of money to the exigencies of the 

 king's adminirtration. The conftiliitional i;iaxim, " that 

 the king can do no wrong," is balanced by anotl'.cr maxim 

 not Icfs conftitntional, " that the ill-gal commands of 

 tfie king do not julHfy tliofc vho aflill, or concur, in 

 carrying them into execution ;" and by a fecond rule, 

 lublidiary to thi;, " that the afts of the cjown acquire 

 not any legal force, until authenticated by the fiibferip- 

 tion of fome of its great officers." The power of tlie 

 crown to dire>ft the military force of the kingdom is ba- 

 lanced by the annual neccflity of rtforting to parliament 

 for the maintenance and government of that force. The 

 power ot the king to declare war is checked by the 

 privilege of the houfe of commons to grant or withhold 

 fupplies by which the war mud be canied on. The 

 king's choice of minifters is controlled by the obligation 

 he is under of appointing thofc men to offices in the 

 ilate, who are found capable of managing the affairs of 

 his government with the two houfes of parllai-nent. By 

 the hahmct of interejl, which accompanies and gives efiica- 

 cy to the balance of power, is meant this, tliat the rcfpec- 

 tive interefts of the three dates of the empire are fo dif- 

 pofed and adjnfled, that whichever of the three (hall at- 

 tempt any encroachment, the other two will unite in 

 refifting it. If the king (hould endeavour to extend his 

 authority by contrafting the power and privileges of the 

 commons, the houfe of lords would fee their own dignity 

 endangered by every advance which the crown made to 

 independency, upon the refolutions of parliament. The 

 admiffion of arbitrary power is no lefs formidable to the 

 grandeur of the aridocracy than it is fatal to the liberty 

 of the republic ; that is, it would reduce the nobility 

 from the hereditary fliare they poffefs in the national 

 councils, in which their real greatncfs confids, to being 

 a part of the empty pageantry of a dcfpotic court. On 

 the other hand, if the houfe of commons (hould intrench 

 upon the didinft province, or ufurp the cdablifhed prero- 

 gative of the crown, the lords would receive an indant alarm 

 from ever-)' new ftretch of popular power. In every conted 

 in which the king may be engaged with the reprcfentative 

 body, in defence of his edablifhed diare of authority, be 

 will find a fure ally in the colleftive power of the nobi- 

 lity. If the nobles fhould attempt to revive the fuperi- 

 orities exercifed by their ancedors under the feudal con- 

 llitution, the king and the people v.'ould alike remember 

 liow the one had been infnlted, and the other enflaved 

 by that barbarous tyranny. Paley's Principles of Philo- 

 iophy, vol. ii. p. 208 — 213. 



Ijalance of Power, in the PoUtlcal Syflem, originates 

 from, and is maintained by, the alliances of different na- 

 tions, as their circumdances and intered may require. See 

 tliis fubjeft dated and difcudcd more at large under the 

 article Power. 



Balance of Trade, denotes an equality between the 

 value of commodities bought of foreigners, and the va- 

 lue of the native prodiidtions tranfported into other na- 

 tions. 



The balance of trade with any foreign nation is faid to 

 be againd or in favour of the country fimply as it tends to 

 carry money out, or to bring it in ; that is, according as 

 the price of the imports exceeds or falls fliort of the price 

 of the exports : fo invariably is the increafe or diminution 



B A I. 



of the fpecic of a country regarded as a lefl of the public 

 advantage or detriment, which arifcs from ?.ny branch of its 

 commerce. According to Dr. Smith (Wealtli of Nations, 

 vol. ii. p. 212.), there is no certain criterion by which we 

 can determine on which fide what is called the balance be- 

 tween any two countries lies, 01' which exports to the 

 greated value. The two criterions to which an appeal 

 lias been ufually made on fuch occafions are, the cuftom-houfe 

 books, and the courfe of exchange. The cudom-bocks, 

 fays this writer, are now generally acknowledged to be a 

 very uncertain criterion, on account of the ^inaccuracy of 

 t!ie valuation at which the greater part of goods is rated in 

 them ; and the courfe of exchange is, perhaps, almoft 

 equally precarious. 



Balance of Anvual Produce and Confumpfion, is that 

 which, according to Dr. Sm'th (ubi fiipra, p. 250.), necef- 

 fjrily occafions the profperity or decay of every nation, as 

 it happens to be either favourable or unfavourable. If the 

 exchangeable value of the annual -jiroduce exceeds that of 

 the annual confumption, the capital of the fociety mufl 

 annually increafe in proportion to the excels. The fociety 

 in this cafe lives within its revenue, and what is annually 

 faved out of its revenue is naturally added to its capital, 

 a'ld employed fo as to increafe dill further the annual pro- 

 duce. On the contrary, if the exchangeable value of the 

 annual produce fall (hort of the annual confumption, the 

 capital of the fociety mud annually decay in proportion to 

 this deficiency. The expence of the fociety in this cafe 

 exceeds its revenue, and necelTHrily encroaches upon its 

 capital. Its capital mull, therefore, neceffarily decay, and 

 together with it, the exchangeable value of the annual pro- 

 duce of its indudry. The balance of produce and confump- 

 tion is entirely different from that which is called the balance 

 of trade. It might take place in a nation which had no fo- 

 reign trade, but which was entirely feparated from all the 

 world. It may take place in the whole globe of the earth, 

 of which the wealth, population, and improvement may be 

 either gradually increafing, or gradually decaying. This 

 balance may be condantly in favour of a nation, though the 

 balance of trade fhould be generally againd it. A nation 

 may import to a greater value than it exports for half a 

 century, perhaps, together; the gold and filver which 

 come into it during all this time may be immediately fent 

 out of it ; its circulating coin may gradually decay, dif- 

 ferent forts of paper money being fubdituted in its place, 

 iind even the debts too which it contrafts in the principal 

 nations with which it deals may be gradually increafing ; 

 and yet its real wealth, the exchangeable value of the annual 

 produce of its lands and labour, may, during the fame period, 

 have been increafing in a much greater proportion. See on 

 this f'.ibjcft more largely under the articles Commerce, and 

 Tradi. 



Balance, to, in Sea Language, fignifies to contrafl a fail 

 into a narri">w compafs, in a llorm, by retrenching, or, fold- 

 ing up a part of it in one corner. To this purpofe ferves 

 the hc.lance-reef, which is a reef-band that erodes the fail dia- 

 gonally. See Reef. 



Balance of the Boom Mnin-fail, is performed after all its 

 reefs are taken in, by rolling up a fimilar portion of the 

 hindmud or aftmofl lower corner called the r/ue, and faden- 

 ing it drongly to the boom, fecuring it from being fretted by 

 the cord that fadens it. See Boom. 



Balance o/'/Zvi^/zirfn, is thus performed; the mizen-yard 

 is lowered a little, a finall portion of the fail is rolled up at 

 tlie peek, or upper corner, and fadened to the yard, about 

 one-fifth inward from the outer end, or yard-arm, towards 

 themaft. See Mizen. 



Balance- 



