CHAPTER III.

Sketch of a Commercial Constitution—Appropriation of Land and Capital-Direction-Management-Wages - Salaries, and general principles of the Social System.

As it is the object of this chapter to describe, in a connected form, the leading features of the plan about to be advocated, rather than to present, in all the stiffness of language with which such a document would require to be invested, a commercial constitution, the chapter itself might perhaps have been more properly entitled "Principles of the Social System;" but the term, "Commercial Constitution" has been preferred, as containing in itself a description of one of the ingredients conceived to be necessary to the attainment of national prosperity.

The principles about to be specified will be accompanied here with but little either of argument or illustration; but, after the whole plan has been described, such general obser

vations will be made upon it, as will tend to shew why, in the author's opinion, so vast and important a change in our commercial affairs is imperatively called for.

[It is proposed, then, that, whenever a sufficient number of persons shall be induced to combine their capital, for the purpose of more effectually supplying themselves with the necessaries, conveniencies, comforts, and luxuries of life, by making the production thereof the unfailing cause of a demand for them to an equal extent, they should proceed to act upon the following principles :

I. That a president, and a sufficient number of representatives, be chosen in an equitable manner, to control, direct, and regulate the affairs of the association; that the persons so elected be invested with supreme power, during the time they may be in office, and that they be denominated collectively, The National Chamber of Commerce.

II. That, in their public capacity, the members of this Chamber do abstain from all political and religious discussions; that they engage to treat, with equal justice, men of every political opinion, and of every religious creed; that they do bind and oblige them

selves to devote their undivided attention to the interests of commerce; to submit themselves, in all things, without complaint, to the established authorities of the country; to renounce the right even to petition parliament; and that, whenever any change in the commercial law of the country shall appear to them to be desirable, or necessary, they represent the same to their constituents, leaving it for them to petition for the necessary alteration.

III. That all persons possessed of land, or capital, be invited to join this association, and that all other persons be admitted members of it as rapidly as its progress will allow.

IV. That all the members of this association, who shall be possessed of land, or capital, shall have an estimated value put upon the same, and shall consent to receive a fixed annual remuneration for the use thereof, proportionate to its value, in lieu of retaining, in their own hands, the chances of gain or loss, by its cultivation or employment.

V. That the direction and control of all cultivation, manufactures, and trade, be vested in the Chamber of Commerce.

VI. That the cultivation of land, and the management of all trades and manufactures, be intrusted to servants or managers, to be hired at fixed salaries by, and to act under the direction and control of, the Chamber of Commerce.

VII. That produce of every description, manufactured and agricultural, be lodged in national warehouses, and intrusted to the care of servants or managers, who are to be remunerated by salaries fixed by the Chamber of Commerce.

VIII. That, from these national warehouses, or depôts, all shops for the disposal of goods by retail, be supplied; these shops, also, to be committed to the care of servants or managers, appointed at fixed salaries by the Chamber of Commerce.

IX. That all wages and salaries be paid in money of no intrinsic value; and that the price of commodities consist, first, of the cost of the material; secondly, of the wages of labour; and, thirdly, of such a per centage or profit, as shall be sufficient to ensure a gradual and sufficiently rapid increase of capital, as also to pay all the expenses of rent, interest

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of capital, salaries, depreciation of stock, unproductive labour, incidents, and all national charges, to be hereafter more particularly specified.

X. That the land, capital, and labour of the association, be devoted, in the first instance, to the stocking of the national warehouses with the various commodities which constitute the ordinary necessaries, conveniencies, and comforts of life.

XI. That, whenever any commodity shall be found to be unduly accumulating in the national warehouses, thereby proving that it is unnecessary to continue its production to the same extent as formerly, a portion of the capital and labour employed in the production of the said article, be forthwith devoted to another purpose, that is, to the production of some other article of which there does not

appear to be any such superfluity.

XII. That the loss or damage, whenever any shall be sustained by these changes, be charged to the national account, and form one of the items to be paid by a per centage on the sale of the produce of the labour of the association.