Xinshun 1730

Chapter 1299 Death and Revenge ([-])
This kind of nonsense in Europe is allowed in Dashun, and no one objects to it.

Because, since the "Salt and Iron Conference".

Private minting of money, privatization of the salt industry, exemption from mercantilism, avoidance of government operations, abolishment of consumption tax, etc., are themselves the political correctness of Dashun mainstream books.

It's just that most of the imperial examination graduates who entered the cabinet say so, but they don't do it in practice.

It is one thing to talk about people and not do things about people, but it is another thing not to talk about people and not do things about people.

Moreover, Sang Hongyang was generally criticized, so Dashun and his new school naturally had no psychological barriers.Besides, regardless of whether it is "incompetent", in short, Dashun's national tax is really not much.As for whether they are incapable or unwilling, where do these Europeans know?
In fact, this is quite normal.

It has nothing to do with race, tradition, or hanging hair.

Historically, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and of course including the early and mid-Qing Dynasty, private salt dealers were always acquiesced by the local government.

Many officials sympathize with private salt dealers, believing that private salt dealers benefit the country and the people, and are politically correct practitioners who oppose salt monopoly in practicing the theory of salt and iron.

From the time before Yuan Shizhen reformed the Gangyan Law to the complete collapse of the Qing Dynasty’s salt government, the idea of ​​"no crime for private salt" has been circulating among the people, and it has also been sheltered by some gentry officials in the local area—except for taking In addition to money and money, some people who really "do it for their ideals" really can't be killed with one shot, because there are real people who are practicing their cognition and ideals.

This is consistent with the trend of thought in North America, Ireland, Scotland, and England at this time that "smuggling is a crime without victims, and smuggling is beneficial to the country and the people".

The difference is that the east side can only control salt, and has no ability to control other things. Nearly 100 million students all agree with the political correctness of anti-Sang Hongyangism. Even if there are laws and regulations, they still do it out of their own justice and three views , won't care about it.

In the west, everything from cloth, to apples, to wine, to tobacco, to tea can be managed.After all, even the shroud worn after death must be checked to see if it is made of domestic wool, and the invoice must be presented, otherwise a fine of 15 taels will be imposed and the burial will not be allowed.

To some extent, the age of great exploration is the practice of the "Salt and Iron Conference" after 2000.Countries that can control whatever clothes the dead wear, leave those countries that can't control anything but salt behind.

However, these macro-level problems may require Dashun to truly smash the "Navigation Regulations" and a large number of goods flooded into Britain and North America before the unemployment frenzy in the textile industry in 1720 can be reproduced.
But now, William Pitt, as well as the British government, are facing more practical, realistic, and immediate problems.

William Pitt, suffering from gout, waited in his agony for a visitor he did not want at all.

His former political ally, core member of the Patriot Party, his eldest brother-in-law, and George Grenville, who he regarded as a traitor.

Although the rift between the two has already appeared on the issue of resignation, but the visit of George Grenville is not easy to drive him away.

George Grenville, one of the British prime ministers recorded in history because of the "Cider Tax Act" and the "North American Stamp Act", faced his painful relative Peter at this time, and did not directly complain that he was not betrayed, but rather It was when the two of them started talking when they were young.

"Pete, do you remember our first big win when we followed my uncle and started out as the opposition?"

"You and I were young then. We opposed Walpole's Excise Tax Act. And Walpole's notorious theory of taxation."

"He said: [A landed squire is like a pig, which squeals loudly whenever someone lays his hand on him. In contrast, a merchant is like a sheep, which gives up his wool without complaint]. Actually In fact, this statement is not correct, because merchants are not sheep, and wool is not grown by merchants, but the hair of everyone who consumes. Therefore, we hope that if no one is plucked, the world will benefit.”

"Do you remember when we were young, why on earth did we oppose Walpole's Excise Tax Act?"

A few simple words brought Petra back to the time when he was young and just entered politics. At that time, he was still young, and Grenville beside him was also young.

They rallied around Grenville's uncle, Field Marshal and leader of the Whig opposition, Viscount Temple, and they formed a fledgling opposition group.

Because the participants were very young, people began to call them "patriotic dolls" and "little patriots".

More than 20 years have passed since this incident. Pete took a deep breath, calmed down his body afflicted by gout, and answered Grenville's question.

"yes, I remember."

"The Book of Exodus, 22, says: If a man sees a thief digging a hole into his house, and beats the thief to death, he shall not be guilty of shedding blood for him. If the sun has risen, he shall have bloodshed for him sin. If a thief is caught, he must pay back. If he has nothing, he will be sold for what he has stolen."

"The covenant of the gods made our laws."

"For a man's house is his castle, et domus sua cuique est tutissimum refugium. Every man's house is his castle."

"We all believe that the most perfect era is the feudal era, when royal power is firmly bound."

"Everyone becomes a nobleman, a nobleman who owns his own castle, and the king cannot enter his castle or fiefdom without permission. When the king enters the nobleman's castle, fiefdom, or tries to strengthen the king's power, the nobles rebel against the king and kill him. Expel and welcome a new king."

"Walpole's Excise Act, on the other hand, permits a warrant to search a smuggler's warehouse. I believe that the wind can enter, the rain can enter, and the king cannot. Taxes can be collected, but smuggler's warehouses cannot be searched. .”

"That time, we won a big victory, and our group of patriotic dolls gained great prestige for the first time."

The conception of this liberty is the same as that of the French aristocracy against the enumeration of acres.It is a kind of freedom derived from the nobles in the feudal era.Freedom in the philosophical sense of the Enlightenment is not the same thing.

Although very similar, the core is different.

To put it simply, can Emperor Zhou go to the capital of Qi State to check various problems in Qi State?Can King Qi go to the fiefdom of Lord Mengchang to check the land of Lord Mengchang?Shang Yang also relied on his fief's private soldiers to resist.

The set of things under the feudal system is the same in both the East and the West.

Derived from this set, in the UK, it is manifested as the problem of smugglers' anti-smuggling and inspection of warehouses and smuggling ships;

Grenville finished talking about the past, and said: "Not long after, because of the Jenkins ear incident, we won another big victory."

"Accuses Walpole of cowardice, incompetence, compromising with Spain, and attempting to quell the matter without a full-scale war."

"And Ni, who gave his most famous speech: Total War."

"You question those cowardly cabinet members, why didn't they go to war? Why did Britain suffer such humiliation? Why did Britain have a fleet far superior to Spain but chose to back down?"

"But, have you ever thought about...wars cost money?"

"A person who opposes consumption tax, shouldn't he also oppose war? You oppose consumption tax, agricultural tax, and government strengthening, but you fanatically support war."

"You know what? Many people say that you represent the interests of smugglers, bootleggers, and criminals."

"Back then we were young and passionate. But now, you and I understand why Walpole had to increase the excise tax and why the excise tax had to search warehouses."

"Because, at that time, the land tax had already been increased to 4 shillings per pound, which was one-fifth of the heavy tax, and agriculture could no longer support it."

"It's also because you and I both know that smuggling is impossible to check at the port. Many ships can easily avoid inspection and unload at night. But no one dares to touch their warehouses, because the warehouses are also their 'castle' a part of."

"Peter, I didn't betray you, on the contrary, I think you betrayed Britain."

"You are the most fanatical supporter of the war. From Jenkins' ears to this time's war against France and Spain, you are the most hard-line war faction."

"You have earned a good reputation as a patriot, a 'great commoner', and a 'guardian of the common people'. However, you must know that the war against Spain was won by taxation; you should also know that the current government A total of 1 million pounds of national debt is owed, and the annual interest is already higher than the existing tax. And you chose to resign at this time, and the bad reputation of raising taxes and paying debts in the future will all fall on the next government. .”

"You are still you. You are still the most ardent patriot, the true and only patriot who will fight the enemy to the end."

"You are still you. You are still the great commoner who stands on the standpoint of 'civilians' and opposes consumption tax, land tax, personal tax, and anti-smuggling."

"But what about the government's debt of 5000 million pounds?"

"It's your Total War policy that has resulted in so much debt!"

"You are the one who directs the £80 annual grant to support Prussia!"

"Peter, you tell me that you have gained an immortal reputation, but who will solve the actual problems of the government's operation?"

"This is a mess right now. Anyone who cares about feathers will not try to dominate the cabinet. Because whoever is on stage will sign a treaty that is bound to fail miserably; and he will be spurned by the British because he has to pay back The government's debt of £5000 million, and we don't have the Potosí silver mines, can only raise taxes."

"Now you say that I didn't resign with you. I betrayed you. Then, tell me, who did you betray when you chose to resign at this time?"

"If you just use resignation as a threat, then what is your policy? Fight it down? Of course you have to fight it down, but where will the money come from?"

"To defend the state religion, and to defend the Restoration of the Scots, whom the people of Britain loathe, everyone will help."

"But keep fighting, to defend German-speaking Hanover? To defend the sugar plantations of the Leeward Islands, where the landowners can't benefit at all?"

"It was you who fanatically called for a full-scale war in the Jenkins incident, which eventually led to the East India Company's monopoly for another 20 years, because at that time the East India Company needed to purchase national bonds in exchange for monopoly rights."

"You oppose excise taxes, but you support the East India Company's monopoly for another 20 years. You oppose tax increases, but you support total war."

"Unfortunately, old friend, I have begun to question your leadership and judgment. Just like we questioned Walpole."

"But now thinking about the outcome of that war with Spain, I think... Walpole's policy of peace, of lowering the national debt, of cutting land taxes, of avoiding war as much as possible, was correct."

(End of this chapter)