Gddtnenqe und Waarenprcise. 
101 
Diese Theorie Hume’s vom Einfluss der Mengte 
des im Umlauf befindlichen Geldes auf den all 
gemeinen Stand der Waarenpreise und des all 
gemeinen Standes der Waarenpreise wiederum auf den 
Export oder Import von Edelmetall — hat sich bis auf 
den heutigen Tag in Geltung erhalten. Ziemlich alle 
hervorragenden Oekonomisten des 19. Jahrhunderts, von 
Thornton, dem Verfasser des Buchs über den Pa- 
[uercredit von Grossbritannien, und Ricardo angefan 
gen, bis auf J. Stuart Mill und die meisten Oekono- 
nomisten der Gegenwart, bekennen sich, — so sehr sie 
auch im Einzelnen, insbesondere was die Anwendung 
almost self-evident, that lhe prices of every thing depend on the pro 
portion betwixt commodities and money, and that any considerable 
alteration on either of these has the same effect, either of heightening 
or lowering the prices. Increase the commodities, they become chea 
per, increase the money, they rise in their value. As, on the other 
hand, a diminution of the former and that of the latter have con 
trary tendencies. — 'Tis also evident, that the prices do not so 
much depend on the absolute quantity of commodities and that of 
money, which are in a nation, as on that of the commodities, which 
come or may come to market, and of the money which circulates. 
If the coin be lock'd up in chests Uis the same thing with regard 
to prices, as if it were annihilated; if the commodities be hoarded 
in granaries, a like effect follows. As the money and commodities, 
in these cases, never meet, they cannot affect each other. — 'Tis 
only the overplus, compar'd to the demand, that determines the va 
lue.** Vgl. auch: Of the balance of trade.