Gddtnenqe  und  Waarenprcise.

101

Diese  Theorie  Hume’s  vom  Einfluss  der  Mengte
des  im  Umlauf  befindlichen  Geldes  auf  den  allgemeinen ­
  Stand  der  Waarenpreise  und  des  allgemeinen ­
  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  angefangen, ­
  bis  auf  J.  Stuart  Mill  und  die  meisten  Oekononomisten
  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  proportion ­
  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  cheaper, ­
  increase  the  money,  they  rise  in  their  value.  As,  on  the  other
hand,  a  diminution  of  the  former  and  that  of  the  latter  have  contrary ­
  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  value.** ­
  Vgl.  auch:  Of  the  balance  of  trade.