KING, Charles.

£11,000 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

The British Merchant; or, Commerce Preserv'd. First collected edition of King's periodical, presenting a valuable compilation of contemporary merchant opinion, and a clear statement of the mercantilist, anti-free trade doctrine which dominated British economic thought prior to Adam Smith.Originally printed as a twice-weekly paper in 1713-14, The British Merchant rallied opposition against the eighth and ninth commercial articles of the Treaty of Utrecht, which proposed a relaxation of duties on French imports to create a more open trade with France. It was the principal publication in response to Defoe's Mercator, which supported the treaty, and presented a protectionist, mercantilist theory of trade, against the notion that free trade would benefit both sides. The British Merchant ceased publication once parliament voted down the disputed articles, thus prompting the collapse of that part of the treaty.The influence of the periodical was substantial and long lasting. "It enjoyed at the time a large share of popularity, and was for a while referred to as a work of authority. And it continues to deserve attention from the full exposition which it gives of the opinions and reasonings then current on commercial affairs, and which led the parliament and people to reject a measure which would have been productive of great immediate and of still greater permanent advantage" (McCulloch, p. 142). "The British Merchant enjoyed unique authority during the forty years following its publ

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