By far the ablest of the group, both by reason of his natural gifts and his training as a banker and financial editor, was Walter Bagehot.[51] In his “Economic Studies” (1880) he has discussed with a remarkable economic insight the postulates of political economy, and the position of Adam Smith, Ricardo, and Malthus; in his “Lombard Street” (fourth edition, 1873), the money market is pictured with a vivid distinctness which implies the possession of rare qualities for financial writing; indeed, it is in this practical way also, as editor of the London “Economist,”[52] that he made his great reputation.
Of living English economists, Professor Henry Fawcett,[53] in his “Manual of Political Economy” (1865; sixth edition, 1883), is a close follower of Mill, giving special care to co-operation, silver, nationalization of land, and trades-unions. He is an exponent of the strict wages-fund theory, and a vigorous free-trader. Professor J. E. Thorold Rogers, of Oxford, also holds aloof from the methods of the old school. His greatest contribution has been a “History of Agriculture and Prices in England,” from 1255 to 1793, in four volumes[54] (1866-1882).
Of all the writers[55] since Cairnes, it may be said that, while adding to the data with which political economy has to do, and putting principles to the test of facts, they have made no actual addition to the existing body of principles; although questions of distribution and taxation are certainly not yet fully settled, as is seen by the wide differences of opinion expressed on subjects falling within these heads by writers of to-day.
It now remains to complete this sketch of the growth of political economy by a brief account of the writers on the Continent and in the United States, beginning with France. About the time of the founding of the London “Economist” (1844) and “The Statistical Journal” (1839) in England, there was established in Paris the “Journal des Économistes” (1842), which contains many valuable papers. On the whole, the most popular writer since J. B. Say has been Bastiat,[56] who aspired to be the French Cobden. He especially urged a new[57] view of value, which he defined as the relation established by an exchange of services; that nature's products are gratuitous, so that man can not exact anything except for a given service. Chiefly as a foe of protection, which he regarded as qualified socialism, he has won a reputation for popular and clever writing; and he was led to believe in a general harmony of interests between industrial classes; but in general he can not be said to have much influenced the course of French thought. On value, rent, and population, he is undoubtedly unsound. A writer of far greater depth than Bastiat, with uncommon industry and wide knowledge, was Michel Chevalier,[58] easily the first among modern French economists. He has led in the discussion upon the fall of gold, protection, banking, and particularly upon money; an ardent free-trader, he had influence enough to induce France to enter into the commercial treaty of 1860 with England. One of the ablest writers on special topics is Levasseur,[59] who has given us a history of the working-classes before and since the Revolution, and the best existing monograph on John Law. The most industrious and reliable of the recent writers is the well-known statistician, Maurice Block,[60] while less profound economists were J. A. Blanqui[61] and Wolowski.[62] The latter devoted himself enthusiastically to banks of issue, and bimetallism. A small group gave themselves up chiefly to studies on agriculture and land-tenures—H. Passy,[63] Laveleye, and Lavergne.[64] The latter is by far the most important, as shown by his “L'économie rurale de la France depuis 1789” (1857), which gives a means of comparing recent French agriculture with that before the Revolution, as described in Arthur Young's “Travels in France” (1789). The best systematic treatise in French is the “Précis de la science économique” (1862), by Antoine-Élise Cherbuliez,[65] a Genevan. The French were the first to produce an alphabetical encyclopædia of economics, by Coquelin and Guillaumin, entitled the “Dictionnaire de l'économie politique” (1851-1853, third edition, 1864). Courcelle-Seneuil,[66] by his “Traité théorique et pratique d'économie politique” (second edition, 1867); and Baudrillart, by a good compendium. Joseph Garnier, Dunoyer,[67] Paul Leroy-Beaulieu,[68] Reybaud,[69] De Parieu,[70] Léon Say,[71] Boiteau, and others, have done excellent work in France, and Walras[72] in Switzerland.
As Cobden had an influence on Bastiat, so both had an influence in Germany in creating what has been styled by opponents the “Manchester school,” led by Prince-Smith (died 1874). They have worked to secure complete liberty of commerce and industry, and include in their numbers many men of ability and learning. Yearly congresses have been organized for the purpose of disseminating liberal ideas, and an excellent review, the “Vierteljahrschrift für Volkswirthschaft, Politik, und Kulturgeschichte,”[73] has been established. They have devoted themselves successfully to reforms of labor-laws, interest, workingmen's dwellings, the money system, and banking, and strive for the abolition of protective duties. Schulze-Delitzsch has acquired a deserved reputation for the creation of people's banks, and other forms of co-operation. The translator of Mill into German, Adolph Soetbeer,[74] is the most eminent living authority on the production of the precious metals, and a vigorous monometallist. The school is represented in the “Handwörterbuch der Volkswirthschaftslehre” (1865) of Reutzsch. The other writers of this group are Von Böhmert,[75] Faucher, Braun, Wolff, Michaelis, Emminghaus,[76] Wirth,[77] Hertzka, and Von Holtzendorf. The best known of the German protectionists is Friedrich List, the author of “Das nationale System der politischen Oekonomie” (1841), whose doctrines are very similar to those of H. C. Carey in this country.[78] An able writer on administrative functions and finance[79] is Lorenz Stein, of Vienna.
51
Born 1826, died 1877. He was early made familiar with banking in connection with the Stuckey Banking Company, in Somersetshire; was educated at University College, London. In 1858 he married the daughter of James Wilson, the editor of the London “Economist,” whom he succeeded. He was a political student of a rare kind, as is shown by his “English Constitution” (second edition, 1872), “Physics and Politics” (1872), “Literary Studies” (second edition, 1879). He also wrote “Depreciation of Silver” (1877).
52
Established in 1848, and unquestionably the most useful economic publication for English questions.
53
Born 1833. His eye-sight was lost by an accidental shot in 1858, but he was chosen Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge in 1863. His “Manual” and the “Economic Position of the British Laborer” (1865) gave him reputation, in 1865 he entered Parliament, and since 1880 he has been Postmaster-General in Mr. Gladstone's administration. He has published “Pauperism, its Causes and Remedies” (1871), “Speeches” (1878), “Free Trade and Protection” (1878). His wife (born 1847), Millicent Garret Fawcett, reduced his “Manual” into “Political Economy for Beginners” (1869), and also wrote “Tales in Political Economy” (1874). Died November 13, 1884.
54
He has also published “Social Economy” (1872); a small “Manual of Political Economy” (third edition, 1878); and a very considerable work, “Six Centuries of Work and Wages: the History of English Labor,” 1250-1883 (1884). He has edited Adam Smith's “Wealth of Nations,” and written “Cobden and Modern Political Opinion” (1873), and “The Colonial Question,” in the Cobden Club Essays (1872).
55
Of other books, mention should be made of G. J. Goschen's most admirable “Theory of Foreign Exchanges” (eighth edition, 1875); “Reports and Speeches on Local Taxation” (1872); T. Brassey's “Work and Wages” (third edition, 1883); E. Seyd, “Bullion and the Foreign Exchanges” (1868); H. D. McLeod, an eccentric writer, “Dictionary of Political Economy” (only one vol., A-C, 1863, published); and “Theory and Practice of Banking” (second edition, 1875-1876); H. Sidgwick, “Principles of Political Economy” (1883); J. Caird, “Landed Interest” (fourth edition, 1880); L. Levi, “History of British Commerce” (1872).
56
Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850) began life in a commercial house at Bayonne, but gained notice first by an article, “De l'influence des tarifs français et anglais sur l'avenir des deux peuples,” in the “Journal des Économistes” of 1844, and consequently had a very short period of literary activity. The corn-law agitation in England and the revolutionary movement of 1848 led him to write chiefly against protection and socialism. He translated Cobden's speeches, “Cobden et la Ligue” (1845). His arguments against protection, “Sophismes économiques” (1846-1847), have been translated and published in this country; but the more extended exposition of his doctrine of value diminishing with the growth of civilization, and the harmony of all interests is in the “Harmonies économiques” (1850). In this his position is not much different from Carey's. His other books were “Capital et rente” (1849), directed against gratuitous loans; “Protectionisme et communisme” (1849), showing protection to be communism for the rich; “Propriété et loi” (1848), directed against socialism; and “Essais sur l'économie politique” (1853); “Le Libre-échange” (1855). “Œuvres complètes,” 7 tom. (1855-1864).
57
Carey, however, claimed, with probable truth, that Bastiat borrowed the idea from him, and Bastiat did not appear well in the controversy. Almost no one has followed the French writer in his theory except Professor A. L. Perry, of Williams College, Massachusetts, who has shaped his general argument according to this view of value. Also see Cairnes, “Essays in Political Economy,” p. 312.
58
Chevalier (1806-1879) first drew attention in an experiment of Saint-Simonism in 1830-1833. After traveling in the United States, and writing excellent books on the country and its railways, he became professor in the Collége de France, where his lectures were collected in a “Cours d'économie politique” (1842-1850; second edition, 1855-1866). His third volume, “La Monnaie,” is a standard treatise on money, with an extensive bibliography. His treatise “Examen du système commerciale connu sous le nom de système protecteur” (1851) is now somewhat out of date. In his book “De la Baisse, probable de l'or” (1859), translated by Richard Cobden, he held that, unless prevented, gold would drive out the French currency, as against Faucher, who thought the fall temporary, and would progressively diminish. Other books are, “De l'industrie manufacturière en France,” and “La liberté du travail” (1848).
59
Émile Levasseur (born 1828) was professor at Alençon, 1852-1854, and elected a member of the Academy of Sciences in 1868. He has published “Récherches historiques sur le système de Law” (1854); “La question de l'or” (1858); “Histoire des classes ouvrières en France depuis la conquête de Jules César jusqu'à la révolution” (1859); the same history continued, “Depuis 1789 jusqu'à nos jours” (1867); “La France industriale” (1865); “Cours d'économie rurale, la France et ses colonies” (1868); “Précis d'économie politique” (fourth edition, 1883).
60
Born in Berlin in 1816, but since 1821 living in France. He was long connected with the Bureau de Statistique Générale, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, but in 1861 he left office and gave himself wholly to private work. In this year he received the Montyon prize for statistics, not given since 1857. His chief books are: “Des charges de l'agriculture dans les divers pays de l'Europe” (1850), a work crowned by the Institute; “Statistique de la France, comparée avec les divers états de l'Europe” (1860); “Le dictionnaire de l'administration française” (second edition, 1878); “Les finances de la France depuis 1815” (1863); “Les théoriciens du socialisme en Allemagne” (1872); and in connection with M. Guillaumin, “L'annuaire de l'économie politique,” since 1856.
61
Jérôme-Adolphe Blanqui ainé (1798-1854) in 1833 succeeded to the chair of J. B. Say in the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers, and was one of the founders of the “Journal des économistes.” Besides his “Histoire de l'économie politique en l'Europe” (1837-1852), he published a “Résumé de l'histoire du commerce et de l'industrie” (1826); “Précis élémentaire d'économie politique” (1826); “Rapports, histoire de l'exposition des produits de l'industrie française en 1827” (1827); “Cours d'economie politique” (2 vols., 1837-1838), and notices of Huskisson and J. B. Say.
62
Louis Wolowski (1810-1876), of Polish origin, was Chevalier's chief antagonist, and Professor of Legislation at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers (1839); founded the first Crédit Foncier of Paris, and was elected to the Institute in the place of Blanqui. In 1875 he was chosen senator. He was a fertile writer: “Mobilisation du Crédit Foncier” (1839); “De l'organisation du travail” (1846); “Études de l'économie politique et de statistique” (1848); “Henri IV, économiste, introduction de l'industrie de la soie en France” (1855); “Introduction de l'économie politique en Italie” (1859); “Les finances de la Russie” (1864); “La question des banques” (1864); his testimony in the “Enquête sur les principes et les faits généraux qui régissent la circulation monétaire et fiduciaire” (1866); “La banque d'Angleterre et les banques d'Écosse” (1867); “La liberté commerciale et les résultats du traité de commerce de 1860” (1868); “L'or et l'argent” (1870); “La change et la circulation”; and a translation of Roscher.
63
Hippolyte-Philibert Passy (1793-1880) was educated for the army, and served at Waterloo. He was more prominent as a statesman than as an economist. In 1838 he entered the Academy in the place of Talleyrand, but politics left him unoccupied, and he wrote “Des systèmes de culture et de leur influence sur l'économie sociale” (1846), and “Des causes de l'inégalité des richesses” (1849).
64
M. Léonce de Lavergne (1809-1880) came from Toulouse to Paris in 1840, elected deputy in 1846, a member of the Institute in 1855, and became professor in the Institut agronomique of Versailles. He was also the author of “L'économie rurale de l'Angleterre, de l'Écosse, et de l'Irlande” (1854), translated into English (1855); “L'agriculture et la population” (1857), a striking confirmation of Malthusianism; “Les économistes françaises du dixhuitième siècle” (1870). He also has contributed largely to the “Revue des Deux Mondes” and the “Journal des Économistes.” For a personal sketch by Cliffe Leslie, see “Fortnightly Review,” February, 1881.
65
Born at Geneva, 1797, and died at Zurich, 1869. After studying law, he became an advocate, and in 1833 Professor of Law in the place of Rossi. In 1837 he was made Professor of Political Economy and Public Law at Geneva. He was also a member of the Swiss Grand Council. Besides his treatise, he wrote: “Richesse ou pauvreté” (1840); “Le socialisme, c'est la barbarie” (1848); “Études sur les causes de la misère” (1853); and aided in the “Dictionnaire de l'économie politique.”
66
J. G. Courcelle-Seneuil (born 1813) left a commercial career to become a writer, first for the journals, and later for the “Dictionnaire politique” (edited by Pagnerre). In 1848 he was connected with the Ministry of Finance, and called to a professorship of Political Economy in Santiago, Chili, 1853-1863. His chief work is a “Traité théorique et pratique d'économie politique” (1858), but he has also published “La crédit de banque” (1840), reforms for the bank of France; “Traité des opérations de banque” (1852; sixth edition, 1876); “Traité des entreprises industrielles, commerciales, et agricoles” (1854); “Études sur la science sociale” (1862); “Leçons élémentaires d'économie politique” (1864); “La banque libre” (1867); “Liberté et socialisme” (1868); and articles in the “Dictionnaire de l'économie politique.”
68
Professor of Political Economy at the Collége de France, author of an extended and able “Traité de la science des finances” (third edition, 1883). He has also published “De l'état moral et intellectual des populations ouvrières et de son influence sur le taux des salaires” (1868); “Récherches economiques, historiques, et statistiques sur les guerres contemporaines” (1869); “La question ouvrière au XIX siècle” (second edition, 1882); “L'administration locale en France et en Angleterre” (1872); “Le travail des femmes au XIX siècle” (1873); “Essai sur la répartition des richesses” (1880; second edition, 1883); and “De la colonisation chez les peuples modernes” (1882).
69
He published two volumes on Socialism (see list of books p. 44). In several volumes on the “Régime des manufactures” he described the condition of the silk, woolen, cotton, and iron industries.
70
The most vigorous advocate of monometallism in France. He also wrote well on taxation, “Traité des impôts” (4 vols., 1866-1867).
71
His “Rapport sur l'indemnité du guerre” to the Corps Législatif gives the account of the most marvelous exchange operation of modern times, arising from the payment of the indemnity by France to Germany (1871-1873).
74
Long Secretary to the Chamber of Commerce at Hamburg, and now honorary professor at Göttingen.
75
Professor of Political Economy at Zürich in 1866, since 1875 director of statistics at Dresden, and editor of “Der Arbeiterfreund.” He made a valuable study of industrial partnerships, “Die Gewinnbetheiligung” (second edition 1878). He also wrote “Freiheit der Arbeit” (1858), and “Beiträge zur geschichte des Zunftwesens” (1861).
76
His most important work is “Das Armenwesen und die Armengesetzebung in Europäischen Staaten” (1870). Selected essays from this have been translated into English by E. B. Eastwick, “Poor Relief in Different Parts of Europe” (1873).
77
Max Wirth is at Vienna, and has devoted himself to a “Geschichte der Handelskrisen” (1874), including the crisis of 1873. Baron von Hock has written a history of the finances of France, and of the United States—“Die Finanzen und die Finanzgeschichte der vereinigten Staaten von Amerika” (1867).
78
This book has been translated into English by G. A. Matile, with notes by Stephen Colwell (1856).
79
Mohl on administration, and Rau and A. Wagner on finance, also deserve mention. Stein, besides other works, is the author of a handbook, “Die Verwaltungslehre” (1870).