of any liberties or privileges of your subjects of Ireland. When any matter or thing is transacting that concerns or may affect your kingdom of Ireland, if your Majesty has any doubts concerning the same, or sees just cause for considering your officers of Ireland, your Majesty is frequently pleased to refer such considerations to your chief governors of Ireland; but the Lords of the Committee hope it will not be asserted, that any legal orders or resolutions of your Majesty can or ought to be called in question or invalidated, because the advice or consent of your chief governors of that kingdom was not previously had upon them. The precedents are many, wherein cases of great importance to Ireland, and that immediately affected the interests of that kingdom, warrants, orders, and directions, by the authority of your Majesty and your royal predecessors, have been issued under the royal sign manual, without any previous reference, or advice of your officers of Ireland, which have always had their due force, and have been punctually complied with and obeyed. And as it cannot be disputed but this patent might legally and properly pass under the Great Seal of Great Britain, so their Lordships cannot find any precedents or references to the officers of Ireland, of what passed under the Great Seal of England; on the contrary, there are precedents of patents passed under the Great Seal of Ireland, where in all the previous steps the references were made to the officers of England.

By the misrepresentation of the state of Ireland, in order to obtain this patent, it is presumed, is meant, that the information given to your Majesty of the great want of small money, to make small payments, was groundless, and that there is no such want of small money. The Lords of the Committee inquired very particularly into this article, and Mr Wood produces several witnesses that directly asserted the great want of small money for change, and the great damage that retailers and manufacturers suffered for the want of such copper money. Evidence was given, that considerable manufacturers have been obliged to give tallies, or tokens in cards, to their workmen, for want of small money, signed upon the back, to be afterwards exchanged for larger money: That a premium was often given to obtain small money for necessary occasions: Several letters from Ireland to correspondents in England were read, complaining of the want of copper money, and expressing the great demand there was for this money.

The great want of small money was farther proved by the com

mon use of raps, a counterfeit coin, of such base metal, that what passes for a halfpenny, is not worth half a farthing; which raps appeared to have obtained a currency out of necessity, and for want of better small money to make change with; and, by the best accounts, the Lords of the Committee have reason to believe, that there can be no doubt, that there is a real want of small money in Ireland, which seems to be so far admitted on all hands, that there does not appear to have been any misrepresentation of the state of Ireland in this respect.

In the second address from the House of Commons to your Majesty, they most humbly beseech your Majesty, that you will be graciously pleased to give directions to the several officers intrusted with the receipt of your Majesty's revenue, that they do not, on any pretence whatsoever, receive or utter such halfpence or farthings; and Mr Wood, in his petition to your Majesty, complains, that the officers of your Majesty's revenue had already given such orders to all the inferior officers not to receive any of this coin.

Your Majesty, by your patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, wills, requires, and commands your "lieutenant, deputy, or other chief governor or governors of your kingdom of Ireland, and all other officers and ministers of your Majesty, your heirs and successors, in England, Ireland, or elsewhere, to be aiding and assisting to the said William Wood, his executors, &c. in the execution of all or any the powers, authorities, directions, matters, or things, to be executed by him or them, or for his or their benefit and advantage, by virtue, and in pursuance of the said indentures, in all things as becometh," &c. And if the officers of the revenue have, upon their own authority, given any orders, directions, significations, or intimations, to hinder or obstruct the receiving and uttering the copper money coined and imported, pursuant to your Majesty's letters-patent, this cannot but be looked upon as a very extraordinary proceeding.

In another paragraph of the patent your Majesty has covenanted and granted unto the said William Wood, his executors, &c. "That upon performance of covenants, on his and their parts, he and they shall peaceably, and quietly, have, hold, and enjoy all the powers, authorities, privileges, licences, profits, advantages, and all other matters and things thereby granted, without any let, suit, trouble, molestation, or denial of your Majesty, your heirs or successors, or of or by any of your or their officers or ministers, or any person or persons," &c. This being so expressly granted and covenanted by

your Majesty, and there appearing no failure, non-performance, or breach of covenants, on the part of the patentee, the Lords of the Committee cannot advise your Majesty to give directions to the officers of the revenue, not to receive or utter any of the said copper halfpence or farthings, as has been desired.

Mr Wood having been heard by his counsel, produced his several witnesses; all the papers and precedents, which he thought material, having been read and considered; and having, as he conceived, fully vindicated both the patent, and the execution thereof: For his farther justification, and to clear himself from the imputation of attempting to make to himself any unreasonable profit or advantage, and to enrich himself at the expense of the kingdom of Ireland, by endeavouring to impose upon them, and utter a greater quantity of copper money than the necessary occasions of the people shall require, and can easily take off, delivered a proposal in writing, signed by himself, which is hereunto annexed; and Mr Wood having, by the said letters-patent, "covenanted, granted, and promised to, and with your Majesty, your heirs and successors, that he shall and will, from time to time, in the making of the said copper farthings and halfpence in England, and in transporting the same from time to time in Ireland, and in uttering, vending, disposing, and dispersing the same there, and in all his doings and accounts concerning the same, submit himself to the inspection, examination, order, and comptrol of your Majesty and your commissioners of the treasury, or high-treasurer, for the time being;" the Lords of the Committee are of opinion, that your Majesty, upon this voluntary offer and proposal of Mr Wood, may give proper orders and directions for the due execution and performance of such parts of the said proposal, as shall be judged most for the interest and accommodation of your subjects of Ireland: In the meantime, it not appearing to their Lordships that Mr Wood has done or committed any act or deed, that may tend to invalidate, or make void his letters-patent, or to forfeit the privileges and advantages thereby granted to him by your Majesty, it is but just and reasonable, that your Majesty should immediately send orders to your commissioners of the revenue, and all other your officers in Ireland, to revoke all orders, directions, significations, or intimations whatsoever, that may have been given by them, or any of them, to hinder or obstruct the receiving and uttering this copper money, and that the halfpence and farthings already coined by Mr Wood, amounting to about 1700%, and such farther quantity as shall make up the said 17,000l. to 40,000l., " be suffered and permitted, with

out any let, suit, trouble, molestation, or denial of any of your Majesty's officers or ministers whatsoever, to pass, and be received as current money by such as shall be willing to receive the same.” At the same time, it may be advisable for your Majesty to give the proper orders, that Mr Wood shall not coin, import into Ireland, utter, or dispose of any more copper halfpence or farthings, than to the amount of 40,000l., according to his own proposal, without your Majesty's special licence or authority, to be had for that purpose; and if your Majesty shall be pleased to order, that Mr Wood's proposal, delivered to the Lords of the Committee, shall be transmitted to your Majesty's chief governor, deputies, or other your ministers or officers in Ireland, it will give them a proper opportunity to consider, whether, after the reduction of 360 tons of copper, being in value 100,000l., to 142 tons, 17 hundred, 16 pounds, being in value 40,000%. only, anything can be done for the farther satisfaction of the people of Ireland.

LETTER III.

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON A PAPER, CALLED, THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE MOST HONOURABLE THE PRIVY

COUNCIL IN ENGLAND, RELATING TO WOOD'S HALFPENCE.

TO THE NOBILITY AND GENTRY OF THE KINGDOM OF IRELAND.

August 25th, 1724. HAVING already written two letters to the people of my own level and condition, and having now very pressing occasion for writing a third, I thought I could not more properly address it than to your lordships and worships.

The occasion is this. A printed paper was sent to me on the 18th instant, entitled, " A Report of the Committee of the Lords of his Majesty's Most Honourable Privy-Council in England, relating to Mr Wood's Halfpence and Farthings." There is no mention made where the paper was printed, but I suppose it to have been in Dublin; and I have been told, that the copy did not come over in the Gazette, but in the London Journal, or some other print of no authority or consequence. And, for anything that legally appears to the contrary, it may be a contrivance to fright us; or a project of some printer, who has a mind to make a penny by publishing something upon a subject which now employs all our thoughts in this kingdom. Mr Wood, in