The Psalmist reckons it an effect of God’s anger, when “He selleth His people for nought, and taketh no money for them.”  That we have greatly offended God by the wickedness of our lives is not to be disputed:  But our King we have not offended in word or deed; and although he be God’s vicegerent upon earth, he will not punish us for any offences, except those which we shall commit against his legal authority, his sacred person (which God preserve) or the laws of the land.

The Report is very profuse in arguments, that Ireland is in great want of copper money.[15] Who were the witnesses to prove it, hath been shewn already, but in the name of God, Who are to be judges?  Does not the nation best know its own wants?  Both Houses of Parliament, the Privy-council and the whole body of the people declare the contrary:  Or let the wants be what they will, We desire they may not be supplied by Mr. Wood.  We know our own wants but too well; they are many and grievous to be borne, but quite of another kind.  Let England be satisfied:  As things go, they will in a short time have all our gold and silver, and may keep their adulterate copper at home, for we are determined not to purchase it with our manufactures, which Wood hath graciously offered to accept.  Our wants are not so bad by an hundredth part as the method he hath taken to supply them.  He hath already tried his faculty in New-England,[16] and I hope he will meet at least with an equal reception here; what that was I leave to public intelligence.  I am supposing a wild case, that if there should be any person already receiving a monstrous pension out of this kingdom, who was instrumental in procuring this patent, they have either not well consulted their own interests, or Wood must[17] put more dross into his copper and still diminish its weight.

[Footnote 15:  On this subject of the want of small money in Ireland, Monck Mason traverses the Report in the following manner: 

“There appears to be a manifest prevarication in their lordships’ report upon this part of the subject; they state, that the witnesses testified, that there was a want of small money in Ireland; they attempt, therefore, to impose a copper currency, which certainly was not wanted.  To satisfy the reader upon this point, I shall quote, from the unpublished correspondence of Archbishop King, the following extracts:  the first, from his letter to General Gorge, dated the 17th October, 1724, is to the following purpose.

“’...  As to our wanting halfpence for change, it is most false; we have more halfpence than we need, already; it is true, we want change; but it is sixpences, shillings, half-crowns, and crowns; our silver and our guineas being almost gone; and the general current coin of the kingdom is now moydores, which are thirty shillings a-piece; at least nine pence above the value in silver:  now, they would have us change these for halfpence, and so the whole cash of the kingdom would be these halfpence.’ ...