The paragraph concludes thus. N.B. (that is to say nota bene, or mark well) No evidence appeared from Ireland or elsewhere, to prove the mischiefs complained of, or any abuses whatsoever committed in the execution of the said grant.

The impudence of this remark exceeds all that went before.  First, the House of Commons in Ireland, which represents the whole people of the kingdom; and secondly the Privy Council, addressed his majesty against these half-pence.  What could be done more to express the universal sense and opinion of the nation?  If his copper were diamonds, and the kingdom were entirely against it, would not that be sufficient to reject it?  Must a committee of the House of Commons, and our whole Privy Council go over to argue pro and con with Mr. Wood?  To what end did the king give his patent for coining of half-pence in Ireland?  Was it not, because it was represented to his sacred majesty, that such a coinage would be of advantage to the good of this kingdom, and of all his subjects here?  It is to the patentee’s peril if his representation be false, and the execution of his patent be fraudulent and corrupt.  Is he so wicked and foolish to think that his patent was given him to ruin a million and a half of people, that he might be a gainer of three or fourscore thousand pounds to himself?  Before he was at the charge of passing a patent, much more of raking up so much filthy dross, and stamping it with his majesty’s image and superscription, should he not first in common sense, in common equity, and common manners, have consulted the principal party concerned; that is to say, the people of the kingdom, the House of Lords or Commons, or the Privy Council?  If any foreigner should ask us, whose image and superscription there is on Wood’s coin, we should be ashamed to tell him, it was Caesar’s.  In that great want of copper half-pence, which he alleges we were, our city set up our Caesar’s statue in excellent copper, at an expence that is equal in value to thirty thousand pounds of his coin; and we will not receive his image in worse metal.

I observe many of our people putting a melancholy case on this subject.  It is true say they, we are all undone if Wood’s half-pence must pass; but what shall we do, if his majesty puts out a proclamation commanding us to take them?  This has been often dinned in my ears.  But I desire my countrymen to be assured that there is nothing in it.  The king never issues out a proclamation but to enjoin what the law permits him.  He will not issue out a proclamation against law, or if such a thing should happen by a mistake, we are no more obliged to obey it than to run our heads into the fire.  Besides, his majesty will never command us by a proclamation, what he does not offer to command us in the patent itself.  There he leaves it to our discretion, so that our destruction must be entirely owing to ourselves.  Therefore let no man be afraid of a proclamation, which will never be granted; and if