_To Mr. Harding, the Printer_,
On occasion of a paragraph in his newspaper of August 1, 1724, relating to
Mr. Wood's halfpence.
_August 4, 1724._
In your Newsletter of the first instant, there is a paragraph, dated from
London, July 25, relating to Wood's halfpence; whereby it is plain, what I
foretold in my letter to the shopkeepers, &c., that this vile fellow would
never be at rest; and that the danger of our ruin approaches nearer; and
therefore the kingdom requires new and fresh warning. However, I take this
paragraph to be, in a great measure, an imposition upon the public; at
least I hope so, because I am informed that Mr. Wood is generally his own
newswriter. I cannot but observe from that paragraph, that this public
enemy of ours, not satisfied to ruin us with his trash, takes every
occasion to treat this kingdom with the utmost contempt. He represents
several of our merchants and traders, upon examination before a committee
of council, agreeing, that there was the utmost necessity of copper money
here, before his patent; so that several gentlemen have been forced to
tally with their workmen, and give them bits of cards sealed and
subscribed with their names. What then? If a physician prescribe to a
patient a dram of physic, shall a rascal apothecary cram him with a pound,
and mix it up with poison? And is not a landlord's hand and seal to his
own labourers a better security for five or ten shillings, than Wood's
brass, ten times below the real value, can be to the kingdom for a hundred
and eight thousand pounds?
Who are these merchants and traders of Ireland that made this report of
the utmost necessity we are under for copper money? They are only a few
betrayers of their country, confederates with Wood, from whom they are to
purchase a great quantity of coin, perhaps at half the price that we are
to take it, and vend it among us to the ruin of the public, and their own
private advantages. Are not these excellent witnesses, upon whose
integrity the fate of the kingdom must depend, evidences in their own
cause, and sharers in this work of iniquity?
If we could have deserved the liberty of coining for ourselves as we
formerly did--and why we have it not is everybody's wonder as well as
mine--ten thousand pounds might have been coined here in Dublin of only
one-fifth below the intrinsic value, and this sum, with the stock of
halfpence we then had, would have been sufficient. But Wood, by his
emissaries--enemies to God and this kingdom--has taken care to buy up as
many of our old halfpence as he could, and from thence the present want of
change arises; to remove which, by Mr. Wood's remedy, would be to cure a
scratch on the finger by cutting off the arm. But, supposing there were
not one farthing of change in the whole nation, I will maintain that
five-and-twenty thousand pounds would be a sum fully sufficient to answer
all our occasions. I am no inconsiderable shopkeeper in this town. I have
discoursed with several of my own and other trades, with many gentlemen
both of city and country, and also with great numbers of farmers,
cottagers, and labourers, who all agree that two shillings in change for
every family would be more than necessary in all dealings. Now, by the
largest computation--even before that grievous discouragement of
agriculture, which has so much lessened our numbers--the souls in this
kingdom are computed to be one million and a half; which allowing six to a
family, makes two hundred and fifty thousand families, and, consequently,
two shillings to each family will amount only to five-and-twenty thousand
pounds; whereas this honest, liberal hardwareman, Wood, would impose upon
us above four times that sum. Your paragraph relates further, that Sir
Isaac Newton reported an assay taken at the Tower of Wood's metal, by
which it appears, that Wood had in all respects performed his contract.
His contract!--With whom? Was it with the Parliament or people of Ireland?
Are not they to be the purchasers? But they detest, abhor, and reject it,
as corrupt, fraudulent, mingled with dirt and trash. Upon which he grows
angry, goes to law, and will impose his goods upon us by force.
But your newsletter says, that an assay was made of the coin. How impudent
and insupportable is this! Wood takes care to coin a dozen or two
halfpence of good metal, sends them to the Tower, and they are approved;
and these must answer all that he has already coined, or shall coin for
the future. It is true, indeed, that a gentleman often sends to my shop
for a pattern of stuff; I cut it fairly off, and, if he likes it, he
comes, or sends, and compares the pattern with the whole piece, and
probably we come to a bargain. But if I were to buy a hundred sheep, and
the grazier should bring me one single wether, fat and well-fleeced, by
way of pattern, and expect the same price round for the whole hundred,
without suffering me to see them before he was paid, or giving me good
security to restore my money for those that were lean, or shorn, or
scabby, I would be none of his customer. I have heard of a man who had a
mind to sell his house, and therefore carried a piece of brick in his
pocket, which he showed as a pattern to encourage purchasers; and this is
directly the case in point with Mr. Wood's assay.
The next part of the paragraph contains Mr. Wood's voluntary proposals for
preventing any further objections or apprehensions.
His first proposal is, "That whereas he has already coined seventeen
thousand pounds, and has copper prepared to make it up forty thousand
pounds, he will be content to coin no more, unless the EXIGENCIES OF TRADE
REQUIRE IT, although his patent empowers him to coin a far greater
quantity."
To which if I were to answer, it should be thus:--"Let Mr. Wood, and his
crew of founders and tinkers coin on, till there is not an old kettle
left in the kingdom,--let them coin old leather, tobacco-pipe clay, or the
dirt in the street, and call their trumpery by what name they please, from
a guinea to a farthing,--we are not under concern to know how he and his
tribe of accomplices think fit to employ themselves. But I hope and trust,
that we are all to a man fully determined to have nothing to do with him
or his ware."
The King has given him a patent to coin halfpence, but has not obliged us
to take them; and I have already shown, in my letter to the shopkeepers,
&c., that the law has not left it in the power of the prerogative to
compel the subject to take any money besides gold and silver, of the right
sterling and standard.
Wood further proposes, if I understand him right--for his expressions are
dubious--that he will not coin above forty thousand pounds, unless the
exigencies of trade require it.
First, I observe, that this sum of forty thousand pounds is almost double
to what I proved to be sufficient for the whole kingdom, although we had
not one of our old halfpence left.
Again, I ask, who is to be judge when the exigencies of trade require it?
Without doubt he means himself; for as to us of this poor kingdom, who
must be utterly ruined if this project should succeed, we were never once
consulted till the matter was over, and he will judge of our exigencies by
his own. Neither will these ever be at an end till he and his accomplices
think they have enough; and it now appears, that he will not be content
with all our gold and silver, but intends to buy up our goods and
manufactures with the same coin.... His last proposal, being of a peculiar
strain and nature, deserves to be very particularly considered, both on
account of the matter and the style. It is as follows:--
"Lastly, in consideration of the direful apprehensions which prevail in
Ireland, that Mr. Wood will, by such coinage, drain them of their gold and
silver, he proposes to take their manufactures in exchange, and that no
person be obliged to receive more than fivepence halfpenny at one
payment."
First, observe this little impudent hardwareman turning into ridicule the
direful apprehensions of a whole kingdom, priding himself as the cause of
them, and daring to prescribe what no King of England ever attempted, how
far a whole nation shall be obliged to take his brass coin. And he has
reason to insult; for sure there was never an example in history of a
great kingdom kept in awe for above a year, in daily dread of utter
destruction--not by a powerful invader, at the head of twenty thousand
men--not by a plague or a famine--not by a tyrannical prince (for we never
had one more gracious), or a corrupt administration--but by one single,
diminutive, insignificant mechanic.... His proposals conclude with perfect
high treason. He promises, that no person shall be obliged to receive more
than fivepence halfpenny of his coin in one payment. By which it is plain,
that he pretends to oblige every subject in this kingdom to take so much
in every payment if it be offered; whereas his patent obliges no man, nor
can the prerogative, by law, claim such a power, as I have often observed;
so that here Mr. Wood takes upon him the entire legislature, and an
absolute dominion over the properties of the whole nation.
Good God! who are this wretch's advisers? Who are his supporters,
abettors, encouragers, or sharers? Mr. Wood will oblige me to take
fivepence halfpenny of his brass in every payment; and I will shoot Mr.
Wood and his deputies through the head, like highwaymen or housebreakers,
if they dare to force one farthing of their coin on me in the payment of a
hundred pounds. It is no loss of honour to submit it to the lion; but who,
with the figure of a man, can think with patience of being devoured alive
by a rat? He has laid a tax upon the people of Ireland of seventeen
shillings, at least, in the pound; a tax, I say, not only upon lands, but
interest-money, goods, manufactures, the hire of handicraftsmen,
labourers, and servants.
Shopkeepers, look to yourselves!--Wood will oblige and force you to take
fivepence halfpenny of his trash in every payment, and many of you receive
twenty, thirty, forty payments in one day, or else you can hardly find
bread. And, pray, consider how much that will amount to in a year. Twenty
times fivepence halfpenny is nine shillings and twopence, which is above a
hundred and sixty pounds a year; wherein you will be losers of at least
one hundred and forty pounds by taking your payments in his money. If any
of you be content to deal with Mr. Wood on such conditions, you may; but,
for my own particular, let his money perish with him! If the famous Mr.
Hampden rather chose to go to prison than pay a few shillings to King
Charles I. without authority of Parliament, I will rather choose to be
hanged than have all my substance taxed at seventeen shillings in the
pound, at the arbitrary will and pleasure of the venerable Mr. Wood.
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 halfpence. What could be done more to express the universal sense 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 whole 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 halfpence for 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 this 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 four score 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 halfpence which he alleges we
were, our city set up our Caesar's statue[6] in excellent copper, at an
expense that is equal 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 halfpence must pass;
but what shall we do if his Majesty puts out a proclamation, commanding us
to take them?" This has often been 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 it should, yet, upon this
occasion, will be of no force.
The King's revenues here are near four hundred thousand pounds a-year. Can
you think his ministers will advise him to take them in Wood's brass,
which will reduce the value to fifty thousand pounds? England gets a
million sterling by this nation; which, if this project goes on, will be
almost reduced to nothing. And do you think those who live in England upon
Irish estates, will be content to take an eight or tenth part by being
paid in Wood's dross?
If Wood and his confederates were not convinced of our stupidity, they
never would have attempted so audacious an enterprise. He now sees a
spirit has been raised against him, and he only watches till it begin to
flag: he goes about watching when to devour us. He hopes we shall be weary
of contending with him; and at last, out of ignorance or fear, or of
being perfectly tired with opposition, we shall be forced to yield; and
therefore, I confess, it is my chief endeavour to keep up your spirits and
resentments. If I tell you, "there is a precipice under you, and that if
you go forward you will certainly break your necks;" if I point to it
before your eyes, must I be at the trouble of repeating it every morning?
Are our people's hearts waxed gross? Are their ears dull of hearing? And
have they closed their eyes? I fear there are some few vipers among us,
who for ten or twenty pounds' gain would sell all their souls and their
country; although at last it should end in their own ruin, as well as
ours. Be not like "the deaf adder, who refuseth to hear the voice of the
charmer, charm he never so wisely."
Although my letter be directed to you, Mr. Harding, yet I intend it for
all my countrymen. I have no interest in this affair, but what is common
to the public. I can live better than many others; I have some gold and
silver by me, and a shop well furnished; and shall be able to make a shift
when many of my betters are starving. But I am grieved to see the coldness
and indifference of many people with whom I discourse. Some are afraid of
a proclamation; others shrug up their shoulders, and cry, "What would you
have us to do?" Some give out there is no danger at all; others are
comforted, that it will be a common calamity, and they shall fare no worse
than their neighbours. Will a man who hears midnight robbers at his door,
get out of bed, and raise his whole family for a common defence; and shall
a whole kingdom lie in a lethargy, while Mr. Wood comes, at the head of
his confederates, to rob them of all they have, to ruin us and our
posterity for ever? If a highwayman meets you on the road, you give him
your money to save your life; but, God be thanked, Mr. Wood cannot touch a
hair of your heads. You have all the laws of God and man on your side;
when he or his accomplices offer you his dross, it is but saying no, and
you are safe. If a madman should come into my shop with a handful of dirt
raked out of the kennel, and offer it in payment for ten yards of stuff, I
would pity or laugh at him; or, if his behaviour deserved it, kick him out
of my doors. And if Mr. Wood comes to demand my gold and silver, or
commodities for which I have paid my gold and silver, in exchange for his
trash, can he deserve or expect better treatment?
When the evil day is come (if it must come), let us mark and observe those
who persevere to offer these halfpence in payment. Let their names and
trades, and places of abode, be made public, that every one may be aware
of them, as betrayers of their country, and confederates with Mr. Wood.
Let them be watched at markets and fairs; and let the first honest
discoverer give the word about that Mr. Wood's halfpence have been
offered, and caution the poor innocent people not to receive them.
Perhaps I have been too tedious, but there would never be an end if I
attempted to say all that this melancholy subject will bear. I will
conclude with humbly offering one proposal; which, if it were put into
practice, would blow up this destructive project at once. Let some
skilful, judicious pen draw up an advertisement to the following
purpose:--
"Whereas one William Wood, hardwareman, now or lately sojourning in the
city of London, has, by many misrepresentations, procured a patent for
coining a hundred and eight thousand pounds in copper halfpence for this
kingdom, which is a sum five times greater than our occasions require: And
whereas it is notorious, that the said Wood has coined his halfpence of
such base metal and false weight, that they are at least six parts in
seven below the real value: And whereas we have reason to apprehend, that
the said Wood may at any time hereafter clandestinely coin as many more
halfpence as he pleases: And whereas the said patent neither does, nor
can, oblige his Majesty's subjects to receive the said halfpence in any
payment, but leaves it to their voluntary choice; because by law the
subject cannot be obliged to take any money, except gold or silver: And
whereas, contrary to the letter and meaning of the said patent, the said
Wood has declared that every person shall be obliged to take fivepence
halfpenny of his coin in every payment: And whereas the House of Commons
and Privy-council have severally addressed his most sacred Majesty,
representing the ill consequences which the said coinage would have upon
this kingdom: And lastly, whereas it is universally agreed, that the whole
nation to a man (except Mr. Wood and his confederates) are in the utmost
apprehensions of the ruinous consequences that must follow from the said
coinage; Therefore, we, whose names are underwritten, being persons of
considerable estates in this kingdom, and residers therein, do unanimously
resolve and declare, that we will never receive one farthing or halfpenny
of the said Wood's coining; and that we will direct all our tenants to
refuse the said coin from any person whatsoever; of which, that they may
not be ignorant, we have sent them a copy of this advertisement, to be
read to them by our stewards, receivers," &c.
I could wish, that a paper of this nature might be drawn up, and signed
by two or three hundred principal gentlemen of this kingdom; and printed
copies thereof sent to their several tenants. I am deceived if anything
could sooner defeat this execrable design of Wood and his accomplices.
This would immediately give the alarm, and set the kingdom on their guard;
this would give courage to the meanest tenant and cottager.
"How long, O Lord, righteous and true," &c.
I must tell you in particular, Mr. Harding, that you are much to blame.
Several hundred persons have inquired at your house for my "Letter to the
Shopkeepers," &c., and you had none to sell them. Pray keep yourself
provided with that letter and with this; you have got very well by the
former; but I did not then write for your sake, any more than I do now.
Pray advertise both in every newspaper; and let it not be your fault or
mine, if our countrymen will not take warning. I desire you likewise to
sell them as cheap as you can.
I am your servant,
M. B.