“And we do further humbly beseech Your Majesty, That you will be graciously pleased to give such direction, as you, in your great wisdom, shall think proper, to prevent the fatal effects of uttering any Farthings or Half-pence pursuant to the said Patent.

“As this enquiry has proceeded entirely from our love to our country, so we cannot omit this opportunity of repeating our unanimous resolution, to stand by and support Your Majesty to the utmost of our power, against all Your enemies, both at home and abroad; and of assuring Your Majesty, that we will, upon every occasion, give Your Majesty, and the world, all possible demonstration of our zeal and inviolable duty and affection to Your Majesty’s most sacred person and government, and to the succession, as established in Your Royal House.”

“To the King’s most Excellent MAJESTY. The humble Address of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of IRELAND, in Parliament assembled, against Wm. Wood.

“May it please Your most Sacred Majesty, WE the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, are under the utmost concern to find, that our duty to Your Majesty and our Country, indispensably calls upon us to acquaint Your Majesty with the ill consequences, which will inevitably follow from a Patent for coining Half-pence and Farthings to be uttered in this Kingdom, obtained under the Great Seal of Great Britain, by one William Wood in a clandestine and unprecedented manner, and by a gross misrepresentation of the state of this Kingdom.

“We are most humbly of opinion, that the diminution of Your Majesty’s revenue, the ruin of our trade, and the impoverishing of your people, must unavoidably attend this undertaking; and we beg leave to observe to Your Majesty, that from the most exact Enquiries and Computations we have been able to make, it appears to us, that the gain to William Wood will be excessive, and the loss to this Kingdom, by circulating this base coin, greater than this poor country is able to bear.

“With the greatest submission and deference to Your Majesty’s wisdom, we beg we may offer it as our humble opinion.  That the reserving the coining of Half-pence and Farthings to the Crown and the not intrusting it with any private person, body politic or corporate, will always be for Your Majesty’s service, and the good of your people in this Kingdom.

“In confidence, Sir, of your paternal care of the welfare of this country, we beseech Your Majesty, that you will be pleased to extend that goodness and compassion to us, which has so eminently shewed itself to all your other subjects, who have the happiness to live under your protection and government; and that you will give such directions as may effectually free us from the terrible apprehensions we labour under from the Patent granted to William Wood."

The following was the King’s reply to the above address: