"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: "GEORGE R. "His _Majesty is very much concerned to see, That His granting the Patent for coining_ Half-pence _and_ Farthings _agreeable to the Practice of his Royal Predecessors, has given so much uneasiness to the_ House of Lords: _And if there have been any abuses committed by the_ Patentee, _His Majesty will give the necessary Orders for enquiring into, and punishing those Abuses. And will do everything that is in His Power, for the Satisfaction of His People."_ APPENDIX II REPORT OF THE ASSAY ON WOOD'S COINAGE, MADE BY SIR ISAAC NEWTON, EDWARD SOUTHWELL, ESQ., AND THOMAS SCROOPE, ESQ.[1] "_To the right honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury. "May it please your Lordships_,