THE CASE OF THE COIN Fairly Represented, By the Means of some Quaeres, Conducing to the finding out whither the Trade of Ireland is Affected or not, by the Advancement of the Rates of Coin there: And Consequently, Wither the said Advancement of the Rates of Coin there, occasioned as is Alleged? More moneys being poured into that Country, to its Advantage, than would otherwise have been carried thither.  
First, Quaere, SINCE Change for Guineas used to be easily and readily had in Ireland, and now but with great Difficulty: Is it not manifest, That there is at present less Silver Proportionably to Gold, than was formerly in that Kingdom?  
Secondly, Quaere, Doth not this proceed from Guineas, being Raised more as to the Rates they Pass at, than the Silver Coin is Raised at there? It being Demonstrable for Instance, That Guineas are Raised so as to Pass for 5 d. and One 3 d Part of a Penny more each, than they ought to do Proportionably to what Ducatoons are Raised to Pass at.  
Thirdly, Quaere, Can it be imagined, That Ireland gains by having Guineas brought into that Kingdom, therewith to Purchase or Exchange for Silver (in Lieu thereof) upon such unequal Terms? And if the Consequences hereof cannot be denied, why then might not other Commodities Ireland affords, be concluded to be carried out upon the like Disadvantage to it? Let no Body Cavil at my calling Silver Coin a Commodity, for Money Passing in Ireland by Weight, and that Weight for more or less, according to its Fineness, viz. Plate, or Peru: Is not it plainly in the Nature of Bullion, and is not Bullion allowed to be a Merchandise?  
Fourthly, Quaere, Doth it appear by the Course of Exchange in the Returns of Money to, or out of Ireland, that Merchants are so Rash and Indiscreet in their Business, as to Govern themselves by no Thing more solid than the Vulgar Opinion? And consequently, is it to be imagined that any of them are tempted by the mere empty greater Sound than formerly, which our Pieces of Money make, (in the People's Naming of Them,) to bring any Species of Money whatsoever into this Kingdom, upon the prospect of Buying really greater Pennyworths therewith? Instead of their Previously computing what Increase of Guineas, Pistoles, English-Crowns, or Cobbs, the Produce of what They lay out in those, or any other Species of Money, will bring them in, when they Vend the Return for their Money in Irish Commodities elsewhere.  
Fifthly, Quaere, What other Way is there of getting Money into a Country, but by the Balance of Trade? If none, then if neither the Merchant over-reaches himself, nor the Handy-Crafts-Man, or Countryman are Bubl'd by Him, on the Advancement of the Rates of Coin. It follows then, That the same Quantity of Goods would have been carried out of Ireland, and the same Proportion of Money brought in to Pay for them, (for Instance, the same Number of Guineas,) whither Guineas had been computed betwixt them, either after the Rate of 23, or 26 s. per Piece?  
To Explain this by an Example, let it be supposed, That a Merchant, just after the Advancement of the Rates of Coin in Ireland, carried thither to the Value of 300 l. in Guineas to Buy Beef, Hides, Tallow, Butter, Cheese, Wool, or any other Goods, or Manufactures of the Country; now if Beef, and the other Commodities did still keep to the Price they were at just before, according to Tale of Pounds, Shillings and Pence. Hath not Ireland Bought that Gold too dear, since it hath lost 30 Guineas; that is to the Value of 39 l. in the said 300 l. there being so many less Guineas required now to make up 300 l. than was before the Advancement thereof; for now 230 Guineas will go as far in Tale of Pounds, as 260 Guineas did before; But if on the contrary it be supposed that every Thing in Ireland, was Risen in Price Proportionably, to the Advancement of Money; Why then, you must suppose the said Merchant a very Inconsiderate Person, for carrying or sending over his 300 l. Venture thither, without Previously informing himself what Consequences the Advancement of Money had, as to the Purchasing what he intended to Deal in? (And there are not many, if any such Merchants to be met with;) but if he advisely still thought it worth his while to Buy there, what he wanted to Sell elsewhere, tho' he knew he should not get any more of any Goods Ireland affords, for his 300 l. than he could have done before the Advancement of the Rates of Coin: Why then it plainly follows, That Ireland would howsoever have had his Money, tho' Guineas had continued going for 23 Shillings each; Neither can it possibly be any other way, that we are become thus Competently Stocked with the running Cash now Current amongst Us; unless the People of Ireland could Buy and Sell to Disadvantage, anh yet Thrive on Their Loss.  

A Speech made by the Author of this Pamphlet, in the Committee of the whole House of Commons, when it Sat on Ways and Means, August the 30th, 1697.  
Mr. C—. M—. What I have to offer to Your Consideration, is designed by me, to tend to our common Good, and I desire to be Herd with Patience, and that no unwary Expression of Mine may be wrested to any ill Sense. The Subject we are upon, being of a very intricate Nature, and consequently requiring to be Sifted into, with all the Plainenss possible.  
Now, that I may Express myself the more Intellegibly to the Worthy Members here Present, I will begin by Applying what hath already been Determined by them: and in Order thereto, I beg Leave, Sir, to observe to You, That notwithstanding a Member of Our House, concerned in the Coining of Halfpences, hath to a Tittle performed what he was enjoined by the Patent he held under, yet this Honourable House was but t'other Day of Opinion, That this Kingdom Suffered by the Disproportion there is betwixt the Intrinsic Value of the said Halfpences, and what they Actually Pass for, tho' they are in Effect but given out as Tickets for the Benefit of Change: And pray, Sir, must not the same Weighty Reason hold proportionably Good in a greater degree as to our Gold and Silver Coin, in which strictly Speaking, consists the real Riches of all Countries?  
It is then, Sir, worth our Considering, whether the Advancement of the several Pieces of Money in Ireland, tho' (intended for our Good) carries not in a great Measure the same Consequences with it, as the late Clipping the Current Coin of England, did in that Kingdom? For it is Obvious, That it is the same Weight of Gold and Silver, and under the usual Denominations of Guineas, Ducatoons and Cobbs, which passeth at this time for more Pounds, Shillings and Pence, than formerly: And consequently this is apparently but a Nominal, and not a real Difference,  
This Fallacy is not indeed very evident by our Home Trade, because every Body in Ireland, unperceivedly to each other, raiseth the Price of what he Deals in, proportionably to the Valuation of the Coin; and in so doing, they are all as much even with one another, as they ever were before; for they all Buy and Sell to one another by the same Standard, be it more or less garnished by the Advanced Rates of the Coin; that is to say, the same Gold or Silver Counter, is allowed by all of them to stand in the way of Reckoning at present, for more Pence than formerly. But when the Merchant hath Occasion for Foreign Commodities, he finds that no Regard will be had beyond Sea, to our imaginary Splitting the several Pieces of Money into a mere Notional increase of Pence; the Foreigners will not be so: Bubled out of their Merchandise, and unless some other Accident hath altered the Price thereof; our Merchants will have neither more nor less, but the very same Commodities, as to Quantity and Goodness, for the same Piece of Money, as he had before the Advancement thereof; because it carries the same Weight and Fineness with it, which is its real Intrinsical Value.  
In short, Sir, the Landlord is the Person chief Imposed upon, by this Nick-Naming of the Money, he receives his Rent in; for when he came to let his Estate after the Reduction of this Kingdom, his Tenants took their Farms with a regard to the Desolate Condition thereof, and therefore undoubtedly the Tenant, who then Covenanted with his Landlord, to pay him for Example 11 l. 10 s. 0 d. for a Farm; did then secure to himself a good Bargain, even according to the Old Rates the Money went at; and then supposed to continue so still by both Parties; tho' an unforeseen Act of State hath since that, occasioned the Tennant's having a better Bargain by 30 s. a Year in 11 l. 10 s. 0 d. than he ever thought of before: For it is plain, That the Tenant did not at the taking of his Lease, expect to pay his Landlord the 11 l. 10 s. 0 d. he Contracted for, with less than 10 Guineas; but now he will tell him, that 10 Guineas makes 13 l. which is 30 s. more than his Rent; and so under the Colour of Authority, he takes 30 s. out of his Land-Lord's Pocket, and puts it into his own.  
Upon the whole, Sir, I must conclude, That if it be proper for us to intermeddle in this Affair at all; it is rather our Interest to Address to the Government for the Reducing of Money to what it formerly Passed for? Than to have it still kept up its present Titular Promotion; which conduces only to our deceiving ourselves.  
FINIS.