Headnote

Composed April 1736; published April 1736; copy text 1736 (see Textual Account).

This printing of a speech by Swift raises the perennial problem of Irish currency, specifically what Swift and others perceived as the draining away of bullion to England. The scarcity of coin in Ireland led to an attempt to revalue the Irish currency in 1736 in order to compensate for a difference in value: gold was worth more in Ireland than England, leading to the use of silver by the Irish to pay English bills. Added to this was the use of foreign gold coins in Ireland, and the importation of gold, rather than silver, where possible. The outgoing viceroy, the Duke of Dorset, proposed pragmatically to reconcile the value of gold, in order to alleviate the problem of the shortage of currency.

Swift's opposition recalled the furore against Wood's halfpence, though in this instance much less successfully, as he tried to inflame public opinion in Dublin against the imposition of such a step by officials, bishops, absentee landlords and other misguided or oppressive figures. His speech, Reasons Against Lowering the Gold and Silver Coin, was given on 24 April 1736, at the Guildhall, Dublin, and published shortly afterwards (alongside an unattributed paper which shares its argument), in a pamphlet entitled Reasons Why We Should not Lower the Coins now Current in this Kingdom. The speech was not republished until 1905.

THE REV. DEAN SWIFT 's REASONS AGAINST LOWERING THE GOLD AND SILVER COIN. GENTLEMEN,

I Beg you will consider, and very well weigh in your hearts what I am going to say, and what I have often said before. There are several Bodies of Men, among whom the Power of this Kingdom is divided. 1st, The Lord- Lieutenant, Lords-Justices and Council, next to these, my Lords the Bishops; there is likewise my Lord Chancellor, and my Lords the Judges of the Land, with other eminent Persons in the Law, who have Employments and great Salaries annexed. To these must be added the Commissioners of the Revenue, with all their under Officers: And lastly, their Honours of the Army, of all Degrees.