HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



151 



t^Sceive their wages. At length em- 

 ployers resorted to the expedient of 

 discharging small demands by orders 

 on the baker, or provision shops; 

 others provided quantities of half- 

 pence, which passed current in 

 rolls ; some silversmiths issued silver 

 tokens, with the connivance of go- 

 vernment ; a number of dollars 

 %vere also, at a high price, brought 

 into circulation, and the bank of 

 Ireland opened an office, where the 

 depreciated silver Avas received, at a 

 fair value. 



Apprehensions were likewise en- 

 tertained that the city of Dublin 

 ■would not patiently have sub- 

 jnitted to another privation, in- 

 flicted upon it during the present 

 season. A large tax is levied upon 

 the city, for defraying the expence 

 of supplying fresh water to the in- 

 habitants ; this fund is managed by 

 the corporation, Avho contracted 

 with another corporate body, the 

 proprietors of the graad canal, to 

 furnish water to the city. The 

 period of the contract having ex- 

 pired, the parties could not agree 

 on the terms of a renewal ; and the 

 inhabitants, whilst two jobbing cor- 

 porations were cantending lor t.'icir 



spoil, were left destitute of this most 

 ir.dispensible article. The interpo- 

 sition of government was at length 

 provoked by the continuance of the 

 strife, by the danger to which the 

 town was exposed, exemplified in the 

 instance of a small lire, which water 

 could not be procured to extinguish, 

 and hy the dread that the city might 

 be visited by disteuipers, if the peo- 

 ple were suflercd to continue under 

 this pressing necessity. At the spe- 

 cial instance of the lord lieutenant, 

 whose popularity was unbounded, 

 the supply was restored by the canal 

 company. The patience manifested. 

 on these several occasions, goes, in- 

 deed, very far to prove, that tho 

 temper of the Irish is remote from 

 that promptitude to violence, an;l 

 that hostility to its government, 

 which had been represented as per- 

 vading the dispositions of the 

 people, and evinces the good effects 

 which are to be expected from a po- 

 pular and conciliating government. 

 By arts like these, the earl of Hard- 

 wicke has safely conducted that 

 country through a periocl^ in which 

 so many instances occurred of try- 

 ing and exemplary diiiiculty. 

 L 4 CHAP. 



