depositors instead.

4. Persons of a higher class, say employers, in such times cease to be
employers and become depositors.

An increase of deposits, Mr. Twistleton admits, may arise from
prosperity; he only wishes to show that such increase is not always a
certain sign of it. We know too well now, that the increase of deposits
in some of our Savings' Banks during the Famine, was no sign whatever of
prosperity; yet the _journals_ named above, at once built upon the fact
a theory most damaging to the existing destitution of our people, and
most injurious to their moral character; basing this theory on one of
those general principles of political economy, which often admits of
grave exceptions, and sometimes breaks down utterly, when put to the
test of practical experience.

Amongst the minor difficulties with which the Board of Works had to
contend, were scarcity of silver, and the impossibility of having
suitable tools manufactured in sufficient quantity. Gold and bank notes
were of little or no use on pay day,--and where works were opened in
wild out-of-the-way places, there was no opportunity of exchanging them
for silver coin. Representations on this head having been made by the
Inspectors, the "Comet," a government vessel, was sent to deliver as
much silver as was required, to the various banks in the towns round the
coast of Ireland; but this system was not long persevered in. Towards
the end of October, Mr. Secretary Trevelyan announced that the Treasury
would return to the ordinary mode of supply. The Bank of England, he
informed the Board, is the appointed distributor of silver coin, which
is supplied to it for that purpose by the Treasury; but as there might
be some inconvenience in sending to England, the Board of Works are to
apply to the Bank of Ireland, which is authorized to give silver coin
when they have it, and when it is not in their own vaults, they will
procure it for the Board from the Bank of England.[156] In this manner
the want was met, but there is very little in the official
correspondence about the channels through which it reached the various
parts of the country where it was required; secrecy on the subject
being, no doubt, thought necessary to avoid danger.

The public works projected and carried on by the Government to meet the
distress of 1845-6 were brought to a close on the 15th of August of the
latter year. The Treasury Minute, empowering the Board to begin anew
public works in Ir