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x TheCollapse of Radicalism The failure of the Patriots in the case of the Declaratory Act and Poyning's Law was an indication that the Government was beginning to recover its control of the legislature. The fact that both measures were opposed by the pro-government members only on ground of expediency , and not on any admission of the supremacy of the British Parliament, proved that the situation was still one of flux, and that the victory of the Administration was far from being decisive. It was not until August, when the Mutiny Bill and the sugar tariff came up for final discussion in the Commons, that the victory of the Administration was clearly established. On August lIthe sugar measure was received from London. The additional duty of 12 shillings per cwt. had been lowered by the Cabinet to 9/3d.,1 as opposed to its original figure of 5/lotd., a compromise that showed awareness of the determined attitude of the Irish Commons . In accordance with custom the Commons could not accept an altered money bill, so it was formally defeated 247 x The failure of the Patriots in the case of the Declaratory Act and Poyning's Law was an indication that the Government was beginning to recover its control of the legislature. The fact that both measures were opposed by the pro-government members only on ground of expediency , and not on any admission of the supremacy of the British Parliament, proved that the situation was still one of flux, and that the victory of the Administration was far from being decisive. It was not until August, when the Mutiny Bill and the sugar tariff came up for final discussion in the Commons, that the victory of the Administration was clearly established. On August 11 the sugar measure was received from London. The additional duty of 12 shillings per cwt. had been lowered by the Cabinet to 9/3d.,1 as opposed to its original figure of 5/ wid., a compromise that showed awareness of the determined attitude of the Irish Commons . In accordance with custom the Commons could not accept an altered money bill, so it was formally defeated 247 248 IRISH POLITICS AND SOCIAL CONFLICT and a new heads, identical with the bill returned from England, was introduced and passed. The vote on it was 119 to 38, a satisfactory result for Dublin Castle." In due course these heads were received back from London and "vent through the Irish Parliament without opposition (the Patriots had accepted defeat), and received the royal assent from the Lord-Lieutenant on September 2, the day on which the parliamentary session of 1779-1780 came to an end. In the debate on August 15 Langrishe, one of the revenue commissioners, had described the sugar tariff as a bill . . . of regulation . . . not an act of taxation, but an article of prohibition .... I know the whole importance of the Trade to the Colonies does depend upon the operation of this bill, and we must protect our trade. Foster, one of the government's most reliable supporters in all matters but the sugar issue, had then summed up the position with the rhetorical question: "Does the duty of 9/2 guard the Refiners ... or does it not? Policy requires it should, and justice requires we should not, go beyond it." 3 The sugar tariff was one of the more important issues of 1780. It was the only equalizing duty arising from the grant of Free Trade that caused major difficulty, and the solution "vas a compromise between London and the Irish House of Commons. Dublin Castle clearly had no objection to a substantial tariff because of the importance of the refining industry, but London had ordered otherwise. The matter shows how great the marginal effect of mercantile wealth could be. The sugar refiners were able to make of an unpopular case a parliamentary issue serious enough to defeat the Administration and to force the British Government to compromise. 248 IRISH POLITICS AND SOCIAL CONFLICT and a new heads, identical with the bill returned from England, was introduced and passed. The vote on it was 119 to 38, a satisfactory result for Dublin Castle.2 In due course these heads were received back from London and went through the Irish Parliament without opposition (the Patriots had accepted defeat), and received the royal assent from the Lord-Lieutenant on September 2, the day on which the parliamentary session of 1779-1780 came to an end...

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