12 Geo. II. c. 36.- An Act for prohibiting the Importation of Books reprinted abroad, and first composed or written and printed in Great Britain; and for repealing so much of an Act made in the eighth year of the reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, as empowers the limiting the prices of Books. c. 36. Preamble. "WHEREAS the duties payable upon paper imported into 12 G. II. this kingdom to be made use of in printing greatly exceed the duties payable upon the importation of printed books whereby foreigners and others are encouraged to bring in great numbers of books originally printed and published in this kingdom and reprinted abroad, to the diminution of his Majesty's revenue and the discouragement of the trade and manufacture of this kingdom;" For the preventing thereof for the future, May it please your most excellent Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that from and after the twenty-ninth day of September one thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine it shall not be lawful for any person or persons whatsoever to import or bring into this kingdom for sale any book or books first composed or written and printed and published in this kingdom and reprinted in any other place or country whatsoever; and if any person or persons shall import or bring into this kingdom for sale any printed book or books so first composed or written and printed in this kingdom and reprinted in any other place or country as aforesaid; or knowing the same to be so reprinted or imported contrary to the true intent and meaning of this Act shall sell publish or expose to sale any such book or books; then every such person or persons so doing or offending shall forfeit the said book or books and all and every sheet or sheets thereof; and the same shall be forthwith damasked and made waste paper and further that every such offender or offenders 12 G. II. shall forfeit the sum of five pounds and double the value of c. 36. every book which he or they shall so import or bring into this kingdom or shall knowingly sell publish or expose to sale or cause to be sold published or exposed to sale contrary to the true intent and meaning of this Act; the one moiety thereof to the King's most excellent Majesty his heirs and successors and the other moiety to any person or persons that shall sue for the same; to be recovered with costs of suit in any of his Majesty's courts of record at Westminster by action of debt bill plaint or information, in which no wager of law essoign or protection or more than one imparlance shall be allowed; and if the offence be committed in Scotland to be recovered before the Court of Session there by summary action: Provided that this Act shall not extend to any book that has not been printed or reprinted in this kingdom within twenty years before the same shall be imported. Clause in 8 II. Provided always, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend to prevent or hinder the importation of any book first composed or written and printed in this kingdom which shall or may be reprinted abroad and inserted among other books or tracts to be sold therewith in any collection where the greatest part of such collection shall have been first composed or written and printed abroad; any thing in this Act contained to the contrary notwithstanding. III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforeAnne, c 19, said, That so much of an Act made in the eighth year repealed. of the reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by vesting the Copies of printed Books in the Authors or Purchasers of such Copies during the times therein mentioned, whereby it is provided and enacted, That if any bookseller or booksellers printer or printers shall after the said five and twentieth day of March one thousand seven hundred and ten set a price upon or sell or expose to sale any book or books at such a price or rate as shall be conceived by any person or persons to be high and unreasonable; it shall and may be lawful for any person or persons to make c. 36. complaint thereof to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury 12 G. II. for the time being the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper of the great seal of Great Britain for the time being the Lord Bishop of London for the time being the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas the Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer for the time being the Vice-Chancellors of the two Universities for the time being in that part of Great Britain called England the Lord President of the Sessions for the time being the Lord Justice General for the time being the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer for the time being the Rector of the college of Edinburgh for the time being in that part of Great Britain called Scotland, who or any one of them shall and have hereby full power and authority from time to time to send for summon or call before him or them such bookseller or booksellers printer or printers and to examine and inquire of the reason of the dearness and enhancement of the price of value of such book or books by him or them so sold or exposed to sale; and if upon such inquiry and examination it shall be found that the price of such book or books is enhanced or anyways too high or unreasonable, then and in such case the said Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper Bishop of London two Chief Justices Chief Baron Vice-Chancellors of the Universities in that part of Great Britain called England and the said Lord President of the Sessions Lord Justice General Lord Chief Baron and Rector of the College of Edinburgh in that part of Great Britain called Scotland, or any one or more of them so inquiring and examining, have hereby full power and authority to reform and redress the same and to limit and settle the price of every such printed book and books from time to time according to the best of their judgments and as to them shall seem just and reasonable; and in case of alteration of the rate or price from what was set or demanded by such bookseller or booksellers printer or printers to award and order such bookseller and booksellers printer and printers to pay all the costs b 12 G. II. and charges that the person or persons so complaining c. 36. shall be put unto by reason of such complaint and of the causing such rate or price to be so limited and settled; all which shall be done by the said Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper Bishop of London two Chief Justices Chief Baron Vice Chancellors of the two Universities in that part of Great Britain called England and the said Lord President of the Sessions Lord Justice General Lord Chief Baron and Rector of the college of Edinburgh in that part of Great Britain called Scotland, or any one of them, by writing under their hands and seals, and thereof public notice shall be forthwith given by the said bookseller or booksellers printer or printers by an advertisement in the Gazette; and if any bookseller or booksellers printer or printers shall after such settlement made of the said rate and price sell or expose to sale any book or books at a higher or greater price than what shall have been so limited and settled as aforesaid, then and in every such case such bookseller or booksellers printer or printers shall forfeit the sum of five pounds for every such book so by him her or them sold or exposed to sale, one moiety thereof to the Queen's most excellent Majesty her heirs and successors, and the other moiety to any person or persons that shall sue for the same, to be recovered with costs of suit in any of her Majesty's courts of record at Westminster by action of debt bill plaint or information, in which no wager of law essoign privilege or protection or more than one imparlance shall be allowed; and every part of the said clause shall be and the same is hereby repealed. Further continued by 27 G. II. c. 18, and 33 G. II. c. 16. IV. And be it further enacted, That this Act (except so much thereof as repeals the before-mentioned clause in the said Act of the eighth year of the reign of the late Queen Anne relating to the prices of books) shall continue and be in force from the said twenty-ninth day of September one thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine for and during the space of seven years, and from thence to the end of the then next session of Parliament and no longer. 7 Geo. III. c. 38. - An Act to amend and render more effectual an Act made in the Eighth Year of the Reign of King George the Second, for Encouragement of the Arts of Designing, Engraving and Etching Historical and other Prints; and for vesting in and securing to Jane Hogarth, Widow, the Property in certain Prints. 8 Geo. II. c. 13. "WHEREAS an Act of Parliament passed in the eighth year 7 G. III. of the reign of his late Majesty King George the Second, c. 38. intituled An Act for the Encouragement of the Arts of Designing, Engraving, and Etching Historical and other Prints, by vesting the Properties thereof in the Inventors and Engravers during the time therein mentioned has been found ineffectual for the Purposes thereby intended;" Be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the first day of January one thousand seven Original inventors, hundred and sixty-seven all and every person and persons &c. of who shall invent or design engrave etch or work in mezzotinto or chiaro oscuro, or from his own work design or invention shall cause or procure to be designed engraved and present etched or worked in mezzotinto or chiaro oscuro any his- act, &c. torical print or prints, or any print or prints of any portrait conversation landscape or architectural map chart or plan or any other print or prints whatsoever, shall have and are hereby declared to have the benefit and protection of the said Act and this Act under the restrictions and limitations hereinafter mentioned. II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the said first day of January one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven all and every person and persons who shall engrave etch or work in mezzotinto or chiaro oscuro, or caused to be engraved etched or worked any print taken from any picture drawing model or sculpture either ancient or modern, shall prints, &c. intitled to the benefit of recited |
