c. 13.

time limited by this Act shall engrave etch or work as 8 Geo. II. aforesaid or in any other manner copy and sell or cause to be engraved etched or copied and sold in the whole or in part by varying adding to or diminishing from the main design, or shall print reprint or import for sale or cause to be printed reprinted or imported for sale any such print or prints or any parts thereof without the consent of the proprietor or proprietors thereof first had and obtained in writing signed by him or them respectively in the presence of two or more credible witnesses, or knowing the same to be so printed or reprinted without the consent of the proprietor or proprietors shall publish sell or expose to sale or otherwise or in any other manner dispose of or cause to be published sold or exposed to sale or otherwise or in any other manner disposed of any such print or prints without such consent first had and obtained as aforesaid, then such offender or offenders Penalty on shall forfeit the plate or plates on which such print or print sellers prints are or shall be copied, and all and every sheet or pirating the sheets (being part of or whereon such print or prints are same. or shall be so copied or printed) to the proprietor or proprietors of such original print or prints, who shall forthwith destroy and damask the same; and further that every such offender or offenders shall forfeit five shillings for every print which shall be found in his her or their custody either printed or published and exposed to sale or otherwise disposed of 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 thereof to any person or persons that shall sue for the same, to be recovered 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 privilege or protection or more than one imparlance shall be allowed.

or others

II. Provided nevertheless, That it shall and may be Not to extend to purlawful for any person or persons who shall hereafter pur- chasers of chase any plate or plates for printing from the original plates from the original proprietors thereof to print and reprint from the said proprietors.

8 Geo. II. plates without incurring any of the penalties in this Act c. 13.

Limitation

mentioned.

III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforeof actions. said, That if any action or suit shall be commenced or brought against any person or persons whatsoever for doing or causing to be done any thing in pursuance of this Act, the same shall be brought within the space of three months after so doing; and the defendant or defendants in such action or suit shall or may plead the general issue and give the special matter in evidence; and if upon such action or suit a verdict shall be given for the defendant or defendants, or if the plaintiff or plaintiffs become nonsuited or discontinue his her or their action or actions, then the defendant or defendants shall have and recover full costs, for the recovery whereof he shall have the same remedy as any other defendant or defendants in any other case hath or have by law.

General issue.

Clause relating to J. Pine.

Public act.

IV. Provided always and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any action or suit shall be commenced or brought against any person or persons for any offence committed against this Act, the same shall be brought within the space of three months after the discovery of every such offence and not afterwards; any thing in this Act contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

V. "And whereas John Pine of London engraver doth propose to engrave and publish a set of prints copied from several pieces of tapestry in the House of Lords and his Majesty's wardrobe and other drawings relating to the Spanish invasion in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and eighty-eight;" Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said John Pine shall be entitled to the benefit of this Act to all intents and purposes whatsoever in the same manner as if the said John Pine had been the inventor and designer of the said prints.

VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That this Act shall be deemed adjudged and taken to be a public Act, and be judicially taken notice of as such by all judges justices and other persons whatsoever without specially pleading the same.

11

c. 36.

Preamble.

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. "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 of repealed. 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 judg ments 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