Certificate to be given of former libel. VII. And be it further enacted, That the clerk conviction of of assize, clerk of the peace, or other clerk or officer of the court having the custody of the records where any offender shall have been convicted of having composed, printed, or published any blasphemous or seditious libel, shall, upon request of the prosecutor on his majesty's behalf, make out and give a certificate in writing, signed by him, containing the effect and substance only (omitting the formal part) of every indictment and conviction of such offender, to the justices of assize, oyer and terminer, great sessions, or gaol delivery, where such offender or offenders shall be indicted for any second offence of composing, printing, or publishing any blasphemous or seditious libel, for which certificate six shillings and eight-pence, and no more, shall be paid, and which certificate shall be sufficient proof of the conviction of such offender. (4) Actions for any thing done under this act. action; VIII. And be it further enacted, That any action and suit which shall be brought or commenced against any justice or justices of the peace, constable, peace officer, or other person or persons, within that part of Great Britain called Limitation of England, or in Ireland, for any thing done or acted in pursuance of this act, shall be commenced within six calendar months next after the fact committed, and not afterwards; and the venue in every such action or suit shall be laid in the proper county where the fact was committed, and not elsewhere; and the defendant or defendants in every such action or suit may plead the general (4) See the note to sect. 4. Venne; Plea; issue, and give this act and the special matter in actions, &c. IX. And be it further enacted, That every Limitation of action and suit which shall be brought or com- in Scotland. menced against any person or persons in Scotland, for any thing done or acted in pursuance of this act, shall in like manner be commenced within six calendar months after the fact committed, and not afterwards, and shall be brought in the court of session in Scotland; and the defender or defenders may plead that the matter complained of was done in pursuance of this act, and may give this act and the special matter in evidence; and if such action or suit shall be brought or commenced after the time limited for bringing the same, then the same shall be dismissed; and in such case, or if the defender or defenders shall be assoilzied, or the pursuer or pursuers shall suffer the action or suit to fall asleep, or a decision shall be pronounced against the pursuer or pursuers upon the relevancy, the defender or defenders shall have Double costs. double costs, which he or they shall and may receive in such and the same manner as any defender can by law recover costs or expenses in other Not to alter the law of Scotland in respect to punishment for libels. Act may be repealed or altered this session. cases. X. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be held or considered as in any respect altering the law or practice of Scotland regarding the punishment of persons convicted of composing, printing, publishing, or circulating any blasphemous or seditious libel. XI. And be it further enacted, That this act may be repealed in the whole or in any part thereof, or in any manner altered or amended, during the present session of parliament. 60 GEO. III. and 1 GEO. IV. c. 9. An Act to subject certain Publications to the Duties WHEREAS pamphlets and printed papers containing observations upon public events and occurrences, tending to excite hatred and contempt of the government and constitution of these realms as by law established, and also vilifying our holy religion, have lately been published in great numbers, and at very small prices, and it is expedient that the same should be restrained: may it therefore please your 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 ten Pamphlets days after the passing of this act, all pamphlets containing and papers containing any public news, intelli- news, &c. to gence, or occurrences, or any remarks or observa- newspapers, tions thereon or upon any matter in church or state, printed in any part of the united kingdom for sale, and published periodically, or in parts or numbers, at intervals not exceeding twenty-six days between the publication of any two such pamphlets or papers, parts, or numbers, where and papers be deemed and to be stamped accordingly. any of the said pamphlets or papers, parts or numbers respectively, shall not exceed two sheets, or shall be published for sale for a less sum than sixpence, exclusive of the duty by this act imposed thereon, shall be deemed and taken to be newspapers within the true intent and meaning of an act of parliament passed in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of his present majesty, intituled 38 G. 3. c. 78. An Act for preventing the mischiefs arising from the printing and publishing newspapers and papers of a like nature, by persons not known, and for regulating the printing and publication of such papers in other respects;" and of another act of parliament passed in the fifty-fifth year of the 55 G. 3. c. 80. reign of his present majesty, intituled "An Act to provide for the collection and management of stamp duties upon pamphlets, almanacks, and newspapers, in Ireland;" and of another act passed in the fifty-fifth year of the reign of his 55 G.3.c.185. present majesty, intituled "An Act for repealing the stamp office duties on advertisements, almanacks, newspapers, gold and silver plate, stage coaches, and licences for keeping stage coaches, now payable in Great Britain, and for granting new duties in lieu thereof;" and of an act passed in the fifty-sixth year of the reign of his present 56 G. 3. c. 56. majesty, intituled "An Act to repeal the several stamp duties in Ireland, and also several acts for the collection and management of the said duties, and to grant new stamp duties in lieu thereof, and to make more effectual regulations for calculating and managing the said duties:" and all other acts of parliament in force relating to newspapers; and |