Certificate to be given of

VII. And be it further enacted, That the clerk

conviction of of assize, clerk of the peace, or other clerk or former libel. officer of the court having the custody of the

Actions for

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)

VIII. And be it further enacted, That any done under action and suit which shall be brought or com

any thing

this act.

action;

menced 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.

Venue;

Plea;

issue, and give this act and the special matter in
evidence at any trial to be had thereupon; and if
such action or suit shall be brought or commenced
after the time limited for bringing the same, or
the venue shall be laid in any other place than as
aforesaid, then the jury shall find a verdict for
the defendant or defendants; and in such case, Costs.
or if the jury shall find a verdict for the defendant
or defendants upon the merits, or if the plaintiff
or plaintiffs shall become nonsuit, or discontinue
his, her, or their actions after appearance, or if,
upon demurrer, judgment shall be given against
the plaintiff or plaintiffs, the defendant or defend-
ants shall have double costs, which he or they
shall and may recover in such and the same man-
ner as any defendant can by law in other cases.

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
of Stamps upon Newspapers, and to make other
Regulations for restraining the Abuses arising
from the Publication of Blasphemous and Se-
ditious Libels.
[30th December, 1819.]

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 num-
bers, and at very small prices, and it is expedient
that the same should be restrained: may it there-
fore 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 stamped ac-
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

be deemed

and to be

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;