| Chap. 77. |
Prophecies.
One or more of the Messengers of the Kings Chamber,
by Warrants under
His Majesties Sign Manual, or under the hand of one or more of His
Majesties
Principal Secretaries of State; or the Master and Wardens of the
Company of Stationers, or one of them, may with a Constable take such
assistance as they think fit; and at what time they think fit, to search
all
Houses, Shops, Printing-houses, and Ware-houses, where they know, or
probably suspect any Books or Papers to be Printed, Stiched, or Bound;
and to view and see the same, and to examine if Licensed, and to demand
a sight of the Licence; and if Unlicensed, to seize them with the Offenders,
and to bring them before one or more Justices of Peace; who shall
commit such Offenders to Prison, till they be tried, acquitted, or convicted,
and punished: And if they find any Book or part of Book or Books
Unlicensed,
containing Matters contrary to the Doctrine or Discipline of the
Church, or against the State and Government, they may seize them, and
bring them before the Archbishop and Bishop of London, or
Secretaries of
State, or one of them, who shall take such course for the supporting of
them,
as they shall think fit. |
177
§. 16.
Searching
and Seizing. |
|
All Printers, Founders, and other Persons working
in those Trades offending
against this Act, and shall be thereof convicted by Verdict, Confession,
or otherwise, shall for the first Offence be disabled to use his Trade
for three
years: And for the second Offence be disabled for ever, and receive
such
punishment by Fine, Imprisonment, or Corporal punishment, not extending
to Life or Limb; as the Justices of the Kings Bench, or of Oyer
and Terminer,
or of Assize, or of the Peace, in their Quarter Sessions, shall be thought
fit to be inflicted. |
§. 17.
Punishment,
and
by whom. |
|
Justices of Peace, in their Quarter Sessions,
shall hear and determine
such offences by Indictment or Information, and shall certifie yearly all
Fines,
and shall make Process and Execution, in other Cases by Law they may. |
|
|
Every Printer shall reserve three Copies of the
best and largest Paper,
of every Book printed or reprinted; and shall before vending, bring them
to the Master of the Stationers Company, one whereof for the Kings Library,
and one for each University. |
§. 18.
Copies. |
|
Nothing in the Act to infringe the Rights of
either the Universities, as to
Licensing or Printing in either the Universities. |
University. |
|
No House of a Peer, or other person not free
of the recited Trades, shall
be searched, but by the Kings Warrant under his Sign Manual, or under the
hand of one or both Secretaries of State. |
Search. |
|
This Act was to continue for two years, to commence
from June the Tenth,
1662. But by another Act made 16 Car. 2. c. 8. the
said first Act was continued
until the end of the next Session of Parliament. And by the Act of
17 Car. 2. c. 4. the same first Act is continued until the end of
the first Session
of the next Parliament.
|
Continuance. |
|
CHAP. LXXVII. V. 42.
Prophecies.
' TOo true is that of the sharp French Historian
Commnes, lib. 6.
' of his Commentaries, Tribuunt Angli Plurinum vaticiniis, and
' great mischiefs have arisen from the multitudes too great credulity to
(and
' others phantastical publication, and setting on foot) false Prophecies;
' against which evils were the Statutes of 33 H. 8. 14. & 3
E. 6, 15, made;
' but they being expired was made of the Statute of 5 El. 15. whereby
it is
' provided, That if any shall publish or set forth by Writing, &c.
Speech |
§. 1. |
|
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