September, 1647
[30 September, 1647.]
The Author, Printer and Licensers Name shall be prefixed.; Penalty for the Maker or Composer.; Printer.; Seller.
The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled taking
notice of the many Seditious, False and Scandalous Papers and
Pamphlets daily printed and published in and about the Cities
of London and Westminster, and thence dispersed into all parts
of this Realm, and other parts beyond the Seas, to the great
abuse and prejudice of the People, and insufferable reproach of
the proceedings of the Parliament and their Army; for the
better suppression thereof, and prevention of the like inconveniences in time to come, do Order and Ordain, and be it
Ordered and Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That
what person soever shall Make, Write, Print, Publish, Sell or
Utter, or cause to be Made, Written, Printed, Published, Sold or
Uttered, any Book, Pamphlet, Treatise, Ballad, Libel, Sheet or
Sheets of News whatsoever (except the same be Licensed by
both or either House of Parliament, or by such Person or
Persons as shall be thereunto Authorized by one or both Houses
of Parliament, with the name of the Author, Printer and
Licenser thereunto prefixed) shall for every such Offence, suffer,
pay and incur the Punishment, Fine and Penalty hereafter
mentioned; That is to say, The Maker, Writer or Composer of
any such Unlicensed Book, Pamphlet, Treatise, Ballad, Libel,
Sheet or sheets of News, shall forfeit and pay Forty shillings,
or be Imprisoned in the Common Goal for the County or
Liberty where the Offence is committed, or the Offender shall be
found, until he shall pay the same, so that the said Imprisonment exceed not forty dayes; The Printer to forfeit and pay
Twenty shillings, and suffer the like Imprisonment, until he pay
the same, the said Imprisonment not exceeding Twenty dayes,
and likewise to have his Press and Implements of Imprinting
seized and broken in pieces; The Book-seller or Stationer to
forfeit and pay ten shillings, or be Imprisoned in like manner
until he pay the same, the Imprisonment not exceeding Ten
days, And the Hawker, Pedler or Ballad-singer to forfeit and
lose all his Books, Pamphlets and printed Papers exposed to sale,
and also to be whipt as a Common Rogue, in the Liberty or
Parish where the said Offender shall be apprehended, or the
Offence committed.
Who shall put this Ordinance in execution.; Power to enter into houses, &c.; To seize the Books, Presses, &c.; View of a Justice or head Officer; shall be a sufficient conviction.; How the Fine shall be disposed.
And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons
That the several and respective Members of the Committees for
the Militia in London, Middlesex, and Surrey, and all Majors
and other head-Officers of Corporations, and all Justices of the
Peace of the several Counties, Cities and Liberties within this
Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales, and every of
them in their respective Liberties and Jurisdictions, be hereby
authorized and required to put this Ordinance in execution;
and all Constables, Headboroughs, and other Officers and
Ministers are hereby authorized and required, together with
such assistants as they shall call unto them, to enter into any
Shop or House where they shall be informed, or have good
cause to suspect any such unlicenced Pamphlets and Papers
are Printed, Sold or Uttered, and to take and seize the same,
and likewise all Presses and Implements of Printing, and to
bring them together with the Offenders, and all other Offenders
against this Ordinance, before the said Members of the Committees, Majors, Head-Officers and Justices of the Peace, or any
one of them, that the Fines, Pains and Penalties before-mentioned
may be imposed and inflicted upon the same Offenders.
according to the intention and meaning of this Ordinance. And
it is also Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That the view of
any one Justice of the Peace, head-Officer or Member of the
Committees aforesaid, or the Oath of one credible Witness
(which Oath in such cases they and every one of them are
hereby authorized to administer) shall be a sufficient conviction
of any Offender in the cases before recited: And the same
Justice of the Peace, Major or other head-Officer, or Member of
the Committees aforesaid, have hereby Authority to dispose one
Moyety of the Fine paid by vertue of this Ordinance, to the
Collectors for the Poor of the Liberty or Parish where the Offence
is committed, and the other Moyety to the person or persons
who shall discover and prosecute the said Offenders. And
finally it is Ordained, That all persons acting any thing by
vertue of this Ordinance, shall be saved harmless and indempnified
by Authority of both Houses of Parliament.
This shall not extend to acquit those who shall write any seditious, treasonable or blasphemous matter.
Provided always, and it is hereby Declared, That the Penalties
in this Ordinance expressed, shall not extend to acquit any
person or persons that shall Make, Write, Print, Publish, Sell or
Utter, or cause to be Made, Written, Published, Sold or Uttered,
any Book, Pamphlet, Treatise, Ballad, Libel, Sheet or Sheets of
News that shall contain any Seditious, Treasonable or
Blasphemous matter, but the Offenders in that kinde shall be
liable to such farther penalties as by the Laws of this Land are
provided, or by Authority of Parliament shall be adjudged
according to the penalty of such Offences.