In Great Britain the Public Inconvenience experienced from the defective Promulgation of the Statutes, led to the Adoption of new Measures in the Year 1796; by which, the Acts printed by the King’s Printer, whose Authority has been long deemed sufficient to entitle his Printed Copies to be received in Evidence, in all Courts of Law,[1] were distributed throughout the Kingdom as speedily as possible after they had received the Royal Assent:[2] And the Experience of the good Effects of those Measures led soon afterwards to their Execution in a much greater Extent.
After The Union of Great Britain and Ireland, a Select Committee of the House of Commons was appointed in the first Session of the United Parliament, to consider of the most effectual Means of Promulgating the Statutes of the United Kingdom; upon whose Report Resolutions for that Purpose were adopted by the Commons, and having been agreed to by the Lords, they were presented to His Majesty by a Joint Address of both Houses; and His Majesty was thereupon pleased to give Directions accordingly.[3]
By the Tenor of these Resolutions, His Majesty’s Printer was authorized and directed to print not less than Five thousand five hundred Copies of every Public General Act, and Three hundred Copies of such Local and Personal Acts as were printed[4]; the Public General Acts to be transmitted, as soon as possible after each Bill should receive the Royal Assent, to the Members of both Houses of Parliament, the great Officers and Departments of State, Public Libraries, Courts of Justice, Sheriffs, Municipal Magistrates, and Resident acting Justices of the Peace, throughout Great Britain and Ireland; according to a prescribed Mode of Distribution; with a Direction that every Chief Magistrate and Head Officer of every City, Borough, or Town Corporate in England and Ireland, and of every Royal Burgh in Scotland, and every Sheriff, Clerk of the Peace, and Town Clerk in the United Kingdom, receiving such Copies, should preserve them for the Public Use, and transmit them to his Successor in Office: And this Mode of authenticating and Promulgating the Statutes is now carried into Execution, throughout every part of the United Kingdom.
- ↑ By Stat. 41 Geo. 3. (U.K.) c. 90. § 9. it is expressly provided, that the Copy of the Statutes of England and Great Britain printed by the King’s Printer, shall be Evidence in Ireland, and that the Copy of the Statutes in Ireland, printed by the King’s Printer, shall be Evidence in Great Britain, of the Statutes respectively passed, previous to the Union between Great Britain and Ireland.
- ↑ See Commons’ Journals, Vol. lii. 2 Nov. 5 Dec. 1796: 10, 17. 20, 27 March; 3, 27 April: 2 June 1797.
- ↑ See Commons’ Journals, Vol. lvi. 26 February; 28 April; 6, 7, 8 May; 3, 5, 8, 9 June 1801.
- ↑ See the End of Note 5, which begins in page xxxv, of this Introduction.
