Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Report Of The Proceedings Of The British Parliament.
REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT .
THE FIRST SESSION OF THE EIGHTEENTH PARLIAMENT .
HOUSE OF T . ^ RDS . MESSAGE FROM THE KING . FRIDAY , APRIL 20 . LORD Grenville rose to say , that he had the honour of laying before the his which lread
house a Message from Majesty , was accordingy . For a literal copy of'which see the House cf Commons . The Address being agreed to , his Lordship next moved for leave to bring in a bill to enable his Majesty to seize and confine all persons of whom susp icion mi g ht be entertained at this important crisis ; such bills , his Lordship observed , had frequently been passed in times of alarm and danger . The bill was read a first and second time , and committed : a clause was
filled up in the committee , limiting the duration of the bill to the first of February next . The day following it received the royal assent . HOUSE OF COMMONS .
WEDNESDAY , APRIL 4 , 179 8 . THE Attorney-General moved for leave to bring in a bill to prevent newspapers from being printed on unstamped paper , and to oblige the proprietors , printers , and publishers to register their names at the Stamp-OlHce . —All he meant to do was in fact to add to the security of the press , by facilitating the means of discovering the real proprietor , printer , or publisher of any newspaper in future , after the bill should pass . There were other
objects which he had'in view ; one was the security of the revenue : to prevent the frauds committed on that , he intended to make provision in the bill against the printing a newspaper on unstampt paper , and also to prevent them , stampt or unstampt , from being sent to any country in a state of hostilities against this kingdom . Complaints in abundance had reached him from every town where newspapers are printed , expressing the surprize of
the writers , that he did not institute immediate prosecutions against the flagitious engines of vaiious libels against the existing government of the country . But he would ask gentlemen how it was possible for him to comply , or promise himself success in such prosecutions , if Government had not established a regular system in every town throughout the country to discover the offenders ? His intention by means of the bill was to make the real offenders amenable to the laws , by obliging the proprietor , printer , and
publisher , to register their names at the Stamp-Office , and not suffering them to be provided with stamps unless they conformed to the provisions of the bill . ¦ —He said it was his intention to stem , if possible , the torrent of slander , too notorious in the papers addicted to support each party in . ttiis country ; and lie should hereafter offer another measure to the house , to suppress-the iuun-VOL , x . 5 5
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Report Of The Proceedings Of The British Parliament.
REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT .
THE FIRST SESSION OF THE EIGHTEENTH PARLIAMENT .
HOUSE OF T . ^ RDS . MESSAGE FROM THE KING . FRIDAY , APRIL 20 . LORD Grenville rose to say , that he had the honour of laying before the his which lread
house a Message from Majesty , was accordingy . For a literal copy of'which see the House cf Commons . The Address being agreed to , his Lordship next moved for leave to bring in a bill to enable his Majesty to seize and confine all persons of whom susp icion mi g ht be entertained at this important crisis ; such bills , his Lordship observed , had frequently been passed in times of alarm and danger . The bill was read a first and second time , and committed : a clause was
filled up in the committee , limiting the duration of the bill to the first of February next . The day following it received the royal assent . HOUSE OF COMMONS .
WEDNESDAY , APRIL 4 , 179 8 . THE Attorney-General moved for leave to bring in a bill to prevent newspapers from being printed on unstamped paper , and to oblige the proprietors , printers , and publishers to register their names at the Stamp-OlHce . —All he meant to do was in fact to add to the security of the press , by facilitating the means of discovering the real proprietor , printer , or publisher of any newspaper in future , after the bill should pass . There were other
objects which he had'in view ; one was the security of the revenue : to prevent the frauds committed on that , he intended to make provision in the bill against the printing a newspaper on unstampt paper , and also to prevent them , stampt or unstampt , from being sent to any country in a state of hostilities against this kingdom . Complaints in abundance had reached him from every town where newspapers are printed , expressing the surprize of
the writers , that he did not institute immediate prosecutions against the flagitious engines of vaiious libels against the existing government of the country . But he would ask gentlemen how it was possible for him to comply , or promise himself success in such prosecutions , if Government had not established a regular system in every town throughout the country to discover the offenders ? His intention by means of the bill was to make the real offenders amenable to the laws , by obliging the proprietor , printer , and
publisher , to register their names at the Stamp-Office , and not suffering them to be provided with stamps unless they conformed to the provisions of the bill . ¦ —He said it was his intention to stem , if possible , the torrent of slander , too notorious in the papers addicted to support each party in . ttiis country ; and lie should hereafter offer another measure to the house , to suppress-the iuun-VOL , x . 5 5