An Act for repealing the Laws now in force relating to the Discovery of the Longitude at Sea.
[15th July 1828]
WHEREAS by an [58 G. 3. c. 20.] Act made in the Fifty-eighth Year of the Reign of His late Majesty King George the Third, intituled An Act for more effectually discovering the Longitude at Sea, and encouraging Attempts to find a Northern, Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and to approach the Northern Pole, divers Acts therein recited, and Parts of other Acts therein mentioned, are repealed, and various other Regulations and Provisions are enacted, for the Appointment of Commissioners for the Discovery of the Longitude, and for other Purposes therein specified : And whereas another Act was passed in the Second Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, for amending the said Act of the Fifty-eighth Year of His late Majesty: And whereas it is deemed expedient to annul and repeal all the Powers and Authorities given by the said Acts;
be it therefore 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 the said Two recited Acts, and all other Acts now in force relating to the Appointment or to the Authorities and Powers of Commissioners, or to the Payment of any Reward, for the Discovery of the Longitude at Sea, or for any Invention or Proposal relating to the same, except so far as herein-after is provided, shall be and the same are hereby repealed: Provided always, that nothing herein contained shall extend or be held or deemed to extend, to revive any former Acts or Parts of Acts which by the said recited Act of the Fifty-eighth Year of His late Majesty are repealed:
Provided also, that nothing herein contained snail extend to abrogate or make void any Enactment now in force for the Payment to the Commander or Commanders, Officers Seamen, and Marines, of any Ship or Ships of His Majesty, or to the Owner or Owners of any Ship or Vessel belonging to His Majesty's Subjects, of any Reward or Rewards for the Discovery of a Northern Passage, or for approaching or attempting to approach the North Pole; provided such Ships shall have sailed from any Part of the United Kingdom before the passing of this Act.
And whereas the Publication of the Nautical Almanack, constructed by proper Persons for the finding of the Longitude at Sea, is of great Importance to the Safety of Ships and Persons, and highly conducive to the general Interests of Commerce and Navigation ; be it therefore enacted, That it shall and may be lawful to and for the Lord High Admiral, or the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, for the Time being, to cause such Nautical Almanacks, or other useful Table or Tables, which he or they shall from Time to Time judge necessary and useful in order to facilitate the Method of discovering the Longitude at Sea, to be constructed, printed, published, and vended, free of all Stamp Duty whatever, in the same Manner as the Commissioners under the said Act of the Fifty-eighth Year of His late Majesty's Reign might or could do; and that every Person who, without the special Licence and Authority of the Lord High Admiral or Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral aforesaid for the Time being, to be signified under the Hand of the Secretary of the Admiralty for the Time being, shall print, publish, or vend, or cause to be printed, published, or vended, any such Almanack or Almanacks, or other Table or Tables, shall, for every Copy of such Almanack or Table so printed, published, or vended, forfeit and pay the Sum of Twenty Pounds, to be recovered, with Costs of Suit, by any Person to be authorized for that Purpose by the Lord High Admiral or Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral aforesaid, (such Authority to be signified under the Hand of the Secretary of the Admiralty as aforesaid,) by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information, in any of His Majesty's Courts of Record at Westminster ; and that the Proceeds of the said Penalty, when recovered, shall be paid and applied to the Use of the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich.