Licensing of the Press Act 1662

XIV. Messengers of the King's Chamber by Warrant under Sign Manual or the Hand of Secretary of State, or Master and Wardens of Stationers' Company, with a Constable, may search Houses, &c. for Books, &c. and may demand a Sight of Licence; and seize Books and Offenders.; Justices may imprison.; If Searchers find unlicensed Book which they suspect, they may seize and take it to Archbishop; &c.

Proceedings.

And for the better discovering of printing in Corners without License Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That [X1 one or more of the Messengers of his Majesties Chamber by Warrant under. His Majesties Sign Manual or under the Hand of one or both of His Majesties principal Secretares of State or] the Master and Wardens of the said Company of Stationers or any one of them shall have power and authority with a Constable to take unto them such assistance as they shall thinke needfull and att what time they shall thinke fitt to search all Houses and Shops where they shall knowe or upon some probable reason suspect any Books or Papers to be printed bound or stitched especially Printing Houses Booksellers Shops and Warehouses and Bookbinders Houses and Shops and to view there what is imprinting binding or stitching and to examine whether the same be licensed and to demand a sight of the said License and if the said Booke soe imprinting binding or stitching shall not be licensed then to seize upon so much thereof as shall be found imprinted togeather with the several Offenders and to bring them before one or more Justices of the Peace whoe are hereby authorized and required to commit such Offenders to Prison there to remaine untill they shall be tried and acquitted or convicted and punished for the said Offences And X2 case the said Searchers shall upon theire said Search find any Booke or Bookes or part of Bookes unlicensed which they shall suspect to contain matters therein contrary to the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church of England or against the State and Government Then upon such suspition to seise upon such Book or Books or part of Book or Books and to bring the same unto the said Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Bishop of London for the time being or one of them or to the Secretaries of State or one of them respectively who shall take such further course for the suppressing thereof as to them or any of them shall seeme fit.

Editorial Information

X1 annexed to the Original Act in a separate Schedule.

X2 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: in O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]