File 01 - Letters patent relieving the Company of expenses incurred in prosecuting offenders

1 membrane

Draft.

Parties: (1) Charles II (2) Stationers' Company.

Substantive clauses are as follows:

(a) For the encouragement of the Company, and out of Royal Charity for the poor of the Company, all forfeitures or penalties that become due to the King by reason of offences against the 'Act for preventing the frequent abuses in printing seditious treasonable and unlicensed books and pamphlets and for regulating of Printing and Printing Presses', or against any other Act concerning printing, shall be bestowed and employed towards the support and relief of the poor of the Company.

(b) Justices of the Courts of the King's Bench and Common Pleas, and the Barons of the Exchequer, are authorised to grant process to the Company upon its request for the levying of such penalties and forfeitures (which they shall retain to the uses aforesaid) without estreating the same into the Court of Exchequer.

(c) For the accomplishment of the Royal Bounty aforesaid the High Treasurer, Commissioner of the Treasury, Chancellor, Under Treasurer and other offices of the Exchequer are authorised and appointed that if any penalties or forfeiture due upon any offence committed against the said Act of Parliament or other Acts concerning printing shall be recovered or estreated into the Court of Exchequer and levied, they cause the same to be issued out, paid and delivered to the Company for the relief of its poor.

• English

• Latin

A microfilm copy is on reel 71, 'Records of the Stationers' Company 1554-1920: 115 Reels of Microfilm with Printed Guide', published by Chadwyck-Healy Ltd (1989)

Catalogued

Open

The term 'letters patent' refers to an open letter or document issued by a monarch or government to record a contract, authorize or command an action, or confer a privilege, right, office, title, or property. This document was issued by Charles II in relation to his Act of the same date.