which required all books to be licensed as follows:--Law books by the Lord
Chancellor, or one of the Chief Justices, or Chief Baron; books of history
and state, by one of the Secretaries of State; of heraldry, by the Earl
Marshal, or the King-at-Arms; of divinity, physic, philosophy, or
whatsoever other science or art, by the Archbishop of Canterbury or the
Bishop of London: or if printed at either University, by the chancellor
thereof. The number of master printers (exclusive of the king's printers
and the printers of the Universities) was to be reduced to twenty, and then
vacancies were to be filled up by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop
of London, and printing was not to be allowed elsewhere than in London,
York (where the Archbishop of York was to license all books), {427} and the
two Universities. This Act was to continue for two years, from 10th June,
1662. It was renewed by the 16 Car. II. c. 8.; 16 & 17 Car. II. c. 7.; and
17 Car. II. c. 4., and expired on the 26th May, 1679,--a day rendered ever
memorable by the passing of the Habeas Corpus Act: but in less than a year
afterwards the judges unanimously advised the king that he might by law
prohibit the printing and publishing of all news-books and pamphlets of
news not licensed by His Majesty's authority; and accordingly on the 17th
May, 1680, appeared in the _Gazette_ a proclamation restraining the
printing of such books and pamphlets without license. The Act of 1662 was
revived for seven years, from 24th June, 1685, by 1 Jac. II. c. 17. s. 15.,
and, even after the Revolution, was continued for a year longer by 4 & 5
Wm. and Mary, c. 24. s. 14. When that year expired, the press of England
became free; but on the 1st of April, 1697, the House of Commons, after
passing a vote against John Salusbury, printer of the _Flying Post_, for a
paragraph inserted in that journal tending to destroy the credit and
currency of Exchequer Bills, ordered that leave should be given to bring in
a bill to prevent the writing, printing, and publishing any news without
licence. Mr. Poultney accordingly presented such a bill on the 3rd of
April. It was read a first time; but a motion to read it a second time was