What were The Six Acts

A Free Born Englishman satirised in print as bound by libel laws,debt and fraudulent elections

A.
Six repressive Acts of Parliament passed in 1819 in response to riots and disaffection in Britain, particularly the Peterloo Massacre. (Click here for a feature on that.)< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Q. Who brought them in

A. The legislation was the work of Home Secretary Lord Sidmouth and was proposed in the Commons by Lord Castlereagh. The introduction said: 'Every meeting for radical reform is an overt act of treasonable conspiracy against the King and his government.'

Q. So what were these six acts

A. Here they are:

• The Training Prevention Act
• The Seizure of Arms Act
• The Seditious Meetings Act
• The Blasphemous and Seditious Libels Act
• The Misdemeanours Act
• The Newspaper Stamp Duties Act

Q. Extreme pieces of legislation

A. Not that extreme, bearing in mind that Britain probably was facing a revolution. Today's Home Secretary, David Blunkett, wouldn't have a problem with most of them.

Q. What did they do

A. Here they are again:

• The Training Prevention Act prohibited civilian bodies from training in the use of weapons.
• The Seizure of Arms Act gave JPs and magistrates the right to search private houses for weapons, to seize them and their possessors.
• The Seditious Meetings Act restricted to parish level all public meetings that were called to discuss 'any public grievance or any matter on church and state'. Organisers had to give local magistrates notice of the time and place of the meeting. The magistrates were empowered to change the date and/or time of the meeting at will, to prevent any attempt to organise insurrection. This was, perhaps, the most serious infringement of public liberty - but it was repealed in 1824.
• The Blasphemous and Seditious Libels Act fixed the penalties for these activities to 14 years' transportation. Magistrates were empowered to seek, seize and confiscate all libellous materials in the possession of the accused.
• The Misdemeanours Act provided for speedier legal machinery so that people could be brought to trial faster. This reduced the likelihood of bail being obtained by the accused; it also allowed for quicker convictions.
• The Newspaper and Stamp Duties Act greatly increased the taxes on printed matter, including newspapers, periodicals and pamphlets. Publishers and printers had to provide securities for their 'good behaviour'. Any publication appearing at least once a month, and costing less than 6d was subject to a tax of 4d. The Act restricted the freedom of the legitimate press. This censorship was not lifted until the 1850s. Radical publications simply went 'underground'.
  

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Steve Cunningham