# The Statutes of the Realm/Volume 1/Introduction/Appendix/B

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APPENDIX. B.
PRINTED SESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS
OF THE STATUTES
of
ENGLAND
These Publications, from 1 Ric. III. to 3 Car. I. inclusive, contain the Body of the Statute as made in each Session; the several Acts or Chapters thereof, being distinguished by Numbers and Titles. From 16 Car. I. they consist of the several Acts of the Session; each being printed separately, but paged progressively, from the beginning to the End of the Session. Of many of the Sessions several Editions were printed. From the Time of the Union with Scotland, the Sessional Publications are preserved (in a Series nearly perfect) in the Office of the Clerk of the Fees, at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; where some of the Sessional Acts from 1 William and Mary to 1 Anne, are also to be found; but none previous to 1 William and Mary. In the Library of Norwich Cathedral, the Sessional Publications from 1 Jac. II. to 1 Anne are complete in 14 Volumes. Some of the earliest Sessional Publications are preserved in various Public Libraries, but no perfect Series has yet been collected together; and of some few Years, no printed Copy is now known to exist. None of the Private Acts are included in any of these Publications; but their Titles are prefixed or subjoined to the Statutes of each Session after 13 Eliz. in Tables of Acts not printed.
* ↑ The Imprint is as follows: “London, printed by Bonham Norton and John Bill, Printers to the King’s most Excellent Majestie, Anno Dom. 1628. Cum privilegio.”—In this Publication the King’s first Answer to the Petition of Right on June 2, 1627, and also his Speech on making the second Answer (soit droit fait come est defire͏́) on June 7, together with his Speech at the Close of the Session, are all printed at length. In January 1628, at the Commencement of the Second Session of this Parliament, (which was suddenly determined without any Act being passed,) a Committee was appointed to inquire as to the printing of these Additions to the Petition of Right, when on Examination of the Printers it appeared, that 1500 Copies of the Petition, with the King’s second Answer only thereto, had been printed during the preceding Session, “whereof few were divulged:” and that immediately after the Conclusion of that Session those Copies were suppressed, and the others, with the Additions, printed by Special Warrant for the Purpose. See Commons’ Journals, vol. i. pa. 920, 921, 923, 924; January 20, 22, 23, 27, 30: and State Trials, Vol. vii, at the End of the Proceedings in Parliament relating to the Liberty of the Subject, which are annexed to the Case of the Habeas Corpus brought by Sir Thomas Darnell and others. In the Editions of Pulton’s Statutes, printed in 1636 and 1640, both the Answers, as also the King’s Speeches, are reprinted precisely as they appear in the Sessional Volume. See post, Appendix F. pa. lxxvii; as to the Inrollment of the Petition and Answer.
* ↑ As to Acts and Ordinances during the Usurpation, See Note to Appendix A. No. 47.
* ↑ At the End of the last Page of this Volume is printed “Jo. Browne, Cleric. Parliamentorum.”
* ↑ The Titles to the Sessions and Acts of these Years distinguish the Day of the passing of the Acts; e. g. 30 Car. II. Sess. 1. has the following Title to the Acts of the whole Session, “Anno Regni Caroli II. Regis Angli{{subst:ae}}, Scoti{{subst:ae}}, Franci{{subst:ae}}, & Hiberni{{subst:ae}} Tricesimo. At the Parliament begun at Westminster the 8th day of May, A. D. 1661, in the Thirteenth Year of our Sovereign Lord Charles by the Grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. And by several Prorogations and Adjournments there continued to the 15th Day of July in the 30th Year of His Majesty’s Reign, on which Day the following Acts passed the Royal Assent.”—In the Session 30 Car. II. Sess. 2. only one Act was passed.—In the Session 1, and 2 Will. and Mary, each Act has a separate Title, “Anno Regni Willelmi & Mari{{subst:ae}} Regis & Regine Angli{{subst:ae}}, Franci{{subst:ae}} & Hiberni{{subst:ae}} primo; On the 23d Day of February, Anno Dom. 1688; in the First Year of their Majesties Reign this Act passed the Royal Assent. London, printed,” &c.