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, which formerly took place within the Realm of England, as well as in Scotland and Ireland, has been wholly superseded by the Practice of modern Times. Before the Introduction of Printing, the Publication of the Statutes of England was made by Means of Exemplifications thereof, sent to the Sheriffs, under the Great Seal, out of Chancery, with Writs annexed, requiring the Proclamation and Publication of the same by them, and sometimes also directing Copies to be made and distributed, and the Sheriffs to return what was done by them thereupon. The earliest Statutes were published in this Manner; as appears not only by Copies of the Writs subjoined to the Records and Manuscripts of the respective Statutes, of the Thirteenth Century, but also by Original Writs still preserved in the Tower of London.

printed Promulgations of the Statutes, in the Form of Sessional Publications, began in the First Year of Ric. . A. D. 1484, very recently after the Introduction of Printing; and in consequence thereof such Exemplifications and Writs as are above mentioned were soon altogether discontinued; yet the Statutes themselves, continued nevertheless to be inrolled in Chancery; and some of the earliest Sessional Publications appear by their Form to have been printed from a Statute Roll. All the Original Bills and Acts now extant in the Parliament Office, are some Years subsequent in Date to the Commencement of the Printed Sessional Publications of the Statutes; and it is evident, from some of those Printed Sessional Publications in the Time of Hen. . whereof the contemporary Bills and Acts are still preserved, that such Bills and Acts, though concurrent in Time were not then uniformly used as the Original Text for such Publications. The Sessional Publications are at present, and have for a long Series of Years been printed entirely from Original Acts in the Parliament Office.

it was the exclusive Privilege and official Duty of the Lord Clerk Register to enter the Acts of Parliament in the proper Record, and to give authentic Copies of them to the Sheriffs, Magistrates of Boroughs, and such as might demand them. A Precept is extant for proclaiming and publishing the Statutes of Robert. in the Year 1318; and there exists also a Parliamentary Ordinance made in the Reign of David. 1366, by which the Acts of that Parliament are directed to be sent under Royal Seal to each Sheriff to be by him publickly proclaimed. The earliest printed Publication of Statutes in Scotland took place in the year 1540-1.

the Promulgation of such Statutes as were passed in England and transmitted to Ireland, was regularly made by means of a Transcript sent under Seal from England, with a Writ directed to the Chancellor of Ireland, requiring the same to be kept in the Chancery of that Kingdom, to be enrolled in the Rolls of the said Chancery, then to be exemplified under the Great Seal of Ireland, and sent unto and proclaimed in the several Courts and Counties throughout the Kingdom. Sometimes the Writ was to the Justices, in Ireland, simply requiring Proclamation.

With respect to the Statutes made in Ireland, Provisions are contained in several Acts for the special Proclamation of such Acts, so that the Penalties inflicted by them should not be incurred until after such Proclamation. It appears also that it was usual to proclaim the Statutes in general by the King’s Writ, made out by the Clerk of the Parliament. Sessional Publications of the Acts did not take place in Ireland before the Reign of Charles ; and such Publications were not continued regularly and uniformly until after the Revolution.