Repeal of Acts Concerning Importation Act 1822

In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed. Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, published in the late 18th century, raised questions about the system and structure of the common law and the poor drafting and disorder of the existing statute book. In 1806, the Commission on Public Records passed a resolution requesting the production of a report on the best mode of reducing the volume of the statute book. From 1810 to 1825, The Statutes of the Realm was published, providing for the first time the authoritative collection of acts. In 1810, the Lords of the Treasury asked Nicholas Jickling to produce a Digest of the Laws of the Customs, which was published in 1815, numbering 1,375 pages from the earliest period to 53 Geo. 3. This Digest was continuously published to bring the state of the law up to date to the end of every session. In 1814, the Commission of Public Records published their 14th Report, recommending consolidation of the statute law. In 1822, bills were introduced to encourage shipping and navigation and to repeal related inconsistent or obsolete enactments. == Passage ==

Leave to bring in the Ancient Commercial Statutes Bill to the House of Commons was granted to James Brogden and the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, Thomas Wallace on 19 March 1822. The bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 25 March 1822, presented by the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, Thomas Wallace . The bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 17 June 1822, introduced by Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, and was committed to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 18 June 1822, without amendments. The bill had its third reading in the House of Lords on 19 June 1822 and passed, with amendments. The amended bill was considered and agreed to by the House of Commons on 20 June 1822. The bill was granted royal assent on 24 June 1822. == Repealed enactments ==

Section 1 of the act repealed 75 enactments relating to importation of goods, commerce or navigation, listed in that section. Section 2 of the act repealed 43 enactments relating to importation of goods, commerce or navigation, listed in that section. Section 3 of the act repealed 23 enactments related to the exportation of goods, wares and merchandize, listed in that section. Section 4 of the act repealed 31 enactments related to the exportation of goods, wares and merchandize, listed in that section. Section 5 of the act repealed 43 enactments related to staples, listed in that section. Section 6 of the act repealed ? enactments, listed in that section. Section 7 of the act provided that nothing in the act would extend, repeal or alter the following acts: Section 8 of the act provided that nothing in the act would extend, repeal or alter the Confirmation, etc., of 27 Ed. 3. St. 2 Act 1354 (28 Edw. 3. c. 13) or Inquests (8 Hen. 6. c. 29) as relates to juries where aliens are parties. Section 9 of the act provided that "nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to repeal any of the Statutes or Acts, or Parts of Statutes or Acts, hereinbefore mentioned, so far as the same or any of them may relate to the Contents of Tuns, Pipes, Tertians, Hogsheads or other Vessels of Wine, Oil, Honey and other gaugable Liquors or Articles im- ported into the City of London or the Liberties thereof, or the gauging thereof, which the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London are, by divers Grants and Charters of His Majesty's Royal Predecessors, or claim to be, authorized or empowered to gauge within the City of London and the Liberties thereof; nor to repeal the Duty called Gauge, which the said Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens are entitled, or claim to have, receive and enjoy by virtue of the aforesaid Grants or Charters, or any of them; but the same shall continue and be used and exercised as if this Act had not been passed." Section 10 of the act confirmed the repeals of ? enactments, listed in that section. == Legacy ==

The Repeal of Acts Concerning Importation (No. 2) Act 1822 (3 Geo. 4. c. 42) and the Navigation and Commerce Act 1822 (3 Geo. 4. c. 43) were passed at the simultaneously to repeal similar statutes and to further encourage shipping and navigation. The act was criticised by Thomas Chisholm Anstey, a member of the Board for the Revision of the Statute Law, for its lack of clarity and organization, with legal commentators noting that it contributed to confusion by requiring inquirers to navigate back and forth through different historical statutes, exacerbating the difficulties of interpreting legislative repeals. The qualified terms of the repeal led to several acts being repealed by later acts, including Statute Law Revision Acts: • Weights and Measures Act 1824 (5 Geo. 4. c. 74) • Repeal of Obsolete Statutes Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. 64) • Statute Law Revision Act 1863 (6 & 27 Vict. c. 125) The whole act was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. 91). == Notes ==