Continuance of Laws Act 1783

Continuance of Laws Act 1783

Act of Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
Long title	An Act to continue several Laws relating to the regulating the Fees of Officers of the Customs and Naval Officers in America; to the allowing the Exportation of certain Quantities of Wheat, and other Articles, to His Majesty's Sugar Colonies in America; to the permitting the Exportation of Tobacco Pipe Clay from this Kingdom to the British Sugar Colonies or Plantations in the West Indies; and to the repealing the Duties upon Pot and Pearl Ashes, Wood and Weed Ashes imported into Great Britain; and for granting other Duties in lieu thereof.
Citation	23 Geo. 3. c. 6
Territorial extent	Great Britain
Dates
Royal assent	14 March 1783
Commencement	5 December 1782 [a]
Repealed	21 August 1871
Other legislation
Amends	See § Continued enactments
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1871
Relates to	See Expiring laws continuance acts
Status: Repealed

The Continuance of Laws Act 1783 (23 Geo. 3. c. 6) was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain that continued various older acts.

Background

In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed. Many acts of parliament, however, contained time-limited sunset clauses, requiring legislation to revive enactments that had expired or to continue enactments that would otherwise expire. ^[1]

Provisions

Continued enactments

Section 1 of the act continued the Making of Indigo, etc. Act 1770 (10 Geo. 3. c. 37) "as relates to the regulating of Fees of the Officers of the Customs in America, and for extending the same to the Naval Officers there", as continued by the Continuance of Certain Laws Act 1772 (12 Geo. 3. c. 56), the Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1774 (14 Geo. 3. c. 86) and the Continuance of Laws Act 1779 (19 Geo. 3. c. 22), from the expiration of those enactments until the end of the next session of parliament after 1 August 1786. ^[2]

Section 2 of the act continued the Exportation Act 1776 (16 Geo. 3. c. 37) "as relates to allowing the exportation of certain quantities of wheat, and other articles to his Majesty's sugar colonies in America", as continued by the Exportation (No. 2) Act 1776 (17 Geo. 3. c. 28), the Exportation Act 1778 (18 Geo. 3. c. 16), the Continuance of Laws Act 1779 (19 Geo. 3. c. 22), the Continuance of Laws (No. 2) Act 1780 (20 Geo. 3. c. 19), the Continuance of Laws Act 1781 (21 Geo. 3. c. 29) and the Continuance of Laws Act 1782 (22 Geo. 3. c. 13), until 1 May 1784. ^[2]

Section 3 of the act continued the Customs (No. 6) Act 1776 (17 Geo. 3. c. 43) "as permits the exportation of tobacco-pipe clay from this kingdom to the British sugar colonies or plantations in the West Indies", as continued by the Continuance of Laws (No. 2) Act 1780 (20 Geo. 3. c. 19), from the expiration of those enactments until the next session of parliament after 24 June 1787. ^[2]

Section 4 of the act continued the Customs (No. 2) Act 1780 (20 Geo. 3. c. 25) from the expiration of the act until the next session of parliament after 31 May 1786. ^[2]

Subsequent developments

The Select Committee on Temporary Laws, Expired or Expiring, appointed in 1796, inspected and considered all temporary laws, observing irregularities in the construction of expiring laws continuance acts, making recommendations and emphasising the importance of the Committee for Expired and Expiring Laws. ^[3]

The whole act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1871 (34 & 35 Vict. c. 116).

Notes

1. Start of session.

References

1. Imprisonment in Medieval England. CUP Archive. p. 345.
2. Britain, Great (1782). The Statutes at Large: From the Magna Charta, to the End of the Eleventh Parliament of Great Britain, Anno 1761 [continued to 1807]. Vol. 34. J. Bentham. pp. 205–207.
3. Commons, Great Britain Parliament House of (1803). Reports from Committees of the House of Commons which Have Been Printed by Order of the House: And are Not Inserted in the Journals [1715-1801. Vol. 14. pp. 34–118.