The rare first printing of the notorious STAMP ACT of 1765 [5 Geo III Cap.12] issued exactly 250 years ago which brought such indignation from the American Colonies and ultimately was key to the eventual Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. The Act placed a tax on all legal and commercial almanacs, cards, dice, newspapers, pamphlets and papers in the American Colonies. It was immediately denounced with the now famous phrase “taxation without representation”. The British Government soon realised the error of their ways and in the following session repealed the Act. The political damage was however already done.

A bound volume of Acts of Parliament of George III for the year 1765. It was ‘Printed by Mark Baskett and the Assigns of Roger Baskett’. Further interesting acts included the Quartering Act and a significant Act relating to the Prize for identifying Longitude. The following are of note:

‘An Act for the Regulation of His Majesty’s Marine Forces while on Shore’ [5 Geo III Cap.6]
‘An Act for punishing Mutiny and Desertion; and for the better Payment of the Army and their Quarters’ [5 Geo III Cap.7] and its amendment [5 Geo III Cap.23]
An Act for rendering more effectual an Act made in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of Her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled, ‘An Act for providing a publick Reward for such Person or Persons as shall discover the Longitude at Sea, with regard to the making Experiments of Proposals made for discovering the Longitude’ [5 Geo III Cap.11], [a further longitude act] [5 Geo III Cap.20]
‘An Act for more effectually securing and encouraging the Trade of His Majesty’s American Dominions; for repealing the Inland Duty on Coffee … [5 Geo III Cap.45]

Church 1054; Howes A285; Sabin 1606.