Disorderly Houses Act 1751
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
(25 Geo. 2) C A P. XXXVI.
'W H E R E R S the Advertising a Reward with no Questions asked, for the Return of Things which have been lost or stolen, is one great Cause and Encouragement of Thefts and Robberies;' Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, Thatfrom and after the first Day ofJune one thousand seven hundred and fifty-two, any Person publickly advertising a Reward with no Questions asked, for the Return of Things which have been stolen or lost, or making use of any Words in such publick Advertisement, purporting that such Reward shall be given or paid without seizing or making Enquiry after the Person producing such Thing so stolen or lost, or promising or offering, in any such publick Advertisement, to return to any Pawnbroker, or other Person, who may have bought or advanced Money by way of Loan upon such Thing so stolen or lost the Money so paid or advanced, or any other Sum of Money or Reward for the Return of such Thing; and any Personprinting or publishing such Advertisement, shall respectively forfeit the Sum of fifty Pounds for every such Offence, to any Person who will sue for the same.
'II. And whereas the Multitude of Places of Entertainment for the lower Sort of People is another great Cause of Thefts and Robberies, as they are thereby tempted to spend their small Substance in riotous Pleasures, and in Consequence are put on unlawful Methods of supplying their Wants, and renewing their Pleasures:' In order therefore to prevent the said Temptation to Thefts and Robberies, and to correct as far as may be the Habit of Idleness, which is become too general over the whole Kingdom, and is productive of much Mischief and Inconvenience; Be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That from and after the first Day of one thousand seven hundred and fifty-two, any House, Room, Garden, or other Place kept for publick Dancing, Musick, or other publick Entertainment of the like Kind, in the Cities ofLondon and Westminster , or within twenty Miles thereof, without a Licence had for that Purpose, from the last preceding Michaelmas Quarter Sessions of the Peace, to be holden for the County, City, Riding, Liberty or Division in which such House, Room, Garden, or other Place is situate, (who are hereby authorized and impowered to grant such Licences as they in their Discretion shall think proper) signified under the Hands and Seals of four or more of the Justices there assembled, shall be deemed a disorderly House or Place: And every such Licence shall be signed and sealed by the said Justices in open Court, and afterwards be publickly read by the Clerk of the Peace, together with the Names of the Justices subscribing the same; and no such Licence shall be granted at any adjourned Sessions; nor shall any Fee or Reward be taken for any such Licence: And it shall and may be lawful to and for any Constable, or other Person, being thereunto authorized, by Warrant under the Hand and Seal of one or more of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace of the County, City, Riding, Division or Liberty where such House or Place shall be situate, to enter such House or Place, and to seize every Person who shall be found therein, in order that they may be dealt with according to Law: And every Person keeping such House, Room, Garden, or other Place, without such Licence as aforesaid, shall forfeit the Sum of one hundred Pounds to such Person as will sue for the same; and be otherwise punishable as the Law directs in Cases of disorderly Houses.
III Licensed Places to have an Inscription over them,
III. Provided always, and it is hereby further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That in order to give publick Notice what Places are licensed pursuant to this Act, there shall be affixed and kept up in some notorious Place over the Door or Entrance of every such House, Room, Garden, or other Place, kept for any of the said Purposes, and so licensed as aforesaid, an Inscription in large Capital Letters, in the Words following;videlicet , LICENSED PURSUANT TO ACT OF PARLIAMENT OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND; and that no such House, Room, Garden, or other Place, kept for any of the said Purposes, although licensed as aforesaid, shall be open for any of the said Purposes before the Hour of five in the Afternoon; and that the affixing and keeping up of such Inscription as aforesaid, and the said Limitation or Restriction in point of Time, shall be inserted in, and made Conditions of, every such Licence; and in case of any Breach of either of the said Conditions, such Licence shall be forfeited, and shall be revoked by the Justices of Peace in their next General or Quarter Sessions, and shall not be renewed; nor shall any new Licence be granted to the same Person or Persons, or any other Person on his or their or any of their Behalf, or for their Use or Benefit, directly or indirectly, for keeping any such House, Room, Garden, or other Place, for any of the Purposes aforesaid.
IV. Provided always, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to the Theatres Royal in andCovent...
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