Continuance of Laws Act 1766

The Continuance of Laws Act 1766 (6 Geo. 3. c. 44) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that continued various older acts.

In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed.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]

Section 1 of the act continued section 19 of the Trade with Africa Act 1697 (9 Will. 3. c. 26) "for allowing during a limited time a drawback of the duties upon the exportation of copper bars imported", as revived and continued by the Poor Act 1712 (12 Ann. c. 18), and the provision in section 5 of the Poor Act 1712 (12 Ann. c. 18) that provided that drawback on copper would be allowed on imports from the East Indies and the coast of Barbary, as continued by the Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1726 (13 Geo. 1. c. 27), the Making of Sail Cloth, etc. Act 1741 (15 Geo. 2. c. 35), the Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1753 (26 Geo. 2. c. 32) and the Continuance of Laws Act 1758 (32 Geo. 2. c. 23), from the expiration of those enactments until the end of the next session of parliament after 24 June 1774.^[2]

Section 2 of the act continued the Silk Subsidies, Various Duties, Import of Furs, etc. Act 1721 (8 Geo. 1. c. 15) as relates to the encouragement of the silk manufactures of the kingdom, as continued by the Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1724 (11 Geo. 1. c. 29), the Unlawful Games Act 1728 (2 Geo. 2. c. 28), the Continuance of Laws Act 1734 (8 Geo. 2. c. 18), the Making of Sail Cloth, etc. Act 1741 (15 Geo. 2. c. 35), the Stamps Act 1746 (20 Geo. 2. c. 45) , the Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1753 (26 Geo. 2. c. 32) and the Continuance of Laws Act 1758 (32 Geo. 2. c. 23), from the expiration of those enactments until the end of the next session of parliament after 24 June 1774.^[2]

Section 3 of the act continued the Preservation of Woods, America Act 1728 (2 Geo. 2. c. 35) as relates "to the premiums upon malts, yards, and bowsprits, tar, pitch, and turpentine", as continued by the Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1739 (13 Geo. 2. c. 28), the Continuance of Laws Act 1750 (24 Geo. 2. c. 52), the Growth of Coffee, etc. Act 1751 (25 Geo. 2. c. 35) and the Continuance of Laws Act 1758 (32 Geo. 2. c. 23), from the expiration of the act until the end of the next session of parliament after 24 June 1774.^[2]

Section 4 of the act continued the Growth of Coffee Act 1731 (5 Geo. 2. c. 24), as continued by the Continuance of Laws Act 1737 (11 Geo. 2. c. 18) the Growth of Coffee Act 1745 (19 Geo. 2. c. 23), the Growth of Coffee, etc. Act 1751 (25 Geo. 2. c. 35) and the Continuance of Laws Act 1758 (32 Geo. 2. c. 23), from the expiration of the act until the end of the next session of parliament after 24 June 1774, except as relates "to the importation and exportation of foreign coffee into, and out from, the British colonies and plantations in America".^[2]

Section 5 of the act continued the Sail Cloth Act 1745 (19 Geo. 2. c. 27), as continued by the Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1753 (26 Geo. 2. c. 32) and the Continuance of Laws Act 1758 (32 Geo. 2. c. 23), until the end of the next session of parliament after 24 June 1774.^[2]

Section 6 of the act provided that provisions, powers, authorities, matters, and things required to be executed by any act passed during the present session of parliament would be deemed valid and effectual if executed within five weeks after the end of the present session, as if they had been executed within the time originally limited by such acts.^[2]

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).