6.302 Ergebnisse
1781Best.-Nr. 28962Philadelphia and Lancaster: John Dunlap and Francis Bailey 1781. 18 session laws in one small folio. 12 1/8 x 7 3/4 inches. 71 2 51-177 1 177-417 1 395-432 2 459-488pp. Early twentieth century black morocco spine with raised bands lettered in gilt The extraordinarily rare session laws from the Revolution including the flight to Lancaster. First editions with the exception of the first two parts which are second printings of the so-called "Dunlap Laws" the excessively rare session laws of Pennsylvania passed during the Revolution and printed by John Dunlap and in some instances Francis Bailey. Both the meetings of the Assembly and the printing of the laws themselves were conducted under gravely difficult conditions as witness the displacement of the meeting and printings from Philadelphia to Lancaster when the British occupied the city between September 1777 and June 1778. This collection includes all four of Dunlap and Bailey's Lancaster printings which are the most difficult examples to find of the early Pennsylvania session laws. The onset of the Revolution ushered in an exciting and innovative period in American politics as states made the transition from colonial political systems to independent legislatures. New constitutions were written Pennsylvania's being among the most radical and new classes of men came into political office often displacing entrenched aristocrats and men of capital. The state legislatures functioned as miniature "laboratories of democracy" as new laws were passed for governance the raising of public money and the training and outfitting of a military force to contribute to the Revolutionary cause. Pennsylvania's Assembly was especially noteworthy for its sharp political divisions between ardent supporters of independence and those suspected of being Loyalists. The session laws collected here document the creation of the state's new political and civic structure spelling out the roles and responsibilities of the governor the Assembly and the courts the organization of the state militia and the requirements for serving therein the creation of taxes and other means for raising public funds and much much more. This collection contains the journals of eighteen sessions of the Pennsylvania legislature representing the period from November 28 1776 the first meeting of the Pennsylvania General Assembly through the fourth sitting of the Fifth General Assembly in 1781 this last work and one other here known only in two copies. The only two comparable collections of Pennsylvania laws are those formed in the 19th century by Pennsylvania lawyer Charlemagne Tower and one set of twenty-eight laws sold by William Reese Company lacking one very rare imprint included here. In his catalogue of the Tower collection noted bibliographer Charles Hildeburn called Tower's grouping of Pennsylvania laws "unequalled" and rightly so as it spanned more than 100 years and contained more than 150 separate items. Tower's collection of colonial American laws which contained all of the Pennsylvania laws found in the present collection was given to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1890. The collection here includes Tower's numbers 757 through 773 a complete run of Pennsylvania session laws for the years 1776 to 1781. The present collection of eighteen session laws from 1776 to 1785 outstrips the holdings of the next nearest institutions - the Library of Congress which has only sixteen of the titles and the American Antiquarian Society which holds only twelve. The next nearest after that is the University of Pennsylvania with only seven of the titles. Of the eighteen printings of laws in this collection two are known in only one other copy each the fifth and last items; most other works are known in less than three four or six copies. It is likely that the laws were produced in very small numbers mainly for the use of the legislators and the earlier ones would have suffered losses in the British invasion of Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania in 1777. Within these laws are found much of the day-to-day politics and business of running a state during the Revolution with details of the war dominating. The very first laws establish a quorum authorize the courts issue Continental currency establish a militia and cover many military matters. By the third session the legislature had been forced to flee Philadelphia in front of the British invasion and the next four session laws are printed in Lancaster by Francis Bailey and John Dunlap. The fourth sitting of the second General Assembly reconvened in Philadelphia on August 4 1778. Virtually all of the laws in this period are concerned with the prosecution of the war whether attainting traitors organizing supplies passing military regulations or controlling prices. But there is much of importance besides; in January 1780 the Assembly passed "An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery" as well as incorporating the American Philosophical Society. Beginning with the Fourth General Assembly in October 1779 Thomas Paine became the Clerk and all the published laws are subscribed by him in type until September 1780. The contents here include the following: 1 Laws Enacted in the First Sitting of the First General Assembly of Pennsylvania which began at Philadelphia November 28 1776 and was continued by adjournments to March 21 1777. Philadelphia. 1779. Evans 16427; Hildeburn 3902; Tower Collection 763. 2 Laws Enacted in the Second Sitting of the First General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia the Twelfth day of May One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Seven and continued to the Nineteenth day of June in the same year. Philadelphia. 1779. Evans 16427; Hildeburn 3902; Tower Collection 763. 3 Laws Enacted in a General Assembly.held at Philadelphia the 12th day of May 1777 and continued by adjournment to Lancaster until the 14th day of Oct. 1777. Lancaster. 1777. Evans 15540; Hildeburn 3580; Tower Collection 757. 4 Laws Enacted in the Second General Assembly.At the Sitting which began at Lancaster on the Twenty-Seventh day of October A.D. One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Seven and continued by adjournment to the Second day of January A.D. One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Eight. Lancaster. 1778. Evans 15968; Hildeburn 3730; Tower Collection 758. 5 Laws Enacted in the Second Sitting of the Second General Assembly.which began at Lancaster on Wednesday the Eighteenth day of February A.D. One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Eight. Lancaster. 1778. Evans 15969; Hildeburn 3730; Tower Collection 759. 6 Laws Enacted in the Third Sitting of the Second General Assembly.which began at Lancaster on Wednesday the 13th day of May 1778. Lancaster. 1778. Evans 15970; Hildeburn 3730; Tower Collection 760. 7 Laws Enacted in the Fourth Sitting of the Second General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia on the Fourth day of August A.D. One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Eight. Philadelphia. 1778. Evans 15971; Hildeburn 3730; Tower Collection 761. 8 Laws Enacted in the Third General Assembly.which met at Philadelphia on Monday the Twenty-Sixth day of October in the year of Our Lord A.D. One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Eight and in the Third Year of the Independence of the United States of North-America. Philadelphia. 1778. Evans 15972; Hildeburn 3731; Tower Collection 762. 9 Laws Enacted in the Second Sitting of the Third General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia on Monday the First day of February A.D. One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Nine and continued till Monday the Fifth day of April of the same year. Philadelphia. 1779. Evans 16428; Hildeburn 3901; Tower Collection 764. 10 Laws Enacted in the Third Sitting of the Third General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia on Monday the Thirtieth day of August A.D. One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Nine. Philadelphia. 1779. Evans 16429; Hildeburn 3901; Tower Collection 765. 11 Laws Enacted in the First Sitting of the Fourth General Assembly.which met at Philadelphia on Monday the Twenty-Fifth day of October in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Nine. Philadelphia. 1779. Evans 16430; Hildeburn 3902; Tower Collection 766. 12 Laws Enacted in the Second Sitting of the Fourth General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia on Wednesday the 19th day of January in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty. Philadelphia. 1780. Evans 16930; Hildeburn 4016; Tower Collection 767. 13 Laws Enacted in the Third Sitting of the Fourth General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia on Wednesday the Tenth day of May One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty. Philadelphia. 1780. Evans 16931; Hildeburn 4016; Tower Collection 768. 14 Laws Enacted in the Fourth Sitting of the Fourth General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia on Friday the First day of September One Thousand Eeven Hundred and Eighty. Philadelphia. 1780. Evans 16932; Hildeburn 4016; Tower Collection 769. 15 Laws of the First Sitting of the Fifth General Assembly.which met at Philadelphia on Tuesday the Twenty-Third day of October in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty. Philadelphia. 1780. Evans 16933; Hildeburn 4017; Tower Collection 770. 16 Laws Enacted in the Second Sitting of the Fifth General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia on Tuesday the Sixth day of February in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty and One. Philadelphia. 1781. The first issue printed as pp. 395-434; a later issue bears the correct continuous pagination pp. 419-458. Evans 17289; Hildeburn 4120; Tower Collection 771. 17 Laws Enacted in the Third Sitting of the Fifth General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia on Thursday the Twenty-Fourth day of May in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty and One. Philadelphia. 1781. Evans 17290; Hildeburn 4017; Tower Collection 772. 18 Laws Enacted in the Fourth Sitting of the Fifth General Assembly.which commenced at Philadelphia on Tuesday the Fourth day of September in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-One. Philadelphia. 1781. Evans 17291; Hildeburn 4120; Tower Collection 773. A remarkable collection of rare and important Revolutionary era Pennsylvania laws. John Dunlap [and Francis Bailey] unknown books
1742Best.-Nr. 29116Williamsburg: William Parks 1742. 6 volumes in one folio. 12 7/8 x 8 1/8 inches. Caption titles as issued. 1-51; 1-48; 1-52; 1-21; 1-2; 1-58pp. Expertly bound to style in full period calf spine with raised bands ruled in blind morocco lettering piece. A remarkable run of early Virginia imprints. An extraordinary run of the earliest Virginia imprints the most extensive group of material to come on the market in perhaps a century. This remarkable volume contains six Assembly session laws published in Williamsburg between 1734 and 1742 from the press of Virginia's first printer William Parks. The beginnings of printing in Virginia can be traced in a sense to 1682 when William Nuthead went to Jamestown with a press to print the acts of the Assembly; Governor Thomas Culpeper tossed him out and Nuthead left without issuing a single publication. Culpeper's successor Francis Howard banned printing entirely and it was fifty years before another attempt was made. In February 1728 William Parks the official printer to the Maryland Assembly since 1726 seeking to expand his business petitioned the Virginia Assembly for a similar position. Receiving the commission Parks opened an office in Williamsburg in 1730. That year he published what is generally credited as Virginia's first imprint: John Markland's Typographia: an ode to printing a 15pp. paean to Sir William Gooch the governor who had approved the invitation to Parks. This survives in a single copy at the John Carter Brown Library. Indeed the handful of early Virginia imprints prior to 1735 that are not laws only survive in unique copies. Parks moved to Williamsburg himself in 1731 although he would continue to maintain his Annapolis press until 1737. In 1733 he published the first locally printed collection of Virginia laws. The present imprints follow directly after that volume with new legislation issued over the next decade. He was certainly with Benjamin Franklin the most significant and enterprising printer in the American colonies south of Boston in the first half of the 18th century prior to his death in 1750. During this time Parks sometimes quarreled with the Virginia House of Burgesses over fees and articles in his newspaper but always retained the lucrative contract for printing the legislative materials of the colony. The present collection of session laws contains the fourth and final session of the 1727-1734 Assembly all four sessions of the 1735-1740 Assembly and the first session of the 1742-1747 Assembly. The first of the above is significant as it was "the first time the public and private acts of a session were printed in full" Swem the previous session laws including the titles of the private acts only. The acts within these sessions includes those addressing tobacco duties on slaves judicial matters regulating liquor for the encouragement of the College of William and Mary dividing counties relating to Native Americans the raising of the militia for an expedition against the Spanish among other matters. Of particular note is an act within the final session which establishes the town of Richmond on the falls of the James River. All early Virginia imprints are of great rarity. The legislative material was probably printed in editions of several hundred copies at the most. Berg locates eight to ten copies of each of the imprints listed here; in virtually all cases these copies have been held since before the First World War and only a few individual imprints can be traced in sale records. The collection is comprised of: 1 Virginia General Assembly of 1727-1734 fourth session Anno Regni Georgii II . At a General Assembly begun and held at Williamsburg the First Day of February in the First Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George II . to the Twenty Second Day of August 1734. Being the Fourth Session of this present General Assembly caption title. Williamsburg: William Parks 1734. 51pp. Berg Williamsburg Imprints 14 "The economy education and public safety were matters of concern for the burgesses and councilmen at this session." - Berg; Clayton-Torrence 127; Evans 3849; Swem III:22518. 2 Virginia General Assembly of 1735-1740 first session Anno Regni Georgii II . At a General Assembly summoned to be held at the Capitol in the City of Williamsburg on the First Day of August in the Ninth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George II . to the Fifth Day of August in the Tenth Year of His said Majesty's Reign in the Year of our Lord 1736 caption title. Williamsburg: William Parks 1736. 48pp. Berg Williamsburg Imprints 20. ".the Assembly passed legislation which affected many aspects of daily life in the Virginia colony."- Berg; Clayton-Torrence 136; Evans 4094; Swem III:22521. 3 Virginia General Assembly of 1735-1740 second session Anno Regni Georgii II . At a General Assembly summoned to be held at the Capitol in the City of Williamsburg on the First Day of August in the Ninth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George II . to the First Day of November in the Twelfth Year of His said Majesty's Reign in the Year of our Lord 1738 caption title. Williamsburg: William Parks 1738. 52pp. Berg Williamsburg Imprints 25; Clayton-Torrence 152; Evans 4317; Swem III:22526. Much information on the duties of officials fines and fees. 4 Virginia General Assembly of 1735-1740 third session Anno Regni Georgii II . At a General Assembly summoned to be held at the Capitol in the City of Williamsburg on Friday the First Day of August in the Ninth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George II . to the Twenty Second Day of May in the Thirteenth Year of His said Majesty's Reign in the Year of our Lord MDCCXL caption title. Williamsburg: William Parks 1740. 21pp. Berg Williamsburg Imprints 34; Clayton-Torrence 164; Evans 4616; Swem III:22531. Important information on public expenditures for the War of Jenkins' Ear against Spain. 5 Virginia General Assembly of 1735-1740 fourth session Anno Regni Georgii II . At a General Assembly summoned to be held at the Capitol in the City of Williamsburg on Friday the First Day of August in the Ninth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George II . to the Twenty First Day of August in the Fourteenth Year of His said Majesty's Reign in the Year of our Lord MDCCXL: Being the Fourth Session of this present General Assembly caption title. Williamsburg: William Parks 1740. 2pp. BergWilliamsburg Imprints 35; Clayton-Torrence 165; Evans 4617; Swem III:22534. Another imprint devoted to expenditures due to the war with Spain. 6 Virginia General Assembly of 1742-1747 first session Anno Regni Georgii II . At a General Assembly begun and held at the Capitol in the City of Williamsburg the Sixth Day of May in the Fifteenth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George II . in the Year of our Lord 1742: Being the First Session of this Assembly caption title. Williamsburg: William Parks 1742. 58pp. BergWilliamsburg Imprints 43; Bristol B1192; Clayton-Torrence 171; Swem III:22537. Includes the act founding Richmond. A unique opportunity to acquire some of the earliest Virginia imprints. A. Franklin Parks William Parks The Colonial Printer In The Transatlantic World. University Park 2012. William Parks unknown books
