The Six Acts were a series of repressive legislative measures enacted by the British Parliament in late 1819, introduced by the Tory government of Prime Minister Lord Liverpool (Robert Jenkinson) under the direction of Home Secretary Henry Addington (Lord Sidmouth). They were a direct response to the Peterloo Massacre of 16 August 1819, in which cavalry charged a peaceful pro-reform demonstration in Manchester, killing at least 11 people and injuring hundreds. The government, fearing a revolution similar to the French Revolution, recalled Parliament early on 23 November 1819, and the acts received royal assent between 11 and 30 December 1819.
The six individual acts were:
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Unlawful Drilling Act 1819 (60 Geo. 3 & 1 Geo. 4. c. 1) – Also known as the Training Prevention Act. It made it illegal to attend any meeting for the purpose of receiving military training or drill in weapons, with penalties of up to two years' imprisonment or seven years' transportation. Only municipal bodies and higher authorities were permitted to conduct military training.
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Seizure of Arms Act 1819 (60 Geo. 3 & 1 Geo. 4. c. 2) – Granted local magistrates in designated "disturbed" counties the power to search private property for weapons, seize them, and arrest the owners. This act was set to expire after 27 months (25 March 1822).
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Pleading in Misdemeanor Act 1819 (60 Geo. 3 & 1 Geo. 4. c. 4) – Also called the Misdemeanours Act. It sought to speed up the administration of justice by restricting opportunities for bail and limiting delays in pleading or demurring at the King's Bench to four days.
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Seditious Meetings Act 1819 (60 Geo. 3 & 1 Geo. 4. c. 6) – Required the permission of a sheriff or magistrate to convene any public meeting of more than 50 people if the subject concerned "church or state" matters. Attendance was restricted to inhabitants of the parish. This act had a built-in five-year time limit and was repealed in 1824.
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Criminal Libel Act 1819 (60 Geo. 3 & 1 Geo. 4. c. 8) – Also known as the Blasphemous and Seditious Libels Act. It toughened existing laws against blasphemous and seditious publications, increasing the maximum penalty to fourteen years' transportation. A second conviction could also result in banishment.
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Newspaper and Stamp Duties Act 1819 (60 Geo. 3 & 1 Geo. 4. c. 9) – Extended and increased stamp taxes to cover publications that had previously avoided duty by publishing opinion rather than news. A four-penny stamp duty was imposed on periodicals costing less than sixpence. Publishers were also required to post a bond for their behaviour.
The Whig opposition, led by figures such as George Tierney and Lord Grey, opposed the acts as infringements on civil liberties, arguing that the government was using national legislation to address local problems. Despite their opposition, the acts passed with comfortable majorities. Historians have noted that the acts were not uniformly enforced and that the decline of popular radicalism after 1820 was due as much to improved economic conditions as to the legislation itself. The stamp duty on newspapers—described by historian G. M. Trevelyan as "the most lasting injury to the community"—was reduced to a penny in 1836 and fully repealed between 1853 and 1861. The ban on unauthorized drilling remained in force until 2008.
