Discovery of North-West Passage Act 1744
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for giving a public Reward to such Person or Persons, His Majesty's Subject or Subjects, as shall discover a North-west Passage, through Hudson's Streights, to the Western and Southern Ocean of America. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 18 Geo. 2. c. 17 |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 2 May 1745 |
| Commencement | 27 November 1744[a] |
| Repealed | 8 May 1818 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Discovery of Longitude at Sea, etc. Act 1818 |
| Relates to | Discovery of Northern Passage Act 1776 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Discovery of North-West Passage Act 1744 (18 Geo. 2. c. 17) was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1745 and repealed in 1818. It offered a public reward for the successful discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The preamble to the act stated the expected economic benefits of the discovery of the passage, and that it would be "a great encouragement to adventurers" to offer a prize. The allocated sum was £20,000, to be paid to the owners of the first ships to successfully make such a passage.
The act established a group of commissioners to determine the validity of any claims, and restricted the scope of the act to only apply to British subjects. It further required all British subjects to provide help and assistance to the explorers when required.
Subsequent developments
The whole act was repealed by section 9 of the Discovery of Longitude at Sea, etc. Act 1818 (58 Geo. 3. c. 20).
Notes
- ^ Start of session.
References
- The statutes at large from the 15th to the 20th year of King George II [vol. XVIII]; Charles Bathurst, London. 1765.
- Chronological table of the statutes; HMSO, London. 1993. ISBN 0-11-840331-1