Books printed in the Two Sicilies to be exchanged for 'foreign' books.
[Book exchange] / [Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]. Fernando II. Per la grazia dei Dio Rel del Regno delle due Sicilie … Volendo agevolare il cambio de’ libri che si stampano ne’ nostri dominii di qua e di là del Faro, con quelli che si stampano presso lo straniero, e favorire insiememente la tipografia nazionale. Naples: Dalla Stamperia Reale, 1839. Full sheet [49.8 x 40.8 cm], [1] f. letterpress broadside, with woodcut arms of Ferdinano II, with stamp of Stamperia Reale. Folds. Well preserved.
Unrecorded, large 1839 broadside printed in Naples announcing a program for exchanging books printed in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for “foreign” books.
The document in translation reads in part:
“Wanting to facilitate the exchange of books printed in our domains ‘on both sides of the lighthouse’ [in both Sicily and mainland Southern Italy] for those printed by foreign publishers, and at the same time to promote the national printing press… [it is decreed that] Foreign books introduced into our Royal Domains with the permission of the censor, in exchange for those extracted therefrom, will be exempt from two-thirds of the import duty.
“Booksellers and printers of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies are facilitated in exchanging books printed in their respective printing houses for others printed in foreign countries [and] they are granted the release of two-thirds of the duty on the books they import. The books exported must be scientific, literary, or professional works (excluding legal documents, pamphlets of mere local interest, or frivolous and light-hearted subjects [o di obbietti frivoli e leggieri]; however, the introduction of the former and the withdrawal of the latter must be regulated so that the amount of duty imposed on the former corresponds to that imposed on the latter.
“The aforementioned exchange may only be carried out through the customs offices of Naples and Palermo. To initiate these operations, the booksellers and printers of the kingdom must present to the respective general directorate of indirect duties a list of the books they wish to extract and those they wish to introduce, specifying for each in separate categories the title of the works, the number of volumes each comprises, and the authors…
“Once the requested exchange has been approved, the bookseller or printer will present the works to be withdrawn to the Grand Customs Office of Naples or Palermo. They will be carefully inspected and, if found to be compliant with the notation, will be placed in separate and distinct packages, corded and marked with all customary formalities, in the presence of the customs officials. The packages thus packaged, accompanied by a precautionary receipt and the notation of the books they contain, will be shipped by the General Directorate to the address of the Royal Consul residing at the destination.
“For each drawing of books, the bookseller or printer shall be required to present the proof of entry to customs. When issuing this document, the Royal Consul shall take care to indicate the works individually in correspondence with the notation received. Failure to present the aforementioned proof of entry will result in no right to claim a reduction in duty on foreign books to be exchanged for those already drawn.
“The books to be exchanged in exchange for those drawn must also be placed in separate packages, distinct from other packages of books that the sender may arrange for. In the detailed declaration required by law, the bookseller or printer must specify the works in correspondence with the approved notation, noting that they are those whose exchange was authorized in exchange for those drawn.
“If the verification finds the submitted books identical to the approved notation, and the amount of duty in the liquidation corresponds to the estimated amount on the extracted books; if, however, the proof of submission of the latter does not reveal any discrepancy, in this case the sender will be entitled to the release of two-thirds of the duty. If the submitted books do not correspond to the approved notation, or if the amount of duty differs from that of the extracted books, the sender will be subject to the full duty and forfeit all concessions.”
OPAC/SBN/ICCU, OCLC and KVK locate no copies of this broadside.