censorship (sensor ship)

[ plays, examined by officials, civil or pre or ding to which manuscripts, printed books pamphlets, ecclesiastical, appointed for the purpose, who are empowered to prevent publication or suppre any parts of the text if they find anything in such books or writings obnoxious to the prevailing political or religious system. A general censorship of the pre was established by the Roman Catholic Church as early as 1515, and is still enforced so far as its authority extends. In England there were "licensers" of books, who were for the most part bishops; a general system of censorship, established by a decree of the Star Chamber in 1637, remained in force during the civil war, and was confirmed by act of Parliament in 1643. Against this act Milton protested in his "Areopagitica: a speech for the liberty of Unlicensed Printing." The censorship, or license system, was abolished in England in 1694. In France a general censorship of the pre existed from the introduction of printing till 1789, when it was abolished; and it has since been several times restored with various ameliorations and again abolished, finally in 1830, though a modified censorship of newspapers was afterward established and still exists. In Ru ia there is a very rigid censorship of the pre . In Spain the censorship was abolished by the Constitution of 1837. In Germany, after great vici itudes, the censorship has remained abolished since 1848. There is no authoritative censorship in Nor way, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, or Belgium, but penalties are imposed upon those who offend through the pre . In the United States the pre is, and always has been, absolutely free from any form of political or ecclesiastical censorship.