The preamble provided that by Limitation Act 1623 and similar act passed in Ireland various questions have arisen in actions founded on simple contract, as to the proof and effect of acknowledgments and promises offered in evidence for the purpose of taking cases out of the operation of these acts; and it is expedient to prevent such questions, and to make provision for giving effect to the said acts and to the intention thereof The preamble was omitted by the Statute Law Revision Act 1890.
Section 1 provides that in actions of debt or upon the case grounded upon any simple contract no oral acknowledgment or promise shall be deemed sufficient evidence of a new or continuing contract, whereby to take any case out of the operation of the above acts, or to deprive any party of the benefit thereof, unless such acknowledgment or promise shall be in some writing signed by the party chargeable thereby; and that where there shall be two or more joint contractors, no such joint contractor shall lose the benefit of the above acts, so as to be chargeable in respect or by reason only of any written acknowledgment or promise made and signed by any other of them, and that nothing in this section shall alter or take away or lessen the effect of any payment of any principal or interest made by any person, and that in actions to be commenced against two or more such joint contractors, if it shall appear that the plaintiff, though barred by either of the above acts or this act, as to one or more of such joint contractors, shall nevertheless be entitled to recover against any other or others of the defendants, by virtue of a new acknowledgment or promise, judgment may be given the plaintiff as to such defendants against whom he shall recover, and for the other defendants against the plaintiff. This section was repealed by the Schedule to the Limitation Act 1939.
Section 2 provides that if any defendant in any action on any simple contract shall make a plea in abatement, to the effect that any other person ought to be jointly sued, and it shall appear that the action could not, by reason of the said above acts or this act be maintained against the other person named in such plea, the issue joined on such plea shall be found against the party pleading. This section was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1890.
Section 3
That no indorsement or memorandum of any payment written or made upon any promissory note, bill of exchange, or other writing, by the party to whom such payment shall be made, shall be deemed sufficient proof of such payment, so as to take the case out of the operation the above acts. This section was repealed by the Schedule to the Limitation Act 1939.
Section 4
This section provided that the above acts and this act shall apply in case of debt or simple contract asserted as a defense of set-off. This section was repealed by the Schedule to the Limitation Act 1939.
Section 5
This section provided that no action shall be maintained upon any promise made after full age to pay any debt contracted during infancy, or upon any ratification after full age of any contract made during infancy, unless made by writing signed by the party to be charged. This section was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1875.
Section 6
was enacted to prevent section 4 of the Statute of Frauds being circumvented bringing an action for the tort of deceit, by requiring the representation of credit be in writing signed by the party charged.
This section provided that writings required by this act were not agreement subject to stamp duty. This section was repealed by the Schedule to the Limitation Act 1939.
Section 9
This section provides that this Act shall not extend to Scotland.
