The Bishop of Exeterpresented a petition from certain persons, attorneys, for whose respectability he could vouch, stating that they had paid great attention to the publications of the Socialists, and they were desirous of directing the attention of the House to the subject. More particularly they wished to draw their Lordships' attention to a publication entitled the "Social Bible," which contained matter of a highly objectionable nature; and praying their Lordships to adopt further legislative measures to prevent the propagation of Socialist principles. He thought it right to state, in presenting this petition, that he should have entirely concurred in the prayer of it if he had not believed that the existing laws, if properly administered, were quite sufficient to put a stop to any enormities which might be committed by the publishing of blasphemous immoral publications, and he believed that the noble Marquess, the Secretary of State for the Hume Department, was sincere in the declaration he had made of his inten- 169 tion to enforce those laws in every case in which, with propriety, they could be enforced.
§ Petition laid on the table.