§ The following protest was entered on the journals:
§ "Dissentient,
§ "For the reasons assigned in the pro-test on the second reading of this bill
§ "And because, feeling, as I do, a just abhorrence of the mischief of circulating blasphemous writings, I am persuaded that the prevalence of such libels will not be diminished by the provisions of this bill.
§ "Because I consider, also, that in the present disturbed and distracted state of the country, measures of extreme severity are little calculated to restore confidence to an irritated and suffering people, and that the increased measure of punishment for the repetition of the of fence, of "composing, printing, or publishing" what are termed seditious libels, is inconsistent with the genuine spirit of the English constitution, and inefficient for the object which it professes to have in view. BEDFORD."