FEMALE FRANCHISE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1560, 17 May 1887, Page 3

FEMALE FRANCHISE.

— _ # Although it was well known that s large number of members were m favoi of extending the franchise to woraetij the large majority which lias affirmed this view by passing the second reading ot the Female Franchise Bill, has somewhat taken the public by surprise. The division showed (including .the name of Sir J. . Yogel, which was by mistake omitted by the tellers), 41 ayes to 21 noes, or counting pairs, 48 to 29. The principle of the Bill was thus affirmed by a clear majority of the whole House. The debate was an exceeding able and interesting one, and is said to have been the best which has taken place m the present Parliament. Every objection that could possibly be brought forward against the Bill was brought, but m vain, the supporters of the measure having altogether the best of the argument. It was shown conclusively that the influence of women would assuredly be exerted m the direction of social reform, and m favor of all that is good and wholesome, and salutary, and the position of those who took a firm stand that every taxpayer has a right to a say m the'ehoice of the taxmakers was absolutely unassailable. Logically, no doubt, not only those women who contribute directly to the revenue of the country through the property tax, but those also who contribute indirectly through the Customs duties, by the consumption of dutiable articles, must, on this piinciple, be admitted to the franchise, but the Bill goes beyond both these two classes, and proposes the admission to the franchise of all adult women upon a residence qualification. That, we have no doubt, will be ultimately the law of the land, but it is too radical and sweeping a change to be suddenly carried into effect. That view is, we have reason to believe, held by many of those who supported the second reading, and if the storms of the session permit of the Bill proceedirg further we fully expect to see it modified very much m Committee, As it now stands the Bill would be very unlikely to pass through the Legislative Council, but if it be amended so as to confer the franchise on all women possessing a property qualification there is, we think, a very good prospect of its becoming law. If so, no doubt the next step will be to admit to the franchise all women who, not possessing a property qualification, are earning their livelihood, and after this will follow the/urther step of womanhood suffrage, on precisely the same footing as that on which manhood suffrage now stands. But a step at a time is a more satisfactory method of reform than is a sudden and sweeping revolutionary change;. and, as we have said, we think that Sir J. Vogel's Bill will emerge from Committee (if it reaches that stage) very considerably narrowed m its scope, and m all probability limited to the enfranchising of such women as are possessed of the property qualification.