ADULT SUFFRAGE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 462, 22 March 1909, Page 5

ADULT SUFFRAGE.

• » A PRIYATE BILL. SECOND READINC IN THE COMMONS. CABINET DIVIDED. (in TELEUiurn—runs? association - —coi'Tiuour.) (Rcc. March 20, 4.30 p.m.) London, March 20. Tho Houso of Commons read a second time a Bill giving a voto to every man and woman of tho full ago. It was introduced by tho Hon. Geoffrey Howard (Liberal member for Eskdalo division of Cumberland, and a son of tho Earl of Carlisle). Tho Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith, was not unsympathetic. Ho stated that tho Government was not of ono mind on tho question of femalo suffrage, though they favoured an oxtonsion of the franchise; but as such changes should como from a responsible Government, ho would voto for tho second roading. Suffragists, both militant and un-militant, repudiated tho Bill on tho ground that it would add fifteen million pooplo to the voting list, and thus would prove revolutionary. Tho division on the second reading resulted: — For tho Bill ... 157 Against tho Bill 122 Majority for 35 An anti-suffrage petition, signed by 243,552 women, has been presented to the House of Commons. MR. ASQUITH'S PREVIOUS HINT. The second reading in the House of Commons of a private Bill of this nature is nothing new. Last session Mr. Stanger's Bill, to enable women to voto at Parliamentary elections on the same terms as men, was read a second time by a majority of 179 votes, and that was about as far as, lacking Government support, it was able to get. When waited on, on May 20, 1908, by a deputation, which came to press for woman's suffrage, Mr. Asquith stated that it was a binding obligation on the Government to submit a scheme of electoral reform before the present Parliament came to an end, and he went on to indicate how a suffragist amendment might be moved to this Electoral Reform Bill. Mr. Asquith said:—"lt would clearly bo within the competence of those present to seek to introduco by amendments, or by extensions the object they desired. Tho Government could hardly resist snch amendment, for tho simple and sufficient reason that probablv somo twothirds of his colleagues in the Ministry wero ' in favour of it. If it wero approved by tho House, it could not be any part of tho duty of tho Government to oppose such an amendment, and therefore the matter must be left to the decision of the House. Ho must give them one word of warning, however; it must be a distinct condition that any such proposed change must be a change upon democratic lines Subject to that condition he could not oppose snch an amendment, even if he desired to do so having regard to the state of opinion in the Liberal party on this question. Ho t.ointed out that a measure of woman suffrage such as ho had touched on to be accepted must have behind it the overwhelming support of the women of the country, no less than the sunport of men. L