WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1375, 28 February 1912, Page 5

WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

VARYINU MINISTERIAL VIEWS

By Telejraph-ITess AEeoclation-Copyrlsht

London, February 26. Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, writing to tho Dundeo Branch of the Y\'omon's Freedom League, states that he intends to vote against tho second reading of tho Conciliation Bill, as he believes the country is not prepared to give the vote to seven million women at the present time. Mr. Birrell, Chief Secretary for Ireland, replying to a deputation of Bristol women, urged them to stick to tho Conciliation Bill, which would placo a million and a quarter women on tho register. If they tried to amend tho Reform Bill the} must lose all.

The Woman's Suffrage Concil.abon Committee was formed ill 1010. It con aists of members of I arl 0/comfrom every party in the House of Com mons and has Lord I***™?*. I'*1'* !££. •nun With a view to securing a peace ' 3 1 tt M S S f " -m elves h °iniS le, Nation on the subject, should give „? ties which would enable the House of Commons, if so disposed, to carry a Woman Suffrage Bill introduced by a privato member. The Bill as finally a-recd upon by the committee proposes to gfro tho vote to women householders onlj;. Tho number of women affected is estimated to bo one million, of whom fully 800,000, it is stated, will bo working women. In the sessions of 1910 and 1911 the Bill passed its second reading in .the House of Commons. On both occasions the Government refused to give further facilities for its passage. Mr. Asquith hns, • however, definitely promised'that this: venr a day will bo given for tho second reading, an "elastic" week for tho committee stage, and the further time necessary for the report stage and third reading. It is expected that the amendments proposed to tho Bill will seriously divide tho supporters of woman suffrage. Among the more important is' one which will propose the granting of a vote to tho wife of every elector. This would involvo tho enfranchisement of six million additional women, and would, it is considered, wreck the Bill.