WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1655, 23 January 1913, Page 5

WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

• ISSUE IN DOUBT. PLANS TO AMEND FRANCHISE BILL. IRISH HOLD THE KEY. By Telegraph—Frees Association— Copyright London, January 21. There is much canvassing in the lobbies over the.'Franchise Bill. Some Liberals are so opposed to women's suffrage that they threaten that if the clause is amended they will not support the third reading of the Bill: They state that to use the Parliament Act to carry women's suffrage would bo a constitutional outrage. Mr. Asquith had been placed in an embarrassing position, which was influencing doubtful Liberals.

Good judges believe that. Sir' Edward Grey's amendment to omit the word "male" from the measure will bo passed by a small majority, ns itonly establishes the principle, and that it will be necessary afterwards to carry other amendments. \

Mr. Arthur Henderson, on behalf of the Labour party,-proposes adult suffrage.

Mr. W. H. Dickinson's amendment gives the vote to women over 25 who are occupiers or the wives of occupiers, thus enfranchising six million people.

Mr. Lyttolton proposes to add a provision \to enable women to vote.at municipal elections. This means enfranchising a million women. .

Thirty Conservative members havo promised to support Mr. Dickinson's amendment, which has been amended to exclude the Irish in the hope that the Nationalists will be persuaded to abstain from taking part in.the division. .

It is understood that .fifty-eight Nationalists are against women'snffrage and twenty-five in favour of it. The.Nationalists hold the key to the situation. •'

Lord Curzon presided at a crowded antisuffrage meeting in the Queen's Hall. The speakers included Mr. C. E. Hobhouse, Sir Edward Clarke, and Mrs. Humphry Ward, who were supported by many members of the House of Commons. Letters ofsympathy were'.received from Hon v R. M'Kenna, Mr. T. Healy,' and' Mr. Austen Chamberlain. . "\'..- ■ - 'CONSERVATIVES IN PROTEST. DISFRANCHISEMENT OF LONDON. London, January 21. A meeting of the City Conservative Association passed a resolution protesting against the disfranchisement of the-city by the provision' of the Franchise Bill providing that voters must have a.residential qualification. :, .;.

Almost all members of .tho City Corporation would be rendered inelible if the amendment were adopted as under an Act of 1819 Common. Council candidates are bound to appear on the parliamentary, registry.'.;' ■'.

Mr. Balfour said he did not believe that madness had ever went further. All the characteristic institutions ,of. tho city would vanish-as well as tho importancs of the city, which was' nationally and internationally . greater than.' ever. .- Ho, pointed out that if the Government passed t the measure, permitting forty-two Irishrneir '(ts vote on affairs 'outside their interest, he and his colleagues would not spare their efforts to save something from the wreck.. •'-'; THE BILL IN BRIEF; The principal provisions of tho.Franchise Bill aro as follow:— "One man, one vote" established, and "One vote, one value" accepted;in principle. ' Only one qualification: 21 years of age or over and six months' continuous residence or; occupation, commencing on any date. ■ Property qualification and plural voting swept away absolutely and nine University seats abolished. ' : \ . Register of voters to -be' published at least,once a : year; registration to be con-' tinuous, monthly supplements'being issued containing records • of. deaths, transfers, and now entrants inthe preceding month. No qualified elector will lose nis vote even for a day by reason of change of residence. ■■■' ■' '.-'■, '-..:.'.- If a'voter removes from one constituency to another he will retain -his voto in the former for six months. Registration Courts' abolished! town clerks, and clerics of county councils, aided by .overseers, to act as registration officers, 1 paid as at present. ' ■ Tho register will include local government electors as'at : present, lodger and owner votes being retained for local purposes. /.-'■/. Peers can vote for Parliamentary candidates, but.- cannot be candidates' themselves. The new register will come into operation at the next general, election. Redistribution, abuse of use' of motorcars, election expenses, and second ballot or proportional representation, are reserved for a subsequent measure.