WOMEN'S FRANCHISE

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 25

WOMEN'S FRANCHISE

[ LONDON, August 28. | Mrs Despard and several other suffrag ettes were charged at Bow street in I connection with the disturbance arising , out of the recent attemit to present a J petition to Mr Asquith. ! ; Counsel who was defending maintained that liJs clients were entitled coiistitu- j tionally to present a petition to the 'Sovereign or the Sovereign's chief officer. He contrasted the toleration allowed to powerful combinations with regard to , assembling outside factories under the Trades Union Act of 1906 with the treatment meted out to these ladies, standing day after day in all weathers humbly ' asking for a vote. Would a British jury j blame them? If the magistrate declined to I acquit the defendants he would atk him (to Mate a case. It would then be a»c«r- , ' tamed wh 'ther the judges of the High ' Court thought the rights of millions cculd be swept away at the bidding of aj cneual and ephemeral Premier. If the defendants had gone to applaud Mr Atsquith or the Liberal party or the Budget they would not have been removed. Mr urtis Bennett, the presiding magisi trate, reserved his deckipn for a week. |