WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8152, 9 July 1906, Page 4

WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

♦ Wh-t A.i>ii:L.;u-iiin women have. Engl: It uumiii aio demanding-the riglit io vote at parliamentary clections. Ami tins d«*-ire on thvir part led to an unpreced.-nt«l scene in the House ol Commons on Wednesday uight. April'_'.}. •111". Keir Hatdic's resolution tor tile cxt.n- on of the franchise to women was b, ing debated. -Mr. S. Evans, opponvut ot the movement, huh saving, -'1 , va J in the news- 1 papeis. that the franchise is demanded by hoiiio women," when lie. was interrupted by loud cries ot "Hear, hear'' from the ladies gallery—cries so persistent as to cause him to stop speaking. All .yet were turned to the gallery, and several members called out "Order, order.'' Xo official notice was, however taken at this stage of the interruption. Good-natured laughter greeted the last "Hear, hear,'' and the House, turned again to listen to the eloquence of Mr. Samuel Evans. At twelve minutes to 11 it became prohab e that he would ''talk out" the rcsolntwii. Thereupon, evidently by couurt ''■ arrangement, a dozen women n\_ the ladie*' gallery began to scream •' 'Vide, 'vide'' in the most approved parliamentary manner. Directly afterwards the attendant appeared to clear the galleiy, in obedience to the speaker's orders, always given when strangers interrupt. The officials of the House were now seen to be ejecting the disturbing element in the gallery, but several continued their refrain, ''Divide, divide,"

"Oo on. there is time vet." Mr. t;. Whitelcy, the Chief Whip of the Government forces, then rose, and put a quer-ticm to the Speaker, which, amid the din. was just audible from the pn--fc gallery. "It 7* not desirable," he said, "that the gallery should be cleared!" The Speaker, thus appealed to, repried with characteristic quiet humour that unfortunately he was the only peryiu in the House who could not see what was going on. But he then added graftly. "When the first interruption took place I gave instructions to the attendants that the ladies' gallery bhould be cleared," and the announcement was received apparently with universal approval by the House. The voices of the ladies, however, were even not yet silenced, aud maintained the cry of "Vote, vote!" "Justice for women," while even the last of them were being helped out of the gallery by policemen and officials. The treatment of the ladies, however, caused at least one member some feeling of indignation, and Mr. William Kedmond inquired, with pain in his voice, wltether it was in accordance with decency that policemen should be •, called into the gallery to turn out the ladies? The protest, however, did not inert with great sympathy in the House, some members calling out, "Certainly," and "Why not?" Loud cries from the ladies' gallery. "New Zealand," "New Zealand," "Australia."

If nonien were entitled to the privileges of citizenship they ought to share its responsibilities, and did they desire that they should go out to battle? The in.n. meiulKT was proceeding to propound to hinioclf the question. "Is it proposed a!sx> that every woman should :ju entitle:! to the franchise?' 1 when more yoko's were heard from the ladies, now siirlli and impatient, erving. "Divide. Divide. Dividel"'

For the moment amazement prevent>d the Hf,u-e from proceeding with the debate. lint the interruption proved !■> bo moie than a momentary oitihuist inim over-excited auditors. Again bey rlaMor.-d. "Divide. Divide!" and no calls to "Order" from the floor were iii.w capable of checking the commotion .n which apparently a dozen ladies wore faking part. At the same time a large •■•alien flag was again thrust out by one >t the manifc*tants in front of the grating, bearing the legend, in large black letters. "Votes for women.'' Other ladies continued to shout .it 'he top of their voices. "Vote. Vote!" "Divide. Divide!" and a clench,*! fi-t wax forced through the grille to cmlihasise th*- admonition. Mr. Evans exclaimed : Call there be any better argument against the motion than the scene we have just witne»ied?

Mr. W. Redmond: Have the men n<ver interrupted? Mr. Er.-iie>: Wo have never had such ■m exhibition ill the ladic" gallerv a.that we have j«st Does the House suppose that such an exhibition is approved of In- the mass of the people of this country?

In the meantime the policemen had succeeded in removing the unruly champions of iraninu suffrage from the gallery and escorting them off the premise^.

Mr. Evans carried on tha debate without further interruption until ll o'clock, when by the new rules further discussion ended, the debate standing adjourned. Subsequently the three principal ladies concerned m tile demonstration— Mi-b Annie Kenny, Miss liiitingtoii, and Mre. Hue-were interviewed by newspaper men, and atktd to tell about the inc.deut from the "very beginning." l'liis is what Mix. Kenny had to siy:—

"Well," she said "there were eight ut us in it at the beginning, and 'M at tile end, and the end was about three times bettor than the beginning. By arrangement—for you must know that every detaii of our plans was matured in advance—eight ol our members met at ll o'clock in the forenoon at the Mansion Ilon-e. We all had little white wooden boxes hanging Irom our necks by cords, and tilled with good literature—Keir Hardies pamphlet, a copy ot the 'Labour Record,' and picture |K)=tcards. The postcards were photo*, ol myself and of Miss Miller being taken by the police from Down-ing-street.

"Each one of us wore big white buttons with the motto, 'Votes for women,' and the same motto was ou tho white* ribbon* round ouv hats and on the sa.shes which we wore across our shoulders.

"Who were tho eight?" "Oh, aM London girls, except myself. In couplea >\e walked trom the Mansion House towards the West. Mr* Irene Miller carried a big banner."

Mi.* billiiigton next took up the story. .She told how the party separate, the members taking up their itand at the kerb in all tho main thoroughfares from Charing Cross to the Bank. The police on the whole were kind.

Mi* Diiiington appears to hav« had the most unpleasant time. "A horrid policeman."' -he complained, ".-aid I was committing an offence by Hearing my badge. So lie kept moving mo on. and a big crowd "ejected. The consequence wan that I old mo-., ot mv Loodsthan the others." At hall-pat. '1 the ladies turned their ..ices toward- W-tmiiister.

Mis:i bit .i.gtou told in vivid language ■lerimpi.-ioiisoi the debate. "ii.-y nisi.] and talked and talked

111 hlt-s-ii minutes to 11. We knew livii it was iui|j.tsible to have a divi- ■ ion. .So we demonstrated.

"We just all got up and cried with iiie voice. 'Divide. Divide!' 'Vote. .ut< 1' Then we 1„.e.-m: 'ls this ju>lieer' 'I- tbi, lib, rty?- Next 1 put the binner thiough Ihe grille." "Dent lorgei." inter|Ki-ed Miss Kenny, "(lt.it 1 slmnted, Vou libertvloving l.il».r.ils.' "V.s." agiHsl Mi-,< Ililhiighui, "and it wa.s then that the pollceiiien came for us all ol a rush." Mis- Keniiv: "And we were all ■bio-Mi „„t." " Mrs. i:,„. : "And it to-ik llire.- Hice-M.-s * Billing.. ii' ' (sarcaslicallvl: "Which show-, that we have 'no strength or enura-re." And so ended the ladies' story of the sccno