WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE BILL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 57, 11 March 1907, Page 3

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE BILL

CONSIDERATION IX THE COMMONS. " TALKED OLT '* AND KILLED. AX INTERESTING DERATE. THE PREMIER AFHRMS THE I'KIXC'II'LE. NKWSI'ATEH COMMENT. Received 10, 4 p.m.

London, March 0. In the House of Commons, the de bate ou the second reading of the Wo man's Suffrage Jiill, introduced by Mi Dickinson, resulted in the measure be ing talked out. Mr Dickinson explained that the Biii was based on electoral equalisation marriage being no d sqmlifiettion. Sir 11. Cainpbeil-Bannmnan de lareo that owing to the ditl'eience of opinio!, on every bench <f the House. it wathe Government's duty to leave th. question to a decisio.i of the llou>e. The idea that a woman was an out lander by predestination was obsolete, lie would support the Bill mainly o; the ground of exped ency. lli.-n were many legislative question-; "o which a woman's opinion was as valuable as a man's, if not more so. 11< was not enamored of the Bill wit ch enfranchised a small minority of tin well-to-do, and did not touch in any.thing like an adequate degree tho mass of working women and working men's wives. The measure was good as far as it went, and lie would vote for it as a declaration that the exclusion' was neither expedient, jnstiliable, nor politically right. Mr Whitehead moved and Mr Bertram seconded an amendment for the rejection of the Bill. Mr J. Snowden said it had been calculated that 82 per cent of thesj enfranchised under the Bill would belong to the working class. Sir Francis Powell said no European State accepted the principle of woman 1 suffrage. Universal suffrage was the ultimate end and would give women the ascendancy in Great Britain, because they out-number the men. Mr D. J. Shackleton said he would

"vote for the second, but not for the yf third reading, if the property qualification were retained. Mr W. Redmond supported the Biil. Messrs J. Massie, W. R. Crerner, C. J. Watson and J. D. Rees spoke in opposition. Mr Dickinson three times demanded the application of the closure, which was refused. Prior to the debate, Mr S. Evans presented a petition, signed by 21,000 women opposed to womanhood suffrage, Many members left London in order to avoid voting. During the progress of the debate, fifty additional constables were on duty at Westminister. The "Daily Chronicle" says woman's suffrage can come only after being before .the country as a great measure; of constitutional reform. The "Westminster Gazette" advises women to educate the public.