BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9037, 2 March 1908, Page 5

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE,

A BILL READ A SECOND TIME,

BUT WILL PROBABLY BE

SHELVED

Received March 1, 4.32 p.m. LONDON, February 29

In the House of Commons, Mr H. Y. Sangar's Bill, the enfranchisement of women, which is identical with the Bill introduced by Mr W. H. Dickinson, Liberal M.P. for St. Pancras North, some time ago v was read a second time, by 271 votes to 92.

Mr H. Gladstone, Home Secretary, without committing the Government personally supported the measure. The majority included Sir Edward Grey, Messrs J. Morley (Secretary of State foe India), R. B. Haldane (Secretary of State for War), J. Burns (President of Local Government Board'), Lloyd-George (President of the Board of.Trade), H. Gladstone, S. Buxton (PostmasterGeneral), R. R. Cherry (AttorneyGeneral for Ireland), and W. Runciman.

The minority included the Hon. H. H. Asquith (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Sir W. S. Robson, Messrs S. T. Evans, Lewis Harcourt and John Sinclair. The Bill was remitted to a committee of the whole House.' JThis is considered equivalent to shelving it. The suffragettes have resolved to agitate and urge the bringing in of a Governnment Bill to ensure its passage.

COMMENT BY "THE TIMES."

LONDON, Fel.ruary 29,

"The Times," commenting on the Bill, says that when people talk about women's successful exercise of the franchise in some of the Australasian and American States and in Finland, th6y seem to forget that the problems of Government there approximate far more to municipal questions than those Britain deals with. The suffragette leaders have not yet demonstrated that any considerable number of women agree with them.