The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-02 00:00:00

NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR WOMEN'S
SUFFRAGE.

A meeting of the numbers and suniorters of the above
society was held in Loudon on Saturday, at Hanover square
Booms, and was very numerously attended. Amongst those
present were Lord Houghton, Lady Amberley, Lady
Anstruther, Mrs. Jacob /right, U. Louis Blanc, Sir. D.
Wedderborn, CI. r., Professor Fawcett, M P , Mr. Jno.
Morley. Mr. Bostwick, 11. P Mr. Charley, 11. P., Miss Cobbs,
Lady Leaner Brodie, Mr. W. H. A/horst, Mr. Bernard era-
croft, Mrs. Stansfeld, Mrs. C. A. Biggs, Lady Crompton,
countess Beauchamp. Lady Belper, Major end Mrs. Bell,
Mrs. Crswohay, Profesaor Sheldon Amos, Min Jewsbury,
Herr Karl Blind, Shed Arneer All, Mr James Ileywo..3d, Mr.
T. I'. PIVirrIVO, Miss Motley, Mr. and Mrs itussell Mar-
tineau, Mrs Lucas, Mr. U. D. Conway, Miss Elizabeth
Garrett, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Lady Lyell, tko.

Mrs. I'. A. Taylor, on taking the shair, was very
warmly received. She expressed her satisfaction at
the presence of so large an audience, which indicated
the growing interest that was taken in this movement;
but while the ranks of their opponents were being
gradually thinned, the fertility and variety of their
arguments did not appear to lessen. There were
several questions which touched women as nearly an
men, and upon which women had a right to be heard.
Some friends had expressed apprehension that the
working classes would be opposed to this question ; but
out of a large number of petitions presented to Parlia-
ment on this subject for the metropolitan boroughs half
came from the working classes. (Hear). It had been
asserted that women were unfit for the franchise.
though they were not held to be unfitted for the pay-
ment of taxes, and the other responsibilities of house-
holders; and further that it would unfit them for
domestic duties. The same argument was used when
it was proposed to abolish slavery ; it was said the
negro was unfit for freedom. Slavery was however
abolished, and the negro had proved himself tit for
freedom. Let the electoral disabilities of women he
removed, and they would at once prove themselves fit
for the franchise. (Loud applause).
Mr. John Stuart Mill, on rising to move the first
resolution, was greeted with repeated cheers. He said
since their meeting in July last the Society had ample
reason to be satiefied with the progress they had made.
That progress manifested teself not only in the in-
creased number of its friends, but still more in the
altered tone of its opponents. There was one par-
ticular in which the admission of women to the fran-
chise might be expected to affect the character of
Parliament, and that would be by infusing into the
legislature an increased disposition to grapple with
great physical and moral evils of society. (Hear, hear.)
There were many more who regarded increased ac-
tivity in this direction with alarm; but he was con-
vinced that if the State, and all the means it possessed
of raising the standard of morality, and even in some
respects the physical well-being of the community,
they would find it ha I much more in its power than it
was the fashion to believe. In this respect Govern-
ments were blameable for neglecting the right
means of compassing those objects. The time
had passed away when Governments were actively
tyrannical ; their favourite sins in these times were
Indolence and indifference. Whatever scruples they
might have about doing evil, they had none about
letting evil alone. (Hear.) The conscience sgid feelings
of men. which on these points were more indolent than
those of women needed rousing, and the stronger active
impulses of women were needed to do this. They did
not seek to disfranchise the men, there should be a
mutual taking of counsel ; the ship of the State needed
both sail and ballast, at prevent it was too often the
tale that the vessel was all ballast and no saiL
(Laughter.) In matters of Government they did not
fear the wact of the curb, but the want of the spur,
and women were quite equal to the performance.
that office. (Laughter.) If they were admitted to
their proper share in the functions of the State the
many wrongs and grievances which especially affected
their sex would no longer be considered too unim-
portant to require any serious effort to put an end to
them. There would, for example, be a far sterner re-
preasionof those outrages upon women which at pre-
sent disgraced the country, and less of that inexcusable
leniency of our courts of justice towards the offenders.
(Hear, bear.) Many men, liberal and enlightened upon
general topics, and whose feelings would incline them
to be just to women, dreaded that the immediate
effect of admitting them to the suffrage would he
greatly to increase the clerical power. He (Mr. Mill)
was not likely to undervalue this objection • but
how did it come to pass that the clergy possessed this
power? Because they had addressed women through
the only feelings and principles they had been en.
couraged to cultivate ; because they had been the only
persons who had taken pains with women's minds, and
who had addressed them as if they had a moral responsi-
bility ; as if their souls and their consciences were their
own, because they were the only men who seemed to
think it was of any consequence what women thought
and felt. Those who showed this respect to women
deserved to have influence with them, and would con-
tinue to do so until other men used the same measures
of acquiring influence which they had done. If the
fathers, brothers, and husbands of tnese women took
the same pains with their minds, and invited them to
interest themselves in the subjects in which they were
interested, they would soon find themselves better
judges upon those subjects than the clergy, whose
influence over them would be weekend just in propor-
tion as they took part in the general affairs of life. He
concluded by moving the following resolution

"That this ineettng is of opinion that the extension of the
franchise to women will tend to promote among them a more
cogent sense of their special duties as citiawas, and of their
general reeponehillties no concerned with the advancement
of the highest moral interest of the whole community."
• • •

Professor eairnes, in seconding the resolution, said
it was the peculiarity of the agitation in which they
were engaged that, though essentially a political one,
yet the principal and most important objects were
rather moral and social. Important legislative results
would probably follow from the extension of the fran-
chise to women, but they would be doing injustice to
their cause if they limited its effects to that. What
would determine thoughtful people in deciding whether
or not to support this movement would be, not so
much the political results which would follow from it,
its the effect of it upon the character of woman her.