The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-31 00:00:00

FEMALB TELEGRAPHISTS.

In the HOUSE OF Omni°Ns Mr. W. Redmond asked
the Postmaster-General whether a female telegraphi3t
in the service previous to a rule, at present existing,
"prohibiting her marrying and retaining her situation,"
might not marry without being called upon to resign;
and, if not, was she not entitled to compensation for a
service of about thirteen years.
Mr. Fawcett, in reply, said the rule to which the hon.
member refers has been in operation for many years;
it make/3 no exception in favour of women who were in
the service at the time it was established. All, whether
appointed before or after the date of that rule, must
resign on marriage, and on their resignation they are
not legally entitled to either pension or gratuity in
respect to the years they have served.
11113 FRANCHISB BILL.
The House having gone into committee on the Fran-
thise Bill,
Dr. Cameron moved an amendment in clause 2 with
the object of doing away with the present system of
voting in three-cornered constituencies, by giving to
each elector as many votes as there are members to bp
elected.

Mr. Gladstone agreed that the question could not be
left in its present position, but must be dealt with in a
settlement of reform. It properly belonged to Redis-
tribution, and, though he could not give any pledge as
to the form, he hoped that it would be dealt w,th in the
course of the present Parliament.
Sir S. Northcote remarked that this was an illustra-
tion of the inconvenience of dealing with reform in an
incomplete form.
Mr. J. Lowther and others spoke, and the amendment
was then withdrawn:

Sir W. Baitt,lot moved to insert in the clause that
the personal payment of rates shall be a condition of
the franchise.

_
Mr. Gladstone strongly opposed it as a large dis-
franchising proposition. Lord Elcho and Mr. Gorst
also spoke against it, while Mr. Pell maintained that
everybody ought to be obliged to pay their own rates.
Sir S. Northcote, while approving of the principle of
the clause, reminded Sir' W. Barttelot of the trouble
caused by the "compound householder" in 1867,
and deprecated a revival of those difficulties. After
some further conversation the amendment was nega-
tived.

Sir E. Watkin next moved an amendment providing
that a household qualification should mean a tenement
containing not less than two habitable apartments ; but
Mr. Gladstone also objected to this, on the ground that
it would have a disfranchising operation, and without
dwelling on the case painted out that in the large
Scotch towns, such as Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edna-
burgh, one-fourth and even one-third of the con-
stituency would be disfranchised; and Sir C. Dilke
asserted, from his recent inquiries into the condition of
the dwellings of the labouring classes, that a vast
majority of the dwellers in one room were capable
citizens. The amendment was discussed for a con-
siderable time 7 and the Government were pressed to
frame a definition of a dwelling-house. Ultimately, it
was withdrawn, and Clause 2 was agreed to.
Clause 3—the service franchise—was discussed in
some detail, but was ultimately agreed to without
amendment, and on Clause 4—restriction of fagot votes
—Mr. M'Laren moved to add a subsection embodying
the "one man one vote "principle, and allowing a voter
who is entitled to be registered in more than one county
or borough to elect for which county or borough he will
be registered.
Mr. iGladstone opposed the amendment as inoppor-
tune, and urged its withdrawal, and Mr. J. Morley gave
the same advice, and expressed a hope that other
gentlemen on his side, who had amendments, would
facilitate the progress of the bill by reserving them for
some future occasion.
After some further discussion, Mr. M‘Laren declined
to withdraw his amendment, and on a division it was
negatived by 235 to 43. Progress was then reported,
and " 'use resumed.
TUB NATIONAL DEBT

the Hot.