The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAI , MAY 13, 1870.

.WOMEN'S DISABILITIES BILL.

On the motion for going into committee on this bill,

Mr. BouvERIE moved that that House will, upon this
day six months, resolve itself into such committee. He
looked upon the bill as one of the utmost importance. He
believed that in its remoter operations and consequences
it might be said to be more important than the Irish Land
Bill. He believed that it was fraught with consequences
which entered into all the minuter relations of social life,
and would, if passed, prove most disastrous to that which
rendered that life happy. It was not, however, unimpor-
tant in its immediate consequences. Mr. Jacob
Bright proposed by the bill to make an enormous
increase to the constituencies of the country, and when he
said that the consequences were not unimportant, he ap:
prehended that the effect of the passing of the measure
Would be that the Government would have to wind up the
business of the session, and dissolve Parliament. (Great
laughter.) It was argued that the bill was for the advan-
tage and in the behoof of women, but he joined issue on
that point. It would, in fact, be a calamity and a curse
to them, and the great bulk of the women of the country
had the good sense to know it. He had not met with one
sensible woman in favour of the bill. "If it were
carried into law, it would at once plunge women
into all the heat, turmoil, and " dirt," of a contested
election—(laughter)—and electioneering was the roughest
work any of them had to do. He protested against the
introduction of what he called a system of domestic
anarchy. Women were to enter that House as members,
to enter into their deliberations, and he asked if that were
a right and proper thing for them to do ? We were to
become a nation of Amazonian barristers, attorneys, and
doctors, and he .quoted from a work on women's rights
published in America, to show that his last declaration
was grounded upon the views taken by the advocates of
women's rights. He argued that instead of exalting
women it would degrade them. Nature had provided that
the rough work should be performed by men, and election
work and parliamentary work was rough:
Lord ELcHo opposd the bill.
Sir ROBERT ANSTRUTHER said he had only heard stock
arguments against the bill.
Lord GARLIES and Mr. NEWDEGATE condemned the
principle of the measure.

Mr. GLADSTONE said, in the course of a short speech,
that it had been argued that the property of women re-
quired to be represented ; but if that were the principle
upon which the bill was founded, in his opinion it did not
satisfy the principle, because it excluded all married
women from the benefit of the bill. But if women
were equally competent with men for the exer-
cise of the franchise—if it were a function equally
suitable for them, why did they not recognise in married
women that which they recognised in joint partnership,
in joint trade, in joint tenantry, and allow both the man
and his wife to vote in respect of property which was of
sufficient value to qualify them ? The question was,
whether there was a necessity, a desire, or a de•
mand for the bill ? He recognised neither the neces-
sity nor the demand for such an unsettling—he would
not say nprooting—of the old land-marks of society, far
deeper than any of those political distinctions which sepa-
rated gentlemen on one set of benches fr4o; gentlemen on
another. He thought the practical matters they had in
hand were amply sufficient for their energies and their
best attention.

Mr. JACOB BRIGHT, in replying, said he had not heard
a single argument against the bill. He did not believe
that any one would really think that women would have
seats in that House, and that was a strong reason why
they should have some voice in electing members of Par-
liament.

A division was then taken, when the bill was rejected by
a majority of 220 against 94.
VACCINATION ACT (1867.)

Mr. CANDLISH obtained leave to bring in a bill to limit
the penalties imposed by the Vaccination Act (1867), and
the House adjourned at two o'clock.

DREADFUL MURDER IN CHELSEA.

A tragedy of a very fearful description, and the
full extent of which is at present imperfectly known,
was brought to light at Chelsea, on Wednesday night,
at No. 15, Paulton-square, where a gentleman named
Heuline, said to be a clergyman, has been lately re-
siding. On Wednesday evening, a man named
Mellar, who had been employed by Mr. Heuline, as
a plasterer, called upon Mr. Henry Piper, a van
proprietor, of Marlborough-road, and requested
him to send it to 15, Paulton-square, to remove some
goods. Piper went at once with a van, and was
requested by Miller to come down stairs io help to
take up a box. In cording the box Piper dipped his
hand into a pool of blood, and immediately ques-
tioned Mellar, who endeavoured to escape. He
was, however, given into custody, and upon
the box being broken open, the body of
Mr. Heuline's housekeeper was feuni in it,
a slip noose was round her neck, and there was every
evidence of strangulation. A fact which renders the
case the more mysterious 13 the disappearance of Mr.
Heuline, and as Mellar has been heard to use threats
against his life it is feared he has shared the fate
of his unfortunate housekeeper. Colour is given
to this suspicion by the fact of Mellar wear-
ing clothes which have been identified as belong-
ing to the Rev. Mr. Heuline, whose hat has been
found covered with blood in a house belonging to him
in Wellington-square, where Mellar bad been wotk-
ing. On searching Mellar's house papers have been
found belonging to Mr. Heuline. Indeed, all the cir-
cumstances point so clearly to the suspicion of an-
other crime that there is very little ground for
hoping that the reverend gentleman can still be
alive.

afterwards said he wished he had the old in a room ;
he would do for him, and then go to America. Prisoner
had also seen deceased take money from her purse, and
had made use of a similar remark concerning her.
At this stage the inquiry was adjourned until Monday.
The prisoner will be examined at Westminster Police-
court to-day.