The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-22 00:00:00

WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

A meeting has been held at Birmingham to con-
sider the subject of Woman Suffrage, a question
daily ruing into importance. Whether it would
add to the happiness of domestic life to bestow the
franchise on English and American women may be
an open question; but few seem to dispute the
justice of the proposition that women should
vote who fulfil the property and occupancy con-
ditions of men. The head of every house
ought in all equity to possess this right, whether
that head be a man or a woman. If a lady be
eligible to sit on the British Throne, surely a Miss
Burdett Coutts is qualified to cast a vote. On the
justice of the proposition there cannot be a dispute,
though there may be regarding its advisability.
Suppose women fulfilling the proposed conditions
were enfranchised and married, would they cease to
occupy the position and become ineligible ? Could
they then be disfranchised for the sin of matrimony,
and become coupled as heretofore with idiots? It
might very properly be argued that the woman
placed in the independent circumstances which qua-
lified her for the franchise, was an idiot, who
wildly threw away her opportunities in mar-
riage. Do the ladies propose that women
who possess the property and other qualifications
should be entitled to vote whether married or
single ? If so, how do they expect that the peace
can be kept ? Are they prepared for an unlimited
increase of police, or have they sufficient confidence
in their own po xers that they will be able to hold
their own during election time at home? We are
surprised to see the Herald oppose Woman Fran-
chise, for if there be one thing that can save the
Tory party, that can raise up and make permanent
the power of the aristocracy, it is the Enfranchise-
ment of Women. The meeting was presided over
by an archdeacon, as well it might be, for no other
measure could throw into the hands of the Church
so enormous a power. It would actually make the
Church of England omnipotent, and give to
ecclesiastical dignitaries a positively dangerous
sway. It is astonishing to see the blindness of the
Tory party to this fact, but they hold so steadily to
their principle of opposing every extension of the
franchise that they do not even perceive when that
extension would strengthen themselves. Religion
and lords would chiefly influence the new voters.
They would blindly follow a countess or a parson,
and their husbands would vainly discuss prin-
ciple and the public weal. What chance would
John Stuart Mill and Gladstone have of carrying

the disendowment of the Irish Church if the
vote depended upon the women of Great Bri-
tain ? We believe that the time approaches when
unmarried women, under cartain qualifications,
will be enfranchised, and, as many of them are nos
qualifying for professional careers, a change is aboat
to be inaugurated which will more affect society
than the Reform Bills, or, perhaps, any occurrence
since the introduction of Christianity. It was but
the other day that Mrs. Thorne came out amongst
the first six, out of sixty-seven persons examined at
Apothecaries' Hall, her papers being so good
that the usual viva voce examination was dispensed
with. Miss Ursula Bright, the daughter of John
Bright, is taking a leading place in this movement.
Miss Becker, of Manchester, and Miss Robertson,
of Dublin, addressed the Birmingham meeting, and
we believe spoke very well. This is not a move-
ment that can be sneered away, and whether men
like it or not, it is daily growing in strength, and
will end in bringing women competitors into the
professions, and women politicians to the hustings,
and—if Mrs. Stanton be correct—women orators to

the floor of Congress. That women have their
Rights in America may be illustrated by the fact
that one of them, the other day, got a man fined
$2O in New York for treading on the skirt of her
dress.—Anglo-American l inzes.

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH.—EDINBURGIff
Monday.—A meeting of the members of the University
who supported the election of Lord Brougham as Chan-
cellor of the University was held in Edinburgh to-day ;
Sir J. Simpson in the chair. It was unanimously re-
solved to propose Mr. Gladstone, M.P., as Lord
Brougham's successor.