New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-03

,,r TpIEGRAPH NEwsPAPER-MR' BAND
MANN. ooDyvepovnPvT1
ct ioAt last a triumph for the
If ;tis not a very great one it is all the
nrecious TO them because it is the first. Inc
nO'' of Ashford in East Kent has the honor OF
p~''J the tirt list of female voters. The names
s o,,en appeared on the register, and the kevls-
o. Rorriser decided that in the absence OF any oo-
,-s he could not strike them off Mr.. d. Chamber
= ,ho name of this magistrate His decision
" IS IN he final lnasmuch az no one appeals IRON
=, and uness there is an appeal no case can come De-
80 the higher courts. 1t follows also, DeheVe'
.lo, these votes must be received at the polling
Lths and may each be cast Tor any candidate
hom each individual of the 80 shall prefer. but IL
-, follow that thew will finally choose or help
ohoose a member of Parliament. When the Doll is
,sed they will have TO undergo the scrutiny OF the
sa,nping officer | suppose his discretion is OF a
~ limited kind and that vote east by person
h,se name is regularly on the list must, if there IS
noouestlon of Identify be counted. AT any rate. the
.,,,lidate 10 whom he gives certificate is pn@d
s,,;e member of Parliament. II this return is con-
t1sted-if for instance the 80 constituted the ma
;orty Of the successful candidate and his opponent
netitioned. the question OF their competency
voald then have to be determined by a
e commitloe Of the House itself. The point
the women have gained is that SO female votes must
he received at the polling booth in Ashford. 1t is
moi very important success. Much more Significant
t3r an accident like this is the very great number
Of claims made all the kingdom, and the atten-
zion the question has received. Probably not
less than 2OOOO womeR either placed on the reg
ster by the ovcrsccrs have appeared as claimants
before the Revising Barristers. In many cases the
Arguments of their counsel and decisions of the
magistrates have been reported at considerable
lougth in the newspapers, and IN this dull season
they secured also. not little editOUal comment.
One common assertiOn-tbat the women themselves
doat want the franehise-s refutcd enphaucaly by
the 10000. for themselves, and no doubt for much
greater number who lacked energy or couragefor the
first battle. When the rest of them answer II as de-
cisivey rs the workingmen answered the same tannt
OF Mr.. Low, the women viii get what the working
men men got-their own way.
The most extraordinary decision yet given
proceeds from Mr. d Campbell Foster, Revising
Barrster for the Borough of Leeds. Mis-. Mary
Howell a member Of the Society of Friends,
and therefore a most respectable person. pre-
scented her claim to be put on the register MIR
Butler the Liberal agent, appeared as her counsel
The Revising Barrster Foster delivered an opinion
column long rehearsing, or Tehashnc the now
familiar technical arguments against the womans
claim. But he did not contine himself 10 these. lie
thought il plain that If any woman conid vote IEder
The act married women could not. He shoHld there
lore have to deny TO those who were most com
petent from their knowledge of the world nom
their experience and ripe judgment while young
girls seeking TO be married and widows. should have
the franchise" Then every girl would be IN the
position Of continually attempting TO commit pot-
zeal suicide, because the object Of every grl-and
A very honorable object il was-was TO gain some
,,,I and 1on az = Cd
single she had not got it." This. Thought Alr.
Revising Barrister Foster. showed the claim 20 be
absurd. Then. if they could vote, they might be
voted for. and become members Of Parlia-
ment, and certainly, they would adoTn and
beantify those assemblies, and they might be
useful in other respects, because they might bring
before the masculine mind at least tho advisabll,y
of re5stablishing some Of the sumptuary laws.
Then Il members of Parliament why not ministers.
asks the logical mind Of the Revising Bausterf
But that would be turning the laws, tic COnsttu-
ton and all that belonged 10 IT, into something like
rideule because Iobserye the because on the even
ing when il had been announced that the Budget
would be brought forward, il might be requisite TO
announce that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
lust been confined Of a fine boy' Or If the Prime
Minister had to be present at particular moment in
che House TO answer some important question which
affected the State then the House might have 10 be
content with this sort of excuse: That the Prime
Minister was in the lobby nursing her baby Plainly
the Constitution never would survive this sort Of
thing Suppose ii were said, as might have been
said more than once last session. that the Prime
Minister was in the lobby taking too many glasses Of
brandy and water The Constitution appears 10
have survived that, but Mr. Revising BaI.stcr for
got 10 draw so pertinent parallel.
Mrs HowelPs claim, il is needless TO add, was re-
jected The learned and witty Bariser refused also
TO grant case for appeal and adjudged Mrs. Howell
to pay los. costs for making frivolous claim. Mrs.
Howell rose in court TO remark that she should be
happy to pay her 10s to the support OF the Revising
Barrser # the law had been administered judieiay,
and not By frivolous constructions. lady who has
Just read this account remarks with intuitiye fem
mime insight that Mr. T. Campbell Foster is undobt
eddy an old bachelor whom nobody would have.
In Lambeth aud Marylebone, two of the most i'm
portant metropolitan boroughs an eminent firm Of
solicitors, Messrs Shaen g. Roscoe. have app cared
Tor a number Of women claiming to be put on OF OBJ
jectDg to be stricken off the register. Messrs Shaen
q Roscoe were attorneys for the Jamaica Commit
tee. and represent now, I presume, Mrs Peter lay
lor's Committee. In MaTylebone, Mr. SLaen pre-
sented most elaborate argument, which drew from
Mir. Corn, the Revising BaTrister the remark that
although bis mind had been made up he must recon
nder the matter and take time TO decide. On the
following day he delivered Judgment against the
claim but allowed an appeal. The number Of claim
ants in Marylebone is very great, and consoli-
dated case" is granted to settle the whole OF them
Among them is Margaret Lucas No. 81 Carlton Hill.
who was said in court TO be the sister OF Mr. John
Bright
In Stafford borough foYmed ont Of Manchester
the names of l.28s women had been placed on the
Gant 4 ..I IN