, 1870-05-21

municipal expenditure, he did not sec why tlu
same reasoning should not apply 10 paraa-
meutary expenditure. lie saw from tue paper
list his motion was to b. met by the previous
question; bat be thought i you'd be . more
manly cou1ne, if his proposition vas not con.
ejdered to be founded in justice, t. meet il hy
distinct negative. II. on the other hand il
was thought founded in justice and rea-
son, then they ought to make an un-
gTudginf and free concession H of the
the Government were to staud neutral on this
question. Unfortunately, it was characteristic
o{ al governments to be 90 engtossed III at
tending to the wants Of the powerful that
they could seldom give consideration u tho
claims OF the weak fHeAr. He would not
on the present OCCASION quote from tbs speech
ca OF tie Prime Munster; but he did remen-
bet come burning passages Ia his speeches in
that HouHe and elsewhere which did much 10
create enthusiasm III the country aud place
him high in rhe heatts OF the people, which
we're Just thea as applicable to the question
before them as to the occasion On whicA they
we're uttered How ever, there WAS ono thing
On which it WAS pleasing to reflect. Nobody in
that House waa more open to conviction than
the first Minister OF the Crown. ani when
once convinced, no one Was more resolute in
carrying out lis convictions. Hear, hear.1
There WAS very general movement in favor
Of this bill in almost every rart Of the three
kingdoms; Many petitions lad already heen
more than 100000 signatures. lie hoped
when their children came to read the story OF
their countrs.s fame they would find it written
that the British Parliament was the first great
Legislative assembly in the world which, in
comforting the franchise, recognized no dis
tinction Ct strong or weak, msie or fenale,
rich or poor. Hear, heal He concluded by
moving the second teading Of the bill
NJ sEST1NESTALrri-
Colonel Sykes, in supporting the bill, WAS
not disposed to indulge IN any sentimental
as u simple, practical question II resolved
itself into matter of money. What entitled
man to vote for member Of Parliament
Tie payment of rates. Those wbu were enti-
tied to vote were rated occupiers Of any dwe1.
-f1D, or warehouse OF the annual value Of
El0--or freemen. SO that, after Ill. it wss
mere question Of money Il had nothing
vhatever 10 do with sex. He had presented
stitueucv in Aberdeen. and lie held, in accord
ance with the prayer OF that petition, that
women who we're inhabitant houscholters
were az much entitled to vote ~ men The
other petitions, which, according to tue last
report from the Committee on Petittiops. bad
beeu presented With NO f7wer than N, 100 sig
natures, were tolezab1y good Froof Of the
feeling which vas pretty extensive throughout
the country in fASos, Of this bill. Why should
women not have the franchise? What
did the East Intlia Company do for 100 years. ?
| They granted 10 women having the qIalltira-
| t1on the right 10 vote-for whom !? For twenty
| four directors, who were at least equal to any
members OF that House, and who had to gov
cru 200 0O0, 600 Of human beings. Hear,
hear,1 Women we're just as capable Of caer-
cisipg the franchise az men, and lad as Goot
| right to exercise it.
| 1uEY DON'T WANT TO VOTE
Mr.. Scouthel WIS quite ready to admit that
women possessed ali the high qualities wlicl.
had been attributed TO them by the honorable
| member who moved tie second reading Of this
bill but tile question With him really VAS
had they any sufficient reason to believe that
it was the with Of the women Of Eng1and to
have this privilege conferred upon ;he.n. He
had himself strong presnmptivo evidence that
they would consider it not 30 much as prlsl-
1ege AZ what the lswyers, called tf0aansn
hGrtlitas, He had cuaearored to collect somo
evidence on this point, in an independent way.
He could only sag he had asked thequestion Of
many women, and the a11,ast iarari.1Ay -
sNer he had received was that they would
rather not have this privilege, az it Eas called.
conferred upon them They al Knew how
on the advice which Napoleon gaze 10 his
brother Joserh--to collect opinions one hy
one. but not in council. No atlgms would 10
cast upon women it they did not confer on
then. this so-called privilege. Extension Ct
/, sEility, and if womans responsibility was irs-
creased bs requiring her to d;sehare.. political
duties. her social usefulness wouldbe tleprs-
cin:cd. Duties might be divided a1d people
might be classel without involving questions
! of irferioEty, and to his mind mau ah1 woman
; travelled on different but parallel ltes, shaE-
ing good stock Of happiness between them !;
0 but whenever either cut in upen tho line OF
I the other q collision was imminent and tiIs
stock OF happiness likely to be essenesl.
] Boswell stated OF johnson that. in answer
! / 10 lis question az to the merits Of women
c preaching, the latter replied that 4 woman 4
: preaching is like deg standing on his hind
: legs-it isn't done well. but We arc astonishc:l
! TO find it done st all. The vocation Of woman
: was high one n,,rtutcd unIer totally differ
G ent circumstances from men. they made life
8 en6urable. At present theiE influence was most
9 effective Tor good, but ii they went ,nto the
il zane line Of business ~ men there would be
4 nothing to desire hut the speedy consu1nma-
c ton Ct DR.. Cumming prophecy. f1e protested
+ against the allegations Of inferiority le dc.
d c;de.l the question eimply upon the ground et
+ ! difference of yoeat.on- II tho HOUSE lad per.
= mittel voting papers to be used at elections
it instead Of insisting on personal attendance
+ the ill might have been possible; 1at j; wa.
o disastrous to ask that women should be ex
9 pcecd to all the annoyacces Of being Scanr1sse|
d for votes and urged tn attend I. the pola, He
= in which they were engaged, doing all that W.
It admirable in social life, and, to prevent thei
c being saddlcd with an unweleomo Obligation
9 ho moved the previous question.
( HOW AEoCr TEE QCEEE?
Il Sir e. Dixie observed that neither the movel
3 nor scconder OF the previous question t1ad SAX
s single word in support sof their notiou; he
: however. would treat it as direct negative
i To the argument that it would be Objectionable
i to ob1ige women to 60 to the poll he -epliet
i that women al1eady went to the municipa
e poll and upon the statement that women 1ii
e not appeal against their position he remarked
l. that any class despotically governed for
3 | length Of time ss women had been, cltEsouSl
ftoie
A character, would cease to he CALLED by it. AM
J. accept their condition as the natural onler o
10 things: In support Of this be pointed to th
" ! condition OF the women Of India and Turkey
q Who would be surprised at = movement I
le aueliorate their condition. As to the admia
'e | sion Of women 10 Parliament, that was qnes
+ ticn for the constituencies. There wss n
% need to make law that consGtuencte
% ehould not return men Of 30 years OF ag
II to Parliament: that the electors would settl
n for themselves. Opposition to th1e bill va
10 really founded on belief in the natural in
n capacity Of women but honorable member
It muet remember they were confronted with til
It fAct that tile highest position iu the REALM va
l. volved in the possession Of tho throne coul
- be discharged By womaD, how could it coz
Ia sietentlE ba centended tliat she was unit t
q. vote for member OF the House Of Commons
u Mt. Deresford Hope obseryed that it VA
lie not fair to argue that because Petitions Ia
n been presented by women against this bi
+ that all women were, therefore, in favor Of
MEASURE Of this kind, because to must won,e
D. the very act OF petitionins or engaging in an
q public matter Of that kind was Objectionable
T. 10 call women IN uncnfranchsed class Va
10 neither accurate nor logical, for ~ al wome
. were unentranchlsed, to term them clAa
= | Was to imply that there were but two classe
I'd il tue Eorld-men and women--n pa1pable al
s. eurdity. while, again. the classes 10 whic
D. women belonged could not be justly said to b
r unrerresented. II unmarried women were CT
C. titled to the franchise on account Of the proI
A. e1tE which they possessed. it should equal
i'll follow that married women who held ptol,ext
tn to their own separate use we're entitled
la votes. And yet the supporters Of this bi
en- we're not sufficiently consistent to extend Il
he principle Of the measure to that extent.
es mems political privileges were shared h
- women. it should also follow that men
re political burdens should be shared
lie Them. and he would ask how the advocatt
ra- Of this measure would ike 10 make woma
Ill liable to serve On iurie- such ~ those whic
d. were accustomed to deal with the matte,
IN Which came before Lord Penzance's Cou
el- for decisions Hear-l Woman would hi
he the right Of voting anything but an envie
he privilege, even il elections we're conducted
er- 1allot. for the ballot would not change eithi
'er human nature or attorneys. 4 laugb-l II
ro- | rt suit Of this privilege must be disastrous
He the widow who kept open the small shop
mt to those poor women, who would be subiecte
ar- to manifold pe7eecutions for the purpose
"A securing the election to Brown or Jones II
me honorable md gallant gentleman. the memb
1t- for Aberdeen, had asked whether there "
:, ally reason why voting should be confined
IN those who wore one article of l1ess, viii
il those who wore different article shoukl
re- deoa1red from the privilege, and he could pe
on fectlT understand the validity Of sn
He IN Argument it elections occur