The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-09
NOT YET. BUT SOON
sUFFRAGTSTs BEATEN OUT HF
 sKILLFUL FILTBUsTIEH.
Measure Giving Women RiRht te Vote Seemed Certain of Passing When Diiatory Tactics were Re-
 sorted To


 London. March s.--The "woman's En- franchfsement bill," which came up for its second reading in the House of Commons today, and which was intro duoed by Mir. Dickinson, Liberal. al- though impractically identified with the measure introduced by James Keir Hardie Socialist, last year. has evoked far greater general interest.
 The bill simply provides that women shall have the franchise on the same terms on which 1t is now granted to men. The militant tactics of the wo- men suffragists of recent months and their bold raids on the House of Com mons itself from which on several oc- casions they have literally been bodily thrown out, and scores of them impris- oned, have given the question a prom thence which 1t hitherto had not at- tained
 The House of Commons was crowded when the debate on the proposed meas ure began, but only women whose good behavior was guaranteed by members of Parliament, were permitted to enter the gallery. All those who were con- nected with the recent disorders within the precincts of the Houses of Parlia- ment were specifically excluded and in view of possible disorderly demonstra- tions on the part of the so-called "suf- fragettes' in connection with the bill, extraordinary precautions were taken by the police to bar the approaches to the House of Commons.
 The forces inside and outside the building were doubled and a special de- tachment of police was held in reserve in the neIghborhood, in spite of the fact that militant women had announced that they would quietly await the vote lin the House after which they would meet and decide on their future action.
 There were no fewer than sixteen mo- tions hostile to the bill. placed on the table. while just prior to the opening of the debate. petition. signed by 21.o0o women, was presented protesting against granting parliamentary suf- frage to women, on the ground that it would destroy their influence in their own spheres of work.
 After Mir. Dickinson's opening speech in support of the bill, the Premier, Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman. announced that it was the intention of the gov ernment to leave the question to the free decision of the House. Personally he favored the general principal of the inclusion of women in the suffrage. The matter had assumed more importance of late years owing to the larger part which women had taken in wage-earn- ing and In the professions.
 on many questions, continued the Premier, the opinion of women was equal to, if not greater than that of men. He frankly stated that he was not enamored- with the present bill. be- cause 1t would not enfranchise to the necessary degree the mass of the work ing class women and workmen's wives. He would vote for the bill, however, as declaration of his opinion that the exclusion of women from the franchises was not expedient, Justifiable or politi- cally right
 The debate was 6 repetition of the familiar arguments for and against fe. male suffrage and there was Q complete divergence from the usual party lines, the rejection of the bill being moved by Mir White. Liberal. another opponent being Mir. Cremer, also Liberal, while both Conservatives and members of the labor party were found among it's sup porters.
 An attempt was made to close the dis cussion but the speaker declined to ac- cept the motion and the opponents of the bill held the floor until 5 o'clock when the sitting was closed automati- cally. They thus won the day. as this practically kills the bill for the present session.