New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-18
SUFFRAGISTS FACE
CRISIS IN ENGLAND
Government Franchise Bill to Be Considered
Next Week, When Fight WILL Be to
Apply 1t to Women.

OF broken windows and seen only the re-
ports Of the police court.
Now all hoVc is centred in the amend
ment of this government franchise b,ll,
and there has been no chance for that
until the Home Rule bill was out OF the
way and Welsh disestablishment we'll adj
NanCed. Ii does not seem probable that
the end OF the present week will see this
. accomplished. but the discussion OF the
. franchise bill * scheduled to commence
next Monday. The first clause OF this bill
begins: Every male person shall be en-
titled TO be registered a s a Parliamentary
elector for a constituency. if that person
is qualified in accordance with this act
to be registered" etc. The qualification
is merely residence for the last six
months. thus eliminating the present
property owning or rent paving require
ment. and making il possible for the very
! lowest class of men To vote, but eXclud-
! ing all women. even those who for tn"
last forty years have possessed the mt
nCipal suffrage.
This is the answer Of the british gov
eminent TO the demands Of hundreds of
thousands Of representative women. cor
tinued through two generations, and with
never touch Of "miltancy' until within
the last few years
The discussion OF the government fran
Chise bill is TO begin on Monday. and the
programme Of the suffragists il as toll
lows:
Preliminary to any amendment 10 in
clude women must be one to strike out
the word male" from the first sentence
'tf.TsN
person shall be entitled TO register as
Parliamentary eleCtor," etc. one would
suppose that alone would be sufficient
but the courts have decided that in re-
spect 10 exercising the suffrage women
are not persons Sir Edward Grey VIII
champion this amendment, and. II ac-
cepted, second will be offered for adult
suffrage. all men and all women. This
has very little support and could not pos
sibly be adopted.
The next on the list is called the Nor
wegian amendment, and provides Tor
what is known as household suhrage-a
vote for every woman who pays rates or
rent of even shilling week. which would
include all who now have the municipal
franchise and also the wives OF husbands
who have this qualification. This Is ~
vored by Grey. Lloyd George and most
Liberals. The last resort Is the "conclila-
ton amendment. simply the Cancellation
bin which was rejected last year, and Is
not satisfactory TO any one, as II gives
the Parliamentary vote only to those
women now on the municipal register
about a million.
The constitutional" suffragists have
worked for this plan in good faith. as
they have a pledged majority, OF at least
1870 from all parties. but quite dinereht III
the government programme. Sir Ed
ward Grey's amendment is 10 be defeated,
and. Of course with the word male lett
in the bill any amendment for woman
suffrage would be impossible. To this
end an apparently authentic report Is cir
culatcd that II the bill is amended for
woman suffrage Premier Asquith VIII re-
sign and the downfall OF the liberal
government will follow. This would nat
urallv ALLEVIATE both Liberal and Ma
ionalist votes The Labor party Is not
strong enough TO carry II. and the ma
iorItv Of the Conservatives are opposed
TO woman suffrage.
, II, however, by some chance the Word
| male" should be got out, then the bill
will be laid aside temporarily for other
business, and a great deal OF Importance
is pressing Presently the announcement
Will be made that the time limit for the
session will not permit sufficient discus
sion Of his franchise reform bill, and 1t
will be replaced by a plural voting bill
which will give no chance for amending,
can be quickly passed and is really all
the reform in manhood suffrage that Is
generally desired.
According to the veto bill secured
wear or two ago. the Lords can veto
measure twice, but when II Is passed by
the House Of Commons a thrd time II
becomes law without the consent OF the
unper house This will be the case with
| the Home Rule bill II the Liberals remain
I'm mower. but the time limit Of the pres
| emf House expires in two years. All bills
| which are not ready TO go TO the LORDS
! nv February 10, therefore, will be too late
| N receive the benefit Of this veto or Par
! lament act. II a measure FOR woman
! suffrage can he postponed beyond that
| date there is no chance for years TO come
and the betrayal Of the women by the
Liberal party will be complete.