The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-01-24
SUFFRAGE BILL IN
ENGLAND Is DOOMED
WOmpn's Cause Under Present
Government Lost Is
General Belief.
KILLED BY AMENDMENTS
Commons Speaker Hints That
Franchise Measure Must
BE RcintrOduced.
.cp,ciai cable pespdtch 10 THE srs

SDSCfft 'UOfe pSSpufCH 10 'AN
I.oxpoN, Jan. 23.-There is at least a
strong probability that woman suffrage
So far MS the present Government is
concerned is doomed 10 defeat. This Is
an outcome OF declaration Of the
Speaker of the House of Commons,
which, although II is not definite enough
to he called a ruling" clearly indicates
his view that II woman suffrage
amendment is inserted in the franchise
hill he must rule that the bill would be
SO materially altered that in accordance
with Parliamentary customs it must
again be introduced as a new measure.
The bill as originally introduced gives
the suffrage TO every male person"
Sir Edward Grey's proposed amend
ment knocks out the word male"
AS It is not possible for the Govern
ment to give time enough to take a
new franchise bill through all the
stages. the present measure, which has
already passed tho second reading.
would have TO be withdrawn and many
members tonight declared that the bill
was as good as dead.
The declaration OF the Speaker was
brought out by a question from Bonar
Law. the leader OF the Opposition. Hav-
ing in mind the proposed Government
amendment as we'll as the one admitting
the women to suffrage. he called the at
tention of the Speaker TO these PROPOSE
tions and asked II they were so ma
terial az TO constitute a new bill. The
l,r n ho Sp,,il nf a
that all the amendments which were
offered would be embodied in the bill.
They were being changed almost daily.
BY next week they might be in quite
different shape and ne could not there
fore express an opinion at present. He
added. however:
Female suffrage amendments would
make huge difference in the bill. and
heaven only knows in what shape they
vii. finally appear" He said the House
must wait until next week. but in the
meantime he called attention to the au-
thorties on procedure. which stated that
any bill which Is 20 materially altered as
rc!ntroduced
The statement OF the Speaker made
an impression commensurate With the
The Cn!onists and anti-suffragettes ac-
claimed the Speakers declaration as a
bonlbshell which doomed the bill to de-
struction. and many others were in
cl,ned to agree with this. Others still
agree with Lloyd George. who In speak
ing In the Hiuse OF Commons later on
declared that the bin was so drafted
that Il could not be suggested that
amendments in .egard 10 woman suf-
frage would not be within its scope.
SO far as he could find. said the Chan
cellor OF the Exchequer. there Is no
precedent for the Speaker ruling Il bill
ont of order. The only Ih!ng that had
happened was that "A Speaker had sug-
gested that bill could be withdrawn.
on two occasions the Ministry had re-
sponded TO such an appeal. on other
occasions II had not. There was no
case, said Lloyd George. where a
Speaker had ruled that in consequence
{ Of germane amendments being inserted
IN bin II would 40 completely change
its effect that he would not allow It to
go 20 a third reading.
Prime Minister AsQuith in introducing
the Governments motion TO allow ten
days to the consideration OF the fran
chise bill made no reference to the
Speakers statement. The amendment
TO this drastic limitation OF discussion
OF this amendment was beaten to- night
after debate by vote OF 259 TO 1871.