Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-29
BR|TA|N'S women
TO HAVE SUFFRAGE
A Reward for Their War Sacri.
fees and Services, Says
Lloyd George.
BUT LITTLE OPPOSITION.
HOus. Of Commons FnvOfs Franchise
Reform Leglslation N0w-vOtes
for Women May Follow.

London. March 2s.-Aftcr ar inter-
esting debate to-day the House of
Commons by Il majority OF 279 ex-
pressed approval Of legislation OF the
lines of the speakers conference rec
concentrations for franchise reform.
the small minority against such a
measure representing not the actual
opponents of reform, but rather mem
bers who were dcsirous of postponing
legislation of such q contentious char
acteT until after the war.
The great feature of the debate was
the frank acceptance by ex-Premier
Asquith and Andrew Bonar Law. chan
cellor of the cxcheauer. Of womens
right to vote as a result of their war
sacrifices and services. and Premier
Lloyd Georges whole-hearted accept
ance of the conference recommenda-
tions, except proportional representa-
tion. He was even willing to go still
further and make the qualifying pc
riod three instead of six months.
A small party in the Commons dur
ing the course of the debate expressed
their continued firm opposition to won-
ems suffrage, but their numbers were too
small to carry great weight The nation
alists announced that they would sup
port Mr.. Asquith's motion
As a result of the debate, the govern
ment, as Mr.. Bonar Law announced, will
proceed with legislation to give effect to
the recommendations of the conference.
The bill will embody all Of the recon-
mendations except proportional represen-
tation and women's suffrage. These will be
omitted, first, because the government is
still undecided on the question, and Sec
ond because it is held that Parliament
must first express acceptance or the prin-
ciple of women's suffrage.
The present idea is to make the bill as
little contentious as possible, so that the
second reading may be easily secured;
then, in committee, these two excepted
questions may be raised as amendments
to the bill. thus giving the House an OPP
portunity to record its opinion.
1t cannot be doubted that the views ex-
pressed to-day by Mr.. Asquith. Walter
Hume Long and other prominent former
opponents of women's suffrage will infiu-
ence many other opposing members. and.
in any case, during the war this opposition
has been a rapidly dwindling one. 1t is
still possible that the women may have
to wait until after the war ior the fullest
recognition of their claims. but the vote
for women in some shape is now GER
tain.
The new bill will not be introduced until
some considerable time after Easter as
the budget and other urgent business
claim priority.
Premier Lloyd George. paying the
warmest tribute to woman's work during
the war. especially the devotion. courage
and zeal of women munition makers. said
that when after the war the nation came
to recast the whole industrial fabric to
give women no voice therein would be an
outrage; it would be inequitable. unjust
and ungrateful and he believed that the
country would not sanction such injus-
tice for a moment. He agreed to the de-
STABILITY of avoiding all political contro-
versies during the war. Parliament to
be elected after peace was declared would
have to solve quickly the problems which
would determine the course of things In
Great Britain and the empire for genera
tions and unless he was mistaken in the
temper Of the people they did not intend
to entrust this tremendous reconstruction
to any party machine; they meant. he be-
lieved to take it over into their own
hands. Therefore, he declared that he
was glad that men of all political faith
had agreed upon a basis for an electorate.
millions of whom made sacrifices for
their country.
After intimating that the government
was not prepared to adopt proportional
representation the premier concluded by
Expressing the hope that the House would
show the same spirit. not merely of con-
ciliation. but of good sense and carry
| through the recommendations substan-
TALLY in the form in which they were
made and without the bitterness of q
political controversy.