The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
WOMEN BARRED
IN PARLIAMENT
Suffragists Plan Bill to Au-
thOrize Their Sex to
Take Seats.
ILLEGAL AT PRESENT
Whether Woman Is Person Tn
der Common Law Is to
Be Decided.

Special Correspondence TO THE StN.
LONDON, Jlly 2I.--Woman has the
vote In Britain; now she insists on TAX
ing her seat in the House Of Com
mons. but the law officers say II Is IL
legal The Labor party has taken up
the matter very strongly. And in reply
to one Of the members Mr.. Bonar Law
said recently that n parliamentary con-
ference Is being held regarding the po-
sition of women with reference 10 ad-
mission to the House of Commons"
The curious situation Of women
in international politics is that in
America a certain proportion OF the
States have granted woman suffrage
and in those States a woman can both
vote and be elected member Of Con
gress. On the other hand in Holland
the law permits q woman being elected
to Parliament but not to vote.
says Law Must he Changed.
With regard to Great Britain DIR.
Hugh II. l.. Bellot. u. G. L., NJ. 4, an
eminent authority on international and
constitutional law, informs THE Sun
Under the British law as 1t stands
to-day and for centuries past women
have been ineligible to serve In Parlia-
ment. If We look at the writs Of sum
mons and the statutes that have decided
are contemplated as sitting in Parlia-
mtnt
'lf we turn to the terms used in stat
utes we find the same phraseology used
as in writs. There is no suggestion of
including women in the persons mem
toned as being eligible for Parliament.
In the various attempts which have re-
Gently been made in the courts to en-
force the right of franchise for women
It Is said that the use Of the word per-
son instead of the word male person in
the most recent act, and the provi-
sions in the Interpretation act by
which male person Is held to include fe-
male the term person of the act
Of 1857 must be held to include the
term women. This contention was re-
jected by the House of Lords in the case
Of Marin vs. University Of st. Andrews
(1s09 A. G. 14O.
Upon analogy OF this decision II
would appear to be\ciear that the courts
will apply the same reasoning to any
claim made before them by woman
who has been elected to Parliament to
sit. And such claim would similarly. be
rejected.
1T Ia inconoeivable, however, that law
should remain as IL Is. The right for
women to serve In Parliament. now that
the franchise has been granted them. is
a necessary corollary. From the
figures on the new register SO far TO
hand in some instances women voters
outnumber men. II is conceivable.
though not probable. that the women
returned might form the majority in
the new House of Commons. To refuse
the admission OF the majority by the
minority would he a reversal OF demo-
cratic principles"
Candidates to Urge Change.
Miss Mary Northumberland a can
didate for Parliament and a leader of
the Womans Labor party-discussing
the same subject. said that the Labor
party is taking no chances with regard
to the question Of eligibility.
\ bill has been drafted. she said. and
the matter is to be pressed upon the
Prime Minister unless the law officers
decide that women are eligible. "A good
woman she concluded, rs better than
bad man, and ! consider am better
qualified to sit in Parliament than some
of the present members
Miss Nina 30, lie, another woman cam
didate, says: THE point of common law
in favor of women is that therc never
has been a class of voters who could not
be chosen az well as choose. 1t is open
to the law officers to declare that such a
class has been created by the act for
the representation of the people. but this
would need as much deliberation as the
other"
Miss Rebecca West, the famous
woman novelist. writes: 1T is now our
business to pass an act which will make
IL possible for women to be elected as
members OF the House of Commons"
THE issue is that which is arising in
various directions: namely is woman
still not a person under common law in
respect OF certain positions and priv
leges?