The Washington herald., 1920-11-12
WOMAN SEEKS
PEERAGE POST
Viscountess Rhondda, Fore
most Business Woman Of
England, Is Applicant.

LONDON. Nov. IL viscountess
Rhondda. foremost business woman
of Great Britain, who now controls
the powerful corporations built up
by her late father. Lord Rhondda.
has received assurances Of support
from many peers for her petition to
the King to be allowed to take her
seat In the House of Lords.
No action is expected to be taken
upon her application for some
months. The foremost constitutional
authorities Of the country are at a
complete loss to decide how King
George should treat the petition, as
never in the history of these islands
has such a delicate problem before
confronted the realm. In all ltkeii-
hood IL will eventually be referred
to the committee of privileges. Lady
Rhondda's lawyers will then support
the application by citing the case or
the four abbesses who were sum
moned to the Kings council in 1906
for the purpose of granting an "aid"
for knighting the Prince of Wales.
Have Only Fragile Guidepost.
The Kings council was a body
antscedsnt and similar In character
to the House of Lords. and though
the precedent of the abbesses is Of
a fragile character. 1t affords the
only guidance to the committee OF
privileges An ancient tract says
that "the abbesses had then their
voices and comments. as well as the
prefates and mobiles Of the land"
Feminists throughout the country
are enthusiastically supporting Lady
Rhondda's bold move in challenging
the right of the lords to exclude
women from the famous red benches
Of the houses Of parliament They
declare that even should the peers,
who throughout history have been
extremely Jealous of their privileges,
succeed in keeping Lady Rhondda
from the second chamber, and will
BE one of the first women OF the
country to be elected to the upper
house as soon as its hereditary
character is destroyed and 1t be-
comes an elective body.
Surprised at q. s. Situation.
In discussing her petition Wis
countess Rhondda was agreeably
surprised to learn for the first time
that there Is no legal bar to women
sitting in the United States Senate,
and while disclaiming any desire to
intrude upon what she describes as
the actively and well managed
woman's movement in America.
She agreed that the Senate could
only gain by the addition OF women
members.
She said: 1T is more than ever
necessary nowadays, when so many
women are breadwinners and wage
earpsrs in all professions and in
business, when so many are actual
leaders in the professions and bust
ness. with hundreds of men and
women in their employ, that they
should have a share in running the
country.
Women should be represented on
every public and governing body.
Their right to sit in the house of
commons has been conceded, but
Parliament is not only made up of
the house of commons. 1t consists
also of the House OF Lords, which
has an important voice in the af-
fairs of the empire. Peeresses in their
own right here are hereditary mem
oois VI Nhe lOuso Ol LoTuS- anu ds
such should be able to take their
seats side by side with the peers
in the upper house.
Books No Refusal.
Il do not see how my petition can
be refused. / do not share the bpin-
ion of those who look upon the
House of Lords as a mere figurehead
To me it represents an integral part
Of our government"
There are twenty-five peeresses in
their own right who could invade
the second house as at present con-
stituted should Viscountess Rhondda
succeed, but she denied that there
was any concerted action among
them to support her. Several OF
them are entirely unsympathetic to
her claim.