The Bee-Hive. — 1872-04-27 (London, England)

LONDON NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE.  On Saturday, a meeting was held at the Victoria Hall, Archers-street, Kensington, to advocate the claims of women to the suffrage. The attendance was large. Mrs. Fawcett, Who presided, opened the proceedings at some length. She said that they would probably be accused of going over old ground, but the question of female suffrage must be gone over again and again until their claim was adraitted. On the 2nd .of May Mr. Jacob Bright's bill for removing the electoral disabilities of women would be read a second time, an they were not without hope that in one respect at least Parliament might resemble the unjust judge of the parable, who, when the importunate came to him first, refused to hear her appeal, but afterwards yielded, saying to himself, "Though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because this woman troubled me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me." (Cheers.) They, gave fair warning to those in the House of Commons who opposed female suffrage, and though they feared not justice nor regarded consistency, yet they must know that there was a settled intention on the part of women to weary them continually until they granted their request. (Loud cheers.) It was said that they had altogether failed to prove that women themselves cared for the franchise, but meetings in support of women's suffrage had been held all over the country, which had been largely attended by women of all classes, and who had shown the greatest enthusiasm on the subject. Referring to the injustice women suffered by the present state of the Divorce Act, and from what Mr. Gladstone had said in speaking on Mr. ,Taeob Bright's Woman's Disability Bill of last year, she thought they might draw the conclusion that the right hon. gentleman warmly sympathised with some of the wroi4s of women, that it would not be long before he had thought three times on the question; and they might, therefore, hope he would soon be reckoned amongst other distinguished supporters of Mr. Jacob Bright'sßill. (Hear, Hear.) If women suffered from unjust laws, they also suffered even more from laws which were not unjust, but which were unjustly administered. Mrs. Fawcett then alluded to the difference in sentences in criminal cases and contrasted the seven years'. penal servitude and forty lashes with the oat given to a robber who knocked a man down and tried to steal his watch with the three months' awarded a brute who pushed his wife under a dray on London Bridge; and the four menthe' to the ruffian for knocking out the eye of his mistress. Lastly, there was the case of the drunken ruffian at Preston, who put his wife on the fire* and burnt her to death, the coroner's jury returning a verdict of manslaughter! If that wawanslaughter, what was murder? (Loud Cheers.) There could not be a case of a more brutal and disgusting Murder. The chairwoman coneluded by saying that what she had said proved that . their grievances were not sentimental, but real. (Cheers.) hir. W. D, Christie moved—" That in the opinion of the meeting in any system of government avowedly representative the wants and interests of the unrepresented classes, were certain to suffer."  . . Miss Morgan, a graduate in medicine at Zurich, seconded the motion, which, after being supported by the Rev. Llewelyn Davis, was agreed to unanimously. .Mr. W. Johnston, M.P., said that on this occasion he only represented himself, but he knew plenty of Irishwomen who were heartily in favour with the objects of the society. ae should move—" That the extension to women of political rights, by strengthening in them the sense of responsibility and the duties of citizenship, would be attended by results conducive to the highest Welfare of the state." Alluding to the observations of Mrs. Fawcett, with regard. to the inadequate punishment of brutal ruffians, lie was glad to know that Mr. Douglas Straight had moved for leave to introduce a bill to punish such Outrages by flogging. Mrs. W. Brabury seconded, and Professor Clifford supported the .motion, which was agreed to. _  -Mr. J. F. Hamilton, M.A.., of 'Christ College, Cambridge, and Miss Beedy, M.A., an American lady, also addressed the meeting. A vote of thanks terminated the proceedings,  At Bow-street a lad of fourteen was charged with attempting to commit suicide by jumping overboard from a Citizen steamboat. He was late for work and afraid to face his master. The magistrate relegated him for a month to the care of the prison chaplain.  "A