Year: 1866

At the sitting of the House of Commons on Tues
day, July II, MIR. j. :. MIL moved an address tor
q return OF the number OF treehodeTs hOusenolders,
and Others III England and Wales who, fulfilling the
condition OF property or rental prescribed Uy la
as the qualification Tor the electoral tranculse are
excluded from the franchise by reason OF their
sex" He said:-


SIR, rise 10 make the motion of which have
given notice. Al er the petition winch had the
honor of presenting few weeks ago, the House
would natura ly expect that It's attention would be
called, however briefly, to the ann preferred IN
thar document. The petition and tle circumstances
attendant on its preparation have, 10 say the least,
greatly weakened the chief practical argument when
we have been accu stoned to hear against any pro.
pOsaI 10 admit women TO the electoral franchise
namely, that few II any women d sire 1t OriElna-
ting, that petition di0, entirely with ladies' with
out he InstgatlOn, and to the best of my belief,
without the part clpa;on of any peIs OF the male
in any stage of the operations, except the hnal
OF it's pres ntation TO Parliament the amount OF
response " hich became manifest, the number OF
slgnatul es Obtained IN very short space OF time,
not TO mention the quality OF many OF those sigma
tuTes, may not have been surprising TO the ladies
who promoted the petition but was certainly gu te
uneX pected by me- recoPnZ in it the accustOme ed
sIPn that the time has arrived when proposal
a public Daure is ripe for beng taken into serou.
consideration namely, when word spoken on the
subject IS found TO have been the expression OF a
silent wish peTvadn0 great numoer OF minds,
and signal given III the hope OF raIlying a few
is not necessary 10 offer any justification for the
particular motion which l am about to make
N',nen Mhen 'he this nst,on auo uinng osrSin
he conditions and giving all the guarantees
which the Constitution and the law require from
those who are admitted TO a voice IN determining
who shall be their rulers, aIe excluded from that
} nVilege for what appears to them, and tor what
appeaTs TO me- the entirely irrelevant consideration
OF their SEX the least do IS to ascertain what
number OF persons are affected by tine grievance,
ard how great an addition would be made to the
constituency IL this disability were removed l
should not have attempted more than this IN the
present session even if the reform discussion had
not been brought TO abrup close Even ii the late
Government had succeeded IN the honorable at
tempt TO effect an amICabe compromise of the
Reform question, any und' rstandIng or any wish
winch lght nave existed TO the finalItY, for a
certain period, OF that compromise could not have
affected such proposal as this, the adoption OF
which would not be, IN any sense of the term,
a lowering of the franchise, and is not intended to
disturb in any deglee the distribution of political
power among tine different classes of society. In.
Gepd, honorable gentlemen seem TO think, and l
suppose they the test judges that this conces-
son. assuming 1t TO be made # it had any effect on
side; ana the right honorable member Tor
Dublin University, III his humorous manner, ad


VII ed me on that gl Ound to withdraw lns article
fro m my political programme; but cannot either


III Jest III earnes,, adopt his suggest on, tor am
bound to consider the permanent benefit of the COM
munity before the Temporary interest party and


entertain the trmest cOnUcuOn that whatever no DIS
out an Inducemen to one-halt of the community TO
exercise their nds on the great social and political
questions which are discussed IN Parliament, and
whatever Gauss the great influence they already
possess be eXered under the guidance of greater
knowledge, under nse OF respOns bIlity,


not oe ultimately advantageous to tue Conservative


or any other cause except 30 tar as that is
good one. And rejoice in the know edge tnat IN
the estimation many honOra lie gentlemen of the
party opposite the proposal made the petition IS
| like many of the most valuable reforms as truly
conservative as l am sure It Is truly hberai. lis


tened with pleasure and gratitude to the right honor
| able gentleman who Is now Chancellor OF the Elk
cheQuer, when IN his speec the second reading
of the Reform bill he said he saw no reason why
women Of independent means should not possess the


electoral franchise In country where they can pre-
side in manorial courts and fill parish Offices Il


winch let me add, and the throne. (Hear, hear Tit
motion was agreed TO.