The Annual Register 1914: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad for the Year 1914Anonymous
History
The Annual Register 1914: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad for the Year 1914
Anonymous
History, Modern; History, Modern -- Periodicals; World War, 1914-1918
Militancy was a bad symptom which
showed the need of action. Lord Ampthill opposed the Bill; the Bishop
of London avowed himself a convert, in spite of the bomb placed under
his throne (A.R., 1913, p. 112). The unrest was caused by a deep-seated
feeling of injustice. The qualification for municipal bodies excluded
all women but a tiny minority. Housing, the raising of the age of
consent, and Sunday closing needed the support of women's votes. The
Bishop of Oxford also strongly supported the Bill, eulogising the
suffragist women. Next day Lord Courtney of Penwith supported the Bill
"as a small experiment," dwelling on the progress made by the women's
movement, not yet fifty years old, and dwelling on the action of women
in School Board elections, on Royal Commissions, and in political work.
Of later speakers, Lord Willoughby de Broke complained that the Press
suppressed the public expression of the movement and so misled the
public as to its strength; Viscount St, Aldwyn said that the municipal
franchise was the least suitable basis for extension, and the Bill
would be rejected by the electorate. He deprecated the increasing
activity of women in political work. The Marquess of Crewe thought
that, while the cause of women's suffrage was making progress, the
country was not yet convinced. Amid laughter, he said that, regarding
the Bill as a purely Conservative measure, he would give a purely party
vote against it. The Earl of Lytton said that separate legislation for
women implied their separate representation. There were five million
women workers competing with men represented in Parliament. Women,
he showed in detail, had given overwhelming evidence of their demand
for the vote, and would be satisfied with any removal of the sex
disability. The Bill would settle no more than that. He laid stress
[being the brother of a militant] on the magnificent qualities wasted
in militancy--courage, self-devotion, self-sacrifice--waste which could
only be stopped by granting the demand. The Bill was rejected by 104 to
60.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account