RAID ON THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 158, 28 March 1908, Page 10

RAID ON THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

IN FURNITURE VANS. FIFTY-. ARRESTKI). Tho Suffragettes 'who, • under tho auspices of tho AVomon's Social and Political Union, held a three-days'-Parliament of Women at, Caxton . i pall, • . Wpstmirist-or',. adopted a .npvol method of-. ..'attempting ' tp' securo entrance to tho - House.. of Contmoiis on Pebruliry 11. i lt was reminiscent of the famous wooden horse of Troy, it did not, as in tho caao of tlie 'Crecks,' prove successful: ;, • -T.wp7;pantcchiiicon -vans;' painted 'a' '.sober brown,' and with a couple of men npoii tho box of each, passed quietly' by, the front of tlio Housos 'of-' Parliameiit, : just hofore four o'clock. Tho polico on duty, ajthough .on tho look-out for,,a Suffragette, "raid," eyed thom without' suspicion. Opposite the St: Stepheh's entraiice tlio vejiteles drew slowly to the sido of the road; The men who were driving them-tapped-upon the roofs of'the vans 'with their -whips.- y- • , POLICE DUMBFOUNDED i;;it. was ,a pre-arranged signal.. Instantly : pp, rear doors; flew, oppii,. ■ aaid,/. twenty.. or .thjrtyi;,-women, scrambling hastily .put, 'swarmed, towards., tho entrance, "ouffragottes!" The; -cry, from one astonished coristablo to anothbr, ;and"a rush was made to hea'tl tho.- woriien off.; .. ;':', But two of tlie women actually forced their; way, past ..tlio dumbfoundpd constables who stood at. .the; outer doors, and; passed insideyrflply to, fall .into, the arms',of. a'-relay of policemen .who stpod 'guiotly within. Tho romainder -of the .siu'pps'e party, gripped •frpnv.hehindi by- strong .arms,- struggled furiioiislyj ..with- ' shrill . cries;',pf..'"Vote?.'' fpr Women'.!" ~ Meanwhilp,. tho pautechnicpns drove quietly away.' . A sccno '-of; confusion en-' qued. ...The, polico formed a.; solid squadron before. tho, /doors,;'and;. met. successive rushes fr6m;.the^Suffragettes : imbrpkeri ranks'.; The,.''women, with, liats 'awry and 'dishevelled garments; .threw thoniselves . fierpply on the burly' constables,, ;,-iyhp, ; . diseritanglod, .selves'.'from vtheir ' struggling &ssailants "with. good-humoured' smiles,' pushuig .them'-baek without yiblence, ;■. '. '.' The' Siiifragcttes returned to the fray again and 'agpin,; until)' 1 ono by one,, they worp; arrested arid ; escprt'ed • aivay ; between policemen':to tho .Cannon;'. Row Polico . Station. A force of coristables, which had; been hpld 'in readipess;. in cfiso of. a, disturbance', marched out ef. tjip yard 'of;;tho. Housp,:.fb'ririing.up rin; a solid lino'; Across'' the'-roadway' 'and double-guarding •;the riiairi" entrance.'; ' . I : BYIMEGAPHONE:- '

'As' the 5 nolico carried > out this ' manoeuvre another . party,, pf y ' r :Suffragefctes, 1 fifty • strong; who . had in ■ "open ordoi":/ from' the -direction- of '■ Caxtori' Hall, mado a determined rush for. tho main entrance,: waving aloft "papers ' which' bore, the resolution' just pnised ' by' 1 tlieir '* r "Parliament": condemning tho Government for refusing, to accord-women the vote. . Exhorted by, .Miss: CjVristabel. .Pankhurst, j who 7 drovo among: them ( . in a' r : hanspiri:/:cfib/'!''thd,;-"woDpien' - 'scrambled' ; aqr,oss ,the' roadway, diving:' under the arms.-, of! some ! .oftho constables,' •' 'and dodging; others. V,Another.' .Suffragette; standing up. excitedly', in a';cab,:/'shouted 1)-encour-agement-through a'.megaphone; ■ : : ' .[ "■ ;• But'.-.ttto''.|polic6 ,at ; tho, gates .wore immovable./ ;-:MJss. Pankhurst's cab,tvas turned aivay'.;; the' lady ~, with • (tlio '.megaphone /.was silenced,Vand' the.: other' wombn, /struggling, : kicking,arid '/screaming '.-./ defiance,'.' • weriaforced, back .'from .the 'payomont. into'. ;,th'o -roadway. Arrests werp: being "mado every moment.. .- /. , After - the. -"second. rush, .thoro '.was. a . brief lull. . Meanwhile; from points of vantage within the gates,- a.' number of members of. Parliament,, somo of thorn :, smoking "cigar- 1 .ettes'; -eyed'tho l .turbulent' scene—apparently -ivitlr'-great': amusement. Thoiytho ■ Suifragettes tried;.a'npw ruse. : Linking, nrhisj'.'and! {'V'qteaf.fcir A^Smciil". they surged r 'forward' once: more. " Tlio'fpolico's^n^/ among'-theni; was another, ivild 'sceHel' 'women'' struggled and ..tore l ' themselves - fronr-'tlie . policemen's' 'grip'; / tho 'orpwd: swayodi .t'o ';'and'fro; -while'-an'.ever-iii-'"creasing! 'throng -*of • added'' to . confusion. '/'^/,V:•': ■// ; V ~ '-v/M ' .FORTY-SIX ARRESTED. , .-'but'the police were beings constantly: re-. .'iiiforGodj Vand although,-the' .ranks'- of, -the' Shffragettosr-. ")ve're '-augmented' !i also'. ■ until' ; thoy : numbered .-well: over- a" hundred;" thoy wore swept' back : .iii : an .-./ organised ; '.poiioefmp.ypment;;' and : everitually: ■'broken'' up ; into, ineffective/'detached . Moro arrests' we're, made;' 'but,',the women • seemed'"un-, 'daunte'd; 0 ,.";. Theywithdrew --to a» safer dis-' taiice', and, 'consulted: their / leaders. '!' The police; however, having' succeeded 'in split-, /ting/up the' women's ranks; jdid not intend .that -they,'should; re-forni. : -Every attempt 'thoy. 'made: to. do sV' was promptly. frustrated.' The' .ooiistobles' '.followed /th'em ; -up -closely 'wherever ; 'they; went.' ' Every now and; then two or,, tliree','of'' thy'/Suffragettes,/-' raising! 'their.- bajttlo'j cry; endeavoured, to,form'' -a : tittle; party'jV but tho ■police.' l instantly ; sepa-. rated thorn.. '• T ' ?' ; / .1' i At the Cannbn Itpw ; Police Station before the "raid"; terminated '-iqrtyin:j: v - Suffragottes;:were held in qustbdy.: 1 ' : ' A. second, demonstiiation occurred; after the evoning''--meeting''■'oftho.' Parliament of: Women. A, resolution was passed expressing sympathy"with the women arrested and cbhdemnatjon ;of-: the; Government:, '!/-. '. "Who', will" take this'.'resolution' -to' the. House?'of-CommonsP!{ asked! Miss Christabel ;Pankhurst', : , and: promptly., came: the' answer. VI 1 will," fronf'Mrs? Mrfry/Whitwo'rth; 'Fifty. ' wbmetV accompanied her. 5: , ; ;-i'Thp : _ of police,'started off /at'Va" steady march,' "but: when Parliament Square was' reached- a' sudden \dasli 'by, tlie police';turned the : flank of'the procession. ■; There- was;a;Bharp' melee;* ■and': four '/arrests!/ were ; made. : Mrs; Whit- ! 'and 'all,: to Caurion Row Police' Station, '' along with three pother - militant, Suffra'gct|ies.!, When , charged : at' .Westminster Police Court of, the' ; arrested .'Suffr'ag.ottes 'elebted" to go'to gaol for one month rather than .pay a fino of 40s. Three, Suf,woro discharged. .There was lio pf, imprisonment in' the second' division.;.; V-•' ; v ,.:,. j. 'Mr. 'jyiiiskett,:(for tho .prosecution), did, not see why. the; accused'should not be'treated ; as ;ordinary,';pprpistent,' .and .'wilful;;troakers of the 1aw.,.; The -'powers"of the authorities ,were not:,quite exhausted... There was an, Act still !6n'.the Statute Book, passed in thd 'roigji .of Charles- .which: .dealt tumultuous petitions to the Crown or.Parliament. It said that no person should repair to His Majesty or. go to .either !Houses,of Parliaor; delivering /any petition, accompanied "by ..aiv cicessivc ntiiriber.' \pf .. people^—the number ''whs. npt' to : ej:ceed,;t'on;_ persons.' '• The: penalty was. a' fine not exceeding £100, with tho alternative of three months' imprisonment. ':