FEMININE FRANCHISE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 136, 9 June 1906, Page 2

FEMININE FRANCHISE.

UNPARALLELED SCENE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. "A VULGAR INHALE ROW." (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 27th April. Just at the present moment when the cause of feminine franchise seems nearer success than it ever has been in this country, one could hardly have anticipated that ib would be virtually wrecked almost at a single blow — at any rato thrown back for a decade — by a few unmannerly females. Yet this is what happened so recently as last night. Several of these women secured admission to the Ladies' Gallery of the House of Commons. A motion in favour of tho feminine franchise was down on the Order Paper, but there was doubt whether it would be reached before the opportunity automatically closed at 11 p.m. As that "witching hour" approached, considerable excitement could be eeen, through the much-femininely detested grille to be prevailing in the dark reeeises oi the gallery. As time went on end three was no diminution in the stream of apparently obstructive eloquence, demonstrations began to be made. A flag ■vmi thrust between the burs of the grille and waved threateningly. Successive speakers were assailed with opprobrious epithets, bitter denunciations, fierce accawtiona, and overt threats as to what would hspptm if they perorated in withholding feminine "rights." Mr. Evans, K.C., the Lender of the Welsh Bar, was the last speaker, and the one upon whose head the chief wealth of opprobrium was outpoured. He took not the elightest notice, but calmly pursued the even touor ot his way. As the clock hands approached nearer and nearer to 11 p.m. the uproar in the Ladies' Gallery— which, by the way was strongly resented by some of those who happened to be present— attained such a height that it could no longer be ignored by the authorities. Accordingly, the Speaker, fot the first time, it is asserted, iv tho history of the House of Commons, gave orders that tho Ladies' Gallery should be immediately cleared. This order was promptly earned out by the officers and police, notwithstanding the strenuous resistance of the feminine crew who were endeavouring to advertise themselves by this ridiculous so-called "demonstration." Tliey fought like,

furiPß, and abused the officers. It actually took three officers to manage one of these women without resorting to undue violence or causing any personal injuries. It was a considerable time before the whole gang was finally excluded, and «yen then some of them continued to cut capers which they regarded as a wardance, and to yell ditties which they meant for war-songs, in the open-air. Several attempts were made to get back to the gallery on the pretext of fetching wraps, etc., which were alleged to have been left behind, but the police merely smiled and fetched out everything that could be found. > At first the police began to take the names of the offenders, but a timely hint being given that the whole thing "was a mere advertising dodge this course was judiciously abandoned, and the ill-man-nered band Avere simply packed off like any other disorderly -women who are fomid aboijt the streets. It -was a most scandalous and unprecedented scene. I need hardly say that the affair is most deeply regretted by the genuine advocates of feminine franchise. Several prominent members who were 6trongly favourable to it, havo plainly declared that 'the prospect of having the House flooded with such, shrieking, creatures as these is one not to be contemplated for a moment, and the members of- the Ladies' Committee, through their secretary, Miss Edith Palliser, have publicly deplored and reprobated in the strongest terms the disgrace and damage which have been ot casionetl to a great cause by the irresponsible agitation of a few noisy and self-advertising women. There is in fact a virtually unanimous concensus of opinion to-day that whatever might have been its chances in other circumstances, feminine franchise has been throwu back for ten years at the least by the disgraceful and unparalleled scene of last night in the House of Commons.