HOWLED DOWN BY SUFFRAGISTS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 30 January 1912, Page 3

HOWLED DOWN BY SUFFRAGISTS.

SCENE AT A MEETING AT THE

CITY TEMPLE

LONDON, Dec. 2

Mr Asquith was. howled down at the City Temple by supporters of the women's vote movement, and left the building without delivering his speech in praise of the work of the Mansfield College Settlement in Canning Town.

It was a eoming-of-age celebration of a philanthropic work among the East End poor, and the Prime Minister had promised to deliver a short speech of congratulation.

\ The chairman, the Rev. Dr v Selbie, principal of Mansfield College, Oxford — two of whose students, Mr Percy Alden, M.P., and Mr Will Reason, founded the settlement 21 years ago—made a brief speech, and then, amid a tumult of cheering, Mr Asquith, iu evening dress, came to the front of Mr Campbell's pulpit to begin his speech.

He had only began, "Ladies and gentlemen," when he was hailed by. a man in the gallery with the questions, "Will you allow the House of Commons to control foreign affairs? Are you going to abandon Persia to Russia?" This man was immediately ejected.

Mr Asquith began: "I-have come here to-night—"when, from the west gallery, a woman cried out, "Mr Asquith—" but she was speedily ejected. Mr Asquith began again: "I have come here to-night, "he said, ' 'to fulfil a rather improvident promise which I made some months ago to my friend, Mr Percy Alden, that, if Parliament and other exigencies allowed, I would come and say a few words of congratula-' tion—" ' .-.■,.■

Then the disorder broke out afresh. A woman under one of the side galleries shouted "Mr Asquith, woman sufffage is—" A steward clapped his hand on the interrupter's mouth, and her words died away in an angry mumble. Other stewards hurried to the spot, but it was found that she had chained herself to a pillar.

While some of the officials endeavored to break the chain, others sought to silence the protesting woman, while approving cheers and cries of "gag the lot of them," came from the audience. The chain was secured- by a huge padlock, which resisted all attempts to force it. The stewards tried to pull the woman bodily out of the grip of the chain, but 4n vain. .

A companion of the chained lady took out a police whistle and blew it vigorously until it was taken from her. Deprived of this the woman began crying at the top of her voice, "No manhood suffrage for us!" until she was hurried througn the door into the corridor.

Mr Asquith grimly watched the scene for a time m silence. Then, after an appeal for silence, which was only greeted by a fresh outburst of noise, he shrugged his shoulders, put his notes into ins pocket, and left the build-

As the Premier left one powerful woman in the gallery shouted, "Coward!" She was at once seized by two stewards, but she gripped one.of the pillars, and sis men were needed^ tp unloose her hold. In the gateway she showed fight, and a terrible tussle ensued, in which her hat was damaged and a green worsted jacket unbuttoned.

Mr Ramsay Macdp^akl, ~M.P., then rose arid said:— .; } .';■■■

"One would prefer to? be oblivious pf,' and to forget the degrading and disgusting scene on which ,we have just been looking. Those of us who have any regard for womanhood —those of us who have any ideas regarding woman's intelligence and woman's dignity— must simply bow our heads with shame.

"The consequence of these demonstrations must be felt, not in such meetings as this, but in the House of Commons itself. For my part, if I felt that the cause had come to this I would go into the lobby against .it every time."

At the close of the meeting the woman on the chain produced a key and unlocked herself, and left, exhausted and dishevelled, amid a chorus of hisses from the people around.