"PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT."

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 28, 4 February 1910, Page 3

"PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT."

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH. THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

GENERAL SYNOD SHELVES THE ■■;..;■;. question. ;,:•■

Shall women have the right to vote And act on vestries? TChjs is agues- . tiori which has been before the Anglican Synod on more than one occasion, . but up to the present the Synod has , refrained from expressing any opinion on the point. Another attempt ' was made at the present sitting of Synod to have women given the same rights and privileges as men in Church government, but the application of "the closure" once again shelved the taking of an opinion on the matter. The debate was commenced some ■days ago on the following, motion, proposed by Mr W. B. Scandrett— That it is desirable that the canon be amended so as to give women who are communicants of the Church the right to vote and ac^ <>n vestries, and the right to vote for members of the Diocesan Synods. The debate on the subject was re- . sumed by the Rev. J. Hobbs who said , if the resolution were passed they would be just as they were except that they had given an opinion upon the matter. It had been suggested that the motion should be withdrawn, but he could not move in this direction. . He suggested as'an alternative that the motion be put to the vote without debate. He would be quite willing to agree to this course. (Hear, tear). FOUR REASONS. There did not seem to be any unanimity on the method of procedure, so the speaker proceeded with ■his speech. There were four reasons why women should be granted the privileges which they had been denied for twenty years—By virtue of the Bible; by virtue of the rights of equality of people; the benefit the Church would obtain; and by virtue of the anomaly which at present existed. The Bible said that "in the multitude of councillors there was wisdom," and the English Church, in order to enforce the multitude of counsel, denied half the people any *ay whatever. The English Church was the only one which deniea women any voice in the affairs of the Church. There was no analogy whatever between the somewhat stupid action of the suffragettes at Home and the rights which women should be accorded in Church government here. In England now women had the right to sit as churchwardens and could also be elected to vestries. It should be the common right, of women to join in the work of warfare against evil. Women might not wish to take their places in the Synod but except for \ the limit of their own wishes and' their own modesty there was no rea-' son why-they should not. From the practical, beneficial point of view -they were losing a great deal when £only half their people were taking: Epart in the affairs of the Church

GOVERNMENT." The whole duty of women was government. . They govern us at the mostdifficult times of our life. When we are children we are put under petticoat government. When we are adults and we have the responsibilities of life we put ourselves under petticoat government," declared the speaker, "and it is all the better for

Mr T. F. Martin favoured the motion because he considered that from -canonical reading they were now en<}%T to be elected on a vestry. c{ The motion," declared Mr Martin, Uw ? m n >v- 8 111I 11 anachronism which is not a. all m harmony with modern

, "THE CLOSURE AGAIN." Mr H.B. Andrews pointed out that SflJf aT g <*'*he, m<*ion would not reflect the mind of the Synod owing to the small attendance. They were discussing a subject which could liave_no practical effect during the lite or the present session. Ifc was an absolute waste of time to further •discuss the matter. He moved That the Synod do now proceed with the next business on the order paper. This _was agreed to on the voices," the Primate remarking: I congratulate Mr Ho>bs on his speech. I am sure he would take honours in the subject of domestic science—a faculty which it is proposed to establish by the University Senate. Though refused a vote the ladies once again dispensed afternoon tea.— ■N-Z<. Times.