WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10410, 7 April 1897, Page 4

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

The proposal to confer the suffrage on ' >: women in the United Kingdom was on ?!§ February 3 carried by 228 to 167, » •;: majority of 71, but die whole affair > see ms to be looked upon as a kind of legislative pleasantry, The Bill was • £,ff moved by .Mr. Faithful Basfg, in a. ( £ maiden speech, and the discussion war J'i' really a very unimportant one. It ' must be kept in mind, however, tlia( ' "a the proposal lo confer votes on women 'Hi means something very different in Hp England to what it does here, Man' V||l hood suffrage is not the law in England, iS and the Bill proposed to give tin fl suffrage only to widows and spinster! who had the necessary property quali £f tication, and to such married women at i fIS had property in their own right. This ! I would bring about a somewhat anoma- ' i'-H lous state of affairs, and it is doubtful i whether the subject can be discussed 1 I . j or dealt with unless where manhood suffrage is the law. It would be | absurd to give votes in the casea $-f we have referred to, and not I to give votes to married women, v ff| who make up tlio great mass ot the best women in the community, Several references were made to the case of New Zealand, and it seemed to r! be assumed that everybody here is de- i'\ , lighted with the result of giving the votes to women, and that we have be- ' come elevated and moral since the-©§s ladies have been qualified to appear at the polling booth. Mr. Faithful Begg 1 visited New Zealand, and he seems to have consulted Sir John Hall on the Ijf subject, and no other person. The ';!•>" members of the House of Common! t;Sv appear to be far more assured respect-' Ving the result of women's suffrage in v |pj New Zealand than we are ourselves; We were told when the question wai'" being agitated that one thing was cer -s"§i| tain, namely, that the moral tone of out legislators would be raised. The truth seems to be, that men who are not sup- H|| posed to be above the average moral 5i > standard (to put as fine a point as possible upon it), have a distinct ad van- y j tage over their fellows. It was antici-$£ £■ pated that the female vote would "give'&ly prohibition districts all over the colony, £"* The very contrary lias been the case. It was thought that the female vote would =1% be distinctly "conservative" in its tendency. It has not been so, for womeq '-M are advocating all sons of ridiculous { schemes, having an idea that ''the . State" can do anything. The National [' |s Council ot Women are all Socialists,! One thing is quite certain aboul || the female franchise. It has lei . .8, ; loose upon us a whole horde ol * fe female place • hunters. There ar« 1 many female leagues and councils,- if and baits are held out to the active |J members of all sorts of billets which ara ~•# in existence, or are tving created. The jMi National Council of Women, which has just concluded its session, has passed j resolutions which everybody who is not a fool or a fanatic must sec? are absurd; and we have a large amount of silly \ ' stuff about no man being allowed to ; t. have a banking account, except jointly in the name of himself and his wife, and' j so on. If the 228 members of the House of Commons who voted for the Bill had had an opportunity of reading the resolutions lately passed at Christ- Jjjr church, they would have considered the W position. The principal speech against' :jt the Bill was made by that redoubtable '■ Radical, Mr. Labouchere, who said ''The mover and seconder reminded them of New Zealand. This was the ' mother of Parliaments, and he was not going to be taught to suck eggs by the granddaughter there. (Laughter). Ii M was not'fair to tell them to vote ill s|| favour of one particular bill because 'r| New Zealand had done so, unless they ' were prepared to accept the whole m legislation of New Zealand; and lift »|p did not think lion, members would '-.I' be much in favour of the New Zealand proportion of income tax." Mr. Labouchere generally enlivens his speeches by some facetious remarks, p| He went on to say that at his bst 0. canvass one young and beautiful lady said to him, "Is it possible M you are against us?" He said ''Yes." %|- What did they think she said to him? She said, "Do you believe in 0 love?" (Laughter.) He replied that he ;1* did—(laughter)-in moderation. (Renewed laughter.) He added that lie was somewhat surprised that so charming a young lady had not already succumbed to love. Shesaid -"I might have 'M done; a baronet wanted me, but I did .V not love him." (Laughter.) He said to vj; her—" I am older than you. (Laughter.) Take my advice, and, instead of going J about fishing for votes for other people. . •$£ get a baronet for yourself." Not withstanding the support given to the Bill,, there seems little chance of £ its passing the British Parliament |\| in the life of anyone now born, Some of our advanced politicians ;|g| are wont to boast. of how the world is l|| looking at New Zealand in order to ||| copy the legislation of the wise men we send to Wellington. There is more danger of our becoming an example to be avoided. A recent arrival from England said that New Zealand had || saved the empire in the meantime at || all events. We had adopted "one-man-one-vote," and the result was, almost to extinguish the cry for such a suffrage '■(§ in England. There have been a few 3g observant English politicians here. s| New Zealand has adopted the female franchise, and we cannot now repeal it. n '>- We. have taken all the women into the v i sphere of politics "for belter or for .O| worse." And there is no divorce court- 1 ';ij in a matter of this kind. To all Eng- S|J lish politicians who are disposed to ' I look at New Zealand, we say, that they | had better wait for a time, and then ; ?£ carefully examine how we stand. .W. f. do not know that any body of men m - J* New Zealand worth considering would?'|||| say, confidently that female suffrage in/■,;»>s New Zealand has been such a conspicuon» success that Great Britain should follow the example without hesitation and at once, ' i>-' : . ?p$M