MR ASQUITH AND THE AMAZONS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1797, 15 August 1906, Page 73

MR ASQUITH AND THE AMAZONS

From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, June 22

The tragi-comeuy of the ''suffragettes” i-s the only -lively feature of- a languid week. Indifferent to the heat-wa\ r e which ha® left everyone else feeling jaded and listLss,. these indefatigable champions of v-o:iiair/; franchise have been elamourMig and literally fighting for tlieir cause with an energy that seems to know no bounds. Their latest achievement is the “baiting” of Mr. Asquith; the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Invading the genteel seclusion of Cavendish square, at the early hour of nine o’clock in * tlie morning, they lay in Avait for the unfortunate Chancellor, while a gleeful croAvd of errand-boys and idlers gathered to egg them on and Avatcli the fun. Denied admission to the house, the suffragette® paraded up and doAvn 'outside the front door, .aivaiting Mr Asquith’s exit. At, tea o’clock Miss Kenney, one of the leaders, went off to tlie Treasury to see if he Ava® there, Avhile her companions remained on guard outside, the house, and delivered stump speeches to the world at large. An hour later Mis® Kenney returned after a -fruitless; quest. The monster was still in his lair ! But the wrathful amazons were foiled' after all ; for the Chancellor .left the house by a back door, and Avas off in a motor-car before his persecutors had time to Avay. lay him. Imagine the situation—the Chancellor of the Imperial Exchequer fleeing from tho wrath of voteles??- avoniaii ! • The next- scene in • the little drama was even more etirring. Three days later tho suffragettes paid another call at Mr Asquith’s house. They came Avith banners flying—-a procession of them sixty strong—ami. paraded Cavendish square: The inevitable crowd collected, and this time the police took a. hand in the game. The suffragettes were requested to.“move on.” Miss Billing ton’s reply to the request Avas laconic, but vigorous. She “slapped the constable avlio spoke to- her three times, on the left cheek and kicked him twice on the leg.” A police inspector,who was. in the square, immediately ordered her arrest, and Miss Tlillmgton wa« marched off. Three more of her companions were*.arrested for persistently refusing to- depart, and two hours later they were all brought before the Magistrate at Marylebone Police Court- cn a charge of behaving in a manner-, likely to create a breach of the peace. Against Mies Billington the mote serious indictment of assaulting the-police'was also preferred, and her case was taken by itself. Dressed in a liglit-gveen * cloth gown with pink sleeves, and wearing no headgear, she fixed a steady gaze., on the Magistrate, a look of grim determination riveted on her features. / She /declined to cross-examine any of the ' witnesses, but at the- close of.the prosecution she treated the Court, to A dramatic speech. ' “I desire to say,”/she cried, ivith lips quivering-, and eyes gleaming, “that j fiavb refused to give any information to the police. 3. have refused to question any of the witnesses,, and I refuse to recognise tine authority of - .this Court/ or any other Court in the land to try icemen. “At the present moment the Jaw ivliich you administer has-been Avholly made by men, and according to tlie first principles of. English justice it is unfair, it is unjust that ivomen should have no voice in tho making of the laws under which they are tried. “1 shall continue to refuse to acknoAv-; ledge the 'authority of the laws made by man over the women of this nation. Until women have a voice in the making of' the laws, you have no authority to judge me or any ether, woman. I r®fuse to acknowledge your sentence,"as "I do not consider myself- liable in any' way to your authority.”, • 'Ey Unmoved' by her eloquence,, the Magistrate imposed a sentence of 4110 or two montns’ imprisonment,'and Miss/Billington refusing' to pay, she was removed te the cell®. The other cases were -adjourned till next Ave-ek.