THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14165, 16 August 1916, Page 6

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

EXTENSION TILL MAY

TTTIE GOVERNMENT'S -PROPOSALS

WOMEN'S CLAIM TO THE FRAN-

CHISE.

(.Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

(Received August 15, 5.5 p.m.)

London, August 15

In the House of Commons, Mr Asquith, in introducing the Parliament and Locial Elections Bill, said it was impossible in ~war circumstances to do more than construct a rough makeshift. The war had caused the greatest dislocation of the population in history, not only regarding soldiers abroad, but war workers .at home. Everyone agvesd that o general election at the front was unthinkable, and. moreover, the munition workers' claims could not sbc overlooked. But these claims brought them face to face with the women's claims. Be was bound to say that he found their representations unanswerable. Women -were willing to abide by the existing conditions, but if there were to be new classes of enfranchisement for services to the State it would be impossible to deny the women's claims that they had rendered as effective services as any class. They would also have a special claim to be lidaird in after-war questions. He had been n lifelong opponent of women's suffrage, but he could not deny these claims. Nothing could be more injurious than the reopening of such complicated questions. The Government proposed to provide for the exceptional.conditions. The period of qualification would ho postponed to November Ist, enabling the new register to operate next May. All soldiers, sailors, and war workers on the existing register would be placed " on the new register.

Mr Asquith concluded: We are at a time when the war has reached a happy and promising stage, requiring -our absolute concentration, niid the Government are unanimous that it is impossible to consider the" larger questions inrolved in the revision of the franchise.

Sir Edward Carson agreed that a gen-: eral election at present was impossible., but they ought to have the register ready. An eight months' extension was over'long. The enfranchisement of soldiers and sailors would not . involve greater difficulties than the- Government's proposals, and the Government were doing them a grave Injustice. Women's suffrage stood in a different category. He recognised that we 'had arrived at a critical stage of the war, ■when we could anticipate happy developments in the near future. He was anxious to have a register that would enable the country to express its vi:;ws Mi the critical after-war problems.