THE FRANCHISE BILL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10680, 29 January 1913, Page 7

THE FRANCHISE BILL.

+ • THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS. NEW BILL NEXT SESSION. . DEMANDS OF WOMEN SUFFRAGE SOCIETIES. : United Press Electrio. Tolegraph—Copyright. i LONDON, January 2S. The Government will not adopt Mr Harold Baker's Bill, but will introduce a new measure next session, dealing ■with registration, plurality and redistribution. Tho National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies declares that a private Bill is inadequate. Only a Government measure will be acceptable. A meeting of the Women's Social Union demanded the resignations of Mr Lloyd George and Sir Edward Grey unless they compelled the Cabinet to introduce a Bill. THE DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. ' MR BONAH LAW ABSOLVES THE * ; GOVERNMENT. MRF. $. SMITH'S SUGGESTION. Mr Asquith obtained the Speaker's rtfling that the government's own amendments made, substantially a new Bill. Mr Asqijith then declared that it became a question whether he should . proceed with the Bill, adding two million, males. Ho thought that in fairness to women it should be dropped. Only two courses remained. Either the Government should introduce, women suffrage, which' it could not do, or grant facilities for .'a private Bill. Mr Bonar Law absolved the Government from evading its pledges regarding .votes for women. He thought \ that the suffragist cause would have a fairer .opportunity with an independent Bill. He regretted that the coir lapse had* deprived Mr Lloyd George of an opportunity of replying to Mr Jffarcourt. . Mr F. E. Smith suggested that snfr fragiqt supporters should form a committee on a . Bill and apt as a temporary executive, to "pilot it through, while t> opponents .similarly, should constitute a . tempprary Opposition. Mr Lloyd George and Mr Balfour apv proved the suggestion of leaving Ministers to follow their conviqtigns. The Labour members demanded a Government measure. THE SUFFRAGETTES. Mrs Pankhursi; urged the fullest militancy, short of injury to human life. At the Women's Freedom League, Mrs Despard advocated lawbreaking in every way. , Miss Sylvia Pankhurst has been art rested for an outrage at St Stephens. - Mrs Despard has been arrested as an outcome of the Trafalgar Square 'melee. . "THE SMASHERS'" CREED. [Fsoji Our Correspondent.] LONDON, December 20. VWe must be prepared for destruction. . The smashing of windows in West London last March was a symbol o.f 1 deep significance. It was like the > breaking of reality into a dream. We must be prepared, for bei cause the run" of destiny began when the walls of palaces prumbled and the ■' stones of temples fell; . We must bo prepared to smash and be smashed. We must be prepared, if necessary, to break and destroy the material substance of life, and in our turn we must - be acquiescent if the material substance of-our own :life is destroyed—ves, even 'if pur own body is broken up. " Thus Mrs Pethick Lawrence at a reoeption given in honour of herself and , her hu§band the other evening. The inspiring words of the high priest? ess of militant . suffragism were not wasted on the desert air, if one may judge'by the cleeds of her admirers ing the past few days. - Hie' letter-box campaign has broken put again, and is being conducted with greatcunning and vigour,- the false fire alarm movement continues ,to harass the fire brigades in various parts of the country, and, to mark the season of peace arid goodwill, the public is apparently to be . treated to some new forms pi' incendiarism. It seems impossible to set any limit to the.wicked follies of .the. sufr fragettes, and, sad to say, some of their , maje supporters are apparently pro- '• pared tp go to any lengths with them, and even to set them examples in the performance'of wickedly wanton acts of destruction. Wliat can one think of a maij who deliberately sets fire to a railway carriage as a means of furthering " the cause '■? This was what a man named Franklin did a short time ago pn the Great Central railway. At first his actions , were not connected with suffragism, but when summoned for his act he failed to appear, and , sent instead the following „ effusion to the magistrates: "As suffragette rebels we consider that under present circumstances certain definite forms of action must be taken in order "that the Government may be forced to give votes for women, one of them being to cause the luthorities as much trouble as we posjibly can. It is not, • therefore, my indention voluntarily to attend yolir yourt, and if the Government still wish- , the prosecution tp persist in this charge against me the only means by which they can secure my presence is tp issue a warrant for my arrest, and so force me to appear." * Of course, the magistrates issued a warrant for Franklin's arrest, but up \o the present he has managed to evade ihe officers charged to execute it.' Meanwhile, the post-box campaign is in full swing, and, though the suffragettes have not yet made use of the secret substance which we were, told svas to take the place of the filthy mixtures they have used hitherto, they are contriving to da a good deal of damage with tar, gum, hectograph ink and acids. In the Lewisham and Catford district of London, the contents of no j fewer than eight office and street postboxes were smothered in tar, and from almost every other part of London reports of similar outrages are being received daily. In the provinces, the-post-box campaign to be carried 011 by peripatetic gangs of experts in letterspoiling who travel from town to town . and " make a thorough job of it" in each place. _At Tunbridge Wells on Tuesday evening, for instance, every single post-rhox in the town was tampered with, a mixture of varnish, ink .and acid' being introduced into the receptacles at a time when, in the ordinary event, the majority of letters for the evening mail would be in them. The result was v hat hundreds of postal packets had their addresses wholly or partially obliterated. The raid was jleverly organised and carried out, and not a single person was caught in the ect, nor, so far, has any arrest been made in connection with it. In London the post-box raiders have been less fortunate, for several women have been caught mora or less "red-handed," as also have one or two of the false lire alarm givers. One who was caught at Covent Garden had the "satisfaction" of knowing that her senseless act caused no fewer than five steamers, three Bre escapes and a salvage corps team to 'Nirn out.