27 MARCH 1909, Page 3

On Friday week Mr. Howard introduced his Bill providing that

every adult having a residential qualification of three months shall be entitled to be put on the register, plural voting to be abolished, and women to have the same voting rights as men. In moving the second reading, Mr. Howard contended that the reform of the franchise law and the enfranchisement of women ought to be effected together, while Sir Charles McLaren, the seconder, dwelt on the injustice done to women in the past and the earnestness of the movement at the present. He admitted that the Bill had defects, and personally would prefer to raise the age qualification to twenty-five and exclude all persons in domestic service. The rejection of the Bill was moved by Mr. H. W. Forster, who noted that its effect would be to add some fifteen million voters to the electorate ; but the most damaging criticism came from Mr. Snowden, who observed that if the removal of sex disability was to synchronise with the grant of universal adult suffrage, the realisation of the women's demand would be indefinitely postponed.