Sir W. Barttelot, Mr. Bryoe, Mr. Asquith, and Sir Henry
James, all made vigorous speeches against the Bill ; while Mr. Courtney, the Chairman of Committees, spoke strongly for it, though he was quoted by Sir Henry James as having formerly expressed so very strong, and even bigoted an opinion against Women's Franchise, that none of those who are now its strongest opponents could accept his language ; indeed, they would, for the most part, heartily repudiate it,. for Mr. Courtney had said in former years that "the narrow- ness of women's range of ideas is absolutely deleterious in its effect." " Oar earliest lessons are received from them. Are they not lessons we have afterwards to unlearn with great difficulty?" Again, Mr. Courtney had asserted,—in his former stage of opinion on this subject,—that men who marry are ham- pered by the narrowness of their wives' views, which are found to be " a drag " upon their higher aspirations.
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