The discussion of Mr. Keir Hardie's Motion in favour of
conferring the Parliamentary franchise on women led to an unfortunate scene in the House on Wednesday night. After several speeches had been delivered on both sides—including a vigorous attack on the proposal from Mr. Cremer—Mr. Herbert Gladstone announced that the present Government proposed to follow the example of their predecessors, and leave the question open. He was followed by Mr. S. Evans, whose clearly manifested intention to talk the question out provoked a continuous and steadily increasing storm of cries and interruptions from the Ladies' Gallery, which at length reached such volume that the Speaker gave orders to have the Gallery cleared,—orders which were unfortunately im- possible to carry out without the intervention of the police. We do not wish to attach undue importance to the episode, which, while unquestionably prejudicing the cause of woman suffrage, can give no satisfaction to those who, like ourselves, are strongly opposed to the movement. No one can wish his cause to prosper merely through action on the part of his opponents which tends to render them ridiculous, least of all when those opponents are women.
Previous page
