Friday's papers contain a correspondence which has passed between Lord
Lytton and the Prime Minister. Lord Lytton's first letter, which is dated July 19th, begins by asking Mr. .Asquith to receive a deputation to ask for further facilities for the remaining stages of the Woman Suffrage Conciliation Bill. Mr. Asquith had promised that if "the House of Commons expressed a deliberate desire of effectively dealing with the whole question' an opportunity would be provided for them." Lord Lytton and his friends contend that the large majority recorded in favour of the second reading of the Bill, and the memorial asking for facilities for its passage into law this Session, signed by a hundred and ninety-six Members of Parliament, afford striking evidence of this desire. Lord Lytton also quotes words used by Mr. Haldane in the debate which are to the same effect as Mr. Asquith's. He goes on to point out that the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Home Secretary invited the House to refuse to read the Bill a second time on the ground that a division in its favour would signify a determination on the part of those who voted for the Bill that they "want it passed into law this Session, regardless of all other consequences," that they "want it as it is and want it now," and that they " want it sent to the House of Lords and are prepared to fight the House of Lords if they reject it." In answer to this direct challenge, says Lord Lytton, the House of Commons declared its determination to do all these things by a majority of 109. Therefore be and his friends claim an effective opportunity of carrying out the wishes thus emphati- cally expressed. The Session is to be prolonged into the autumn, and thus time can be found for the Bill to be carried into law.
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