Mr. Lowe proposed the health of the Lady Mayoress, advocat-
ing the separate right of married women in their own property, but discouraging women from the attempt to gain the franchise, on the somewhat narrow ground that this must end in their having seats in Parliament, and that when both sexes come to have seats in Parliament, neither of them will do any work, or else the ladies will drive out the men. In spite of this objection to ladies' society in the House, Mr. Lowe professed himself opposed to the wire cage through which, at present, they peep at the House of Commons. We doubt if the danger of complete visibility for lady listeners is not at least as great as that of the actual presence of lady debaters. We suspect the latter would not often be the most fascinating of their sex,—that their presence might not un- frequently be quite compatible with masculine composure, if their tongues were not too fast for it. But the former,—the fair spec- tators,—are often the most ornamental of their sex. As a matter of fact, the church or chapel coal and soup committees, on which ladies serve profusely, are not usually flirting reunions.
