JOHN STUART MILL, M.P. (After the portrait by G. F. Watts, R. A., in the National Portrait Gallery.) § 13. The Debate on Mr. J. S. Mill's Amendment. On May 20th, 1867, Mr. Mill moved his amendment to the Representation of the People Bill (clause 4) “to leave out the word 'men' in order to insert the word person instead thereof." His speech was listened to, according to a contemporary account, with interest and curiosity. The whole debate is of interest, not only as the first on the subject in Parliament, but as a type of many succeeding debates. If no subsequent speech in its favour has surpassed Mr. Mill's condensed and forcible presentment, neither has any speech against it elicited any novelty in the opposition. Mr. Mill opened by saying that the extension he was about to propose could excite no party feeling or class feeling; he dwelt on its justice, its constitutional character. "Allow me to ask, what is the meaning of political freedom? Is it anything but the control of those who do make politics their business by those who do not? Is it not the very essence of constitutional liberty, that men come from their looms and their forges to decide, and decide well, whether they are properly governed and whom they will be governed by ?" He indicated how the question was in truth a development, of the greater sense of mutual interest and companionship that was arising between men and women, and the evil for the character of each which an unequal level must entail. Mr. Karslake (M.P. for Colchester) opposed the motion on the ground that giving votes to single women would entail its extension to married women. As not a single lady in Essex had asked him to support the proposal, he concluded women were quite content with the advantages they already possessed.1 Mr. Denman (M.P. for Tiverton) said that when he read the draft of the Bill it struck him as a lawyer, that it was more than doubtful whether as it stood it did not confer the suffrage on women, and he had put a question to that effect to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who had replied, he believed he would find it had not that effect; nevertheless he "ventured to ask the Attorney and Solicitor General, whether as lawyers they were confident the Bill as it stood would not confer the suffrage on women. In the first Reform Act the word man did not occur, but male persons was used. He believed if the Court of Queen's Bench had to decide on the clauses of this Bill they would have to confer the Suffrage on female persons as well as males. "In one of the colonies of Australia, by the use of the word person accidentally inserted in an Act of the Legislature, the female suffrage was given. Subsequently it was said to have been found that such an advantage had arisen from its operation that they declined to alter it, not wishing to get rid of it." Mr. Fawcett (M.P. for Brighton), after criticizing Mr. Karslake's speech, instanced the change in public opinion in regard to the admission of girls to the Cambridge Local Examinations. Mr. Laing (M.P. for Orkney) based his opposition on 1On July 25th Mr. Karslake presented a petition from 129 ladies and others resident in Colchester in favour of the proposed reform. the fear of women entering the House of Commons. Sir George Bowyer (M.P. for Wexford Co.) supported the motion. Viscount Galway (M.P. for East Retford) begged Mr. Mill to withdraw his motion and let them proceed to more important business; if pressed, the motion would place "many admirers of the fair in an embarrassing position." Mr. Onslow (M.P. for Guildford) supported. Mr. Mill in reply said nothing had pleased him more than to find that every one who had attempted to argue at all had argued against something that was not before the House. Question put-That the word man stand part of the clause. The Committee divided. Ayes 196. Noes 73. Majority against the amendment 123. There were six pairs, and with the addition of the tellers this brings the total votes in favour to 81.1 § 14. Further Organization. In the autumn of 1867 the organization of the Suffrage Societies was strengthened and extended. The Manchester Society drew up its constitution in August. The London Committee, which had been hitherto "provisional," dissolved, to be reconstituted in permanent form as the London National Society for Women's Suffrage, with an executive consisting of Miss Frances Power Cobbe, Mrs. Fawcett, Miss Hampson, Miss Lloyd, Mrs. Lucas, Mrs. Stansfeld, Mrs. P. A. Taylor (Treasurer). The Committee held its meetings at Aubrey House, Notting Hill, 1 For the Division List see Appendix D. |