§ MR. W. S. B. MCLAREN (Cheshire, Crewe),in whose name the following Motion stood on the Paper—
To call attention to the desirability of extending the Parliamentary Franchise to Women; and to move that no person should be disqualified from exercising the Parliamentary Franchise on the ground of sex,asked Mr. Speaker if he would be in Order in moving it.
§ MR. SPEAKERIn reply to the hon. Member, I have to say that there are two Bills, one standing in the name of the right hon. Baronet the Member for the Forest of Dean, and another in that of the hon. Member for the Rotherhithe Division—I am not sure whether there is not a third—which deal with the whole question of the enfranchisement of women. In these circumstances I think the hon. Member will come within the rule against forestalling the Discussion on Bills, and is therefore properly out of Order.
§ MR. MCLARENasked the leave of the House to make an explanation. There were three Bills before the House—namely the two mentioned by the Speaker, and a third in his own name. The right hon. Baronet the Member for the Forest of Dean was very kindly quite ready to withdraw his Bill, and he had made an appeal to the hon. Member for Rotherhithe Division to do the same, but he regretted to say that the hon. Member had refused to do so.
§ MR. G. C. T. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)interrupting, asked whether it was 1440 fair to attack an hon. Member when he might have obvious reasons for his action.
§ MR. MCLARENsaid, he did not intend to cast any reflection upon the hon. Member. He had made every effort to induce him to withdraw his Bill, but he declined to withdraw, and that was the reason why the House had been put to any trouble in the matter.
§ MR. J. C. MACDONAMay I explain, Sir, why I declined? I was unanimously appointed by the Parliamentary Committee to take charge of this Bill, and at their unanimous request I have stuck to the Bill, and I mean to stick to it.