§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil), in asking leave to bring in a Bill to remove the sex disqualification which debars a woman from being enrolled as an elector or from voting at Parliamentary elections, said he had two objects in view. The first was the removal of the sex disqualification, and the second was to ascertain 572 whether the Government had any statement to make on the subject supplementary to that made by the Prime Minister in reply to the deputation that waited on him on 9th May. On that occasion the right hon. Gentleman spoke with consider able sympathy towards the measure, but he held out no hope of the Bill being dealt with in the present Parliament. As the result of that reply there had been agitation outside which had ended in a number of women being sent to prison. In the present Parliament there were 420 Members who were pledged to vote for the political enfranchisement of women, and in view of that fact and the refusal of the Government to deal with the question during the life of the present Parliament, there had been agitation as a protest against the fact that 420 Members of the House were unable to move the Government. If hope could be held out that the question would be dealt with by the present Government that would go far to allay the agitation which was being pursued so vigorously by methods which, were so apt to be condemned. He hoped it would be possible to have some statement to pledge the Government to the enfranchisement of women.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI do not wish to stand in the way of any hon. Member who wishes to speak, but I desire to say that if I was right in catching from the hon. Member an assertion on his part that the Government have declared that they will not deal with this question during the present Parliament, I can assure him he was entirely mistaken. No such statement has been made.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIEThat was the interpretation put upon the statement.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe statement was of the shortest and simplest character. It was that there would be no opportunity during this session of dealing with the question.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That leave be granted to bring in a Bill to remove the sex disqualification which debars a woman from being enrolled as an elector or from voting at Parliamentary elections."
§ Question put, and agreed to.
573§ Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Keir Hardie, Sir William Bull, Mr. Enoch Edwards, Mr. Arthur Hender son, Mr. Leif Jones, Mr. Hugh Law, Mr. Nannetti, Sir John Randles, Mr. Snowden, and Mr. Thomasson.