§ Mr. SPEAKERLet the Lord Mayor be introduced.
The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor of Dublin (Alderman John Farrell), Alderman McWalter, and the Town Clerk (Mr. Henry Campbell) appeared at the Bar of the House.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWhat have you there, my Lord Mayor of Dublin?
The LORD MAYOR of DUBLINA Petition from the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of Dublin.
§ "To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament Assembled.
§ "The Humble Petition of the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of Dublin, under their Common Seal:
§ "Sheweth:—
§ "That your Petitioners being aware that a Bill to confer the Parliamentary Franchise on Women is before your Honourable House, desire to express their earnest hope that the present disabilities under which the Parliamentary Franchise is withheld from women in the United Kingdom may be thereby removed.
§ "That numbers of women taxpayers subject to such disabilities are resident in the City of Dublin and elsewhere in Ireland.
§ "That vast numbers of women, owing to the completely changed conditions of modern life as compared with the former 1530 order of things, have been forced into the domain of competitive employment, and they are compelled to take their part in the struggle for life, and are consequently as much concerned in the influencing of legislation as men.
§ "That as the legislature has already conceded the Municipal Franchise to women in the United Kingdom, the further concession to women of the Parliamentary Franchise seems but an act of natural justice, whereby they may be enabled to bring about reforms affecting women as a class.
§ "That the legislation heretofore enacted in the direct interests of women has only partly dealt with their grievances, and leaves much to be done to place them on a plane of social and economic equality with men.
§ "That legislation intended to meet the growing social and economic needs of women cannot be framed so as to be useful or effective whilst women are debarred from exercising the Parliamentary Franchise, and that by the removal of existing disabilities your Honourable House would be enabled to ascertain the legislative needs of women better than under present conditions.
§ "Your Petitioners therefore pray that the Bill to confer the Parliamentary Franchise on women may be passed through your Honourable House during the present Session of Parliament, and your Petitioners will ever pray.
§ "HENRY CAMPBELL, [Seal.]
§ Town Clerk."
§ Mr. SPEAKERLet the Petition be brought to the Table.
The Clerk Assistant (Mr. A. W. Nicholson, C.B.) proceeded to the Bar, received the Petition, and placed it upon the Table.