SECOND READING. (Hansard, 15 July 1890)

LORD DENMAN

My Lords, in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, I shall not detain your Lordships many minutes. I fear you may think it has had a very bad advocate in times before this, but I have never heard a word said against it in any quarter, nor has there been any notice of opposition given to it. Therefore, I am at a loss to conceive that anything except my bad management of the Bill can have 1715 caused its rejection. This question has now received support from the fact of certain women being allowed to vote for County Councillors. As I stated the other night, the Duke of Buckingham said it was a move in the right direction, meaning that it was a move in the direction of recognising the right of women to vote for Representatives in Parliament. I did not hear the speech of the Lord Privy Seal the other night, or I should have asked to withdraw the Bill which I then presented. In endeavouring to obtain the franchise for elections to Municipal Bodies in Ireland, I felt that it was right your Lordships should know there is a considerable opposition to the system of voting even by men in boroughs in Ireland. This would make the franchise uniform, and I think it would be a liberal and advantageous measure. Many have expressed themselves in favour of the principle of the Bill. I blame no one for having opposed it, and I know that some of those who have opposed me have not been able, through dissensions in their own Party, to advance that measure, for the success of which they were themselves anxious. If this Bill be now read a second time it can do no harm. I do not wish that my name should be associated with it. I only wish it to be considered as an act of trust on the part of this House in the capacity of women, although not wishing in other respects to remove them from their duties as women. There has been no argument brought forward against the passing of this Bill. It has been said if it were passed the House of Commons would take advantage of the good example set them and would also pass it, and many are pledged to carry a measure for this purpose. Women of great talent have lately come before the public, such as Mrs. Fawcett and her daughter. Surely such women are well-qualified to choose a Representative. I may mention another lady who has done incalculable good among the soldiers at Portsmouth by establishing lectures and reading-rooms for their improvement and recreation. Women are certainly entitled to select the gentlemen who shall represent them in Parliament. There are many public questions in which they are deeply interested, and they certainly should be allowed to choose a 1716 Representative, who will, as they may consider, act wisely in those great questions, such as the protection of children, marriage with a deceased wife's sister, and other questions in which women are interested. My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be read a second time.