BIG COMMONS MAJORITY.

A second reading was given in the House of Commons yesterday to a bill which will add 4,500,000 women to the Parliamentary electorate in England and Wales. Socialist detestation of property, however, must inevitably be dragged into a measure even such as this, with the result that its promoters have gravely endangered the chances which the bill has of becoming law. Not content merely with giving women the right to vote at the age of 21 on the same terms as men, the measure proceeds to abolish the business premises qualification and to make a number of other alterations in the law. This overloading of the bill was responsible for practically all the opposition that was offered to it. Mr. W. M. Adamson, the Labour-socialist member for Cannock, who introduced the proposal, recognised this, and offered to leave these things to the decision of the House. The bill was seconded by Miss Jewson, who affirmed that the experiment of admitting women to the franchise had been fully justified. Women, she said, had, as a result, shown an increasing interest in national and international affairs, and any fears that they would combine on a sex basis in opposition to men had been falsified.

From no part of the House did any direct opposition come against the principle of an extension of the franchise, but the Duchess of Atholl moved an amendment urging that before any action was taken the principle of a conference of members of all parties should be adopted, as was the case with the 1918 Act. She entered a protest against removing the qualification of the business premises and giving the vote to tinkers. Sir Sydney Russell-wells also was sarcastic at the idea of the promoters endeavouring to secure drastic franchise reforms behind the shelter of women’s skirts. Mrs. Wintringham cordially supported the bill, declaring that legislation had been more humane since women had the vote, and that petticoat government had not been a reign of terror.

The effect of the bill was explained by Mr. Rhys Davies, the Under-secretary for the Home Office. There are on the current electoral register of England and Wales 10,407,023 men and 7,891,071 women. The bill will enfranchise an additional 4,500,000 women, and women electors will thus outnumber the men. The number of men registered for a business premises qualification in the current register is 208,694, and these would be disqualified. It is evident that the Government view with some doubt certain of the proposals in the bill, but Mr Davies said they favoured giving it a second reading, although he could give no promise that time would be found for its passage after it went through Committee. Regret at this pronouncement was expressed from all quarters of the House, but Mr. Clynes, when pressed on the subject, would go no further. The suggestion of a conference was described by Mr Clynes as futile. That was all right during the war, when party controversy was suspended, but he regarded such a course to-day as inappropriate. The solitary cheer he received was when he described the bill as overloaded with controversial detail. The cynical manner at which the Subject was treated by Lord Hugh Cecil led Lady Astor to declare, amid great laughter, that the representation of the Universities needed looking into. She had only five minutes in which to speak. It was altogether too little for her to say all she would have liked, and the closure was moved while she was still on her feet. The division resulted in the amendment being negatived by 288 votes to 72, and the second reading was then agreed to.