Chapter 32

GREAT BRITAIN.

Women Send Members to Parliament--Sidney Smith, Sir Robert Peel, Richard Cobden--The Ladies of Oldham--Jeremy Bentham--Anne Knight--Northern Reform Society, 1858--Mrs. Matilda Biggs--Unmarried Women and Widows Petition Parliament--Associations Formed in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, 1867--John Stuart Mill in Parliament--Seventy-three Votes for his Bill--John Bright's Vote--Women Register and Vote--Lord-Chief-Justice of England Declares their Constitutional Right--The Courts Give Adverse Decisions--Jacob Bright Secures the Municipal Franchise--First Public Meeting--Division on Jacob Bright's Bill to Remove Political Disabilities--Mr. Gladstone's Speech--Work of 1871-72--Fourth Vote on the Suffrage Bill--Jacob Bright Fails of Reelection--Efforts of Mr. Forsyth--Memorial of the National Society--Some Account of the Workers--Vote of the New Parliament, 1875--Organized Opposition--Diminished Adverse Vote of 1878--Mr. Courtney's Resolution--Letters--Great Demonstrations at Manchester--London--Bristol--Nottingham--Birmingham--Sheffield-- Glasgow--Victory in the Isle of Man--Passage of the Municipal Franchise Bill for Scotland--Mr. Mason's Resolution--Reduction of Adverse Majority to 16--Liberal Conference at Leeds--Mr. Woodall's Amendment to Reform Bill of 1884--Meeting at Edinburgh--Other Meetings--Estimated Number of Women Householders--Circulars to Members of Parliament--Debate on the Amendment--Resolutions of the Society--Further Debate--Defeat of the Amendment--Meeting at St. James Hall--Conclusion 833