870, passed away the following Summer. These two
deaths were an irreparable loss to the movement for the
enfranchisement of women.

_1891._--Parliamentary prospects grew brighter and Mr. William
Woodall, who had charge of the Suffrage Bill, obtained May 13th for
its consideration. The first Lord of the Treasury, Mr. W. H. Smith,
had received a deputation appointed by the Suffrage Societies April
20th, to present him with a largely signed memorial praying that Her
Majesty's Government would reserve the day appointed for the
discussion of a measure "which suffers under the special disadvantage
that those whom it chiefly concerns have no voting power with which to
fortify their claims." They received the assurance that the House
would not adjourn before the 13th, and that the Government had no
intention of taking the day for their business.

On April 30th, however, when the Government proposed to take certain
specified days for their business, Mr. Gladstone objected, insisting
that they should be uniform in their action and take all Wednesdays up
to Whitsuntide. This afforded a manifest opportunity for shelving the
Suffrage Bill which the opponents were quick to perceive and,
although Mr. Smith declared himself unable to take this day, Sir Henry
James moved that all Wednesdays be taken. This was carried and the
Government, for probably the first time in Parliamentary History, had
a day forced on them.

_1892._--Better fortunes attended the endeavours of the Parliamentary
leaders in the following session. Mr. Woodall having accepted office
in the Government, Sir Algernon Borthwick (now Lord Glenesk) undertook
the necessary arrangements for the introduction of the Bill. This was
placed, by the result of the ballot for a day, in the hands of Sir
Albert Rollit, who set it down for April 27th in the following terms:

Every woman who (1) in Great Britain is registered as an elector
for any Town Council or County Council, or (2) in Ireland is a
rate-payer entitled to vote at an election for guardians of the
poor, shall be entitled to be registered as a Parliamentary
elector and, when registered, to vote at any Parliamentary
election for the County borough or division wherein the
qualifying property is situate.

This Bill was brought forward for second reading on the appointed day
by Sir Albert Rollit with a powerful statement of the question, and a
debate followed marked by a high and seri