ption of the proposal might endanger the bill.

That your memorialists are of the opinion that the claim of women
who are householders and ratepayers is just and reasonable, and
that the time when the House is engaged in amending the law
relating to the representation of the people is the proper time
for the consideration of this claim.

That during the discussion in committee on the Reform bill of
1867, an amendment for extending its provisions to women was
introduced by Mr. John Stuart Mill, and that on that occasion the
government of the day offered no opposition to the full and free
discussion of the question, and placed no restriction on the free
exercise of the judgment of members of their party as to the
manner in which they should vote. The tellers appointed against
Mr. Mill's motion were not even the government tellers.

That your memorialists earnestly pray that the precedent so
instituted may be followed on the present occasion, and that the
clause proposed by Mr. Woodall may be submitted to the free and
unbiased decision of the House on its own merits.

They desire earnestly to express their conviction that the course
of allowing the question to be an open one, on which the
government is prepared to accept the decision of the House,
cannot possibly endanger or prejudice the Franchise bill. In
connection with this your memorialists would press on your
attention the fact that Mr. Woodall's amendment is in the form of
a new clause, and would not therefore come under discussion until
the bill as it stands has passed through committee.

This request was refused. On June 9, such unexpected progress was
made by the committee of the House of Commons with the Franchise
bill that all the government clauses were carried. There were many
amendments on the paper which took precedence of Mr. Woodall's, but
these were hastily gone through or withdrawn, and in the middle of
the morning sitting of June 9, he rose and moved the introduction
of his clause. Mr. Woodall's speech was a masterpiece of earnest
but temperate reasoning. He was fortunate enough to present an old
and well-worn subject in new lights. He said that Mr. Gladstone had
affirmed the principle of the measure to be to give every
householder a vote, and it would now be his endeavor to pursuade
parliament that women were capable citize