declaration, and all other members who believe that the claim of
duly qualified women to the parliamentary franchise is reasonable
and just, to support the clause moved by Mr. Woodall, in
committee on the Franchise bill, for extending its provisions to
such women.

_Resolved_, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to Mr.
Gladstone and to every member of parliament.

_Resolved_, That petitions to both houses of parliament in
support of Mr. Woodall's clause be adopted and signed by the
chairman on behalf of this meeting.

Some members of parliament who attended this meeting explained that
though they were as firmly convinced as ever of the justice of the
claim, they could not vote for it after Mr. Gladstone's distinct
declaration that he would abandon the bill if the amendment were
passed. On June 12 Lord John Manners resumed the debate. He said:

That although this proposal had never been of a party character,
it had always been a political question. There was no question
connected with the franchise which had been more thoroughly
discussed, threshed and sifted. Guided by every consideration of
justice and fairness, of equity, of analogy and experience, he
should give it his cordial and unhesitating support.

The next speech of importance was Mr. Stansfeld's. He maintained
that the acceptance of the clause by the government would have
strengthened rather than weakened the bill, and that its insertion
certainly would not have rendered the bill less palatable to the
House of Lords:

The principle of this bill is household suffrage. Household
suffrage is one of two things--it is either put as a rough test
of capable citizenship, or else it means what I will call the
family vote. The women to be enfranchised under this clause would
be first of all women of property, intelligence and education,
having a status in the country; secondly a large class of women
of exceptional competency, because having lost the services and
support of men who should be the bread-winners and the heads of
families, they are obliged to step into their shoes and to take
upon themselves the burdens and responsibilities which had
previously devolved upon men, and because they have done this
with success. I decline either by word or deed to make the
admission that these women are less capable citi