seal); in 1872, 829 petitions with 350,093
signatures; in 1873, 919 petitions, with 329,206 signatures; in
1874, 1,494 petitions with 430,343 signatures; and in 1875, 1,273
petitions were sent in containing 415,622 signatures.

[541] This lady, sister of John and Jacob Bright, and wife of the
senior member for Edinburgh, Mr. Duncan McLaren, so much esteemed
that he was sometimes spoken of as the "Member for Scotland,"
unites in her own person all the requisites for a leader of the
movement. She has the charm and dignified grace so generally found
among Quaker ladies, and the pathetic eloquence which belong to her
family. She is clear-sighted in planning action, and enthusiastic
and warm-hearted in carrying it out, and for the past sixteen years
the movement in Scotland has centered around her.

[542] Mr. Thomas Hare, Mr. Boyd Kinnear, Mr. Mill, who was no
longer in parliament, the Rev. Charles Kingsley (this was the first
and only meeting at which he was present), Prof. Fawcett, M. P. and
Mrs. Fawcett, Lord Houghton, Mr. John Morley, Sir Charles W. Dilke,
Bt. M. P., Mr. P. A. Taylor, M. P., Professor Masson of Edinburgh,
and Mr. Stamfeld, M. P.

[543] Mrs. Penington, Mr. Hopwood, Q. C. and Professor Amos were
honorary secretaries the first year, and succeeding them Miss C. A.
Biggs and Miss Agnes Garrett. The principal committees united with
the central, including Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh,
Dublin and the North of Ireland.

[544] Minutes of a meeting at the House of Commons, June 23, 1875.
Present: The Right Honorable E. P. Bouverie, in the chair; and the
following members of parliament: Right Hon. H. C. Childers, Marquis
of Hamilton, Lord Randolph Churchill, Hon. E. Stanhope, Mr.
Bentinck, Mr. Beresford Hope, Mr. Chaplin, Mr. Hayter, Sir Henry
Holland, Sir Henry James, Mr. Kay Shuttleworth, Mr. Edward Leatham,
Mr. Merewether, Mr. Newdegate, Mr. Raikes, Mr. de Rothschild, Mr.
Scousfield, Mr. Whitbread.

_Resolved_, That a committee of peers, members of parliament and
other influential men be organized for the purpose of maintaining
the integrity of the franchise, in opposition to the claims for the
extension of the parliamentary suffrage to women.

_Resolved_, That Mr. E. P. Bouverie be requested to act as
chairman, and Lord Claud John Hamilton and Mr. Kay Shuttleworth as
honorary secretaries.

The following members have since joined those named above: Lord
Elcho, Right Hon. E. Knatchbull-Huge