On This Day
On This Day, 16 January 1918
On 16, Jan 2018 | In On This Day | By Nicola Gauld
Birmingham Daily Gazette
Wednesday 16 January 1918
NO REFERENDUM
PEERS AND THE FRANCHISE BILL
VOTES FOR WOMEN
The Lords again went into committee on the Representation of the People Bill last night, when the debate on the amendment of Lord Balfour of Burleigh providing for a referendum on the question of women’s suffrage was resumed.
The Marquis of Salisbury said personally he regretted the advent of women’s suffrage, regarding it as a step in the wrong direction. He had not voted against it because he thought that to reject it would place their Lordships’ House in a very difficult position in relation to the House of Commons. We could not assume the assent of the electorate to the enormous women’s franchise proposals in the Bill. Personally, he should be satisfied if they took a referendum of the women alone. He had come to the conclusion that a large body of women did not want the vote.
