Conciliation Bills

Three Conciliation bills were put before the House of Commons, one each year in 1910, 1911 and in 1912 which would extend the right of women to vote in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to around 1,000,000 wealthy, property-owning women.

While the Liberal government of H. H. Asquith supported this, a number of backbenchers, both Conservatives and Liberals, did not support the bill for fear that it would damage their parties’ success in general elections. Some pro-suffrage groups rejected the Bills because they gave the vote to only some women; some Members of Parliament rejected them because they gave some women the right to vote (these people did not want any women to receive this right). Liberals also opposed the Bill because they believed that the 1,000,000 who would be allowed to vote would be Conservative voters so it would not be in the Liberals' interests to pass the Bill.

Conciliation Bill 1910

The Parliamentary Franchise (Women) Bill was given a Second Reading by the large majority of 299 to 190 on 12 July 1910.^[1] It was then sent for consideration in a Committee of the Whole House, but before this could happen (the Government refused to use any of its time for the purpose) Parliament was dissolved for a general election and all Bills not passed into law were dropped. As the Bill was put before parliament the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) suspended its campaign of violence but after the failure of the First Conciliation Bill suffragettes marched on the Commons in an event known as Black Friday. Over 100 WSPU campaigners were arrested, which only caused the WSPU to step up its campaigning once more.

Conciliation Bill 1911

The Women's Enfranchisement Bill was introduced into the new Parliament on 9 February 1911, with 5 May set as the day for its Second Reading debate.^[2] The Bill secured a Second Reading by 255 to 88,^[3] but made no further progress. On 7 November 1911, Asquith changed his position relating to women’s suffrage, announcing that the Government would introduce in the next session a Bill to provide universal male suffrage, which would be made capable of amendment by Parliament to give some women the vote, should Parliament support it.^[4]

Conciliation Bill 1912

The Parliamentary Franchise (Women) Bill was again introduced on 19 February 1912 and set down for Second Reading on 22 March,^[5] although the debate was later delayed to 28 March. However this time the Bill was defeated by 208 to 222.^[6] The reason for the defeat was that the Irish Parliamentary Party believed that time given over debating votes for women would be used to prevent Irish home rule; however the Women's Social and Political Union blamed Asquith as the eight members of the Government who had voted against the Bill would have overturned the result had they voted the other way.^[7]

The Franchise Bill, for universal manhood suffrage, was introduced in 1912 but was strongly criticised, and made no progress.

References

1. ^ Hansard, HC 5ser vol 19 cols 327-330
2. ^ Hansard, HC 5ser vol 21 col 452
3. ^ Hansard, HC 5ser vol 25 cols 807-9
4. ^ "Manhood Suffrage", The Times, 8 November 1911, p. 8.
5. ^ Hansard, HC 5ser vol 34 cols 305-6
6. ^ Hansard, HC 5ser vol 36 col 728-31
7. ^ "The Conciliation Bill Rejection", The Times, 1 April 1912, p. 6.

External links

• Extracts from MPs who debated the passage of the Bill