Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/849

 THE INTERNATIONAL WOMAN SUFFRAGE ALLIANCE 833 The year which has just closed is the most strenuous and active we have ever known since women's suffrage has been before the country. The number of societies which combine to form the Na- tional Union has more than doubled. The membership in several societies has more than doubled and in others has largely increased ; in one important society it has been multiplied by five. The number of meetings held throughout the year in connection with the Na- tional Union alone has been unprecedented, an average of at least four a day. The experience gained at bye-elections confirms the Union in their view that by far the most effective work can be done by acting strictly on non-party lines and supporting that candi- date whose record and declarations on the subject of suffrage are the most satisfactory. . . . At the beginning of last November Mrs. Garrett Anderson, M.D., was elected Mayor of Aldeburgh; Miss Dove, M.A., the head mistress of Wycombe Abbey School, came within two votes of being chosen Mayor of the borough of High Wycombe. Several women at the same time were elected as borough councillors, among whom we may mention our colleague, Miss Margaret Ashton, the president of the Manchester and North of England Society for Women's Suffrage. A large Conservative and Unionist Association for women's suffrage has been formed. Its president is Lady Knightley of Fawsley and among its vice-presidents are the Duchess of Sutherland, the Countess of Meath, Viscountess Middleton, Lady Robert Cecil, Miss Alice Balfour, etc. In December a weighty and closely reasoned statement of the case for women's suffrage was presented to the Prime Minister by the Registered Medical Women of the United Kingdom. The com- mittee were able to inform Mr. Asquith that out of 553 all but 15 support the extension of the Parliamentary franchise to women. The case for women's suffrage was argued before the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords in November last with great ability by Miss Chrystal Macmillan, M.A., B.Sc. Tin- case was raised on the plea of women graduates of the Scottish Universities that they were entitled to vote in the election for the members of Parliament representing the universities. The word used in the Scottish University Act was "persons" all "persons" having passed such and such degrees and fulfilled such and such cmidiii. entitled to vote in such elections. The case had been heard In Scotti-h ConrN and adverse decisions had bcui ^ivcn. The House of Lo: appealed to as the highest Court and it con- firmed the decision-, of the lower courts thai the word "persons" does not include women when it refers to privileges granted by the State. Mrs. Fawcett spoke of the work of the Union year after year he suffrage bill in Parliament; of the enrollment durin- tin- present year of over 300 men eminent in literature. ihr