date

1819 Sept. 19 Parl. Reform Bill or
1819 Sept. 19

Parl. Reform Bill or Defence ag Ed. Review

§.2. Electors Who

Females?

Historical cause

3

But the power here in question is not that same vast integral power but this fraction of a controlling power. Whence it has happened that of this power no part has ever been in female hands – why the historical cause of the exclusion has had no exception is sufficiently obvious /obvious enough/

In the feudal times in the times of the Henry and the Edwards here and there an instance may have been seen an instance in which in the absence of her husband, the castle of a Baron or a Knight has been defended by his wife But of a female clothed in iron armour and ranking[?] herself with the embattled Knights not so much as a single example it is believed would be to be found

Accordingly neither in the days of Henry 3 d and his son Edward I when, for the purpose of agreeing to a tax the Knights of a County /Shire/ were summoned to meet the King, nor on any subsequent occasion could it have entered into the thoughts of any assembly of men to think of charging with any such commission a person of the female sex: to send into an Assembly which at any rate could not fail to be composed chiefly and almost exclusively of males, the timidity and bashfulness of the weaker sex in the person either of speaker, wife or widow.

In the case of the representative of a town, though military service was not so prominently in view, still the business was of a sort for which it was not natural that a person of the female sex should be selected, where a supposed tolerably qualified agent of the male sex were to be had.
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  • Title: [1819 Sept. 19 Parl. Reform Bill or]
    Description: 1819 Sept. 19

    Parl. Reform Bill or Defence ag. Ed Review

    Reasons, or […?]

    §.2. Electors Who

    Females?

    Historical cause

    2

    Not only Naturally; but one should have thought necessarily. But in this case as in others, accident will sometimes produce /clog general rules with/ strange exceptions.

    Among our British ancestors, not only the head of the state but the conductor of the war – the war against the oppressing Romans – was of the female sex – Queen Boadicea

    Among our Saxon ancestors we find another such anomaly in the person of Matilda, wife of the /an/ Emperor of the West, our /in the language of our early English/ historians stiled the Empress Maud, who disputed the Crown with our King Stephen, and left her pretension to her more successful /fortunate/ son, King Henry the second. /our second Henry./

    In the portion of time stiled the reign of Henry 6 th the Monarch being in a state little if any thing above that of idiocy, and having a woman of spirit for his wife, of spirit sufficient to take a lead in the command of such armies as were then in use here then was another example of where a part destined by nature for the male sex, was under the pressure of necessity acted occasionally by a female.

    It must have been Nothing less than a /an extraordinary/ concurrence of circumstances could have produced an arrangement /a pretension/ so all according with the general state of the public mind in that rude age.

    By this example /these examples/ added to the support sought for /to/ his title by Henry the seventh to /in his marriage with/ the heiress of the House of York, and the extraordinary ascendancy /influence/ obtained over the public mind by the strength of character of Henry the eighth prepared the people for quiet submission after the death of his son Edward to his daughter Mary, and thus to his daughter Elizabeth. In her days it was no longer necessary that supreme ruler should be a military leader

    In all its branches appropriate probity, appropriate intellectual aptitude, and active talent, her aptitude for the situation equalled at least if it did not exceed that of any Monarch we then had or have since had of the male sex.

    Adverting to /Led blindfold by/ the custom formed by these examples /instances/ the /it was by /in the eyes of/ the/ politicians have /been/ deemed it right, proper and unexceptionable that the supreme acting power should be in the hands of a female: why? because they have been used it: /to see it there:/ in the same eyes the notion that it has been absurd and ridiculous absurd to such a degree as to be ridiculous /a just object of ridicule/ to suppose that a /this the/ minutest fraction of what controuling power there is that can apply a check to that same supreme power should be in female hands: Why? because they are not used to see it there.
  • Title: [1819 Sept. 19 II 5. Nov Not used Parl]
    Description: 1819 Sept. 19 II 5. Nov Not used

    Parl. Reform Bill or Defence ag. Ed Review

    Reasons

    §.2. Electors who

    Females?

    Historical cause

    1

    1

    In the case of the female sex the conclusiveness of the rational causes of the exclusion may remain exposed to doubt.

    The actual efficient causes may be assigned without much difficulty: they are grounded in the historical causes

    Whatsoever men find established by custom, they are disposed /have a natural tendency/ /stand/ to regard as right: as being upon the whole if not positively beneficial to society at any rate innoxious For this opinion /In /To/ this persuasion/ they are altogether justifiable, so long as no preponderance of evil is shewn to result from it, there can be nothing to object.

    Hence unless preponderant reasonable causes to the contrary are seen to have place to the contrary, the historical causes are rational /reasonable/ causes, what has been and is now ought to be in future In the eyes of reflecting wisdom custom as /is always/ presumptive evidence of propriety, but never as conclusive. In the eyes of weakness and ignorance it is as /throughout/ conclusive

    Not to speak of other countries the historical causes why females have stood excluded from the right of suffrage /voting/ on the occasion in question is obvious enough

    In Military government may be seen the origin of all other government: in war no effectual power of resistance /assault or so much as defence/ can any body of men ever possess without a leader: the more continued the habit of warfare, the more continued the habit of command on the one part of obedience to the other. Formed during a long-continued war, the habit of obedience would naturally continue during /in/ the intervals of peace.

    In the early ages of the Monarchy antecedently to the institution of the representative system, a state of war being the ordinary state of society in the country, the head ruler would naturally be of the male sex.
  • Title: [1818 Sept. 19. {§.4} ┴ E §.3 Parl]
    Description: 1818 Sept. 19. {§.4} ┴ E §.3

    Parl. Reform Bill.

    Postpone

    Reasons ult o

    §.3 Eligible Who

    Question. Why exclude from the function of Representative of the people the whole female sex?

    Answer 1. {Because,} though the election of a Majority of this sex is a result too improbable to be prevised[?] for, yet the election of some small number might not be altogether so. A person of the female sex, selected for beauty and accomplishment, might be to an incalculable degree of efficiency an instrument of fascination and seduction in the hands of the Executive, on the supposition that in here and there an instance, spite of all precautions to the contrary it might not be impossible for that branch of the sovereignty, to succeed in procuring the nomination of Member to officiate in the /serve in this/ other.

    Answer 2. Because, independently of all such danger, by the presence of persons of that sex in an assembly composed chiefly of males, distraction and obstruction would in various ways be likely /sure/ to be produced. On all subjects on which the difference between sex and sex came in question regard for decorum would cramp the freedom of debate: merriment, excited by the most trivial causes, would be continually diverting the attention from rational argument, and so long as it lasted would be occupying the place of serious debate /discussion/.

    Answer 3. To the interests of the female sex, considered in contradistinction and opposition to those of the male, no advantage could by any such mixture be produced. That, in a number approaching in any degree to a majority, persons of this sex should become the object of choice, is a result far too improbable to be supposed.