Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/803

WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN MANY COUNTRIES 787 and started a petition. In the midst of the war King Albert and Queen Elizabeth had expressed themselves in favor of the enfran- chisement of women but when he opened the first Parliament after it was over he recommended only equal, universal suffrage for men. Notwithstanding the unfavorable conditions the peti- tion soon had 35,000 signatures and was sent to the Parliament. By midwinter of 1919 the question was one of heated controversy among the parties, which continued. By April the petition had reached 175,000. The Catholics favored woman suffrage, the Liberals and Socialists opposed it, fearing the influence of the church. To avoid a dissolution of the Parliament a compromise was finally effected by which the parliamentary vote was given to "all widows of soldiers and civilians killed by the enemy, or, where there is no widow, to the mother" ; and to "all women condemned or imprisoned for patriotic acts during the enemy occupation." This enfranchised about 30,000 women and was only to be in effect until a Constituent Assembly shoud be elected which would revise the electoral law. Meanwhile a bill for the Municipal or Communal franchise for women was introduced. Plural voting for men was abolished; neral election took place November 16 and the new Parlia- ment met in December. The necessary two-thirds vote for the iamentary suffrage for women seemed impossible but the three parties were virtually pledged to give the Municipal. After three months of controversy and suspense this Communal fran- rhise was granted in the Chamber of Deputies on March 3, 1920, to all women 21 years of age, by vole of 120 to 37. All the Catholics voted in favor; all the Liberals but two against it Burgomaster Max and Paul llymans, Minister of Foreign Affairs ; the Socialist vote was divided, 45 of the 56 in favor. It was accepted in the Senate April 14 by 60 to 33. The commission on revising the constitution refused by 1 1 to 9 to include the Parliamentary franchise for women but '1 unanimously their eligibility to sit in both chambers. This was accepted in June by the Deputies by 142 to 10 votes. On July i they rejected by a vote of 89 to 74 a bill giving the complete suffrage to women. On July 28 they voted by a large