Page:The Feminist Movement - Snowden - 1912.djvu/129

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THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT
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they are Local Government electors, or have lived for twelve months in the district, and will continue to do so. Ireland has 3 women Town Councillors, 44 Rural District Councillors, 4 Urban District Councillors, and 66 Poor Law Guardians. Scotland has 2 Town Councillors and 44 Parish Councillors.

The story of the struggle of women to secure places on the London County Council is interesting. The London County Councils Act was passed in 1888, and, believing themselves to be eligible for election to the newly-created governing body, three distinguished women, Lady Sandhurst, Miss Cobden, and Miss Cons, submitted themselves for election, and were successful. The candidate in Brixton whom Lady Sandhurst defeated—Mr Beresford Hope—petitioned against her return on the sole ground that she was a woman. He begged that her election should be declared null and void and that he might be declared the elected person. The case was taken before the Court of Queen's Bench and judgment was given for Mr Beresford Hope on both counts. Leave was given to appeal against the judgment, and the case was taken into the full Court of Appeal. The presiding judge was the late Lord Coleridge, with whom sat five colleagues.

The women based their case on three Acts of Parliament—Lord Brougham's Act, of 1851,

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