Mr Wilson to the Executive of the NC League

Written from Pitsmoor, Sheffield. On the advice of Mr Stansfeld, the NA propose to hold a Conference at the Cannon Street Hotel on 4 May to protest against the system which drove Mrs Percy to drown herself at Aldershot. He himself does not fully sympathise with this form of protest, but feels they should give a man like Stansfeld all the support they can. Proposes that representatives should be sent up to the Conference rather than large bodies of listeners and that the expense of such representatives should be paid. Will they please vote on these points.

'The National Association'

This was the central body of the organisation pledged to the abolition of the CD Acts. The address was (1) Great Marlborough St and (2) 27 Great George St, Westminster, from Apr 1875. It coordinated all the local associations and the organisation of the south was mainly in its hands. The Secretary at this time was Mr Banks

'to protect against the system which drove poor Mrs Percy to drown herself at Aldershot'

For letters dealing with this tragedy see collection put together at beginning of Apr 1875

'Repeal Associations'

These were local associations; the first regional body was the Northern Counties League with HJ Wilson as Hon Sec, followed by the Midland Counties Electoral Union, till the British Isles was almost completely covered

'subjected districts'

These were special areas listed in the CD Acts in which a corps of special police, centrally appointed, were empowered to arrest any woman whom they had 'good cause to believe' to be a common prostitute. Their business was to make and keep a list of licensed prostitutes, who must submit to regular medical examination

John Kane of Darlington

See his letter of 23 Apr accepting the invitation to attend the meeting of 5 May at Cannon St Hotel to protest against the system which drove Mrs Percy to drown herself at Aldershot

Biog: Mrs Percy; Mr Stansfeld; Mr Banks; Bishop Ryan of Bradford; John Kane of Darlington