Josephine Butler to Mr Martineau

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 106 3JBL/07/61
  • Former Reference
      GB 106 3271
  • Dates of Creation
      27 May [1873]
  • Physical Description
      1 item

Scope and Content

Copy of letter. Written from Liverpool. She heard the debate on the second reading of Fowler's Repeal Bill, which took place on Wednesday the 21st. She analyses the voting very carefully with comments on the individuals and how and why they voted as they did. Tells him she has been ordered to a warm country on account of congestion of the lungs. She is very hopeful about being restored 'so don't let any kind friends make long faces'. Relates what Stansfeld told her of the conversation between himself and Mr Cardwell which ended by his saying 'we shall break up as a party, and it is fit we should ...this question is the one which will break us up.' She thought Mr Fowler's speech was good and Mr Henley's speech affected her deeply: 'his voice was a voice from a completely different atmosphere and the House...listened to him in profound silence.'

Administrative / Biographical History

'I am ... full of thankfulness about last Wednesday's division' - This was the debate and final division on Fowler's Repeal Bill brought up in the House for the 2nd reading 21 May 1873. It was thrown out 128 for; 251 against - majority against 123. Fowler, Mundella, Henley, Cowper Temple spoke. (Rough Record 240). (For full account of the parliamentary history of the Bill see JB to Mr HJ Wilson [6] Apr 1872

'It was delightful to see the faces of John Bright's sisters when I announced to them his vote - the clasped hands and whispered thanks to God' - The sisters were Mrs Priscilla Bright McLaren and Mrs Margaret Bright Lucas, both friends of JB and devoted to the Cause

Biog: Mr RF Martineau; Mr Hibbert (Sir John); MRW Forster; Mr Winterbotham; Mr Ainge [Abstained from voting: Wheelhouse (Leeds); Torr (Liverpool); Dalrymple (Bath); Torrens Cambridge)]; Henry James (Taunton); Ray Shuttleworth (Hastings); Jacob Bright; Mr Mundella; Mr Stansfeld; Mr Cardwell; Mr Fowler; Mr Henley; Mrs Kenway; Mr McLaren; Mrs Lucas