Josephine Butler to Mary Priestman

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 106 3JBL/34/39
  • Former Reference
      GB 106 4377
  • Dates of Creation
      26 Jul [1895]
  • Physical Description
      1 item

Scope and Content

Written from St Beatenberg

'I have followed the Elections with painful interest'. Afraid that the result of the Election [Lord Salisbury formed his third Cabinet in Jun 1895] will mean that their good causes may have to wait awhile longer, but she does not feel depressed or discouraged.

'The case of the New Zealand women is the worst of all ... the first use they make of it is to ... publish in all the newspapers a Resolution ... in favour of the Contagious Diseases Acts'

Women Suffrage was granted to the women of New Zealand in 1893, the first women of British citizenship to be given the vote.

A further blow is that Lady Henry Somerset and Miss Willard have appointed a lady to be a worker on the Continent of Europe for the 'Purity Cause' who knows nothing of the Federation work. Mrs Andrew and Dr Bushnell (who had carried out investigations in India on the State Regulation of women) believed they would be appointed and feel slightly bitter. (See letter dated 3 May 1895)

Administrative / Biographical History

Biog: Walter McLaren, Dadhobai Naoroji, John Morley, Mr Aldis of Auckland, Mr Pierson, Lady Henry Somerset, Miss Willard, Dr Bushnell and Mrs Andrew, Miss Ackerman, Mrs Meuricoffre