Repeal of the CD Acts

Extensions of the Acts

The CD Act (1866) widened the scope to 18 military/naval towns.
The CD Act (1869) extended the 5 more naval towns and imprisonment for examination to six months

Royal Commission 1871

1869 -- The National Association for the Repeal of the CD Acts was formed, little progress made

A new political climate helped increase potential of repeal as of the 1867 Reform Act and women's suffrage groups.

Pressure to repeal the acts were immediate

Josephine Butler

The LNA was against the presumed guilt and seeked to question the morality of the men involved

1870 - Became Leader of the Ladies National Association

Pushed Butler to moral reform, especially after seeing the state women were in, in Liverpool

Born into wealthy, reformist family, husband helped reform beliefs, 6yo. daughter fell down stairs and died

LNA Leadership

The repeal was argued on several points:

Waging unequal war on weaker sex only

Presumed guilty until proven innocent

Persecute working-class women limiting freedom of movement

A general Committee of the LNA and the "Ladies Protest" were created and were signed by 124 members in the Daily News

Butler opened a new House of Rest for women who needed temp-shelter

The LNA were mostly led by middle class women

Methods of campaigning

Petitions

Between 1870-86, 18,000 petitions were signed by 2.5m people and sent to Parliament

Public meetings

Held in Church halls, town halls, advertised with posters and adverts in local papers, signatures collected afterwards.

Lobbying MPs

Most effective, harrasement of Liberal MPs

Henry Joseph Wilson

League members were also Liberal supporters, the most effective league leader was Henry Joseph Wilson

Wilson's causes included disesta-Anglican Church, Irish Home Rule, Anti-Imperialism and the end of the Opium Trade

Wilson's political interests were born of radical tradition from his father and devotion to civic duty

James Stansfield

1874 - Liberals lost GE and repeal chances fell

James Stansfield, a cabinet minister, gave the campaign political legitimacy

Stansfield led the campaign, and he encouraged the formation of the National Medical Association in 1875 to enlist the support of doctors.

1880s - Surge of support, with more radical Liberal MPs

In 1880, Stansfield returned to Parliament and helped in a committee who listened to testimonies of doctors, stalemate

Repeal of the Acts

Act became in effective and repealed in 1886.

"House disapproves of complusory examinations of women under CD Acts"

Passed 182 to 110

Wilson, now an MP, with Stansfield pushed for change in Commons

Significance of the repeal campaign

Butler was credited for the success of the movement, building up popular support across classes and genders

The success of the campaign for the repeal of the Acts inspired many more who fought for women’s rights