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aTHE YORK ROAD LIBERALASSOCIATION.The usual fortnightly meeting of this Association was held on Tuesday evening, at the Goat Coffee Tavern, York-road, Mr. B. Baker in the chair.Mr. Dyer introduced the subject of the Contagious Diseases Act. He commenced his address by calling attention to the surreptitious way in -which the Acts were passed into law, and to the military and naval element in the House by whom the Acts are|supported. These “ officers and gentlemen” measured the soldier’s corn by their own bushel, and instead of initiating efforts to improve the moral condition of the men, treated them as veritable brutes with no mind for anything higher than the gratification of their animal appetites. So the House of Commons passed the measure, theLords endorsed it, the Queen gave it her sanction.Thase acts had brought into existence one of the greatest anomalies of a free country—a secret spy police. These men resemble for the most part the Meiklejohns of the force, and are not chosen on account of any particular refinement ofcharacter. The arbitrary power put into the hands of these men was something tremendous. It had been asserted that these laws reduced prostitution. This is not the case, they increase it, and they work as though it were one of their duties, to find fresh objects for lustful men. Women are driven into prostitution by the spy police, who however only performed the duty they were employed to carry out under the aegis of paternal government. The whole drift of regulated prostitution in every country was to cast, all its burdens and indignities upon women. Now suppose a law had* been made to examine men. That every man whom a secret police could detect speaking to a woman of the town were to recei ve a mandate to appear periodically for examination, and this would be the best check possible against prostitution, and consequently agaihst the spread of disease. The cry would immediately have been raised of the Constitution in danger. It would not be a good thoig to appTv such an act to men; it is monstrous, vile, and abominable as applied to women, and all good men and true, to whichever political party they may belong, Liberal, Conservative, Radical or Republican, should unite together in uprooting this wicked and atrocious law, and in securing once more to every man a.,d woman in Great Britain the sole right to and freedom of their own person.After a discussion, in which Mr. Mellor and other members took part, the following resolution, proposed by Mr. P. R. Jutsum, and seconded by Mr. Lewis Frisby, was unanimously, agreed tou That this meeting regards with the utmostabhorrence the attempt to license prostitution in this country under the operations of th?Contagious Diseases Acts relating to women, having beenconvinced that these laws are an encroachment*upon the rights of the people. This meeting, therefore, calls upon the present Government toimmediately and totally repeal the said Acts.”*A vote of thanks to the Chairmau concluded the proceedings. .ac c
Newspaper Details
London South Gazette Which Is Incorporated Camberwell News
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Nov 06, 1880
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Elena E.
RO 03 Jan 2021
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