The Cat and Mouse Act 1913

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The Cat and Mouse Act 1913

Causes

  • Women who had been arrested due to militant Suffragette methods began to go on hunger strikes
  • Hunger strikes weakened the women in prison so the Government had to do something
  • 1913: Actual name of the Cat and Mouse Act is the Prisoners Temporary Discharge for Health Act
  • It passed with 296 votes to 43 although there were many protests

Effects

  • When a woman became weak due to hunger strike she was released from prison
  • Once health had been regained she was then arrested again and put back into prison
  • It punished the women several times over

Overall summary

It had much bad reception from the press with news condemning these methods used however they also disagreed with the militant methods used by the Suffragettes preferring peaceful methods. The Times was completely against the women's vote as believed women were lunatics with hysteria. It was a bad act as it punished women more then they actually should have been for their actions.

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