Litchfield enquirer., 1870-07-14

De. when ms tflonQ rom DanDury n8Q taken his seat on the bench, he would be under oath, and he would try to convince him in trial, that woman should be the equal of man. rH
 Mir. Latham, of Groton, said this was 8 question which interested all on both sides of the House. God created man and wo- man and established the marriage relation, and said, "What man has put together" gether shall be one flesh" He had listen ed to the fine speeches, and had learned that this good State had become tyranni- cal. Shall we make the two heads in one family? There was trouble enough in families. Let us come up and act like men and put down this bill. What will it amount to? There is nothing but divorce If man happens to look at another wo- man, his wife gets a divorce, (Laughter) In the name of God let us stop this. I don't ask it for myself. Great laugh ter).
 MT. Seymour said that regard should be had to the rights acquired in the past, be- fore we act on this matter. There was no question of public virtue here. It would not be pretended that the past policy had not been virtuous policy. He would fa- vor the principle of the bill, but would not touch existing rights. Reforms were too apt to reach back and attempt to pull down existing institutions. He could see a flood of litigation springing out of this bill. Property of married women had been invested and spent, and multitude of suits would be brought. The existing law was not barbarous; it was designed, not to debase, but to elevate and protect woman. MT. Eaton had spoken almost cavalierly on the question of vested rights. The courts do set aside contracts and rights vesting under them, upon hearing; but this matter stands on different foot ing. The legislature has no right to pass a general law taking away rights that have vested. The bill should be made applica- ble to the future, as was the law of 1849. The danger in inaugurating steps of this kind, was that they were made to reach back to the past. This was the reason why reformers were distrusted, and conserva. tion so strong and popular. Under this bill, 8 woman might invest her property, and make the husband support her from his own property or income. This was not right.
 Mir. Doolittle said the gentlemen oppos- ing this bill, do not agree among them. selves as to the principles of the law. MT. Brewster had spoken co catbedra, and had read from Dr. Franklin as to the'sright" o1 suffrage. MT. Doolittle read from the con- stitution language where the elective franchise is spoken of as "privilege,' '' and begged to deliberately intimate, as it was not proper to controvert with a judge, that he stood with the respectable men who made the constitution. He explained the present law, and said the underlying principle of the bill was that the property of thu married woman should be for hel sole and separate use. It was right, and ought to be applied to existing as we'll as future marriages.
 MT. Wilcox, of Southington, called atten. tion to the provision about repairs, i'm provements, etc. made by husband on the wife's property. He related case where an old man had lived many years on farm belonging to his wife, expending on it all his earnings. The wife was insane, ,incapa ble of making will or conveying the prop erty to him. Without such bill as this, as he had no heir, the heirs at law could take the property, and send him to the poor house. He objected to some features of the bill as not conferring the equality claimed by its advocates as just. The bus. band is made responsible for the support of his wife and children, but there is nc such obligation upon the wife. If two marry with BIO 900 each, the husband must expend his for their joint support and the support of their children, while the wife could invest hers and leave it untouched The women should not have the power tc expend their money in extravaganza. He objected to the retro active features of the bill. Under this bill, if it passes, suffrage would be conferred on women before his friend Cowles could report to the House The trusteeship of husbonds being termi hated, the wives owning shares in joint stock companies, could come in and vote on their stock, at the annual meetings iu July. There were many men who hae married wealthy wives, and had lived com fortably. This bill will allow the wife tt sell the property, pocket the money, ane leave the gentleman to take care of him self. MT. Wilcox suggested several prac ! tical objections to the bill.
 MT. Olmstead suggested, in reply to tht objection to the bill, that interfered witl the vested rights of husbands, that the bill only dealt with the property of mar ried women. If property had vested 1T the husband. this bill did not apply to it He replied to MT. Wilcox's suggestion thai Q AuoObuO dAO SuAOA, "AIAS the wife had money. He did not believe any such case ever did or ever would arise Mir. Seymour's amendment would take the virtue out of the bill. He admits tha the principle of the bill is correct, and is inconsistent in proposing to apply 1t only to future marriages. Brewster wished to set himself right or the legal question of the ''right" of suffrage The term s'privilege" and several othel phrases were used in the law, but they were since exploded. He quoted from Mulford's Nation
 ''The right to vote is the right of every person who is member of the nation. Il is the first right of freedom. It is righ of every person who is member of the nation, that is. who is born and educated ! in it, as the nation itself is not simply { physical but moral organism. It is in tho assertion of this right alone that there l. the expression of thepolitical people. This, the latest expression of the Amer ican idea as to suffrage, is shared by the best thinkers of the land. This bill wa: brought here to meet a particular case; Il was crude and ought to be amended o1 squelched. Last year, Mir. Hooker present ed bill which had many good featnaes. MT. Eaton said he brought the bill here Mir. Brewster was mistaken in saying tha the bill was designed to meet particula case.
 Some further explanations were made by