The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-10-20
LEGISLATIVE NOTES AND NEWS.

convene at O'Clock to discuss the ques-d
ton of Woman Suffrage, therefore the
services of your reporter would be
needed. The evening came, "And Ore
gon's capital had gathered there her
beauty and her cbivalry. And bright
the lamps shown DER fair women and
brave men," The lobby was we'll filled,
and all available seats were brought in
to accommodate the people who fiOcked
in to hear the discussion.
The first motion made, after we
arrived, was to lay the resolution
that had been previously offered on
the table. The resolution was the one
which proposed to allow the people to
vote on the question of changing the
Constitution of the State and giving to
women the ballot. 1t had been unani-
mously recommended by the Judiciary
Committee, and was now before the
House.
Pending this motion, there was a mo-
tion that the roll be called. This was
done and eleven members found absent.
A motion to send the Sergeant-at-
arms for absent members was carried.
a motion to lay the resolution on the
table was again lost.
A motion to limit the time of speak
ers to fifteen minutes was followed by
an amendment to limit to five minutes.
That was put and lost, carrying with it
the original motion.
Another motion to limit to twelve
minutes was lost.
After all this sparring and trying to
dodge the business for which the House
had assembled in special session, the
enemy finally came out fairly and
moved to indefinitely postpone. This
brought out Mr.. Fenton, one of the
members of the Judiciary Committee
in fine speech against postponement
He said it was the part of towards tC
call out the people for the express pur
pose of discussing a subject and ther
slip out of it in this way. He proposed
to deal honestly with the subject, and
although he was inclined to oppose (,
new thing until he was convinced tina
change would be for the benefit of all
he was willing to give to all petitioner
fair hearing.
Mr.. Ferguson spoke decidedly and ef
fectively against postponement. Thougl
f opposed to Woman Suffrage, he wa
willing to hear what its advocates ha
to say, and he thought it would be yer
7 unfair to call people here to hear thi
subject discussed and then send ther
+ away without giving them the opportu
nifty to do so.
a Mr.. Benjamin made short speec
q against pOstponement.
Mr.. Cheesman said at is not ju!
o to the ladies present; it is not just
e the gentlemen; it is not just to ou
}. selves"
q Reading of the resolution was calle
e for. 1t was read.
n Two other members of the Judicial
= Committee thought it would be treatir
v them with contempt to postpone tn
Is resolution after it had been unan
mously recommended by them.
q The vote was taken and the resu
,e was: Yeas, 8; nays, So. The motto
to indefinitely postpone was lost.
in The resolution was finally brought Il
c. Mr.. Fenton spoke in favor of the res
le luton, "because it is in consonan
I'd with the spirit of the nation-the gre
s, principle on which our government
of founded. This is the only proper W;
of to decide the question; leave it to Il
as people to decide"
k. Mr.. Fenton's speech, though shoI
d, was effective; coming as it diI from
tn opponent to the Woman Suff. age caus
es it had more weight than if the same 6
C. guments had come from our side.
la feel grateful to Mr.. Fenton for the ge
erous, manly feeling expressed in the
VI speeches.
OF A motion to adjourn was here sprur
aI Amended by Mr.. Fenton to adjourn t
ot 70 o'clock at night. The motion a
VI amendment were promptly voted dow
" a short speech followed that I cot
ne t not hear, being on the farther side
nc the room.
nu The gentleman from Baker 1--WE thil
:" it was; at least, he was one protesting
be friend to the cause) presented t
III argument that as the nation had 60
nu down so low and lifted the negro to
lie level of free citizen, it should be wi
ing to ''sink down to the lowest strf
As and give to the ladies the same pri
lege."
Al l-n Our note at this point was: "Save
-. from our friends p'
IVY Mr.. Fidler of Josephine then enter
|s - upon lergthy speech against the re
luton.
Jus We did not take down the speech
- full length, but only noted some of
o'1 points we would like to answer. I
'ou first assertion was, "WOmen are
" posed 10 it," Is itany argument agai
' the right of any class of the commun
who present their claims that there
those who oppose them? As to whetl
a majority of women oppose this clai
). thv is question that cannot be prov
the by'assertiou of opinions; only by II
Ons ooD If ha settled The next no