The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-10-06
LEGISLATIVE NOTES AND NEWS.
SALEM, Friday, Sept. %, 1876.

10 THE EDITOR OF THE NEW NORTHWEST:
After the adjournment of the o. S. w.
S. A, a number of the ladies went to the
House to see what would be the fate of
the petition.
The Hon. Mr.. Cheesman, to whom we
had intrusted our petition, promised to
make the attempt to get the order of
business suspended, in order that ladies
who had come from distance might be
present when the petition was pre-
sented. Soon after the House met in
the afternoon, he made motion that
the order of business be suspended that
he might present our petition. The
motion was lost.
After a few more bills were disposed
of, he made a second motion to the same
effect, urging his motion by an expla-
nation that several ladies were present
awaiting the action of the Honse, stat
ing the number of names on the petit
tion 1859, and asking the courtesy of
the House for the ladies present This
had the desired effect. l send the names
of the voters, and please note that only
four Republicans voted against the sus-
pension of the rules, and remember who
they were. CIV. P. I. Grubbe of Doug
las, D. NJ. c. Gault of Washington, S.
Smith of Marion, D. Goodsell of Multi
nomah). Quite a number of Democrats
voted in our favor, and the vote stood
A years to Is nays.
AS soon as the petition was read, a
motion was made to refer it the Judici-
ary Committee.
Mr.. Cheesman moved to amend by
proposing a joint committee of two from
the House and two from the Senate.
An amendment to the petition was
offered Il am sorry to say do not know
the gentleman's name, to substitute for
the age 81, at which women should be-
come voters, the age of 80. The chair
did not for a moment entertain this mo-
tion.
Mr.. Fenton thought the Judiciary
Committee the proper committee, and
put on little injured innocence on ac-
count of the inference that he drew from
Mr.. Cheeseman's motion to refer to a
separate committee, promising to deal
fairly with the petition, which promise
please make note of.
Mr.. Fidler did not think the Judiciary
Committee the proper committee, and
moved to meet in committee of the
whole at o'clock to consider the peti.
ton.
A motion was here rushed in to in,
definitely postpone.
Mr.. Fidler, very quietly asking if thai
motion did not finish the whole bust
ness, put the thing in the proper light
and when the vote was taken, amid some
excitement both among the voters anC
the ladies, it stood 81 noes to 2;
ayes. OF this latter number Grubbe
Goodsell, Gault, and Porter of Marion
were the Republicans who voted for in
definite postponement. 1 think S
Smith of Marion changed his vote ant
voted for postponement, but his vote i
not so recorded in my list.
The gentleman from Benton opposed
the motion to refer to Committee of tn
Whole.
An amendment was made to postpOn
till Monday at 4 o'clock. Yeas, &c
nays, "a.
a motion to lay on the table was lost
think sometime during this muss
when the violent opponents of the peti
ton were trying their best to put
down, that a motion to adjourn was put
but on some account was not voted or
or if voted on, was lost. 1 may be mis-
taken about it, however.
The friends of good order and commo
: politeness prevailed after all, and just a
we were rejoicing in the probable sue
cess of Mr.. Fidler's motion, he upse
the whole by withdrawing it, on az
count, las he afterward told me), of th
fact that the thing was not in the righ
shape for discussion, but should be i
! the form of a bill. This was correct
but we would have liked to have ha
the discussion, bill or no bill. Whethe
a bill be reported by the Judiciary Con
mittee, depends. Mcbride and FentoI
) whom 1 know are on that committe,
voted for suspending the rules and
our favor every time; but L am tol
they are anti-suffragists. They may /
that and be honest, I suppose.
REPORTER.