The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-07

man. but the Hodse rejected the amsndmeai
By 1875 votes against 81 Scarcely. however,
had the second Reform bill been enacted when
certain lawyers asserted that. legally women
we're entitled 10 tho electoral franchise Their
argument was that in former centuries. wo-
men had enjoyed the right to vote. and as no
legislative enactment had taken II away. they
remained 70 !ull possession OF their electoral
| capacity. tits true that the first Reform bill,
that Of 1882. expressly stated that the fran
chise was EraHr,l to every malo person"
But IL was insisted that this restriction
| related only to the franchises introduced
by that act. and not to any Of the old
| electoral qualifications, as. for instance,
that OF Bodybuilding freeholders It was
also pointed out that the act OF 1857.
in establishing a new franchise. no longer
used the term male person" but every
man." and the statute known as Lord
DrouRham's act provided that. in all acts.
the term every man" should be held ar
plicable 10 both rsIcs unless there were an
express provision TO the contrary. To the adj
vocAtes OF female suffrage these arguments
seemed 40 irresistible that women decided to
tender their votes at tho next election. In
Manchester. which becams the centre OF a0lta-
ton for woman suffrage more than i've thou
sand women appealed against the decisions OF
the Revising Barristsrs who had refused to
place their names upon the register. All these
Appeals wers dealt with collectively in test
case the court deciding that women we're not
entitled to the franchise. on the ground that.
lefore 1897. they were legally incapacitatod
from voting for members OF Parliament and
that the provisions OF the act OF 1857 were
limited to men and did not extend TO women.
Beaten In the law courts. the pnrtisnns OF
woman's political rights turned again to the
Legislature. But in 1870 the proposal made
In Parliament for granting woman Suffrage
was again rejected. subsequently. women
obtained q vote at certain local elections and
thor privileges in this respect are still further
extended by the Parish Councils bill now pend
ing In tho House Of Commons. The attempts
however. to secure the right to vote at Parlin-
mentary elections have hitherto miscarried.
The last Parliamentary debate upon woman
suffrage In 1892 showed that there Is yet In
tho House OF Commons powerful majority
made mn Of m en- bers 81 all parties. who are
decidedly opposed to increasing the electorate
BY giving women votes Nevertheless. In one
Of the British islands. and In one OF the British
colonies. the advocates OF woman's political
emancipation have. at last, seen their
hopes realized. In the Isle OF Man.
by virtue OF a law proclaimed according |
to ancient custom. from the top OF Tynwald. |
on Jan. 81, 1881. female owners Of real estate |
having an annual rental Of $50 or upward were |
admitted as voters for the House OF Keys. tho |
popular branch of the Manx Legislature. In |
the colony Of New Xenland also the LeRisla- |
ture in September 1898. passed an Electoral |
Reform bill which confers tho right OF fran |
chise upon women. Before passing to . re-
view Of the situation In the United States we |
may note that in Holland. where a claim was
made by woman to be enrolled upon tho |
electoral lists. the high coet OF the kingdom
decided In 1888 that female voting was con-
trary to the principles OF the Constitution. In
the revision OF the Dutch Constitution made
four years later. the word male was inserted
In all the provisions relating to elections