The Portland daily press., 1895-03-21
AT THE LEGISLATURE
Yesterday Was A Field Day in the
Senate.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE BILL WAS DE-
FEATED ACCORDING TO PROGRAM.

The House Voted to Purchase photographs
of Maine Scenery Prepared by Photo
grapher Gay-Also Passed Resolve APP
propriating $e5 900 for Fish and Game
Commission-Senator Virgins Mill
Tax-Pay of the Members Again Under
Discussion.
Augusta. March, 2u-This was understood
to be likely TO develop in the Senate. into
what in the time honored phraseo1oGy of the
reporter is a ''deld day. The long list of
special assignments, included the enabling
act in reference to the removal of the YORK
| county seat. the bill comforting upon
women the right to vote in municipal
affairs. the resolve for she submission of
the non-sectsrian amendment, and the re-
ports on the Goraam normal school dormi-
tories. The ladies were present as they al
ways are on field day. and occupied
nearly all the available chairs and sofas.
In the morning hour the Senate passed
the amended resolve appropriating $4,000
| for the dornitory for the Portland School
for the Deaf.
The bill to revise the liquor agency sys-
tenn was assigned for consideration tomor-
lutions in favor of making the birthday Of
A bIaham Lincoln national holiday were
passed in concurrence with the House.
When the special assignments were
reached. Senator Prescott said that in de-
ference to the pIese nee of tae ladies. who
had come to hear the debate on the suff-
rage. the Senators interested in the enabl-
ing act in reference TO York county, would
| VIA10 RAT nj tba
Then the president announced as the
business before the house. reports A and
B of the committee on the Judiciary on the
petition of Mrs. L. NJ. N. Stevens and 95s2
others that the right TO vote in municipal
affairs be conferred upon women.
| Senator Hovey moved that the Senate
concur with the House in the adoption of
report A in favor of the measure. Mr..
Hovey reviewed at some length the aIgu-
| ments in favor of woman suffrage and the
answers to the arguments advanced against.
Mr.. Hovey told of the influence of woman
in the government of the world. This
country is the result, he said. of the efforts
of a man and.a woman. Columbus VINO dig
covered it and Queen Isabella who gave her
jewels to enable the expedition to get out
| on its voyage of discovery. Then Mr.. How
ely went q. over to England. skipping cen
tury or so, and found another argument in
| support of his cause in the reign of Queen
ELIZABETH, whom he declared to be q great ter
diplomat than the men who sat on the
| thrones OF Europe during her life. Queen
Victoria, who succeeded four aiisuocratic
blockheads," also gave through her history
MS the ruler of nation and the mother
who had reared nine OF ten children ,anoth-
| er argument in favor of woman suffrage,
Coming over to America and down to the
present day MI. Hovey said we let our wives
| and mothers vote in church affairs and
there is no trouble. They vote on the stock
they hold in corporations and we make no
| objection, but if they convert that stock
into real estate they can no longer vote up
| on it," Women, Mr.. Hovey believes, would
| be more partisan than men. The oppon-
| ents of this measure would have women so
good that they fear to have the soft winds
| OF Heaven fan them. Hr. Hoyey believes
| that men and women should stand on the
same footing. The measure, Mr.. Hovey be-
lieyes, would result in good for the Repub-
lican party as the Democratic party is
against il. Mr.. Hovey's speech was re-
ceived with close attention and.was an
plauded at its close. There was also consid-
| cradle amusement when he said that it is
| argued that women could not fight Mr.,
| Hovey explained that he meant to say it is
| argued that women cannot bear arms in
| time of war.
| Senator Hume said that it mad been
agreed thar speech making should be omit
| ted from The consideration of this question,
as it was one on which the minds of the
members were made up. He moved that
the vote be taken BY yeas and nays and the
motion was seconded. When the result of
| the roll = call was announced it appeared
| that eleven members had voted for female
| suffrage and sixteen against it. One pair
was announced which makes the record
| twelve for and seventeen against. Some
time ago, the. published "a poll of
the Senate on the question and that showed
sixteen against. eight for and four who
declined to express an opinion, three men,
bers not being noted. 1t will be seen by
| this that if there have been any CONVEX
sions in the past few weeks, the indications
are that they have been mainly to the
| measure and Lot to the opposition. This is
the vote in detail:
In favor of municipal suffrage for women
Senators Cook, Engel. Hovey, Marston,
Morrill,, Penney, Prescott, Reynolds, Shaw,
Walls, Weeks-1l
| Opposed-Senators Ames. Day, Ferguson,
Harlow, Higgins. Hill, Hume. Maxwell,
Mitchell. Nickerson, spofford, Stone, Wig
gin and Wood-15.
Paired-Senator Simpson (yes) with Sena
tor Waterhouse tno) Mr.. Simpson was abb
sent and the pair was announced by Mr.,
| Warehouse.
Report B. against the measure, was then
| acc epted.
After the vote, a Senator who favors the
measure, said that the two absent Senators
were understood to be in favor of it. Mrs.
l.. NJ. N. Stevens was an interested spec
tator and is greatly pleased al the result.
She says that the great ma jority for the
measure in the House, and the very respec-
table minority in it's favor in the Senate
| have put the question in better position
| than it has held heretofore.
TO ADVERTISE THE STATE.
| The resolve to appropriate $3.50 for the
| purchase Of photographs of Maine scenery
TO be prepared by MIR. ". II. Gay and sent
out into the Great West to advertise the
| N q a of he %atz . he