WOMANHOOD SUFFRAGE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3933, 31 March 1870, Page 4

WOMANHOOD SUFFRAGE.

The Thames Advertiser contends that women had the ri^ht to vote in the election of a Mining Board for the Thames. The Advertiser &aj rs : —" We daresay that many of our readers will be surprised to hear that a woman voted at last Tuesday's election for members of the Mining Board. The right of a woman to vote is, we believe, in this case, indefeasible in point of law, and is certainly beyond all question on the score of fairness and justice. By the C4oldfiekU Act his Honoi 1 the Superintendent is empowered to prescribe the manner in which the election is to be conducted y and, whether or not his Honor is an advocate for woman's rights, he had so worded the proclamation that any woman holding a miner's right could vote. The constituency is, "persons holding miners' lights."' So far as respects the right to vote for members of Assembly on a miner's right, women are excluded, the tei'ms of the Miners Representation Act, 1862 being " every man of the age of twenty-one or upwaids." The question was raised on Tuesday by our respected fellow-townsman Mr. G-. H. Hagin, of the New Caledonia Hotel, who consulted Mr. Macdonald as to whether his wife's vote could be refused. Mr. Macdonald, Me believe, advised that it could not, and on Mrs. Hagin tendering her vote to JVr. Davy, Senior Warden, who had charge of the election, he could not see that he had authority to refuse it, and the vete was recorded. We may aay that, if the Mining Board is to have a certain power witli reference to mining interests, we do not see why womon who hold these interests, and who are bound by all the conditions, should not be allowed to vote. Tf not, they ought not to be allowed to hold mining interests, and the (rovernmenl on£;ht not to take fees from them for miners' lights*,"'