FEMALE FRANCHISE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4084, 23 August 1884, Page 4

FEMALE FRANCHISE.

The Constitution Amendment Act, which, according to our latest exchanges, was under discussion in the Tnsinanian House of Assembly, provides for the extension of the franchise to unmarried women and widows who arc taxpayers. Tho Premier, in referring to the matter, said—"Last year women holding property had been entrusted by the Legislature with the power of voting in municipal and road trust elections. That being the case, liow ould they object when it was proposed to put all ratepayers on tho roll, to except women who were ratepayers \ If the privilege was not given they would have to bo specially exempted. These women discharged all the ordinary duties of citizens, and by what right could tho Legislature tax their properties, and say the only persons who should represent those properties could not have any voice in the choice of a representative ? Without any sentiment at all, but simply as a matter of reason and justice, the Legislature was bound to give v vote to those persons. A married woman was represented in the person of of her husband. No one asked or desired to give a vote to married women. Those women whom the Bill proposed to enfranchise already lrul tho right to vote for municipal elections and elections of road trustees, and while it was proposed by the Opposition to give a vote to any man who earned £50 a year, they objected to give it to women, however intelligent, however superior, however fit they might be for the trust, simply because they might bo laughed at by people who did not take the trouble to look and see that no ground of reason or justice existed for refusing to grant them the suffrage." An honorable member thought the course proposed by the Government would be injurious to political institutions and to the ladies themselves, and it was surely illogical to extend tho franchise to unmarried women and widows while it was withheld from married women. He trusted the clause would not pass, and that women would have greater respect for tho traditional attributes of their sex than to descend to the political arena. Another speaker said, that with respect to the women's franchise question, ho was in trouble —["Oh, oh," and laughter]—and really didn't know how to make up his mind. [Laughter.] He thought women should attend to their domestic duties, and he would vote against the clause. The Bill, including the privileges above referred to, was read a second (inie.