Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1802. Franchise For Women.

Manawatu Herald, 12 April 1892, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1802. Franchise For Women.

» . ■ Bather a carious commentary on the desire of women to posses? the franchise reaches us from Boston, the acknowledged centre of American sultre and progressive thought. The right of voting for school commissioners was conferred on the women )f Boston some years ago, and the advocates of women's rights in that :ity are now in " something of a fix " bo explain their apathy in making use )f the privilege which they had gained only after a long and determined struggle. In the year 1888, it appears, 20,252 women registered is voters, and 19,490 voted at the Section.' In-1889 only 10,051 voted, n 1890 the number had fallen to 7434, while in 1891 less than 6000 exercised the franchise. Thus it ippears that the women of Massashusetts not only worked hard and clamorously but successfully to ob;ain the privilege of voting for Commissioners, and yet in the space of ihree years the number of those who wailed* themselves of their new toy tell from nearly 20,000 to 6000. In )ther portions of the United States aronien are not only allowed to vote md have their names inscribed on ihe electoral roll, but they even sit. is jurors — a privilege that not many ;gU.mitU ladies would appreciate, we

imagine, after a single reduction of the theory into practice. But whether they will exercise their rights or not, when once they have been obtained, is perhaps a matter that may most judiciously left to the ladies themselves to decide. Theoretically the advocates of the enfranchisement of women are manifestly in the right. The main argument in its favour is, of course, that every taxpayer should have a voice in the government of the country. In no colony is property exempted from assessment and taxation because its owner is a female, " unprotected " or otherwise. Se far as taxation and submission to legislation are concerned the law makes no distinction of sex, and in theory therefore the female taxpayer has a right to a vote or to demand that she shall not be taxed. But the aspect of the question which most requires consideration is not the theoretical equity of female suffrage, but its practical utility. ' Now in this connection it is very plain that the tendency of both Home and Colonial legislation for years past,, has been to elevate women from a position of subjection and endow her with new opportunities and new responsibilities. A. married woman is now enabled to reserve for herself her separate earnings. In the matter of legal evidence, in trusteeship, and in the oustody of her own savings and earnings, larger powers are constantly being extended tb women, and the whole trend of legislation is clearly to endow the wife with a personality distinct and separate from that of her husband. To further endow the woman by giving her a voice in the making of laws is only a further step in the path which legislation has already marked out and chosen. It is very possible indeed that one of the consequences of conferring the franchise on women would be the ultimate destruction of several peculiar advantages which men now enjoy by operation of law. But as the proposed extension of the franchise is theoretically just and defensible, on the grounds of principle it must be adjudged not by its consequences, but by its equities, and by them alone. How strongly Sir John Hall's bill was supported in the House last session, how fiercely it was attacked, and how eventually it was burked by the shameless finesse of Mr Ballanoe all our readers know. But events move fast in these latter days. Next session it is quite certain that Sir John's bill will become law —and then !

Messrs Stevens & Gorton's Awahuri Sale will be held on the 20th. Davy's Bright Lights open at the hall this evening. Prom all we hear the company is a genuine one. The Marionettes alone are worth the money to see. In Hennessey Westwood & Cos. store there is a fine specimen of a pumpkin, grown by Mr A. Jonson, which turns the scales at 57lbs ! The Easter holiday train arrangements are published elsewhere. Return tickets to Wellington wil! be issued from the 12th to the 18th April available for return to Ghe 3rd May. The railway service will 'ie suspended- between Foston and Longburn on Friday. On Easter Monday and Tuesday the train will leave Foxton at 8 30. a.m. instead of 9 a m., and will arrive at Foxton at 8.40. p.m. On Thurs. day and Monday the Wellington midday train will be delayed till 6 p.m. Judges differ extremely in the sentences they inflict for similar offences, About a year ago Mr Gower "sentenced a man to six months' imprisonment for using obsoene language at the boating shed within the hearing of the public ; last Court day the Resident Magistrate sentenced a man, for using obscene language in the main street of the town, within the hearing of the Salvation Army lassies and by-standers, to three days imprisonment. This is an instance of extremes meeting ! The coroner's jury at Rainhill have brought a verdict of wilful murder against Frederick Tailey Deeming. Deeming, or Williams, will stand his trial in Melbourne the '22nd. instant. •Thomas -MoPhaii ' on . Friday had his right arm taken off between the elbow and shoulder in a soutoher at Scott's ferry. He was sent to Wanganui Hospital. Whilst in the gaol at Adelaide the notorious Williams cut his moustache off at night with a bib of glass, which has changed his appearanoe so muoh that it is feared he will oe hard, to identify by the different witnesses who saw him but a short time before. New regulations have been made under the Poisons Act, 1871, and these come into force on May 1. They provide that every person selling or disposing of strychnine or arsenic must obtain from the purchaser a declaration stating precisely (1) the Christian name and surname of the intending purohaser at full length, together with his or her occupation and address ; (2) the exact quantity and name of the poison required ; and (3) the express purpose or purposes for which such poison is alone intended to be used, and the places and localities where the same is to be used or deposited respectively. The declaration, after the purohase is oompleted, is to be sent straightway to the Registrar of the district. These regulations do not apply to the"vvholesale disposal of arsenio for the cure of disease in sheep. Writing on the Eleotoral Bill the Post puts the proposals of the Government in a proper light. " Those who have something at stake are not prepared to hand the colony over unreservedly to the floatiug population, whose sole claim to a voice in public affairs may be six months' lodging in a district. Property is entit'ed to some consideration and representation, and as the majority of the present electors possess property of some kind or another, they will look with little favour on the rampant revolutionary policy which would give th? drunken, ignorant, loafer, who perhaps passes half his time in fcaol, the , sain: political power and status as the respect able artizan who lives in his own house, the steady workman who is a householder and bringing tip a family, tlie educated and intelligent man who -earns his living by clerical .or intellectual labour, or tin Owner of broad ttflies:"

The Quakers in England are raising for sufferers from the famine in Russia a relief fund, which already amounts to over £16,000. Tenders called for by the Manawatu County Council must be in by noon tomorrow. The usual sitting of the Resident Magistrates' Court next month, will ba adjourned rom the sth May to the 12th May, Th.c Stewards of the Foxton Bacing Club at a meeting last night decided to request Mr T. Knight to act as judge at the races to-morrow in the absence of Mr Davidson. It was also decided that Miss Stansell should be requested to present the bracelet to the lady in whose name the winner of the handicap is nominated immediately after the race, Messrs Dudson Brothers invite tenders for paddocking. Tenders close on Saturday next. Major W. S. Tisdall, who served during the VVaikaio war, and was for several years past Government Auditor in Auckland, died on Friday morning at Parnell suddenly, from an apoplectic seizure. He was sixty-two years of age. He was auditing the Faraell Borough Council accounts Thursday afternoon, when he took a fit, and never recovered, consciousness. The deoeased joined the Seoond Waikato Begiment in 1865, and subsequently joined the Armed Constabulary. Miss Hewitt, formerly of Dunedin High School, but for the last seven years Principal of the Napier Girls' High School, died on Friday somewhat suddenly, though she had been in illhealth for some years. Miss Hewitt was an ardent sooial reformer, amongst other things objecting on sanitary ground to the burial of the dead. When her will was opened it was found that she desired her body to be cremated if possible, but in the absence of suitable appliances it was to be taken to sea and sunk. On Saturday afternoon a steamer took the body six miles from shore where it was committed to the sea. Dean Hovell reading the burial service. On the Ist page of this paper is a striking announcement of special shipments of English made Blankets imported for the present season's requirements at Te Aro House, Wellington. Now these Elankets are specially good value, that is to say, the prices are exceedingly moderate and the qualities are exceedingly good. Our London buyers consider themselves experts on the matter of Blankets, and that is the reason why we give suoh excellent value and do so large a trade in them at Te Aro House, Wellington. We have an immense stock of these Blankets in all sizes, not only English but Colonial, and we have a large variety of Colored Blankets, Austrian Bugs, Newmarket Bugs, &c, &c, at Te Aro House, Wellington. It is very certain that in all drapery articles of house furnishing it would be in -ossible to find elsewhere such advances as we are abb to offer the public suoh as large variety, such moderate prices and such an excellent Carpet and Furnishing Department as there are at Te Aro House Wellington. Housekeepers, hotelkeepers, stationholders, and all those about to marry should without doubt for their own advantage write or call at Te Aro House, Wei* lington. Messrs Ross and Sandford of the Bon Marche, Palmerston North, beg to intimate to their numerous customers in the district, that the additions to their premises are now completed, their first Direct Shipments of Autumn and Winter goods for all Departments, which are on a more extensive scale than on any former season are also to hand and ready to select from, and they respectfully solicit the early inspection of customers, they direct special attention to their stocks in the following Departments viz : — Dressgoods, Mantles, Plush and Scalette Jackets, Ulsters, Millinery and Fancy goods ; also Flannels and Blankets, General Drapery and Household Furnishing, which are now stocked more largely than formerly and in keeping with their extended premises, Boss & Sandjobd, the Bon March, Palmerston North.