WOMEN'S FRANCHISE LEAGUE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10359, 14 May 1895, Page 3

WOMEN'S FRANCHISE LEAGUE.

A meeting of the Women's Franchise League was held in. the Young Women's Christian Association|Rooms oh the 25fch ult. Mrs Hatton, president of the league, occupied the-c__»ir r 'ana there was a good attendance, a The Pebsident read the suggestioin of-the executive, to be lorwarded to other organisations in the colony, as a basis for a federation of women's organisations. The following at* the suggestions :—*

With the object of advancing the higher in. terests of womanhood, it is desirable that organisations of women throughout the colony should federate for purposes of mutual help and* cooperation. As there are many questions affecting men* and women claiming the sympathies of __d organisations of women, the platform of the federated societies should consist of planks upon. which all might agree and for which-, all nriglS feel free, to, work- The organisation" might ba known as the "New Zealand Women's Federal Council," and should be formed from delegates from organisations of women who may be* handed together for the purpose of raising woman to her proper position in political lite, o? who may be striving tolift men and women from the degradation into which they have fallen through the operation o| bad or unequal laws. The basis of' representation to the council shall be one-delegate" per each 100 members* (or fraction thereof), bi»t in no case to exceed five, to.be chosen annually in time for meeting of council. Old , delegates to act until, new ones are appointed. The council should in no way be hampered by considerations of political parties, and should be kept entirely free from, any kind of political partisanship. The following, we think, might be submitted as the foundation of a platform upon, which a plan of federation.might be reasonably arranged :—The objects of the council should be the consolidation of the political rights already won, the extension of the privileges cpenad up by our present political position, and the furtherance of all those claims by winch > we-seek to place women in her rightful position amongst men. To this end, then, we. submit: (1) That <is the divine law allows no liberty to' sin or immunity from punishment on account of sex, we demand that the statutes of our colony should be brought into harmony with the lawof God; (2) that the Federal Council recognises no partypolitics, but is created for' the purpose or pre-, moting legislation in favour of women, on the' principle of " equal rights for women.a» fortaenr That offences, against the chastity of women or young girls should he visited With the punishment of the lash; that cruelty to and other offences against women and yonng children should be put down with a strong hand, and -with much more adequate punishment than the present laws sanction; that the age of consent be raised to not less than 18 years, this being the age established by the State of lowa with most beneficial effect; that the monstrous provisions under clause 196 of the Criminal Code Act re charges of oriminal conduct with children being of no avail unless brought within one month of committal be immediately wiped off the Statute Book, and the time extended to-at least j six months; that the inequalities in connection with the laws of divorce, the cußtody of children, and other kindred subjects should be at once remedied, and unfaithfulness on the part of • husband or wife be counted equally cr_n_mal*-_n the eyes of the law; that in all civil eervice and other Government appointments equal payment to women as to men for work equally well done should be recognised by the Government and become the law of the land; that in order to relieve the oppression of want from which sojnany of our aged poor suffer, the Government should adopt a scheme of " old age pensions"—2s ye'atß* i continuous residence in the-colony to bea<jua_i__c»» tion for eligibility, and women, bei-gmnohlesaable . to earn a living at an advanced age thau rhervshould 1 become eligible five years earlier at least; that; the Legislature having properly admitted the right of the people to decide as to continuing or-" abolishing the trade in strong drink, we claim at, •• the hands of the Government the immediate introduction of a simple amending biH which shall give to a majority of the electors the right ■»"• to say at the ballot box whether this traffic shall '- any longer continue." The motto of our associa- A tion might be: "Righteousness exalteth. the" nations." « . . On the motion of Mrs Ancell the«uggest_on_t were adopted, and it was agreed to forward *A 'them to the other' organisations as-*a _asie_upe_i a. which to form a platform for federation.