The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1887. ENFRANCHISEMENT OF WOMEN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1587, 17 June 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1887. ENFRANCHISEMENT OF WOMEN.

Had it not been for the bouhversement effected by the want-of-confidenge resolution, and which entirely upset the business of the session, it appears quite probable that the privileges of women m regard to the franchise would have been very materially enlarged. At present these privileges are limited to matters educational and municipal, women who are householders having votes m the elections of School Committees and being themselves eligible to be elected and to serve as members of such Committees, and womtn who are municipal ratepayers having a voice and a vote m the election of Mayors and Borough Councillors. Sir Julius Vogel's Bill would have given them the full Parliamentary franchise and have accorded them the privilege of voting for candidates for the House of Representatives, and of being themselves members of Parliament if elected thereto. So great an innovation as this was, of course, resisted, but we are bound to say that the best of the argument was on the side of the supporters of the proposal. It is admitted on all hands that if a woman who is a ratepayer ha.« a right to a voice m the election of the body by which the rates an» i ou ;o/i it logically follows that a woman who is a tax-payer is equally entitled to a say m the election of the Parliament by which the taxes are imposed. This then is an admission that all women who are property-owners have a right to representation. But if this be so, then we do not see how the exclusion from the franchise of women who m any way contribute to the revenue of the colony can be legically defended and if this further position be conceded then it follows that all women who maintain themselves must also be enfranchised, for obviously all such contribute to the Customs revenue as consumers of dutiable articles. The proposals of Sir Julius Vogel's Bill went, however, far beyond this, and would have conferred a womanhood suffrage pure and simple, that is to say, would have given the iranchise to all women of adult age on the same residental qualification as is prescribed for the opposite sex. Even had this been done, we are not of those who tliink that any great, harm would have resulted, but, while wa are free to admit

thatif oncefemale franchise beaccorded, even though at first within fixed limits, it must, m the end, and that ere long, be carried to the full extent, we think that inahis, as m all such matters, we should reform and not revolutionise, — m a word that we should proceed gradually— step by step. Notwithstanding the large majority of the whole House which voted for the second reading of the Bill, we know that there are so many members who hold a view similar to that which we have just expressed, that we feel sure that had the Bill gone into Committee it would have emerged m a modified form, probably extending the franchise to all women who are possessed of a property qualification, and m that form, but for the sudden collapse of business

would, we believe, have been added

to the Statute Bo«k. As the electorates are now to be consulted on public questions, this is one of those upon which they should be prepared to express an opinion, and if there be a general desire that a Female Franchise Bill should pass the electors have it m

their own hands to secure this by returning members pledged to support it. Public feeling will, if we guage it correctly, approve of admitting women to a similar privilege m regard to Parliamentary elections to that which they now enjoy m respect to municipal elections, and also of according to them a vote m the election of Licensing Committees and at Local Option polls. That women are quite as capable of voting intelligently as men admits of no doubt, and to the extent we have mentioned we quite approve of their privileges being enlarged. There is even another direction m which it is quite possible that the disabilities of sex might with advantage be removed, viz, m regard to jury service. In America (Washington territory) women are eligible as jurors and, accordiogto a correspondent of a Chicago legal periodical, the lawyers of the territory, who were at first opposed to the innovation, now declare that they are. quite. converted. They say that they never saw cases tried before more intelligent, clearheaded and re-

liable jurors than the women prove to be, and our authority adds that m one case recently five out of the twelve jurors, and m another two out of the twelve, were of (he softer sex.