Woman Suffrage By Federal Constitutional Amendment Part 5

CANADIAN PROVINCES extended munic.i.p.al suffrage to women as follows: Ontario, 1884, to widows and spinsters a.s.sessed for not less than $400, married women ent.i.tled to vote on some propositions; New Brunswick, 1886, to women and spinsters rate payers; Nova Scotia, 1887, to all women rate payers; Manitoba, 1888, to all woman rate payers; British Columbia, 1888, widows and spinsters rate payers; Alberta, 1888, widows and spinsters rate payers; Saskatchewan, 1888, widows and spinsters rate payers; Prince Edward Island, 1888, widows and spinsters property holders; Quebec, 1892, widows and spinsters property holders. The full suffrage was granted to all women in the Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia in 1916.

SOUTH AFRICA--Munic.i.p.al suffrage was extended to women as follows: In The Transvaal, in 1854, to burghers' wives; in 1903 to white women on a property qualification; in Cape Colony, 1882, to all women on a property qualification; in Orange River Colony, 1904, to all women resident householders.

SWEDEN--Munic.i.p.al suffrage for unmarried women, School Board and Ecclesiastical Franchise (without eligibility to office), 1862; School Board and Poor Law (with eligibility), 1889; eligibility to munic.i.p.al and church councils, and extension of suffrage rights to married women, 1909.

In ENGLAND and WALES the first extension of suffrage to women was granted in 1834. Since that time various extensions of suffrage to men and to women have taken place. The first woman suffrage was given to widows and spinsters. The disability of married women was removed in 1900, and English and Welsh women now enjoy suffrage in all elections upon the same terms as men with the sole exception of the right to vote for members of Parliament.

SCOTLAND--1872--First extension of suffrage to women to elect School Boards (with eligibility). 1881--Munic.i.p.al suffrage for unmarried women (with eligibility). 1900--Disability of married women in munic.i.p.al elections removed. 1907--Town and County Council eligibility for married and unmarried established.

IRELAND--1837--First extension of suffrage to women to elect Poor Law Guardians. 1887--Munic.i.p.al suffrage granted the women of Belfast.

1894--Munic.i.p.al suffrage extended to other cities. 1911--Town and County Council eligibility for married and unmarried women established.

APPENDIX B

(In the table below, the 36 male suffrage states are grouped under cla.s.sifications which represent, as far as can be represented in a table, the various degrees of difficulty met in the amending clauses of State Const.i.tutions.)

A.--Amendment pa.s.sed by the Legislature or Const.i.tutional Convention:

Delaware: Amendments are not put to the referendum vote.

They must pa.s.s two legislatures by a two-thirds majority each time.

The Legislature sits biennially. A Const.i.tutional Convention can also pa.s.s amendments without reference to the people.

B.--Pa.s.sed by majority one Legislature and majority vote of people on the referendum or by const.i.tutional convention with referendum:

Missouri--Biennial Legislature. Initiative pet.i.tion also possible.

South Dakota--Biennial. Const.i.tutional Convention hard to call.

C.--Large Legislative vote necessary:

Florida, three-fifths, biennial.

Georgia, two-thirds, annual.

Maine, two-thirds, biennial.

Michigan, two-thirds, biennial. Initiative pet.i.tion also possible.

North Carolina, three-fifths, biennial.

Ohio, three-fifths, biennial. Initiative pet.i.tion also possible.

West Virginia, two-thirds, biennial.

D.--Same as C., but no, or infrequent Const.i.tutional Conventions:

Louisiana, two-thirds, biennial, no Const.i.tutional Convention.

Texas, two-thirds, biennial, no Const.i.tutional Convention.

Maryland, three-fifths, biennial, 20 years interval between Const.i.tutional Conventions.

E.--Difficult States:

Alabama--Legislature: three-fifths vote of one Legislature (quadrennial). People: Majority of all votes cast at the election.

Iowa--Legislature: Majority of two Legislatures (biennial). People: Majority of all voting for representatives.

Minnesota--Legislature: Majority vote of one Legislature (biennial).

People: Majority of votes at the election.

New York--Legislature: Majority of two Legislatures (annual). People: Majority voting on amendment.

Virginia--Legislature: Majority of two Legislatures (biennial).

People: Majority of people voting on amendment.

Oklahoma--Legislature: Majority vote of one Legislature (biennial).

Initiative pet.i.tion possible. People: Majority voting at election.

North Dakota--Legislature: Majority of two Legislatures (biennial).

Initiative pet.i.tion possible. People: Majority voting on the amendment. No Const.i.tutional Convention.

South Carolina--Legislature: Two-thirds of two Legislatures (annual).--One before submission to people; the other after ratification by them. People: Majority voting for representatives.

Wisconsin--Legislature: Majority of two Legislatures (biennial).

People: Majority voting at the election.

F.--Very Difficult States: