the object of
attraction of all passing by. If some fortunate photographer
could have taken the picture his fortune would have been secured
beyond doubt.

The May Anniversary[158] of 1874 was held in Irving Hall, with the
usual list of speakers.[159] The attendance was large throughout.
Martha C. Wright, one of the most judicious and clear-sighted women in
the movement, was elected president. A large number of letters[160]
was received from nearly every State in the Union.

On May 28th, 1874, while the bill to establish the Territory of
Pembina was pending in the Senate, Mr. Sargent, of California, moved
to add "sex" to line 10 of section 5, which would make the clause
read:

_Resolved_, That the Legislative Assembly shall not, at any time,
abridge the right of suffrage, or to hold office, on account of
sex, race, color, or previous condition of servitude of any
resident of the Territory.

Mr. SARGENT.--In the same connection I move in the first line of
section 5 to strike out the word "male," so as to read "every
inhabitant of the United States."

The PRESIDENT _pro tempore_.--The question is on the amendment of
the Senator from California.

Mr. SARGENT.--At the time when the last National Convention of
the Republican party assembled in Philadelphia, which nominated
General Grant for his second term, there was assembled a body of
able, respectable ladies of the United States, who urged upon
that convention a consideration of the subject involved in the
amendment which I propose; and as a concession to the demand made
by those persons, a plank was inserted in the platform whereby it
was declared that the Republican party would treat with
consideration the claims of women to be admitted to additional
rights. Since that time, although the Republican party has had a
two-thirds majority in both Houses of Congress and elected the
President of its choice, and now has full power and has had ever
since the assembling of this Congress to carry out this promise,
not one step has been taken in this direction. It has not been
for want of petition or solicitation. It certainly has not been
because the matter has not been called to the attention of both
Houses of Congress, for petition after petition has been
presented, and no action has been taken except adverse action in