riously enough, I see
that it has been objected to the right of female suffrage
within the last few days, that there is this analogy between
the right of franchise and the liability to watch and ward.
It is because that analogy exists, that I think that the
claim of franchise must surely prevail, it being clear that,
under the common law, a woman was liable to the former
burthen, as she is still liable to serve as a constable, as
an overseer of the poor, and the like offices, and,
therefore, was rightfully put upon the burgess roll, and
voted in the borough court equally with the male burgess.

But the matter does not rest there. The Rolls of Parliament,
which end with the reign of Queen Mary, certainly contain no
notice of the right of women to vote at common law, because
they contain no entries relating to the right of suffrage at
all, and I, therefore, pass them by. But I make this
observation upon them, that they do contain not unfrequent
notices of the presence of women in Parliament itself. But
the returns to the parliamentary writs of the period are
more to the purpose. Take, for instance, those relating to
the county of York, collected by Prynne for quite another
purpose than the present. He had to show that the lords and
esquires of that great county, and not the freeholders at
large, had for the long period of time which began with the
reign of Henry IV. and ended with that of Edward IV., alone
returned the knights of that shire to Parliament, and among
those lords and esquires not a few clearly appear to have
been of the female sex. But now I pass to the period of the
journal.

It was said by Mr. Bennett [who argued against woman
suffrage], that if a single instance could be shown in which
a woman had voted, and not simply claimed the right to vote,
then _cadit questio_. But two such cases, Lady Packington's
case and Mrs. Copley's case, were admitted by Mr. Bennett
himself. I do not think that he explained away the effect of
that admission. It was certainly not as a mere returning
officer that either of those ladies signed and returned the
inde