Sentinel_, in one of which
the fact that "no less than seventy-five women were polled at the
late election in a neighboring borough," was used as a pretended
argument for the admission of females to office, and to service
in the diplomatic corps; while another ironically asserts that
"too much credit can not be given to the Federal leaders of
Elizabethtown for the heroic virtue displayed in advancing in a
body to the poll to support their favorite candidates."

So discreditable was this occurrence thought, that although
another closely contested election took place the following year,
we do not find any other than male votes deposited then, in Essex
County, or elsewhere, until the Presidential election of 1800,
between Mr. Adams and Mr. Jefferson, at which females voted very
generally throughout the State; and such continued to be the
practice until the passage of the act positively excluding them
from the polls. At first the law had been so construed as to
admit single women only, but as the practice extended, the
construction of the privilege became broader and was made to
include females eighteen years old, married or single; and even
women of color. At a contested election in Hunterdon County, in
1802, the votes of two or three such, actually electing a member
of the Legislature. It is remarkable that these proceedings did
not sooner bring about a repeal of the laws which were thought to
sanction them; but that event did not occur until 1807, and it is
noticeable that, as the practice originated in Essex County, so
the flagrant abuses which resulted from it reached their maximum
in that county, and brought about its prohibition.

[Illustration: ANTOINETTE L. BROWN (with autograph).]

The circumstances attendant upon this event afford abundant
matter for a most interesting chapter of local history, which I
am happy to say has been written by a member of the Society (Mr.
James Ross),[78] and will be communicated before long, I trust,
for insertion in our Proceedings. But the scope of this paper
merely calls for a statement of facts. These are as follows:

In the year 1806 a new Court House and Jail were to be erected in
the county of Essex. Strenuous exertions were made to have them
located elsewhere than at Newark, which had been the county t