ciation and spent two weeks, forming
clubs in Concord, Newport, Littleton, Andover and North Conway, and
preparing for societies in Nashua and Manchester.

In the autumn of 1901 Miss Mary N. Chase of Andover spent a month
organizing local societies. A convention was called for December 16,
17, in Manchester, at which ten towns were represented. The meetings
were held in the City Hall, and Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, president of
the National Association, was introduced to a fine audience the first
evening by Cyrus H. Little, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Addresses were made also by Mr. and Miss Blackwell. A strong official
board was elected[365] and an effort will be made to educate public
sentiment to demand a woman suffrage clause from the convention to
revise the State constitution, which is likely to be held within a
short time. On the evening of December 17 Mrs. Chapman Catt spoke in
Concord, the State capital.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION AND LAWS: The suffrage association has been
petitioning the Legislature since 1870. That year it secured a law
allowing women to serve on school boards. In 1878 it obtained School
Suffrage for women.

In 1885 it presented a petition, signed by several thousand citizens,
asking the Full Franchise for women, and was given "leave to
withdraw."

In 1887 a bill conferring Municipal Suffrage and permitting women to
hold all municipal offices was presented with a petition signed by
2,500 citizens. A hearing was granted by the committee on July 6 and
300 persons were present. On the 13th it was favorably reported in the
House, but August 6, it was defeated by 87 ayes, 148 noes. This year
the House raised the "age of protection" for girls from 10 to 14 years
but the Senate amended to 13 years.

In 1889 the bill for Municipal Suffrage was again introduced, sent to
the Judiciary Committee and referred to the next session as
"unfinished business."

In 1891 the petitions for this bill contained 3,000 signatures, and
Mr. Angell of Derry also introduced a bill for suffrage for tax-paying
women, but neither was acted upon. This experience was repeated in
1893.

In 1895, after a hearing had been granted to the women, the bill was
reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee and passed a second
reading in the House, but a third was refused. D. C. Remick and M.
Lyford were earnest in their support of the measure. This year the
"age of protection" for girls was raised to 16, but the bill