g influence of women has
made itself felt in this sphere as in every other: they have elevated
the whole realm of politics without themselves losing a jot of their
innate purity. 'No poorer they but richer we,' by their addition to
the electoral roll."

WEST AUSTRALIA.[490]

The women of West Australia enjoyed the unprecedented experience of
having organised their Franchise League and gained the Franchise in
one year. The question, however, had been more or less before the
Colony since 1893. In that year Mr. Cookworthy had introduced a
Women's Suffrage Resolution in the House of Assembly which was lost by
only one vote.

After the next General Election, Mr. Cookworthy again introduced his
Resolution in 1897, when it was lost by two votes, one of its
strongest supporters being absent. Although there was at that time no
organisation specially for the Suffrage, the Women's Christian
Temperance Union did much to extend interest, and there was a large
body of support to be found amongst the intelligent women of the
Colony. This led to the formation of a Women's Franchise League for
Western Australia.

This League was formally organized at a public meeting of the Leisure
Hour Club in Perth, May 11th, 1899, Lady Onslow presiding. That autumn
a Resolution similar to the one which had been introduced in the
Legislative Assembly passed the Council, and before the year closed
the Electoral Act was passed of which the important part for women
lies in the interpretation clause, which interprets "Elector" as any
person of either sex whose name is on the Electoral Roll of a province
or district. Royal assent to the Bill was given in 1900. Although
women now can vote for members of the Parliament they can not sit in
that body.

Already the Women's Franchise League of Western Australia is
transformed into the Women's Electoral League.

NEW SOUTH WALES.[491]

The Mother Colony seems likely to be the next to enfranchise women.
The question in that Colony first came prominently forward when Sir
Henry Parkes, the veteran statesman and oft-times Premier, proposed a
clause to give equal voting power to women in his Electoral Bill in
1890. The clause was eventually dropped, but the very fact that it had
been introduced in a Government Bill by a man of such high position as
Sir Henry Parkes gave the question the impetus for which the friends
of the movement were waiting to collect the growing interest into
organized form and comb