ined action.

On May 6th, 1891, the Womanhood Suffrage League of New South Wales was
formed, Lady Windeyer was elected president and an active campaign was
begun. On July 30th Sir Henry Parkes moved a Resolution in the
Legislative Assembly "that in the opinion of this House the franchise
for the election of members of the Legislative Assembly should be
extended to women on the same conditions and subject to the same
qualifications as men." The debate was a very long one, occupying
twelve hours and concluding at 3 a. m., when the motion was lost by 34
ayes, 57 noes. The friends of Women's Suffrage were in no way cast
down by this vote. They believed that in a full House on a fair test
division their friends would have been in a majority, but many who
were anxious for the passing of the Electoral Bill voted against Sir
Henry Parkes' motion lest the inclusion of women should imperil its
chances in the Upper House.

The next debate on the question was on November 18th, 1894, when Mr.
O'Reilly moved a Resolution that "in the opinion of this House the
time has arrived when the franchise should be extended to women." This
was supported by Sir Henry Parkes. The Premier, Sir G. H. Reid,
approved of Women's Suffrage in the abstract but objected that the
present Parliament had received no mandate from the people. Sir George
Dibbs thought the demand a just one. Eventually the motion, with the
words "the time has now arrived" omitted, was carried by a large
majority. No debate has taken place since 1894, as the pressure on the
time of the Legislature has been great with Federal and other matters,
but the question was never in a more hopeful position. The sudden
change of government in 1899 placed a strong friend to the cause at
the head of affairs in the present Premier, Sir William Lyne, and at
the annual meeting of the Suffrage League in August, 1900, Mr. Fegan,
M. P. (Minister for Mines) congratulated the women of New South Wales
on being so near the goal of their desires. The Premier had
definitely said that before the session closed a Bill would be
introduced to give women the suffrage, and he hoped that next year
they would be able to disband their League, its work being finished.
The Bill was introduced in 1901 but was lost by 19 ayes, 22 noes.

On Aug. 14, 1902, the bill conferring the Parliamentary Franchise on
women passed the Council. It had already passed the Assembly and is
now law.

VICTORIA.[492]

In Melbourn