rivileges of this government.

In the winter of 1860 Hannah Tracy Cutler, M. D., and Mrs.
Frances D. Gage made a canvass of the interior and western parts
of the State, procuring signatures to petitions asking for
equality before the law, and especially for the right of married
women to earn and hold and dispose of property the same as a
_feme-sole_. Also, that property acquired before marriage, or
that may afterward accrue to a married woman by gift, devise,
descent or deed, may be held, controlled and disposed of by
herself where it had not been intentionally converted to common
property by her consent. In response to a request for data on
this point, Mrs. Cutler writes:

At the close of our campaign we were summoned to Ohio to
assist in the canvass in that State. Returning to Illinois,
I learned that no action had been taken on our petitions.
The member to whom we had consigned them, and who had
promised to act in our behalf, had found no convenient
opportunity. I at once repaired to Springfield, and, on
inquiry, was told that it was now too late in the
session--that members were so busy that no one could be
induced to draft a bill for an act granting such laws as we
desired. I found one member ready to assist to the full
measure of his ability--Mr. Pickett of Rock Island. By his
encouragement I went to the State library and there drew up
a bill giving women, during coverture, certain personal and
property rights. Mr. Pickett presented our petitions, got a
special committee, took my bill before it, got a favorable
report, and a law was passed to that effect. Some decisions
occurred under this law. I think, however, that in a
codification a year or two after, this law was left out, I
know not by what authority, and some years later Mrs.
Livermore, Mrs. Bradwell and others presented the matter
afresh, and succeeded in procuring again a similar
enactment. The winter following I presented petitions for
the right of guardianship; also, I asked that for estates
not exceeding $5,000 the widow should not be required to
take out letters of administration, but should be permitted
to continue in possession, the same