the convention grant a hearing to Mrs. Spencer, of Washington,
the accredited delegate of the National Woman Suffrage
Association.

Great unanimity was reached in these sentiments and the enthusiasm
manifested gave promise of earnest labor and more hopeful results.
It was felt that there was reason to thank God and take courage.

The day before the opening of the Tenth Washington Convention a
caucus was held in the ladies' reception-room[23] in the Senate
wing of the capitol. A roll-call of the delegates developed the
fact that every State in the Union would be represented by women
now here and _en route_, or by letter. Mrs. Spencer said she had
made a request in the proper quarter, that the delegates should be
allowed to go on the floor when the Senate was actually in session,
and present their case to the senators. She had been met with the
statement that such a proceeding was without precedent. Mrs. Hooker
suggested that inasmuch as there was a precedent for such a course
in the House, the delegates should meet the following Thursday to
canvass for votes in the House of Representatives. Another delegate
recalled the fact that Mrs. General Sherman and Mrs. Admiral
Dahlgren had been admitted upon the floor of the Senate while it
was in session, to canvass for votes against woman suffrage.

This agitation resulted in a resolution introduced by Hon. A. A.
Sargent, January 10:

WHEREAS, Thousands of women of the United States have
petitioned congress for an amendment to the constitution
allowing women the right of suffrage; and whereas, many of
the representative women of the country favoring such
amendment are present in the city and have requested to be
heard before the Senate in advocacy of said amendment,

_Resolved_, That at a session of the Senate, to be held on
----, said representative women, or such of them as may be
designated for that purpose, may be heard before the Senate;
but for one hour only.

Mr. EDMUNDS demanded the regular order.

Mr. SARGENT advocated the resolution, and urged immediate action,
as delay would detain the women in the city at considerable
expense to them. He thought the question not so intricate that
senators require time for consideration whether or not the women
should be heard.

Mr. EDMUNDS said there was a rule of long stand