l property held by a woman, except land, absolutely
to her husband. A step was gained in 1870 by which the money she
had actually earned became her own. This was followed by frequent
amendments, sometimes in Scotland, sometimes in England, and a
comprehensive bill met with frequent vicissitudes, now in the House
of Lords, now in the Commons. The honor of this long contest is
chiefly due to Mrs. Jacob Bright and Mrs. Wolstenholme Elmy, whose
unwearied efforts were finally crowned with success by the act of
1882, under which the property of a married woman is absolutely
secured to her as if she were single, and the power to contract and
of sueing and being sued, also secured to her. The right to the
custody of their own children is another point for which women are
struggling. In 1884, Mr. Bryce, M. P., brought in a bill to render
a mother the legal guardian of her children after the father's
death. This was read a second time by a vote of 207 for, and only
73 against. In 1885, however, though passing the House of Lords, it
was postponed till too late in the Commons. Another important
alteration in the legal condition of married women was made in
1878. In that year Mr. Herschell introduced the Matrimonial Causes
act to remedy a gross injustice in the divorce law, and Lord
Pensance inserted a clause which provided that if a woman were
brutally ill-treated by her husband, a magistrate might order a
separate maintenance for her and assign her the care of her
children. It is no secret that the original drafting of this clause
was due to Miss Frances Power Cobbe. The long struggle which is not
yet terminated against the infamous Contagious Diseases acts
belongs to this division of work. The acts were passed in 1866,
'69, and for many years were supported by an overpowering majority
of the House of Commons. Mr. Stansfeld, who has always been the
supporter of every movement advancing the influence of women, has
been the leader of this agitation. Mrs. Josephine Butler, Mrs.
Stewart of Ougar, and latterly Mrs. Ormiston Chant, have been the
most untiring speakers on this question. On April 26, 1883, Mr.
Stansfeld carried a resolution by a vote of 184 against 112 for the
abolition of the acts, since which time the acts have been
suspended, but we must look to the new parliament for their total
repeal. The Criminal-law Amendment act was the great triumph of
1885. It had been postponed session after session, but the bold
denunciation