1900 Petition from the Women of Victoria

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Cobden
September 1900

To the
Honourable the President and Members
of the
Legislative Council of Victoria
in Parliament Assembled.

The petition of the undersigned women, resident in
Cobden and district sheweth:-

That there is a Bill before your Honourable House to confer
the Parliamentry franchise on women. That your
petitioners are convinced that this measure will be
for the good of the state, for the following reasons:-

It will give the large number of women compelled to earn
their living in the trades and occupations regulated
by law an opportunity of framing that law so as to
protect their interests as workers and as citizens.

It will give women an opportunity of modifying laws affecting
women and children.

It will confirm their status as responsible human beings,
no longer to be classed with criminals, lunatics and
infants, as unworthy of the dignity of citizenship.

It has been demanded five times by large majorities in the
Legislative Assembly and endorsed at two General Elections
by the return of Candidates openly pledged to support the
measure. If it be not passed now, the women of Victoria
will probably be the only women on the Australian Continent
with no voice in the election of the first national Parliament.

That in neighbouring communities similarly situated to ourselves in
industry, race and religion, the political enfranchisement of
women has caused none of the evils predicted by its op-
ponents, but, on the contrary, has led to improvements
in their legislation which have resulted in extraordinary
prosperity, especially in the case of New Zealand, where it
has been longest in operation.

We pray your Honourable House on this the fifth time of
asking to pass into law this measure, in favour of
which over 80,000 women of Victoria have petitioned
Parliament.

And your petitioners will ever pray.

(N. B. Signed by women above the age of 21 years)

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W H Osmand

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Ordered to lie on the table

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Geo. W. Jenkins

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Clerk of the Legislative Council

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25th September, 1900

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