vote was taken, resulting in 58 yeas, 34 noes. The bill was
immediately dispatched to the Senate. That body lost no time, but at
once brought the measure under consideration and after a brief
discussion it was defeated by one vote--11 ayes, 12 noes.[335]

That evening Mrs. Livermore gave her belated dissertation and, upon
motion, was followed by Adele Hazlitt, who with great courtesy slew
her weak arguments.

At this session the charters of East Saginaw and Detroit were amended
to give women of those cities the school ballot; the former through
the efforts of Representative Rowland Connor.[336]

In 1891 the Municipal Suffrage Bill was again presented to the
Legislature, in the House by Samuel Miller and in the Senate by Alfred
Milnes, both champions of the measure. The State suffrage convention
was in session at the capital February 10-12, and the Legislature gave
a joint hearing in Representative Hall to its speakers, all Michigan
women. The Senate Bill was taken up March 25, discussed and lost by 14
ayes, 12 noes. It was then tabled and taken up again May 13, receiving
14 ayes, 15 noes. Just prior to this consideration of the bill
ninety-five petitions in its favor, representing eighty-eight towns
and bearing several thousand signatures, were presented.

This discussion was the most trying of all during the ten years of
effort to secure Municipal Suffrage, owing to the character of the
chief opponent, Senator Frank Smith, who represented the basest
elements of Detroit. Knowing his illiteracy, the reporters had
expected much sport by sending his speech to the papers in full, but
in the interests of decency they refrained from publishing it. Women
came down from the galleries white with anger and disgust, and avowed
that if they never had wanted the ballot before they wanted it now.
The suffrage committee received many friendly courtesies from
Lieut.-Gov. John Strong, besides a substantial gift of money. When
asked for the use of the Senate Chamber for one evening of the
convention he said: "Certainly; your money helped to build the State
House. You have as much right to it as any of us."

In March, 1893, the bill was introduced by Henry Wirt Newkirk in the
House and Samuel W. Hopkins in the Senate. Both were lawyers of
distinguished ability, and among the most earnest advocates the
measure ever had. The State suffrage convention was in session while
it was being considered. The Rev. Anna Howard Shaw and the Rev.