be necessary to enable them to exercise it. The suffrage
association immediately took steps to secure a resolution submitting
this amendment to the electors, as previously described. In 1895 it
was introduced in the Senate by Foster M. Voorhees (now Governor) and
passed in June by 13 yeas, 2 nays. It passed the Assembly by 36 yeas,
one nay. It had to be acted upon by two Legislatures. In March, 1896,
it passed the Senate unanimously; and the Assembly by 57 yeas, one
nay. A technicality required it to pass the third Legislature, which
it did in March, 1897--Senate, 15 yeas, 1 nay; Assembly, 42 yeas, 5
nays.

In April, 1894, it was enacted that women might be notaries.

In March, 1895, a bill was secured making women eligible to
appointment as Commissioners of Deeds, after having failed in 1891,
'92 and '94, and Miss Mary M. Steele was appointed.

In 1896 Miss Mary Philbrook, an attorney, with the help of the
suffrage officials, secured a bill making women eligible as Masters in
Chancery and was herself the first one appointed.

This year the State Teachers' Association secured a law permitting a
Teachers' Retirement Fund to be created, which, with some amendments
in 1899, enables a teacher after twenty years' service, if
incapacitated for further work, to receive from $250 to $600 per
annum. Some improvement also was made in the property laws for women.

In April, 1898, through the efforts of the Federation of Women's
Clubs, a law was passed and an appropriation made for State Traveling
Libraries.

Dower and curtesy obtain. The widow is entitled to a life use of
one-third of the real estate and, if there is a child or children, to
one-third of the personal property absolutely; if there are no
children, to one-half of it. The remainder of the real and personal
estate goes to the husband's kindred. "The widow may remain in the
mansion house of her husband free of rent until dower is assigned."
The widower is entitled to the life use of all the wife's real estate,
and if there is no will, to all her personal property without
administration. She may, however, dispose of all of it by will as she
pleases. She can not by will deprive the husband of his curtesy in
real estate, except by order of the Court of Chancery when she is
living separate from him. She can not encumber or dispose of her
separate estate without his joinder. He can mortgage or convey his
real estate without her joinder but it is subject to her dower.