of women, and also that the House Judiciary Committee
be relieved from the further consideration of a similar
resolution.

Mr. FERRY--If there be no objection I ask that the petition be
read at length.

The VICE-PRESIDENT--The Chair hears no objection, and it will be
reported by the secretary.

The petition was read and referred to the Committee on Privileges
and Elections, as follows:

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States, in Congress assembled:_

WHEREAS, More than 40,000 men and women, citizens of
thirty-five States and five territories, have petitioned the
forty-fifth congress asking for an amendment to the federal
constitution prohibiting the several States from
disfranchising United States citizens on account of sex; and

WHEREAS, A resolution providing for such constitutional
amendment is upon the calendar (Senate resolution No. 12,
second session forty-fifth congress), and a similar
resolution is pending upon a tie vote in the Judiciary
Committee of the House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, The women of the United States constitute one-half
of the people of this republic and have an inalienable right
to an equal voice with men in the nation's councils; and

WHEREAS, Women being denied the right to have their opinions
counted at the ballot-box, are compelled to hold all other
rights subject to the favors and caprices of men; and

WHEREAS, In answer to the appeals of so large a number of
honorable petitioners, it is courteous that the forty-fifth
congress should express its opinion upon this grave question
of human rights; therefore,

We pray your honorable body to take from the calendar and
pass Senate resolution No. 12, providing for an amendment to
the constitution protecting the rights of women; and

We further pray you to relieve the House Judiciary Committee
from the further consideration of the woman suffrage
resolution brought to a tie vote in that committee, February
5, 1878, that it may be submitted to the House of
Representatives for immediate action.

And your petitioners will ever pray.