Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 4.djvu/883

 introduced in the Senate by Dr. Comins. The Judiciary Committee recommended its passage, and after a lively debate it received a two-thirds vote. Later on the bill was presented in the House by Frank Norcross. It was held in committee and delayed in every possible way, but finally was brought up in joint assembly. A stubborn debate followed, in which the advocates made an able defense, but it was defeated by a tie vote. A motion to reconsider it was defeated also.

In 1899 the Constitutional Amendment Bill again passed the Senate by the usual two-thirds vote, and was defeated again in the House by the usual small vote.

Governors Colcord, Jones and Sadler recommended in their biennial messages to the Legislature that the proposed suffrage amendment to the State constitution be submitted to the voters. The Reno "Gazette" and Wadsworth "Dispatch" merit special mention for the able manner in which they have advocated the suffrage movement.

A married woman may control her separate property if a list of it is filed with the county recorder, but unless it is kept constantly inventoried and recorded it becomes community property.

The community property, both real and personal, which includes all accumulated after marriage, is. under absolute control of the husband, and at the death of the wife all of it belongs to him without administration. On the death of the husband the wife is entitled to one-half of it. If he die leaving no will and no children, she may claim all of it after she has secured the payment of debts to the satisfaction of creditors. The inheritance of separate property is the same for both, and either may claim a life interest in a homestead not exceeding $5,000 in value.

To become a sole trader a woman must comply with certain legal conditions. Her earnings are considered by law to belong to her if her husband has allowed her to appropriate them to her own use, when they are regarded as a gift from him to her.