Laws of Washington Territory, enacted by the Legislative Assembly, at

[WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE].

Laws of Washington Territory, enacted by the Legislative Assembly, at its Eleventh Biennial Session, 1887-8.

First edition. 8vo. In a vernacular binding of limp calf, stab stitched at spine, with ink titles to spine and ownership inscription to upper wrap. First and last few leaves quite browned, title=page with chipped corner and fore-edge, further five leaves with chipped corners, but no loss of text. A rustic but sound copy in a sturdy homemade binding. xlvi, [2], 314 (index ends at ‘S’, lacking final few leaves)pp. Olympia, W.T., Thomas H. Cavanaugh, Public Printer, 1888.

£250.00

A rare Washington Territory law book with a local legal provenance. This copy from the library of Bates & Burnett, a law firm operating in Vancouver, WA in the early decades of the twentieth century. Also with contemporary pen ownership inscription to upper cover of Jared A. Rochford (1859-1944), a well known Stevens County Prosecutor who first began practicing in Yakima, Washington Territory in 1888, as part of the firm Rochford, Jones & Newman.

This volume of Washington legislature restores the rights of women, Native American, First Nations and bi-racial citizens to vote. This right had originally been granted in 1883, but was struck down in 1887 by a spurious legal challenge. The 1888 laws also include a “Memorial to Congress” calling for the exclusion of Chinese labourers from the United States. This represents a continuation to the “Yellow Peril” anti-Chinese sentiments which had seen violent rioting through Tacoma and Seattle in 1885-1886.

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Laws of Washington Territory, enacted by the Legislative Assembly, at its Eleventh Biennial Session, 1887-8.

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