Debates.

At the fourth debate of the session, G. H. Fell, seconded by H. E. Evans, moved "That the jury system should be abolished." The motion was opposed by C. B. Collins, seconded by H. O'Leary. Originality of argument could scarcely be expected on such a subject, but the debate was, nevertheless, a very interesting one. The first five speakers were placed by the judge, Mr A. R. Atkinson, in the following order:—C. B. Collins, F. Kelly, R. Mason, J. Mason, H. E. Evans.

At the next meeting of the Society a debate took place on the motion "That British Rule in India has been beneficial to the native race." The motion was supported by W. Perry and opposed by R. Mason. The respective seconders were S. Grundy and J. Mason. Most members of the Society would probably have to confess that they knew very little of India and its people. To some people this might have occasioned trouble, but in the case of many of our debaters the difficulty was easily overcome by the simple expedient of contradicting the state page 42 ments of their opponents. Mr A. R. Meek placed the first five speakers in the following order:—J. Mason, H. O'Leary, J. Hogben, F. P. Kelly, J. Ryburn.

A large audience attended in expectation of a debate on the motion "That the ancient ideal of character was higher than the modern." The affirmative was taken by Miss Millar, seconded by Miss F. Scott. The negative was supported by I. Davey, seconded by D. Smith. Many speakers took part, but in most cases the speeches positively reeked of the lamp. Systems of philosophy, Stoic, Epicurean, Platonic were described and dismissed with indecent haste, and the speeches of those who had not spent many laborious hours in the Public Library, for the most part ignored the subject of debate altogether. The shrill denunciation of modern vicious habits, such as smoking, etc., aroused the enthusiastic, though somewhat intemperate, approval of those who occupied the rear of the hall. Mr Gill placed the first five speakers in the following order:—D. Smith, Miss Millar, A. C. Bretherton, I. Davey, J. Mason.

At the seventh debate of the session, G. Bogle, seconded by J. Richards, moved "That science has contributed more than literature to the happiness of mankind." The negative was taken by G. Gibb, seconded by J. Johnson. The judge, Father Keogh, placed the first five speakers in the following order:—F. A. de la Mare, G. Gibb, Miss Smith, D. Smith, and G. Bogle.