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The Spike: or, Victoria College Review October 1907

[activities of the debating society]

TThe success which attended the earlier meetings of the Debating Society this year has been continued throughout the session, and although during the vacation the attendances were naturally smaller than in term time, the interest of the student in the debates has been maintained throughout. There is in fact only one element in the College at all calculated to chill he enthusiasm of the members, namely, the draughty character to the "Hall "wherein the debates are held. Until the College is provided with the Social Hall which the students are so strenuously eudeavoring to obtain, it will be a wise policy on the part of the Committee to invite, as judges of its debates, gentlemen whose sympathy may be drawn forth by those bare and chilly walls, and whose influence is our favour with the citizens of the Middle District may be calculated to be considerable.

The Union Prize has been awarded to H. E. Evans, with a total of 18 points in 8 debates, and the Chairman's Prize to T. Boyce. The latter was second for the Union Prize by only a very narrow margin, he scoring 13 points in 5 debates, a result which proves that even a new speaker may with perseverance reach a high place.

The most successful debate yet held at the College took place on June 1st, when the evergreen subject of Home Rule was debated in the presence of an enthusiastic and overflowing audience numbering about 250. Mr. W. Gray M. A. kindly presided, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman being respectively the mover and seconder of the motion "That Home Rule should be granted to Ireland. "E. J. Fitzgibbon displayed to the full degree his usual enthusiasm and eloquence upon a subject which always arouses the feeling of Irishmen, and he showed a most commendable moderation in the statement of the wrongs sought page 22 to be remedied by Home Rule, and of the claim of Ireland to the remedy. C. H. Taylor led the opposition, and his speech was universally regarded as the best ever heard from him. There were lucid argument, kindly and gently sarcasm, and a generous sympathy, so combined as to undo the effect of those arguments of the movers which were in the form of an appeal to the sentiments of the audience. F. P. Kelly seconded the motion, following upon the lines of the previous speaker, and amplifying the statement that it was in the interest of Ireland to remain a part of the Empire by the further statement that she would probably long remain in close proximity to England. H. E. Evens seconded the opposition, and endeavoured to shew that England could and would do far more for Ireland than Ireland ever could do for herself. Eleven other speakers addressed the meeting, six in support of the motion, and five against it. McEldowney was in good form, and treated the subject from the educational standpoint; Fitzgerald delivered a vigorous tirade against those who had brought Ireland into her present condition; Jacobs spoke as the representative of that section which opposes Home Rule through ignorance.

The voting upon the motion was taken after leaders had replied, and resulted in its being lost by 24 votes to 26, a verdict which was as unexpected to the opposition as to the movers.

Mr. P. P. Webbe placed the first five speakers as follows (Fitzgibbon having retired from the competition) : C. H. Taylor, F. P. Kelly, T. Boyce, D. S. Smith, and W. J. McEldowney.

On 15th June E. S. Grundy, seconded by S. Eichlbaum, moved, "That it is in the Best interests of New Zealand to exclude all coloured labour." The opposers were Messrs D. S. Smith and J. Mason. The debate was of as distinctly humorous character, and towards the close the audience had been raised to such a pitch of merriment that it was unable to restrain its mirth when V. B. Willis stated the solemn fact that 4 into 804 goes 201 times. All the speakers seemed to be expert in statistics, and to be able to deduce all sorts of conclusions from them. The feature of the debate, from the grammarian's points of view, was S. Eichelbaum's novel use of the negative in, "They were mostly-not Chinamen." The motion was carried by 17 votes to 13, and Mr. H. F. Von Haast placed the first five speakers as follows : J. Mason, D. S. Smith, C. H. Taylor, G. H. Gibb, and A. C. Bretherton.

At the meeting held on 6th July, it was announced that, as a consequence of the desire to have a cloak "with a good face" page 23 whereon the members might watch the moments pass by, the Messers, Dwan Bros. had kindly presented a fine clock, which was thereupon unveiled by R. Mason, who made an appropriate speech amidst loud applause. A. Fair, seconded by H. E. Evans, moves "That the right of private ownership in land ought not to be restricted except as to future acquisitions." A. C. Bretherton, seconded by F. D. Sargent, opposed. Notwithstanding the confusion in which the opposition found themselves involved in their attempts to understand the motion, they succeeded in getting the overwhelming majority of 14 votes to 3 in their favour. Mr. F. M. B. Fisher M. H. R., placed the first five speakers as follows : — G. W. McCaul, H. E. Evans, R. Mason, A. Fair, and F. D. Sargent.

On July 13th, J. M. Hogben, seconded by A. MacDougall, moved "That a process of gradual disarmament by the great Powers of Europe is at once impracticable and undesirable." The opposers were B. E. Murphy and R. Mason. Five other members spoke, and the motion was carried by 10 votes to 5. Mr. J. P. Firth placed the first five speakers as follows: "H. E. Evens, C. H. Taylor, A. MacDougall, J. M. Hogben, and A. C. Bretherton—B. E. Murphy having withdrawn from the competition. The three speakers who headed the list displayed a noticeable familiarity with the subject, probably due to the fact that "in another place "they had debated it on the previous evening.

A large audience was present on the 27th July to hear the address by the President, Mr. W. Gray, M.A., upon "Student Life in England Two Centuries ago." Mr. Gray gave a most excellent and interesting sketch of the growth of the European Universities, introducing into the narrative several quaint and amusing episodes tending to shew that students in those days were little, if at all, better than they are now. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the President at the close of the address.

On the 10th august H. E. Evans, seconded by C. H. Taylor, moved "That the House of Lords was justified in its attitude towards the Education Bill of 1906." G. H. Gibb and D. S. Smith opposed. A great deal of interest seemed to have been taken in the subject, there being fifteen speakers, most of whom had carefully studied the controversy on the hands of the opposition, but came out of the ordeal with a majority of nineteen votes to ten. It was, as usual, the occasion for the use of many touching metaphorical phrases, Rutherfurd's page 24 simile of the safety-valve being, in the opinion of the Professor of Classics, worthy of Vergil himself. There were quite a large number of debutants, the most noteworthy of whom was Oram, whom opposed the Lords in a style which rather reminds us of the Quartleyesque or the Toogoodian. Mr. A. Wilson, M, A., placed the first five speakers in the following order : G. H. Gibb, H. E. Evaus, T. Boyce, A. C. Bretherton and M. H. Oram.

The final debate of the year was held on September 21st upon a motion "That the natural temperament of the Celtic races is such as to prevent them from obtaining a predominant position among the great races of world." The moves were A. M. MacDougall, and H. D. Skinner, and they were opposed by E. J. Fitzgibbon and J. M. Hogben. Many speakers approached the subject from the humorous standpoint, and those who came to be amused must have gone away fully satisfied. Mr. F. E. Baume, M. H. R., placed the first five speakers as follows :—H. E. Evans, H. D. Skinne, T. Boyce, M. H. Oram, and A. MacDougall.