Dear "Spike,"—Messrs. Nicholls and James misapplied my reference to age. God forbid that in my own extreme youth (or even if I live to a doddering old age) I should make youth a reproach to anyone. By my parenthesis "(whose age, I suppose, averaged somewhere about twenty-one)" I intended to imply that a body of men and women of that age might reasonably be thought able to discuss a question of College interest intelligently. I profoundly regret that my English was so ambiguous.

My quotation from the famous motion was taken verbatim from a copy supplied per telephone by the Secretary of the Students' Association. I noticed the apparent absurdity in the wording, but took it as being quite in character with the rest of the semi-legal jargon of the motion.

As for the "Dominion" report, Messrs. Nicholls and James admitted responsibility at the Special General Meeting before mentioned, and at other times, for statements the truth of which was subsequently denied by the President of the Students' Association, and it seemed reasonable to attribute to them another inaccuracy in the same "Dominion" on the same subject. They were perfectly free to explain their position at the meeting, but made no attempt to do so. Why not? (I believe, though, I did hear some ejaculation from Mr. James about a printer's error).

I objected to the posting of that stray proof in the Hall. It was, however, if I remember rightly, initialled by a member of the Executive according to regulation, and so was apparently in order.

Your correspondents' knowledge that before my letter was printed (I take it they mean set up in type) "it was shown to and approved by at least two members of the committee" seems very positive; it suffers, however, from being quite inaccurate. A corrected proof of the letter was in the printers' hands long before it was seen by any member of the Debating Society Committee.

I have no intention of traversing the rest of the letter. Let it stand in naked beauty, unglossed, unadorned. As Messrs. Nicholls and James rightly remark: Enough. Quite enough.—I am, etc.,