The ordinary fortnightly debates during the second half of the year have been well attended and altogether successful, but the most momentous event in our life has been that special general meeting summoned, at the request of thirty odd members, to consider a motion expressing No-confidence in the committee. This created quite a stir for a week or two, and incidentally left us with a membership of over 300 instead of the customary sixty or seventy. Of this, however, more anon.

On the 5th July a Visitors' Debate was held on the subject: "That there is no justification for the continued existence of the N.Z. Liberal Party." For the affirmative Mr. R. M. Campbell was supported by Mr. Walter Nash, National Secretary of the Labour Party, while Mr. A. B. Sievwright seconded Mr. I. L. Hjorring in opposition. The movers on-trasted the Liberals of to-day with their illustrious predecessors, very much to the advantage of the latter; they searched in vain for some vital distinction between the two historic political parties; and occupied the full limit of their time in demonstrating wherein every great and fundamental principle of Liberalism had been abandoned, repudiated, and shattered beyond . recognition by its present exponents. The Negative urged that their party was entitled to a place in the scheme of things midway between the Reactionary Tories and the Revolutionary Socialists. They cited the mighty accomplishments of the past, and concluded that in a rejuvenated Liberal Party lay the sole hope of salvation for this young democracy. Neither the meeting as a whole nor our members in their separate vote evinced any desire for such salvation, and the motion was twice carried. Colonel T. W. McDonald awarded places to College speakers in the following order:— (1) Campbell, (2) Hjorring, (3) Rollings, (4) Steele, (5) Davidson and Haigh.

On the 19th July Messrs. C. E. Ball and S. E. Baume moved, and Messrs. A. C. Baume and J. B. Yaldwyn opposed, "That the Bolshevist revolution has benefited the people of Russia." The case for the affirmative rested upon a mild account of conditions under the Czarist regime, plus some evidence for the positive achievements of the much-misunderstood Bolsheviks, particularly in the field of education. The opponents of the motion saw in the present administration little improvement on the admittedly unfortunate state of affairs previously existing. Professing to stand for liberty and equality, the Bolsheviks, they said, in fact refused to trust the people, but maintained their power by a dictatorship based on force. The meeting as a whole decided for the affirmative, while the separate vote of members favoured the negative. Mr. J. A. Young, M.P., acted as judge, and placed speakers in the following order:—S. E. Baume, Yaldwyn, Rollings, A. C. Baume, Hurley.

In the next debate we tackled the problem of India. Messrs. J. C. Beaglehole and W. P. Rollings moved "That full Dominion self-government should be granted forthwith." They held that the failure of British rule in India was but a single instance of the general result produced whenever and wherever it is sought to govern a people from without. Only by a generous concession of Home Rule at this stage could we hope to avoid the necessity for a more drastic solution of India's problem at a later date. Messrs. S. E. Baume and J. B. Yaldwyn, opposing the motion, pointed to the diversity of peoples within India and their clearly evident incapacity for guiding their own destinies. The maintenance of British rule in India was not less necessary from the viewpoint of India herself than from considerations of maintaining the integrity of the Empire. The motion was lost, and Mr. H. H. Cornish gave places to Campbell. Baume, Yaldwyn, Rollings, and Miss Moncrieff.

page 52

The Plunket Medal contest in the Town Hall again attracted a large and enthusiastic multitude. This fixture is reported elsewhere in this issue, and we shall here content ourselves with heartily congratulating Mr. Davidson on his well-merited and popular win. Mr. Davidson has for long been a most energetic member of the Society, and in this contest, as on other occasions, spoke with force and sincerity born of deep conviction. His name is now enshrined forever amongst those immortal few who have annexed the Union Prize, Joynt Scroll, and Plunket Medal.