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SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1931. Volume 2. Number 3.

College Of Electors "In Extremis"

College Of Electors "In Extremis"

Although many of the audience were purely transients, about sixty students attended the first meeting. The small patronage was due to the manner in which the meeting was advertised, only one small sheet being attached to the Students' Association notice board 48 hours beforehand. At 6 p.m. Mr. Riske placed a blackboard in the hall—without which it is probable that the quorum would not have been obtained.

Mr. Rollings was in the chair, the Secretary, Mr. Mahoney on his left and Mr. Hurley on his right. With the exception of Miss Cathie Forde and Mr. Cormack, who were opposed to the College of Electors system and who sat among the general body of students—the Executive were on the right-hand side of the Hall, mostly armed with a copy of the new Constitution.

The interval between 8 p.m. and 10.25 p.m. was spent in amending the clauses one to eleven, many excellent alterations, to be reported later, being effected. At 10.25, an uneasy student, to the surprise of the bulk of the audience, rose and asked the Chairman which system was to be employed at the next election. As the speaker had interrupted the putting of a motion she was ruled out of order. The meeting showed signs of consternation and subsequently the Chairman, Mr. Rollings, on being pressed, after stating that he was not required to give a ruling, said that in his own opinion the College of Electors system would be employed. He gave no explanation to the hysterical questions of several people. Mr. Reardon mounted the platform and moved that the College of Electors be deleted. This was ruled out by the Chairman on the grounds that the matter had already been dealt with.

The students became disorderly. Mr. Hurley obtained the minutes and discovered that the motion that the first schedule of the new Constitution be adopted, that schedule to which the College of Electors was a defeated amendment, had not been put to the meeting before the adjournment. It thus transpired that the Chairman had permitted the meeting to proceed to clause 11—a business which had occupied 2 ½ hours when there was still a motion before the meeting. In answer to Mr. Riske, Mr. Rollings stated that Mr. Hurley had opened the business of the evening and that it was therefore Mr. Hurley who had erred. Mr. Riske said that it is the Chairman who always opens meetings and the discussion lapsed.

It was then moved by Mr. Reardon that the motion be put to the meeting that Proportional Representation be embodied in our Constitution. Mr. Macduff, ex-member of the present Executive opposed this motion on the ground that there were not sufficient students present. There was justification for the objection, but it was a matter of choosing between the College of Electors, twice defeated at well attended meetings, and believed to be defunct by the majority of the students, and this new and democratic form of election. However, the Chairman stated that he was "obliged" to put the motion.

Mr. Macduff, who, it will be remembered, resigned after the last defeat of the College of Electors, rose to a point of order and stated that there had been no notice given of the motion and it was left to Mr. Riske to remind the Chairman that in the Constitution of the Association such a motion might be put provided it was relevant to the matter in hand. Mr. Rollings assented and put the motion to move the schedule. This was carried by 32 votes to 18.

To such an impasse had the meeting arrived that the whole schedule of election was put and adopted at 10.45 p.m., without discussion being possible.

The meeting was then adjourned until June 9th.

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