The Lady Cricketers Stumped.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1890, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Lady Cricketers Stumped.

By a Schoolboy.

The fellows were rather vexed at a woman winning the h'rsb wranglerfthip, and when we passed the Ladies' Seminary out walking wo looked the other way, and pretended not to heat them crying " JFawcott r, in a riling way. Nevertheless we didn't speak much to each other about the wranglership, there not being anything agreeable to say ; but we spoke a lob on the subject of women cricketers; and in the end we had a debate on it ac follows :— v The Debating Society met as usual on the third Monday of June at 6 p.m. respectively, and private business having been disposed of (Mr John Daly promising to pay the threepence without fail on Saturday), Mr H. Wilberforce rose amid slight cheering to move, " That we should let girls play cricket." Mr Wilberforce said he was an Englishman, and anybody knew an Englishman could make short work of three Frenchmen (applause), and therefore he begged them to give girls fair play. If girls wasn't up to much, that was the way they were born, and it was natural they should want to play cricket, it being the manliest game in the world, and nobody could play it like Englishmen except the Australians, and Notts had beaten them by an innings (loud cheers). The next beat thing, but a long way behind, to being an Englishman was to be an English lady ; and naturally the proudest aim of English' girls waa to make themselves as like their brothers as , they could, and so he begged to move with niuch_ pleasure that we let girls olay cricket. Mr Thomas White begged to second Mr Wilberforce's motion with much pleasure. He had much pleasure in saying that he always felt sorry for girls. Mr Arthur Cotton said he had much pleasure in moving the negative, that we do not let girls play cricket. He would like to know whether man was nob the superior animal , and woman the inferior animal; and, therefore, it waa all rob to say she could .make herself • equal to man (applause). The proper thing for girls wae to behave themselves and sing small till a man wanted to marry them, and then

".'. ■ 'i-.mil' they could brag about that. He had much pleasure in believing thab his arguments were unanswerable. Mr William Rousby said he had much pleasure in. seconding the eloquent speech of Mr Cotton ; and, if he hadn't made up his mind already to vote againsb girls, thab noble speech would have made him do so. Mr John Smith said h9 had much pleasure in rising to his feet reluctantly bo say bhab Mr Rousby was buttering up Mr Cotton so as to get into the first eleven. ('Order.') Ib was all very well to say women couldn't play cricket; bub when he was on his holidays ab Eastor a girl bowled him second ball (hisses). He had, however, much pleasure in saying bhab in bhe second innings he hit her all over bhe field. Mr James Moggridge said he had much pleasure in stating thab he wasn'b frighbened ab girls ; and he would jusb like to see a girl make ninoby-bwo, nob oub, against his bowling. He begged to say that if girlß wanted to play cricket he didn'b care ; bub he would just bell them this—thab if he came on them playing ifc, he would shub his eyes bill he was oub of sight of them. The hon. secrebary, who was received wibh loud and prolonged applause, said, ' I did nob inbend bo bake parb in bhis debabe, hoping that some member of bhe socieby mere eloquent bhan I am would make bha speech of the evening. None of the speeches, however, having been up to the mark, I rise, Mr President and genblemen, bo give bho subject bhe close abtention which it so deserves. I have much pleasure in saying bhab the proper sphere of girls is sitting at the domestic hearth and. helping to mend tha things their brothers tear when engaged at cricket and other manly sports (loud cheers.) Then when their brother's and fathers come in ab night they respect the girls and leb them sing a song at bho piano for a reward. Now, Mr President and gentlemen, 1 will divide the spheres of women into three heads, and tho first ' Uhforbunately, owing bo the rudeness ol some members,"the admirable speech of the secretary came to an untimely end, and. there voted for the affirmative three, for tbe negative fourteen. The proceedings then terminated.