THE TOURNAMENT DEBATE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12479, 16 April 1906, Page 8

THE TOURNAMENT DEBATE.

! The Debating Contest took place in the Canterbury College Hall on Saturday evening. Dr. \\\ P. Evans was in*the chair. The (subject for debate was " That Nelson contributed ir.or* than Wellington to the overthrow ot Napoleon."' There were two debate. 5 — tho liret between Otago University, represented by Messrs b. E. Murphy nnd L,. T. Burnand, and Canterbury College, represented by Mo-srs J. W. Mcllraith and C. D. *". Cook; the second between S'ictoria College, ropi-o-ent«t by Met*re E. J. tiizgibbon and F. 1 , . Ivelly, and Auckland University College "represented by Messrs J. Siauton end M. H. Hanwc-n. Tho spevciios were limited to fifteen minutes each. The judges were Messrs J. W. Joynt, M.A., T. E. Taylor, and W. H. Trigc*. The debate, which was of a high order of excellence, was followed with great interest by a large audience. Tha affirmative was argued in the first cicbato by Otago, and in the iccoud by Victoria College, the negative being supported by Canterbury College ami Auckland University Collrgc. i Tho chief arguments advanced in support of the proportion were that it England had not possessed command of the sea the operation!* of Wellington in Europe would liave been impot*=ib!e. Once the French and Spauliii fleets

were swept awaj Napoleons hopes ot ■ nvaeio' 1 were destiuyoa. Ueiit on huniDiiiig England, he *vi in motion aw Continental t>yoteni, winch, to be successful, had to De universal. The rapul rice in pnecs on mc Continent produced discontent and haired of *\apoieon s serine , , and the Lzar endeavoured to withdraw trom tlie system. Napo.eon then had to undertake the Kutwian •cunipa'B"- which eniu-d so disastroiu-ly tor rranc.. 1 . Wellington, in the I'eniub ula, creu" nway hmu-elf many vi .N.ipok'on t> ben iroops and generals, and t-" il » weakened him. Jiut he was -only able to do tins because Ne.erjn had won the mas rry of the K-a. >'apoiP f ' n ivns a beaten man long !>eiore Vaterloo, and would have bet-u beaten eren it tnoie hail oeeii no A\ eiling on. ' Thoretoi'e. Nelson it wus who (le.ermineti the downtall or Napokon. The lino of argiiment atlupttxl by the chainpic-n> "f Wellington, briefly put, was t)i : -i-- In when Trafalgar w;is loiight, Napoleon liatl not ieaciiv<l his ji'iuth by any means. It was because Pitt ivaliaod thar Napoleon had not tl i s tained a fntal blow at Trafalgar that Aiisterlitz e'-nick the despair into his haart from which In- ni'vey recovered. N'apolcon. in 1807. ;ilter )i;id JJuropeat hw feet, ilii> Continental system wa.s a HN're pretext, which he never took beriously, and tho Russian campaign waa an act of needless aggression. jiven if Napoleon had effected an invasion of England, it did follow that he would have conquered England. Nelson, it was true, .-aved England tor an opportunity, but it wa* Wehington nho hteppod into the opportunity when it presented iWlf, and it wat» to Wellington that tho downfall of Napoleon the more soa.s NapoleonV genius v was essentially military, and all the decisive events of tho period were land events. After a retirement: of <i quarter of an hour, during: which Mr Wifeon kept the audience highly amuwd with some clever songs and a has&oon, the judges returned to tho platform, and Mr J. W. Jovnt said that ho and his brother judges were unanimously agrcod tluat rhe first place had been won by Victoria College. (TiOud and prolonged applause). The subject, which was different in character to thox* usually rhojon, hart been selected ns an experiment. Tlbab oxperiment had been a triumphant, s-ucce , *. and it was a pleaMire to tell them that tho judges consi<fcr<"d the deWo to have- been *i firM-clara one. He had never heard one nmrly e« good. . Dr Evans congratulated \ ictoria. 00lWβ upon having won tho Joynt B'ilver Scroll, and thanked the judges for their Bcrvices. . llio programme for to-day consi>ts ot ep or».s at Park, and a dance in the evening at Canterbury College.