A DEBATING SOCIETY.

Evening Star, Issue 8529, 30 May 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

A DEBATING SOCIETY.

The meeting convened at the Chamber of Commerce last night for the purpose of fjrmtDg a pociety for the discussion of political, social, and literary subjects was attended by a number of persons, and wa* presided over by Mr James Allen, who said it was quite amusing to note the effect the little adverts ment calling this meeting had had. It had called forth, he would not say the venom, but something like the venom of a certain portion of the community, but postibly it would be removed when the result of the meeting was known. The proposal Was to form a society for the discussion of various subjects, and it was not proposed that it should be a political society iu the seuse of Uking any very active part in elections, and so on. Nor would the numbers of the society he expected to hold the same ideas upor. p< l'fi-al, social, or literary questions. He took it that they desired to have as many differences of opinion among its members —in fact the life of a debatmg Eoc'e'y, acd this was nothing more thin a debating society, must depeßd upon differences of opinion and upon having those differences freely expressed. They might, for instance, in their membership embrace red hot Socialists who might attend and fire off their guns and be fired at in return ; and, on the other hand, they might, he presumed, have a Conservative popping out his blue blood ideas, which might have to be reddened possibly by the fiery oxygen of Republicanism. Nor was the society to be formed to make use of that kind of logic they heard more or less freely advocated amongst certain leading members of society at the present time—the logic of pistols. They did not want anything of that kind, but logic and reason aud fair exposition. Tbey would be prepared to discuss political, social, even literary subjects, or any subject members might choose to bring up. It must be evident to everyone that in these days mental activity waa very keen and education very widespread, and be presumed the object of the society waß to render still more keen their mental acuities, and to become an educational factor in their midst. This surely was an ohj»ot which everyone had a right to seek after. They did not drsire to have a society 'jo discuss questions from bus p >int of view, or to look at them with one eye, but to discuss them from all points of view and to look at them with both eyes, so that all might be benefited. Such societies had proved of great benefit in the O'd Country, and in these days, when capability of expressing ore's self was a factor in life, a society of this kind must evidently do good. This waa their very harmless programme, and ha did not think any portion pf the community thought that they were doine what could cause ißJury to anybody. Mr Hastings explained that the room was his private property and had been engaged in the ordinary way by the promoters of the meeting. It wa3 unanimously resolved to form a Danedin Debating Society, and Messrs J. jolly, P. Stilliag, Melland, Henry, Maloney, Halliwell, and J. A. Walker were appointed a provisional committee to draft rules, etc. Mr Jolly, in accepting nomination, said that he should also be a member of the National Liberal Association, and his dual membership might be productive of good to both organisations. Nearly fifty persons gave in their names as members of tbe wWtety.