THE RIVAL LECTURERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1230, 17 July 1875, Page 17

THE RIVAL LECTURERS.

Much discussion (says the Daily Telegraph) is taking place in Melbourne regarding the competition between these two gentlemen for the use of the Melbourne Town-hall. The Key.' C. Clark imagined that he had secured the hall for a definite number of Saturdays to come. Mr. Bright was sure that Mr. Clark would give way for the one Saturday lie wanted, for the two gentlemen are literary friends, who have done each other mutual good turns, &c. But there are such beings as business agents, and these gentlemen could not agree at all — or, at least, it is part of the agents' business to take the responsibility of all unpleasantness. On Thursday morning Mr. Bright and his lieutenant — who is no less a person than Mr. Coppin, M.L A. — appealed to the Mayor, and while they were transacting business over a botrle of champagne upstairs, Mr. Clark, and his well-known fcsmythe, who had hastened down, were closeted with Mr. Fitzgibbon and a glass of sherry. The Mayor sided with Mr. Bright, and a3 the money was not paid for the hall one night, Saturday, 24th July, he took Mr. Coppin's cheque. In the meantime Mr. Fitzgibbon had promised Mr. Clark to regard his verbal arrangement as binding, and not to let the hall to any one else. There was a terrible collision between the Mayor and Town Clerk when they met, as bad as the Madame Angot quarrel scene. The one side say that the Mayor was firm but quiet; the other that he was "awful" and obstinate. There is no doubt of the result, whicli is that Mr. C4ateliouse had hi« way, and Mr. Bright is to lecture on Saturday, 24th July, while Mr. Clark instead has taken the hall for Friday, 23rd July. Thus the t\yo gentlemen, whose portraits have been ao long hung side by side in the windows, are to appear on the lecture platform, Dot as friends but as rivals. On the eventful Friday and Saturday there will be a trial of strength as to jvhich of the two candidates for popular favour will secure the larger audience.