Morality No Consideration.

Southland Times, Issue 8007, 1 May 1885, Page 3

Morality No Consideration.

In the " Eunuchus" of Terencej B«ys tho Lyttelton Times, one of the chief characters is made to check himself in the middle of an indecent speech, on the ground that there' were ladies present. Terence, as classical Bcho'ars know, was not a-mealy-mouthed dramatist. The character referred to .was not; supposed to ; typify purity, while the woman whose presence restrained him' belonged to a class whose existence ?olHe society agrees to; ignore. Efad erence been a member of the Senate of the 'New Zealand University he would, we are forced to think, have scorned auchian absurd exhibition of prudery. He would have made the speaker continue bis remark to .the bitter end, even had the auditory -.-. consisted- of pure •minded maidens and;: respeotable ytfupg men. .He' would hays justified this couirse on the 1 ground that when anything is begun it is inexpedient to break it oi£ in the^middle. At any- rate, some such argument as this is ahout the best excuse we have heard for the University Senate's refusal to Comply with the urgent appeal just made to th*»m^ by 'the Governors of Canterbury College. The College contains many lady students: far moie than any other institution of the kind in New Zealand. On , r these, students the Senate persist?, in the teeth of repeated protests, in inflicting a cruel hardship and wrong. It has deterinined to foice those of them who' attend clastiical lectures to read certain grossly indecent literature in the society of a number of young male students. The books complained of are two plays of Terence. If the non-claßsical reader would like to know the nature of these inestimable works he on peruse an iinexptugated edition of Shakdapetfeli «Perjcles."' But there is this all inipdrtantdifference between a.Shakesperean play end the Htautoniimoroumcnos. It is comparatively easy for a teacher to slur over or omit the "objectionable parts of tbe English, drams. In the classical play the indecency taints and permeates -the whole. An edition of this; v suitable for family reading,". would have to consist of a number of partially connected extracts without any approach to dramatic coherency. Were we to give an abstract of its plot in plain, straightforward English, calling a spade a spade, we might deserve the disguat-of many of our subscribers. Yet this is the work, whiob, picked out of the whole heap of classical writingp f the University Senate forces upon its young Jads and tiHidens, As some of: our readers will know, the matter has twice been' brought before ;the Senate, which oannot therefore" plead, ignorance or carelessness in excuse* tor its action. It does plead) we believe,- that Terence has been read in the University for the last two years, and that to allow; an alternative author now would lead to inconvenience. We decline to consider excuses based on arguments of convenience drrxoutinejor on recrimination, We take ottr. stand on the broad ground of public nuitality and decenoy. The feelings of mair'eh students are not to be cruelly outraged on snob slight and trivial reasons. A University which ceases to respect the sensitive purity of yotlng womanhood may, ani probably will, cease some day to receive the reep^ct of men. For tbe credit oC Canterbury College) for the well boing of the* Univereity, c for'eoinethjng higher than; both, the performance of the holiest doty the -teacher owes the pupil, we ask that this wrong. should be righte I before it is too lute.- ."' •