GERALDINE LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1952, 5 October 1889, Page 2

GERALDINE LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY.

A meeting of-this society was hold J in the library of the Geraldine Literary I Institute on. Wednesday evening last, I ; There was a i bers. Mr J. Aitken, B.Aly president, i occupied the. chair. - : i i -The Eev. J. E. Archibald, M.A., read a paper on “ Mind;” The essayist I commenced by saying that at the.com- , meucement of snch a society as the above they should, in his opinion, : S review their stock-in : trade, and the mind was to such ah association its stock-in-trade, as the body was the stock-in-trade of the athlete. He went on to point out that in the lowest order of animal life the nervous system was of the very simplest form. As they ascended in' the order of animal life /through; the ; fishes, reptiles, and birds the spinal cord was found to be developed. The brain of the highest order of mammals, men, differed from that of any other animal, not only in the size," as compared with tlie size of_ the body and spinal cord, but also in the, greater number, of convolutions ; and in reijpect of the different races of men it was found that in the elevated and cultivated races the brain was larger and better developed than in the lower types. The brain must, therefore, be considered. the seat of the higher faculties. The essayist then went oh to speak of the various mental states and' powers, such as grief, joy, cognition, will, etc., dealing with the subject in a very able manner, at the same time carefully conclusion of the essay the rev. gentleman was accorded a very hearty vote ot thanks for his interesting and well-written paper. ! ; 1 j. ,/pie remainder of the evening .-■■.was dpdnt’- ; in" extempore Spibafeihg^ 1 ' A number of subjects were placed.nr i a hat, and those present ; dre’iv -one -each and.had to speak on the s^imeTor five minutes. The following; were the subjects drawn and spoken to“ Is Marriage* a Failure ’ .Mir Aitken; “Glass,” Mr F. Wilson Smith; “ Federation ” Mr H. IN. Hiskens; “ Horse-Racing,” Mr Mould; “'Bringing Up the Stock,” Mr Flower; “Betting,” Mr Fergusson;.“Noses,” Mr W. Helern.* “The Financial Out[look of the? Colony,” Mr''Webster; “Direct or. Indirect Taxation,” Mr Cunningham. ; - v $ It wets decided to hold the next meeting of the society on' Wednesday evening next, October 9fchv when each

member attending is expected tqeome prepared te read a abort extract, either poetry or prose, from any author. Should the number prove too large for the evening, lots will be cast as to who shall read. The meeting on Wednesday evening was of a very enjoyable character, and that fpr next Wednesday, is looked forward to by the members, with much pleasure*