CANTERBURY CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 12, 16 July 1886, Page 9

CANTERBURY CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

m , Christchurcb, June 26, 1886. The : usual weekly meeting of thi« Society took place on Tueriay, the 22nd of June, 1886. The programme for the evening was to consist of songs and recitations for the first hour, and a debate was to fill up the second hour. After prayers a discussion arose over a notice of motion for the next meeting, the net* remit being that the time set apart fox the musical portion was spent. The debate was then proceeded with, the subject being, « Do theatres benefit mankind." Mr. Crooke contended that theatres did benefit mankind if nothing else could be claimed for them but the beautiful way in which the works of our greatest authors were interpreted.— Mr. Foley opened in the negative by pointing out the demoralisation that must ensue to Catholic youth when the priests are caricatured on the stage, and he claimed that all right-minded people must condemn the stage of the present day. Mr. Cooper, although strongly m favour of recreation, was decidedly opposed to theatres. He would go as far as to say that the performers as well ns the audience were seriously to blame.— Mr. Mulhearn was anxious to declare that, to his knowledge, the stag j of New Zealand was almost irreproachable. This speaker concluded by naming several dramas and melo-dramas, among them one by Dion Boacicault, and he £the>peaker) challenged anyone to point out an objectionable feature. Next came Mr. Holland, who pointed out that the Catholic Church treated theatres generally as indifferent agents for good or bad. Mr. Holland continued by stating that he w«s a believer in theatres, stall he nmat acknowledge that there was considerable room for improvement— Mr. Kennedy then proceeded to make a comparison as follows :— There have been good statesmen and bad statesman, and at the present there are good, bad, and indifferent statesman ; The Press was another example, for every good article issued from the Press there were two Had ones. Mr. Kennedy concluded an exhaustive speech by saying since we cannot condemn all statesmen because there have been bad ones, neither could the Press or the stage be condemned because they had abused their position at times.— Air. Milner complained that the previous speaker had taken the ground from under his feet, nevertheless, Mr. Milner would like to say that he was an admirer of theatrical performances. He demed that theatres were inclined to lower the tone of society. Mr. Milner added that he could bear testimony to the respectability of theatres generally.— The Rev. Father Bowers did not wish his words to influence the debate, bat he could not help saying that theatres had degenerated, the Rev. Father wished to say that in his opinion theatrical performances did not tend to educate the people. He alao aoubted the assertion that the stage of the present day had produced many elocutionists worthy of the name. At the conclusion of the debate it was decided by a substantial majority that theatres did not benefit mankind. Before the meeting separated, Rev. Father Bowers announced his intention to offer a sum of .money as a prize to the best junior debater.

July 10. The ordinary weekly meeting of the Canterbury Catholic literary boaety, was held on July 6, in their new rooms situated at the corner of Tuam. and Barbadoes streets. Present Mr. R. P. Lonargan (president^ and about twenty-five members. This being the first time for Mr. Lonargan to take office, he took occasion to address the members, thanking them for the honour they had conferred on him. He also spoke at length on the benefits to be derived from such a society, especially for the junior members. He expressed his great willingness to do all in his power for the welfare of the society, aad hoped the members would co-operate with him. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Messrs, M'Kay and Bowden were nominated as members of the society. The Ber. Father Bowers, with the consent ci the members withdrew the motion standing in his name, viz,, ••that a copy of the rules be engrossed on a card, and hnng up in a conspicuous part of the room, with a view to their being carried out strictly." *• * l,. W '-r, Hoban then "WJCB.*** « committee be formed consisting of the Rev. Father Bowers, the president, secretary, and the mover, to revise the rales aad bring them up at the next meeting. Carried . ° „T . Mr " Hoban spoke on the motion standing in his name, viz., ihat a committee be appointed to get up an entertainment, to which, the members of the congregation be invited." The following gentlemen were appointed to form that committee, the president, Messrs. Bagley, Foley, Conway, Holland, Geoghegan, Hoban, and the secretary. c programme for the evening, being a social evening, the flowing gentleman contributed reading, recitations, songs, etc • Messrs. Cooper, Mullhern, Holland. Courtney, Geoghegan, Bagley and Louargan ; and after a very enjoyable evening had been spent, the meeting closed in due form. After the ordinary meeting the committee appointed to get up the entertainment met, and it was decided to hold the entertainment on tbe first Tuesday in Angus*. Messrs. Holland and Bagley were appointed to erect a temporary stage, and Messrs. Hoban and Bagley were appointed to arrange a programme, and submit it at a future meeting, and the meeting terminated.