DUNEDIN CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 8, 14 June 1889, Page 15

DUNEDIN CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

The usual weekly meeting of t'no r.hovo Society was held on Wednesday evening, sth iust., m the Christian Brothers' School, Rattr&y street , The attendance was better than the previous evening, and Mr. John P. Ilhyes (Vice-President), occupied the ci air. The minutes of tbe la»t m ctin; w. re read and c< nfirmed.

T' c v tqs on the syllabus for the evening connoted r % f papers by Mesir . J. J. Dunnt an.i P. Leahy, a*]d a dial *gue between Messrs M. J. S un en ■ T>d N Giiffin

Mr. Leahy's paper, wh eh was entitle ! " Progress and Povrrtr," was very much appreciated by the members present, altnough wome adverse cri icisms were made upon i. The composition w&u good, s»nd the delivery excellent, though n>t sustained till the termination of the paper. It was apparent to all that Mr. Leahy waR thoroughly conversant with bis subject, which was compiled fnm the works of Henry George. Altogether, the paper gave very great satisfaction, and was listened to with attention. It was concluded amidst applause.

Messrs. Staunton and Griffin were then called upon, but through some misunderstanding rhebe gentlemen had not prepared the dialogue which they were down for. Mr. N. Griffin, however, gave the recitatation entitled •• The Burial of Sir John Moore," and was criticised favourably.

Mr. Stephen Cronin also gave a recitation, which, by a strange coincidence, was a parody on " The Burial of Bir Joha Moore." Hlaoed side by side witb the original, this latter contribution was, of course, uot so favourably received as it would otherwise perhaps have been, and, therefore, the critics "dropped upon," to use a vulgarity, Mr. Cronin without any mercy. A vote of thanks to the several contributors, proposed by Mr. Cantwell and seconded by Mr. T. Drumm, w s carried unanimously. Tbe Chairman, in referring to Mr. Leahy's piper, said that the question i.v lved in Henry George's wo/k. •• Progrees and Poverty," was now a burning question of the nineteenth century, and that uo did not approve of the Land-Nationah-aviou scheme as yut fuitu by Henry George.

Mr. C. Colurab contributed a very inter sting discourse on Japan. He reviewed the people's manners and peculiar customs, and his remarks caused much amusement at times. Whenever this gentleman contribues any item the members may look out for something original and novel, for he never confines himself to the stereotyped, worn-out paths, but strikes out into something that is at once original and interesting.

Mr. J. Hally gave a short resumb on the life of Oliver Goldsmith, and Mr. D. Falkner treated on the life of Richard Dalton Williams.

Mr. H. Griffin, proposed and seconded at the previous meeting, was unanimously elected a member of the Society. It was arranged that Messrs. Rogers, W. Woods, R. A. Dunne, L. Pavletich, and M. J. Staunton should give impromptu discourses on Wednesday, the 12Lh inst., the date of the next meeting.

A vote of thanks was unanimously accorded the Cnairman, The meeting then went into committee.