CANTERBURY CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 8, 9 December 1892, Page 31

CANTERBURY CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

The usual weekly meeting was held on Tuesday last, 29th November Mr Dobbin occupied the chair, and there was a fair attendance of members. It was decided to co-operate with St Mary's parish in their picnic, on the understanding that the question of holding a picnic independently later on be brought up for discussion. Mr O'Neill was elected a member of the Society. The programme for the evening being a debate " Should Freethought Lectures in Public Streets be Tolerated ? " the following members spoke— Negative, Bey Father Bell, Messrs O'Oonnell and Mulvihill. Affirmative, Mtssra Clarkson and Holland. The Bey Father Bell in his remarks said that he considered the State ought to protect the interests of Christianity against the attacks and abuse hurled against it by so-called Freethought lecturers. Mr Clarkson thought that the State should not interfere in the matter. That a man, because of his early training or from his surroundings should harbour peculiar opinions that entirely difier from those held by Christians of all sects should be deprived of tha liberty of expressing those opinions (which be presumed they believed in), was an injustice, etc. After several other members had spoken for and against the motion, a vote was taken which showed the feeling of the meeting to be strongly against tolerating " Freethought lectures in public streets." The chairman then addressed a few words on the above subject which showed his sympathy to be all with the " negatives," after which the meeting closed. The speeches throughout were very moderate, and the members are' to be complimented on the spirited manner in which they kept the debate going. The programme for next Tuesday will be '• Original papers "