EFFORTS IN ORATORY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1873, 6 October 1913, Page 8

EFFORTS IN ORATORY.

PLUNKET MEDAL; LADY STUDENT PLACED FIRST. Ilia large audience which filled tho Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on Saturday for tho ninth annual contest of tho Y ictoria College Debating Society for tne Plunkot Medal was not by any means held spellbound by striking bursts of eloquence, brilliant, flights into metaphor, unrestrained epigram, or greatly stirred by-tho form of rhetoric. It listened patiently, at times interestedly and eagerly, and, sad to say, at times rather amazed at the modest efforts of eight students to create some sort of oratorical picture ol celebrities, ancient and modern. Tho chaiinin.ii for tho evening was Mr. A. fr. Caddick, and others oil tho platform wero tho Hon. H. D. Bell, K.C., and Professors Pickcn and Easterfield. The judges were Sir Joseph Ward and Messrs. C. 13. Morison, K.C., and C. E. Stat-ham, M.P. The chairman oponcd proceedings with a short explanatory speech. Ho mentioned that tho contests had been inaugurated nine years ago by Lord Plunkot. His Excellency had left tho Dominion sonio time after, but his interest in tho contests had not waned, and ho had provided medals so that tho competitions might go 011 from year to year. Tho speaker concluded by re-' minding thoso present that tho contest was purely for oratory and not for debating. ■ , Tho eight icompetitors, with their subjects, were as follow:—Mr. F. E. M'Kenzie, B.A. (tho 'Duko of Marlborough), Miss M. L. Nicholls (Joan of Arc), Mr. A. L. Trcadwell (Joseph -Chamberlain), Mr. Meldrum (Dean Swift), Mr. A. B. Sievwright (William Pitt, tho groat Commoner), Mr. It. M'Connoll, LL.B. (Florence Nightingale), Mr. 0. Boier (Lord Lister), Mr. L. A. Rogers (W. E. Gladstone). The Speeches. Tho first speaker, Mr. M'Kenzie, adopted tho pulpit stylo of address, and although it had tho effect of being rather, impressive at times, his manner of speech left something to bo desired. His gestures wero frequently inappropriate, and sometimes disconcerting. During tho courso of his remarks ho made tho somowhat venturesome assertion that' tho Duko of Marlborough could bo ranked as cue of tho trio of the world's greatest generals, tho other two being Hannibal and Napolean. To sort tho world's trio of greatest commanders is a task which tho best military historians have never yet attempted, and probably never will. Miss Nicholls, in a simple, unaffected manner, told of Joan of 'Arc. Sho painted an appealing, and at times quito a poetic picture of tlio-life of the French heroine, but was rather inclined to ho recitative in her style of delivery. 3Jr. Trcadwell began very well, his subject being Mr. Chamberlain. Ho improved as ho went along, and his words wero given in lino style, and carried conviction. Ho was <yoted by many to bo tho best speaker of tho evening. Mr. Mcldruni was unintentionally humorous in his address on Dean Swift. Even his first sentence drew forth one of tho heartiest laughs of tho evening. He oponcd with a highly illuminative sentence (laudatory of Swift), culminating in the fact that Swift had ended his days in a lunatic asylum, tho last two words being ,doli\ered with emphasis. _ Tho speake/ was evidently a beliovcr in anti-cliinax. His concluding words, too, were bizarre, and were to the efFect that Swift "died in a rage like a poisoned rat in a hole." The quietness of Mr. Siovwright's opening on William Pitt camo quito as a.roliof to his predecessor's wordy warfare. His oration was given with impressive solemnity, with appropriate intenening pauses to lot. his words have full effect with his 'listeners. His- addross was good, and he fully merited second placo. Vocally Mr. M'Connell is not an orator, though tho matter in his speech was good. For the most it was of tho informative type, but, though interesting, ho was not «ipable of stirring his listeners, oven with such an excellent oratorical subject as Florence Nightingale at his disposal. His conclusion was good. Mr. Borer opened in quite a poetic manner, hut vastly amused his listeners by going off at a tangent, and adopting a totally dilferent manner of address. Then ho again took up tho poetic thread, only to dash olf ajja'in at a wider tangent, and givo a dissertation on the healing of wounds. Like Mr. Meldrum ho abounded with unconscious humour. Tho concluding speaker was Mr. 'Rogers. Ho aptly prefaced 'his speech oil Mr. Gladstono by remarking that wlilo some of the speakers that evening had praised their heroes for spilling blood others had lauded theirs for healing wounds. His subsequent discourse, however, was nioro in tho nature of a platform haranguo than anything else. Tho Winner. Sir Joseph Ward camo forward, after an interval, and announced that in the opinion of tho judges Miss Nicholls was t-lio winner. ''It is only fair to my fellow judges," remarked Sir Joseph Ward, "to state that it was not duo to her being a lady that sho had been awarded tho prize." In giving her pride of place the judges had considered the matter of her oration, the arrangement, her diction, delivery, and enunciation. Mr. Sievwright wa;s second, and Mr. ■M'Connell third. Mr. Treadwell was, in the judges' opinion, very close to Mr. 'M'Connell. As for tho others they had been judged from tho samo point of view as had "the winner, and although 'they had not come into t'he_ winning lino they were good. Tho -decision of tho judges had been arrived at unanimously. In presenting Miss Nicholls with the medal, the Hon. 11. D. Bell remarked that it was tho first timo in tho history of the Plunkot medal that it had been won by a lady student. Mr. Bell (who was for the most part addressing 'himself to the students "in tho gallery) said that he had never heard them so silent before. "I think ft would have been different," lp remarked, "if it had been Sir Robert Stout speaking instead of myself." (Laughter.) Tho speaker mentioned tliat nil apology for absence had been received from tlio Prime Minister. Professor Pickcn also made a short speech. While tho winner was being selected by the judges tho students rendered some parodiol fabrications of collego interest. Liko a faulty bellows, howover, tho voices wavered, at times tottered, and then lapsed incontinently.