TIMARU LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2127, 16 January 1880, Page 2

TIMARU LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY.

The first annual meeting of the aboA r c Society took place last evening. Rctween 20 and 30 members were present, Mr Scott, vice-president of the Society, occupying the chair. The following report of the Committee on the work of the past session was road by Mr Davidson, the Secretary : —“ Your Committee have the pleasure of laying before you the first annual report of the Timaru Literary and Debating Society, and in doing so they cannot refrain from congratulating the members on the progress which the Society has made during the short time it has been established. The Society has now fifty-three members on the roll, twenty-one of whom have, on an average, attended each meeting. At the inaugural meeting, on Oct. 9 1879, the delivery of the opening address, by our Yice-President, took place, and various readings and recitations were given by the members. During the session two evenings have been devoted to extempore speaking, and two also to readings and recitations. Two essays have been given—one by Mr Duval, on “ The First French Revolution ’; the other by Mr D’Emden, on ‘The Life and Works of Thomas Hood.’ Three evenings have been devoted to debates. The first debate, ‘ls Manhood Suffrage Desirable ? ’ was answered in the negative by a majority. The second subject of debate, ‘ Which was the greater Novelist, Thackeray or Dickens V ’ was declared in favor of Dickens. The third debate, on ‘The Sanity of Hamlet,’ was decided in favor of his sanity. Your Committee wish to express a hope that the members will still continue to take the same interest in the success of the Society as they have hitherto manifested, and by hearty co-operation endeavor to make the socict}- a useful and permanent institution in our midst.”

The treasurer, Mr Hart, then submitted the balance-sheet, which showed a debit balance of £(i Js od. It was explained that had it not been for the many preliminary expenses incurred by the Society, and the expenses connected with the recent complimentary entertainment, the result of the balancing would have been very different. The election of officers for the current year was then proceeded with. The President, Mr J. Granger; the VicePresident, Mr J. Scott ; the Secretary, Mr AV. Davidson ; and the Treasurer, Air M. J. Hart, were unanimously reelected on a direct motion to that effect, and the following gentlemen were elected members of Committee by ballot, viz. : —Messrs R. Taylor, C. S. Fraser, L. (J. lleid, Cl. Gordon, and AV. Stewart. The election of the Committee terminated the business of the meeting, and a number of readings and recitations agreeably filled up the remainder of the evening.